This file is one of the Wolfstone archives of the Halloween mailing lists. You can
find out more, and reach the entire collection here:
  http://www.pobox.com/~wolfstone/_r/HalloweenArchive.html

This is a copy of Don Bertino's archive from 
  http://www.calweb.com/~bertino/halloween.html
on the subject of "outdoor ghosts".

Minor changes have been made, mostly removal of E-mail headers and signatures,
but the germane content is unchanged.

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Date: Sat, 3 Jun 1995 23:06:21 -0700
From: Scott Axworthy <scott at ole.cdac.com>
Subject: Outdoor Ghosts

Since the topic of outdoor flying ghosts has come up, I'll tell you about
mine.  

As I mentioned previously, no matter what else I do, the ghost is what
people always remember.  First, I'll start with the flying system and
then I will address the ghost.  

The flying system is nothing more than pulleys and string, on kind of 
a large scale.  The ghost has a loop track that, in total, is probably
400 feet in circumference.  It varies from year to year depending on how
I set it up.  Last Halloween, my neighbors behind me demanded that the 
ghost fly through their yard as well, so the loop got a little bigger.
The system is set up somewhat like a ski lift.   A string travels on the
outside of my corner wheels.  The corner wheels are created from bike rims
attached to a mounting frame.  The frames attach to poles, trees, my house,
or whatever is convenient.  Last Halloween's setup had 5 corner wheels.
The wheels have to be adjustable so that the angle of the string, coming
and going, is just right.  The frame is typically an "L" shape with the 
base of the "L" being vertical.  The wheel then attaches to the inside of
the top.  Time for some ASCII art:

                       /
                     M | ______________________________+_
                     o ||                             ----
                     u ||                                |  <--adjustable
                     n ||                             +---
                     t ||                     >-------|-------<
                       ||                         Wheel 
                     P ||
                     o || 
                     i |
                     n |
                     t /

I hope that makes sense, talk about crude.  This is of course the side
view and the wheel is horizontal.  In practice, the wheel is usually
angled to that as the weight of the ghost pulls the string down the
string stays firmly in the groove of the wheel.  

The first thing you notice about this system is that it always has to
be a loop.  You also don't want too tight of turns as it tends to  whip
the ghost around and cause more problems. 

The string is kept moving by a drive wheel.  The drive wheel is a little 
more complex, but the main difference is that there is a motor between
the mount point and the wheel with a belt driving the wheel.  The motor
is a small classic sewing machine motor with a small speed control like
they use for routers.  

The string has to be very tight and strong to keep the ghost from drooping
between wheels.  I found the right string one day when a neighbor was tying
up some branches.  He had a roll of the strongest, thinnest, *BLACK* string that
I have ever seen.  If this article is good for nothing else, at least you 
will now have a source for the best Halloween string ever.  This is a nylon
string that they use for crab pots.  It is found at your local fishing port
boat store.  Well maybe it won't be local for you but I live near Seattle
and there is a really good one near where the fishing boats dock.  This
stuff comes in so many sizes, it boggles the mind.  It stretches incredibly
tight without breaking.  One time I stretched a piece until it snapped and it
sounded like a firecracker when it finally popped.  It holds up in the 
weather well as it is slightly tarred.  I use this stuff for 
everything.  I just went out in the shop to see who makes it. I have two
different brands:

Nylon Twine (Type A)                           100% Nylon Seine Twine
(tarred)                                       Everson Corage Works (ECW)
Brownell & Co. Inc.                            Everson, WA 98247
Moodus, CT 06469

Mine came from: Seattle Ship
                Ballard, WA
                206-283-7000

I currently have sizes 9 (small), 15, and 30.  The 15 is what I use for the
ghost.  There is 1590 feet per roll and I think it cost about $7.50.  The
larger roll has less on a roll and the small one as 2400 feet.

Now to the ghost:

I have tried many ghosts but I seem to keep coming back to a simple, very
light weight one.  If the ghost is too heavy, the string has a tendancy
to "walk" off the wheel has the ghost approaches it.  I made a series of 
major modifications to the system to support heavy weight ghosts but it
hasn't been very reliable.  Keep in mind that the ghost has to keep running
in wind, rain, and gloom of night.  You want it to be very reliable.  
No matter how much I test it, something always seems to be different on 
Halloween night and I find myself outside fixing the ghost.  Anyway,
lightweight == reliability I've found. 

My fist ghost was about 4 1/2 feet long and consisted of a coat hanger
backbone, arms, and head (just a circle to provide support.)  It was
covered with cheesecloth that had been dipped in fabric stiffener to
give it shape.  Black spray paint made it a little more rustic and
gave it some definition in areas.  The back end was tattered and uneven
to give him that fade out tail look.  He as your average Caspar type ghost.
He worked well until the moisture got to the fabric stiffener and then he
started collapsing.  I modified him the next year by putting ultra thin
plastic over him.  This is the cheap plastic that you buy from paint stores
that is used as a drop cloth.  The cheaper the better because some of them
are so thin they tear unfolding them.  Although the moisture still got to
him, the look of the plastic when he flies is really good.

