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Some Animatronic Halloween props I've made


Need more lights

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This is a walk through of my Halloween display from the past. All the power props are homemade. The lightning and power surge effects are 16 channel LOR.

If anyone has any questions on any of them just ask!

 

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2 minutes ago, Dcroc said:

How did you do the ghost flying from tree to tree?

 

Wow I just saw your reply pop up wile I was watching the video! 

The ghost is called a "Axworthy Ghost"

Heres a how-to on it:

And here is a kit you can buy to make it: http://www.frightprops.com/props/air-electric-props/motorized-props/axworthy-ghost-kit.html

Hope this helps!

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Nice yard and Halloween set up!   Wish I had space like that and trees!   No trees and very limited space where I live, but I mange to do what I can with it.

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1 hour ago, Orville said:

Nice yard and Halloween set up!   Wish I had space like that and trees!   No trees and very limited space where I live, but I mange to do what I can with it.

Thank you! Too bad I live on a busy street and get hardly any trick or treaters. I skipped Halloween last year and don't think I'm doing it this year either. It's a lot of work for just me and without many to enjoy it, it's just not worth it.

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5 hours ago, Need more lights said:

Thank you! Too bad I live on a busy street and get hardly any trick or treaters. I skipped Halloween last year and don't think I'm doing it this year either. It's a lot of work for just me and without many to enjoy it, it's just not worth it.

You're welcome.   The first couple of years I lived here where I am now I got more trick or treaters than we ever expected and had to send the wife out on a candy run several times those first 2 years.   Last year we bought a ton of candy and guess what? We hardly had any trick or treaters in 2015.  

I know the neighbors enjoy the Halloween and Christmas displays, but even though I kind of want to do it, I kind of don't want too at the same time this year.     My wife wants me to do something, even if it's not animated or musical, just put out a few lit decorations and be it.    I have quite a bit sequenced for 2016, but I'll be brutally honest, I'm not really feeling it this year for Halloween because of the lack of trick or treaters last year in 2015.  And we had tons of candy left over that lasted us through March 2016!   So I'm kind of beside myself struggling with should I?, or shouldn't I? put up the animated musical display this year for either Halloween or Christmas?

And I live in the very back of the neighborhood, one way in, one way out, so we're kind of the last stop if anyone does come into our small section to see the display or trick or treat.  We live on a small 1/4 acre lot{maybe a little less} on a half circle street.

Seriously thinking of not doing a display this year and just see what happens.   Especially since most of the children in my section that would spread the word about the display among the rest of the neighborhood have all moved away over the last year.

So I can understand completely where you're coming from not wanting to set up the Halloween display, even though I'm not on a busy street, it's fairly dead back here in my section.

 

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11 hours ago, plasmadrive said:

good stuff... but.. I like the axworthy the best!  Very cool because you have the distance..

I heard nightmares about getting Axworthys to stay running, especially long distance ones like mine. This one is my second attempt and it runs very strong. even in 20+ mph winds it doesn't jump track. It ran daily for about 2 weeks and only jumped track a few times, but it was windy.  The depth of the wheel barrow rims is the secret.  

8 hours ago, Grinch said:

Thanks for the videos.  Really enjoyed the flying ghosts.

I do like the ghosts, but "Jack" the skeleton in the cage is my favorite...could be the 400+ hours I put in to making him.  

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I loved the flying ghosts myself, but I also loved all your animated props, wish I was so skilled to make things like that.  But when it comes to cutting a straight line, just doesn't happen for me.   Couldn't cut a perfectly straight line if I tried, not even with a jig{and I've used them!}.  Can't get anything level with each other either.    Of course being legally blind sure doesn't help any of that either!

Would love to build one of the flying ghosts, have an old electric weed whacker they no longer make the spools for, so it's sitting useless in my storage room.  Wonder how good the electric motor from my weed whacker would be to make a flying ghost?    Just have to find some pulleys to put on the house, would have them fly around the top of the house, it'd be a neat effect and an attention getter for something different here.   Now if I can only pull it off and build it....

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6 hours ago, Orville said:

I loved the flying ghosts myself, but I also loved all your animated props, wish I was so skilled to make things like that.  But when it comes to cutting a straight line, just doesn't happen for me.   Couldn't cut a perfectly straight line if I tried, not even with a jig{and I've used them!}.  Can't get anything level with each other either.    Of course being legally blind sure doesn't help any of that either!

Would love to build one of the flying ghosts, have an old electric weed whacker they no longer make the spools for, so it's sitting useless in my storage room.  Wonder how good the electric motor from my weed whacker would be to make a flying ghost?    Just have to find some pulleys to put on the house, would have them fly around the top of the house, it'd be a neat effect and an attention getter for something different here.   Now if I can only pull it off and build it....

Weed whackers run pretty fast, I don't think that would be a good candidate.  Mine runs off a sewing machine motor, I got mine from craigslist for $20.  As for pulleys, found mine at the dump for $0

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5 hours ago, Need more lights said:

Weed whackers run pretty fast, I don't think that would be a good candidate.  Mine runs off a sewing machine motor, I got mine from craigslist for $20.  As for pulleys, found mine at the dump for $0

Yes it does have some high rpm's, thought I might be able to use a rheostat to slow it down to a slower speed for such use.    I probably may have a motor speed control module around here somewhere, just finding it would be the issue.  With all the years and years of collecting electronic and motorized odds and ends for things, then finding it for a use I decide to use it for is the big issue. LOL  Never seems to be where I left it last....:lol::P;)

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  • 1 month later...

late post here but I made a flying ghost this year to. I will post pics when I can.

Basically I went to the wrecking yard. picked up a couple Saturn windshield wiper motors for 10 bucks each. Mounted a garage door pulley to it, mounted it on a piece of corrugated metal, bolted two other pulleys together, one I ran a split vacuum cleaner belt to from the motor,

I then Made another out of a old bicycle wheel I found on the side of the road and mounted it to a tree, used para cord to make a long loop.. be sure and tie a couple small knots in the cord about 6 to 8 inch apart to mount your ghost or whatever to as it needs to be able to spin on the long loop as it will twist as it runs. It is a little slower then I would like but I can remedy that by getting a slightly larger pully for the drive motor. to fast and it will not stay on..

 

It is my first one and I have it working well enough for this year but I have a who;le year now to work on it more and get it more tweeked in so it is better. I run it off a marine battery which I have connected to a HF solar charger... but I have a lot of sun here to in S. Cali. 

I will try to get a few pics to post of it. 

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