Angle Grinder

[spong8]

I was wondering how safe is using an angle grinder in a small outside haunt. it is in front of my house has no flammable materials around.

[spong8]

how wide should the hallways in a haunt be?

Also what is a good size for a one man haunted house, who scares in many places in the haunt.

[Jim Warfield]

Do you mean using a grinder as a tool to make something?
Or do you mean to have a grinder running as a prop?
I wouldn't have one as a prop, the little sparklies fly all around and were unpredictable, as are people. (as far as where they will be and what they will be doing that you don't expect)

[spong8]

I changed my mind on account that I do not want m haunt to end up like the haunted castle. But I was wondering is 2 feet for a pathway to small. I am using plastic sheet and netting for the maze, and have absolutly no animatronics or props in the places that I intend to have 2 feet pathways. I kind of want the haunt to be like the video that I saw on you tube of the Asylum from thorpe park.

[Jim Warfield]

We all learn from copying others, then hopefully we go on to creating things of our own to further enrich and widen the experiences possible
in the world.

[slash]

I would say 3 feet hallways is the minimum, I would even go 4 in the home or yard haunt situation. Just because the walls outside are not nearly as sturdy as real walls, so the people have pleanty of room to jump without crashing into my walls and wrecking my haunt, and me being sued. Also, do whatever you want for lighting, but remember to light up the ground for people to walk.

For the angle grinder.... did you want it as just a sound thing or to grind metal and make sparks? Number one, it will draw alot of power on a standard outside house electrical system, when using foggers and lights with it. Also, a spark fence would be alot safer (no metal filings flying into peoples eyes ), I believe there's plans on haunt project. You basically take a auto battery charger, hook up the ground to the metal fence, and take the positive, hook it up to a piece of metal rod or something. And you basically scrape the fence w/ the pos. side to make sparks. CAUTION!!! Make sure you have wide paths so people don't get sparks on them. DO NOT HOLD THE POSITIVE ON THE FENCE FOR TOO LONG!!!! It will WELD IT SELF TO THE FENCE. Also, make sure you are wearing gloves, and the operator has to make sure NO ONE is touching the fence or they'll get shocked. You may even put a thin sheet of plexi glass on the outer side of the fence so no one can touch it, but you still get the effect. Light this with dim red or orange light (homemade LED spotlights work good) so it is just the actor's shadow, then, target the middle part of the group to start doing the sparks with. Maybe even hook up a mini strobe on a switch that you can flick on quickly, to light up the path with, to give it more of an effect. Set the flash speed so it simulates sparks. A red or blue gel on the strobe may look cool too.

PM me if you have any more questions

[Jim Warfield]

All the welding and metal grinding that I have done and all the protective eye gear...I still got a small metallic piece that rode in my eye for a day or two, before having it medically removed and I still have a little "floaty" in my vision in that eye..sometimes....
Any kind of sparks should not be used in my very personal opinion.

[slash]

I agree Jim, I just think the spark fence has been proven in haunted attractions, an angle grinder hasn't. That's why I suggested the plexiglass over it. There are plenty of other scare ideas not involving sparks.

[spong8]

what are various noise makers that seem to work well, other than a chainsaw?

I am talking about any type of tool powered homemade or whatever

[spong8]

What is the black plastic used in small take apart home haunts called? and where do you get them?