My next ghost was the heavy, "I want a really scary looking ghost."
He too had a wire frame but also sported a few bones; backbone, collarbones,
ribs, arms and a lightweight skull.   These were made out of that expanding
insulation foam which I alluded to before.  I'll talk more about this
in another post.  The rest of his body was the plastic again.  He had sort
of a half physical, half spirit look. He also had red LEDs inside his
skull that made his eyes and the skull cracks glow red.  His jaw was
balanced so that when he bobbed his mouth would open and close.  He
was scary in the dark.   Unfortunately, he was heavy.  No matter how tight
I cranked the system up, he would droop severely between wheels.  I started
hacking him up and lightening his load.  I got it so he would not droop
so bad but the string had a hard time staying on the wheels.  It would
never last if wind came up or he got a little wet (and heavier.) 
This was when I made the major modifications to the system with small
guide wheels in front of the main corner wheels.  I still use these
but I think it is more reliable without them and sticking with ultralight 
ghosts.

After many different tests, the best ghost to string attachment mimics
the ski lift again.  But instead of weaving a post into the string, I
take a small piece of brass tubing (slightly larger diameter than the string)
and then solder a smaller piece of tubing at a 90 degree angle to it.
This forms a tee.  I give it some small angle braces as well.  ASCII
time again:

                   
                   ||
                  /||\           string
        -------o========o---------- 

That's even cruder than the first one.  The main tube has the string
through the middle and then the little tube sticks out.  This allows the
string to twist around without any affect on the mount.  As the string
stretches and runs, it has a tendancy to twist.  The ghost is attached
to this mount with a piece of heavy piano wire.  The piano wire should
be shaped like this:
                 _____ 
                /     |
    mount     //      |
         ->  //       |
           (o)        |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                      |
                     O
                Ghost hooks here

Oh boy, this is probably really confusing.  This funky thing accomplishes
a lot.  Again think of the ski lift, the post up from the chair attaches
to a standoff mount in the cable.  My piano wire is the same as the chair
post and allows the connection to go through the wheels without pulling
the string off; it stands out from the string.  The piano wire attachment
is about 6 inches long and just has a small loop at the bottom for the 
ghost to be tied on.  I just use a single attach point and find the 
balance point on the ghost.  It works very well even around the corners.

With decent wheels, the operation of the system is silent (except by the
drive wheel.)  The ghost just wisps around, floating out of the dark areas.
With the loop being so long, it takes about a minute for him to get around.
He disappears for a while and just when you don't think he is coming back
he pops out again.  It can be a startling effect some times.

What's next for the ghost: automation.  Timing is everything for making
him pop out just as someone comes by.  I want to add a motion detector
to start him at the right moment and then let him do his loop, then
lie in waiting for the next victim.  I also want automatic notification
if the ghost system has failed.  Maybe I'll get it added this year.

- -

Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 09:22:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Don Bertino <bertino at netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Ghosts

On Sat, 3 Jun 1995, Scott Axworthy wrote:

Hi Scott!

> Since the topic of outdoor flying ghosts has come up, I'll tell you about
> mine.  

Great!

> The flying system is nothing more than pulleys and string, on kind of 
> a large scale.  The ghost has a loop track that, in total, is probably
> 400 feet in circumference.  It varies from year to year depending on how
> I set it up.  Last Halloween, my neighbors behind me demanded that the 
> ghost fly through their yard as well, so the loop got a little bigger.
> The system is set up somewhat like a ski lift.   A string travels on the
> outside of my corner wheels.  The corner wheels are created from bike rims
> attached to a mounting frame.  The frames attach to poles, trees, my house,
> or whatever is convenient.  Last Halloween's setup had 5 corner wheels.
> The wheels have to be adjustable so that the angle of the string, coming
> and going, is just right.  The frame is typically an "L" shape with the 
> base of the "L" being vertical.  The wheel then attaches to the inside of
> the top.  Time for some ASCII art:

Great Description!  400 feet! Wow!  I have seen something similar built for
Christmas, but not as big.  They put together one to drive a ski lift from
their front lawn to the top of their house (25 foot, one straight line, two
U-turns)  Each turn had _three_ bike wheels:

\        ------------------------       /                       
  \                ^                  /                                   
    \ <-(1)        |          (3)-> /                                       
      \           (2)             /                                          
        \                       /                                              

Wheels (1) and (3) were used to support weight and being at a 45 degree angle
did not interfear with the ski chairs attached to the string (rope?) Wheel (2)
was used for tension and of course drive.

