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 particular archive deals with "architecture" topics. This includes: o arches o fences and gates o gargoyles o fake stonework o fake rocks o mausoleum o larger effects, such as hell-hole, bottomless pit, vortex o materials used for large things that are either not covered elsewhere, or are compared/contrasted/combined (MM VS. PM VS. GREAT STUFF) It does NOT include related topics: o monster mud and papier mache - - - - - From: "BHendrsn at kirk.microsys.net" Date: Tue, 17 Oct 1995 16:49:23 +0000 Subject: Fake Metal Fences I was wondering if someone knew of an economical way to make light-weight lookalikes of the classic haunted house steel fences that you always see. I wanted to use some in my back yard but they are both too expensive and too heavy (they have to be carried through the house) to purchase and just weather them. - - - - - Date: Thu, 19 Oct 95 14:57:08 PDT From: lfarr at santa.stratacom.com (Lisa Farr) Subject: Re: Fake Metal Fences There's a company called Seasonal Sensations that sells a kit for making cardboard cemetery gates. It's about $35, comes with its own glue gun, takes about 3 hours to assemble. Way cool, though. I don't have their number, but can find it if necessary. Check the 800 directory. I find cardboard works well for making props like gates, fences, etc., if you're not in too damp of an area! - - - - - From: alt at ixstar.att.com Date: Mon, 23 Oct 95 08:56:51 CDT Subject: Re: Fake Metal Fences Re: xx > I was wondering if someone knew of an economical way to make > light-weight lookalikes of the classic haunted house steel fences > that you always see. I wanted to use some in my back yard but they > are both too expensive and too heavy (they have to be carried through > the house) to purchase and just weather them. What we have done to surround the graveyard is to use simple 2 x 2 stakes in the ground; horizontal 1 x 2 near the top and the bottom of the stakes using drywall screws (we use thousands of these each halloween!). The fence pickets are any old junk plywood (1/4 or 3/8") cut about 6" wide with a 'point' on the top. These are drywall-screwed to the horizontal members at random spacing and angles (to give it that old, beat-up look). My wife painted them using white, black, and grey dry brushing to make them look old. It stores very compactly. - - - - - From: RoboJay at aol.com Date: Wed, 25 Oct 1995 19:44:14 -0400 Subject: Foamcore for Halloween The person asking about how to make a fake fence reminded me of that miraculous material, foamcore. It's a thin sheet of styrofoam - like material sandwiched between layers of paper and comes in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. I've used it for costumes, decorations, protest signs and displays - and it has many more uses! Unlike cardboard, it doesn't get soggy when wet; and it's sturdier and more rugged. Consider foamcore! It may be a little late this year, but for next Halloween - let your imagination soar like a witch on her broom! - - - - - Date: Thu, 6 May 1999 08:55:59 -0500 From: abrill at mindspring.com (Arthur Brill) Subject: Re: HALL: Arch ideas wanted (was:new delivery) Kevin wrote: >even easier but more expensive use sona tubes from a concrete company. There's no doubt in my mind that Sono-tube is the way to go if you are doing round columns. (It is used in almost every shopping mall at Christmas time for the "Santa's Castle" thing) There are a few things to know about it though. First off, it is covered with wax, to keep the concrete from sticking to it. Unfortunately, this also keeps paint, or anything else useful, from sticking to it as well. (I am aware of one display company in which one set went out without removing the wax first. All their hard work went to waste, as the colums were returned with the "stonework" falling off. The tubes need to be either sanded, or the wax removed with acetone and a lot of scrubbing. For a stone surface, I would use cotton batting and cheesecloth. Cover the entire colummn by gluing cotton batting to it, then wrap it in cheesecloth. Staple the cheesecloth to the sonotube along your mortar joints. Paint to look like stone with spray paint. It won't have a hard stone surface, but will look great. If you want a hard stone suruface, you would have to spray it with foam (like great stuff or a two part expanding urethane foam.. very messy if you don't have the equipment) and then carve it. You could just paint the sonotube with a sand textured paint (ceiling paints) to get a monolithic look. Faux marblizing is always fun... get a book on it. As far as flat stone