I have been trying to do this so I have a few questions I have *got* to ask:

1)  How many ghosts are you able to have "flying" at once?  Or is it better
only to have one?

2) The weight of the ultra-light ghost is around how much?

3) Did you have to add anything to the drive wheel for extra friction?

4) You said the string streches, did you have to make major adjustments to
the string length once you had it out there a few days?  I understand you have
adjustments on each "wheel" but I would imagine you would have a few extra
feet after a few days on a 400 foot system.

5) What speed do you think ran best? (in feet per second or minute)  Did you
have problems with running it faster = less reliablty?

- -

From: Scott Axworthy <scott at ole.cdac.com>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Ghosts
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1995 11:12:01 -0700 (PDT)

More on the ghosts:
> 
> Great Description!  400 feet! Wow!  I have seen something similar built for
> Christmas, but not as big.  They put together one to drive a ski lift from
> their front lawn to the top of their house (25 foot, one straight line, two
> U-turns)  Each turn had _three_ bike wheels:
> 
> \        ------------------------       /                       
>   \                ^                  /                                   
>     \ <-(1)        |          (3)-> /                                       
>       \           (2)             /                                          
>         \                       /                                              
> 
> Wheels (1) and (3) were used to support weight and being at a 45 degree angle
> did not interfear with the ski chairs attached to the string (rope?) Wheel (2)
> was used for tension and of course drive.
> 
> I have been trying to do this so I have a few questions I have *got* to ask:
> 
> 1)  How many ghosts are you able to have "flying" at once?  Or is it better
> only to have one?

I have only used one at a time,  I like how he disappears for a while and then
finally comes back.  Leaves them wanting more.  I think the system could handle
several but it would increase the chance of a failure.  

> 
> 2) The weight of the ultra-light ghost is around how much?

Good question, I have not weighed him before.  Unfortunately I don't
have a scale that would weigh him.  My wild guess would be that he might
weigh 8 oz.  (This is a stab in the dark)  He can easily double his weight
when it starts raining.

> 
> 3) Did you have to add anything to the drive wheel for extra friction?

I haven't so far.  My "track" so far has been fairly level.  When I tried the
heavyweight ghost, I tried raising one set of wheels that happen to be just
downstream of the drive wheel.  It had been working well until, you guessed it-
the night of the party, when it rained some and suddenly it started slipping 
when the ghost went up this slight incline.  

I didn't give too much info ot the drive system so I will try to explain more.
The motor has a small pulley that was meant for an 1/8" rubber belt.  The 
diameter of the inside of the pulley is probably 3/4".  My belt is nothing
more than string that I use in the main system.  Since it is tarred, it has
a very slight tack to it.  It has worked really well (unitl that night.)

The belt goes from the drive motor around the drive wheel.  Since it is on the
inside of the wheel, it doesn't interfere with the main string loop.  I got
lucky and the motor's speed range is perfect for the speed of the system.
I run about mid-point of the speed range and it would really go fast if I
made a ghost that could take the turns.  
> 
> 4) You said the string streches, did you have to make major adjustments to
> the string length once you had it out there a few days?  I understand you have
> adjustments on each "wheel" but I would imagine you would have a few extra
> feet after a few days on a 400 foot system.

I always set it up a few weeks ahead of time so that I can tune it in.  Although
this string really doesn't stretch much, 400 feet of it will stretch for about
a week.  At the point I tie it together, one end just gets a loop.  The other
end goes through the loop and I tie a single slip knot that I can easily pull
open and pull the whole loop tighter.  Each day it stretches less and soon I
don't have to mess with it.
> 
> 5) What speed do you think ran best? (in feet per second or minute)  Did you
> have problems with running it faster = less reliablty?
> 
I cold run faster than I do but he doesn't look as good.  There is a speed
that he just seems to glide along at where he looks real good.  The corners
are the problem, even with large wheels it turns out to be a pretty abrupt
turn.  Here comes another guess at the speed, I haven't locked him.  My
guess is about 7-8 feet/second.

> Thanks!
> 
> don

This really is a great effect, I hope you have a chance to do it.  I have a 
second drive motor now and hope to have multiple ghosts going next time.

- -

Date: Sun, 27 Aug 1995 10:22:03 -0700
From: milwiron at ix.netcom.com (D.D. )
Subject: Outdoor ghosts

Hi Folks,
  Just an update on my progress on "The Axworthy Automatic
Outdoor Ghost Flying System and Bicycle Wheel Recycler"
WHOA  IT'S  COOL! 
   I bolted together a 2 wheel out and back test setup with 50
feet between wheels. I'm using slotted steel angle  for the
supports at each tree and .025 dia. Kevlar thread for the
overhead line. The ghost is attached at 2 points on the
overhead line (2 1/2 ft. apart) to help guide him through the
180 degree turns at each end, this seems to work well. Scott
warned me that the rubber rim strips on the wheels make noise
as the string runs across it and it does, maybe contact
cementing the rim strips on would help with this. Speed is
running around 6 ft. a second. At this point I'm using a capstan
drive (like some tape players used) to the edge of one wheel
off the motor.
  My hat's off to Scott for posting this idea and his excellent
instructions. Now to go build more supports.

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Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 09:51:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Don Bertino <bertino at netcom.com>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Ghosts

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 28 Aug 1995 10:51:23 -0700
From: Scott Axworthy <scott at ole.cdac.com>
Subject: Re: Outdoor Ghosts

Denny (and everyone),
> 
> Hi Folks,
>   Just an update on my progress on "The Axworthy Automatic
> Outdoor Ghost Flying System and Bicycle Wheel Recycler"
> WHOA  IT'S  COOL! 
>    I bolted together a 2 wheel out and back test setup with 50
> feet between wheels. I'm using slotted steel angle  for the
> supports at each tree and .025 dia. Kevlar thread for the

Ok Denny, where did you ever come up with Kevlar thread?  It
sounds expensive.  Does it have any stretch?

> overhead line. The ghost is attached at 2 points on the
> overhead line (2 1/2 ft. apart) to help guide him through the

I used to attache at two points, but I found it didn't buy me 
anything over a single attach at the center of gravity on the ghost.
I really like the ski lift-like attachment now.  The ghost pops in
and out in seconds.

> 180 degree turns at each end, this seems to work well. Scott
> warned me that the rubber rim strips on the wheels make noise
> as the string runs across it and it does, maybe contact
> cementing the rim strips on would help with this. Speed is

Not a bad idea, that might do the trick.

> running around 6 ft. a second. At this point I'm using a capstan
> drive (like some tape players used) to the edge of one wheel
> off the motor.
>   My hat's off to Scott for posting this idea and his excellent
> instructions. Now to go build more supports.
> Denny
> 
Might as well just build enough for several ghost systems now, they
look so good you'll want more than one.  I almost have enough for my
second one now.

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Date: Tue, 29 Aug 1995 12:45:55 -0700
From: milwiron at ix.netcom.com (D.D. )
Subject: RE: Outdoor Ghosts

Scott Wrote:
>Ok Denny, where did you ever come up with Kevlar thread? 
>It sounds expensive.  Does it have any stretch?

  Big fishing tackle stores sell it as cable for down-riggers. It
runs around 2 cents a foot which starts adding up pretty fast. It
has no stretch and is essentially unaffected by moisture. As we
communicated, the "no stretch" may be a big problem if the trees
are moving but... after seeing the hassles of restringing just a 2
wheel test run, I've decided to build in a controllable, spring
loaded tensioning system on the 180 degree return wheel (also
motor wheel). This way the tension variable is under my control.
The Kevlar thread is amazing stuff, .025 dia. and 150 lb. test.
Abrasion resistance is fantastic. Color is pale yellow but it can
easily be colored.

>I used to attache at two points, but I found it didn't buy me 
>anything over a single attach at the center of gravity on the
>ghost. I really like the ski lift-like attachment now.  The ghost
>pops in and out in seconds.

It seems to work better (so far) with the ghost I built, it keeps
him pointed in the forward direction at all times and also keeps
him tucked in on the tight turns. 

>the wheels make noise
>as the string runs across it and it does, maybe contact
>cementing the rim strips on would help with this. Speed is

>Not a bad idea, that might do the trick.

I hope so, it made the exact snapping/crunching noise you
mentioned.

>Might as well just build enough for several ghost systems now,
>they look so good you'll want more than one.  I almost have
>enough for my second one now. 
>Scott

It looks wonderful from what I've seen so far but build more than
one system?!  I'll humbly leave that to the father of  The
Axworthy Automatic Outdoor Ghost Flying System and Bicycle
Wheel Recycler.
Denny
P.S.
Scott, do you have any opinion if it's better to tilt the wheels 
"towards" the incoming string or to the "side" (lowering the entry 
point on the wheel) to meet the sag?

- -

Subject: Re: Flying Ghosts
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 1995 18:56:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Nathan Kahn" <po!smokin!nathan>

> 
> Hi All,
>   I just wanted to say my flying ghost system based on Scott's detailed 
> description posted to this list works great and is THE traffic stopper 
> around here. The foam skeleton/ghost is painted lightly with 
> luminescent paint available from Theatre Effects (Nathan Kahn). At 
> night he's lit up by 2 black light fixtures.
> Denny
> 

Yes, I keep forgetting that our glow paint and makeup is also highly
fluorescent.

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