texture, my favorite is 3" thick blue styrofoam from Dow Corning. Both Sonotube and the foam are availble through construction material suppliers. Here in the Southeast, Dixie Forming carries them both. The styro-foam can be carved with a rasp, or you can use a router for small mortar joints. A propane torch can also be used, but this releases toxic gases, so BE CAREFUL and do not do this indoors! (The stuff also has a tendency to combust, so I am NOT advising this... I've just seen it done.) Basically the way the torch works is you paint your stone areas with latex paint, leaving the mortar joints bare. Then you take a torch over the mortar joints, and the paint keeps the 'stone' area from melting as much as the joints do. If 3 inches isn't thick enough for your stones (they can still appear somewhat flat), cut some smaller stone pieces and attach them on top of the the stones you have made, them smooth them out with a rasp. The advantage of this is that the sheets come in 4X8 size, and you can get a nice keystoned arch this way. Of course this will only cover the FRONT of the arch. You would still have to do the underside. Sheet Styrene plastic is a Wonderful, cheap way to cover curved surfaces. You can get it at plastic suppliers (Cadillac Plastic in my neck of the woods). It is only about 5 bucks a sheet (for something like 3/32 of an inch), can be cut with a knife, is virtually indestructable, and all around great stuff. (also available in 4x8 sheets). Put a stryo arch on a couple of Sono-tube columns, and you've got one heck of an archway! - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Crypt plans? From: Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 20:27:49 -0700 Navy Ghost, A local haunter uses a tuff shed that he's modified to look like a crypt, then he uses it for additional storage in the off season. - - - - - Subject: Re: Crypt plans? From: "Greg Miller" Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 21:18:37 -0800 Last Halloween, I built a mausoleum to house my FCG. It was simply a cube (with cross supports at the halfway point on the two sides, the back, the top, and the bottom -- but not the front) made of 2" (?) PVC pipe. I originally intended on covering the frame with some foam-board that I was going to texture in granite. But, due to time limitations and all the = other usual excuses, I ended up using some of that corrugated paper with the stonework design -- you can usually find it at Halloween stores. I = covered the back with black plastic so the interior behind the ghost would be = dark. I then mounted Ironman's Basic Phantom Flyer to the top, and hung my = ghost. It was very sturdy, and really easy to take down. I've got some digital pictures here somewhere, so bear with me..... Or, if you have the recent Haunt Video (the one compiled by Mark Butler), you can see what I did there. And if you don't have the video, and don't mind a long download, you can check out the online version at http://www.onenetnow.com/communities/community_index.jsp?community=3Dhallow= een - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Crypt plans? From: "halloween13" Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 07:47:37 -0700 Well I don't have plans but there are some pictures on my 1998 website = that might help to inspire: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/8665/index.html This crypt was constructed of the cheapest and thinest wood we could find. = For the structure I think we used 1 x 2's or something. The outside is = covered with gray and fleckstone paint. The columns are from Anderson = Events. Leslie ---------- Original Message ---------------------------------- From: "Kim & Vince" Reply-To: "Halloween List" Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 19:38:32 -0800 >We did the same for 2000; used 2" foam. Used drywall screws to "secure" = it >to 2x3 lumber framing. Our biggest problem- didn't put a framework around >the edge of the roof pieces. I was expecting (foolishly) to lay them in >place, and let them rest there. > >We had a lot of wind the days just before Halloween in the NorthEast, of >course. > >I'll still tease with the remote possibility that I'll update our = Halloween >site soon. >Meanwhile, check out what I wrote BEFORE last Halloween... >http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Matrix/3333/halloween.htm - - - - - Subject: Shutters and windows From: Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 11:24:08 EDT In my case, I have a brick house. I always thought that shutters looked a = little weird on brick houses. The only houses I ever saw with shutters = has clapboard siding or shingle siding. Also, my windows are very wide. When you have little skinny shutters on = either side of big wide windows, it looks too fake and detracts from the = effect. While I'm at it, let me just say that boarded-up windows on a brick house = looks weird too. On houses with wooden siding, the boards are nailed into = the siding. You can't do that with brick houses, which is why fake = boarded-up windows on brick houses will always look a little weird. It = kind of ruins the illusion. Soooo, instead of going with the classic 'shutters hanging askew' or the = 'boarded-up window' look on my house, I've had these ideas. Let me run = them past you guys and gals. I've decided to emphasize the masonry aspect of my brick exterior house. First, I'll take some stiff black plastic sheeting, cut some narrow = strips, and use them to cover the white molding on the windows. This will = make the windows mouldings look like iron or steel, instead of white = plastic and aluminum. Then I'll cut some 1/2 inch PVC pipe to length and = make 'iron' bars over the windows. Then I may make some fake granite borders out of styrofoam to put around = the edges of the windows. Since the mini-blinds on the windows are definitely NOT gothic, some = translucent plastic behind the windows should make them look dusty and = hazy. You could even cut out some jagged shapes from the plastic to = simulate broken window panes. I can practically hear the Homeowners Association banging on my door! - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Shutters and windows From: "Michael Bruner" Date: Thu, 26 Apr 2001 11:51:32 -0400 >>From: ScottM2251 at aol.com >>Any other ideas? If you look at the first picture of my yard page, you can see the 'wailing = windows' on the upper floor, the idea came from a Home and Garden magazine = or something. All you have to do is cut out some monster faces in black felt. It was as simple as that. Quick, easy, relatively inexpensive, and = I truly like the effect. Here is the url to my 'Wailing Windows' http://members.nbci.com/MonsterMaze/rooms/rooms_00/yard/yard.htm - - - - - Subject: Re: Re: Hall: so little time - pics From: Date: Thu, 24 May 2001 16:43:10 -0400 Greg, Great work......How about some measurements. Length of pipes, size of = pipes, etc. This will be a great way to create a lightweight and portable = Haunt. And you can add to it. I'm conveting my Haunt from painted wood walls (too heavy) to poly styrene = and this PVC unit would fit in real good. EireShade Halloween List wrote: > Yep....that would be mine. I have just few pictures posted at www.cartogra.com . Just do a search (in the menu on the left) for "dopenarc" to have my album come up. There are only 5 pictures in there, with no instructions, but = you should be able to get the idea pretty easily on how to build it. I = actually built mine at the last minute -- only took a few hours to cut the PVC, connect it together (I didn't glue anything -- it stayed together without any problems whatsoever), and put on the cardboard brick paper (let's hear it for duct tape!!). It was very simple, but looks pretty good in dim light -- darkness is our friend!! For those of you who are wondering about the motor setup, that's Ironman's famous Phantom Flyer (but the head and arms are mine). Go to www.theironkingdom.com/ for more info. And, if you're wondering how the psycho cat comes into play, if you look = at the lower right portion of the completed mausoleum, you will see where the "brick" is all frayed and torn apart after I had a midnight "visitor." - - - - - Subject: MM VS. PM From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 06:20:58 -0700 MM costs - Topping compound $7.90 per box (40+ lbs.), paint $5, burlap $2 per yard or muslin $.80 per yard, chicken wire $9 per 25 foot roll VS PM costs - Gallon of glue, newspaper (you can steal from the neighbor), paper towels $.85 per roll ********************************* (Strength measured on scale of 1-10 with 10 being fiberglass prop) MM strength - using burlap or several layers of muslin on chicken wire frame rates about 6 PM strength - using several layers of newspaper and paper towels rates a 4 ********************************* Both MM and PM must have a sealer to prevent water damage. Each method has it good and bad points. I actually prefer using a layer of fixall over the PM method using paper towels. Especially for the monster eggs. I can dip my hands in water after I have applied a layer of fixall and smooth this out to a nice finish. Both methods are messy...well they were for me. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: MM VS. PM VS. GREAT STUFF From: "Michael Bruner" Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 09:53:51 -0400 NOTE: Great Stuff is an expanding insulation foam that comes in an aerasol = can in can be purchased at any Home Depot. >>From: Sue McDonald >>MM costs - Topping compound $7.90 per box (40+ lbs.), paint $5, burlap >>$2 per yard or muslin $.80 per yard, chicken wire $9 per 25 foot roll >> VS >>PM costs - Gallon of glue, newspaper (you can steal from the neighbor), >>paper towels $.85 per roll >> VS Great Stuff costs - About $3 a can, available in multiple sizes and expansions (normal expansion up to triple expansion) >> ********************************* >>(Strength measured on scale of 1-10 with 10 being fiberglass prop) >> >>MM strength - using burlap or several layers of muslin on chicken wire >> frame rates about 6 >> >>PM strength - using several layers of newspaper and paper towels = >> rates a 4 Great Stuff strength - using pvc pipe as an inner frame, I would guess about 5 or 6 >> ********************************* >>Both MM and PM must have a sealer to prevent water damage. Each method >>has it good and bad points. I actually prefer using a layer of fixall >>over the PM method using paper towels. Especially for the monster >>eggs. I can dip my hands in water after I have applied a layer of >>fixall and smooth this out to a nice finish. Both methods are >>messy...well they were for me. >>Sue Great Stuff is waterproof! You dont have to do a darn thing to it, slap on = a coat of oil based paint and you can leave it outdoors all year round, you never need to worry about water damage to the frame, because that is pvc pipe, which is plastic. What it boils down to is that certain haunts have preferences in working materials, neither good nor bad, just different. TerrorSyndicate likes chickenwire/burlap and monstermud [pro - looks scarier than anything else con - needs to be polyurethaned to be waterproof] Ironman likes iron (d-uh) [pro - looks gothic, professional and expensive con - rusts] The Monster Maze likes pvc pipe and Great Stuff [pro - light weight/waterproof/easy to apply/can be painted/ it can be carved to look like something else! con - maybe too lightweight (may blow over in high wind) If it gets on your clothes, it aint never coming out and if it gets on your hands, it has to wear off (always wear surgical gloves when working with Great Stuff] In case your wondering what a Great Stuff prop would look like, head on over to my website and check out my cieling crawler http://members.nbci.com/_XMCM/monstermaze/props/crawl.htm - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: MM VS. PM From: "mutant" Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 08:36:15 -0700 (PDT) fix all is plaster of paris. Sets up hard in about 20 minutes. It is used = in home repair, and purchased in hardware stores --- > wrote: >Hi. Excuse my ignorance but what is Fixall? And what do you coat your = items >with to make them moisture resistant? - - - - - Subject: Re: MM VS. PM VS. GREAT STUFF From: Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 16:31:25 EDT Hi Mark: Just a couple of comments about your post. > Great Stuff costs - About $3 a can, available in > multiple sizes and expansions (normal expansion up to > triple expansion) There is also a latex-based version available that -- hang onto your = hats -- cleans up with water! It takes longer to cure than standard Great = Stuff, but, once dry, it has exactly the same properties. Regarding product strength, I'd personally assign the following = rankings, again on a scale of 1 to 10: Monster Mud -- 7.5 to 8 Papier Mache -- 3 to 4 Great Stuff -- 5 to 7, depending upon inner supports > What it boils down to is that certain haunts have > preferences in working materials, neither good nor > bad, just different. Exactly. It boils down to working with the material you're most = comfortable with, which is most appropriate for the task at hand, or which = is most cost-effective. For example, I could make a life-sized grim = reaper out of Great Stuff, but I'd hate to have to carve in all those = wonderful folds and wrinkles that seem to naturally occur when using = Monster Mud. > In case your wondering what a Great Stuff prop would > look like, head on over to my website and check out > my cieling crawler > http://members.nbci.com/ XMCM/monstermaze/props/crawl.htm Just so you know, this URL did not work for me. I had to change it = to: http://members.nbci.com/monstermaze/props/crawl.htm Once I did that, I got to see your creepy looking ceiling crawler. = Nice work! - - - - - Subject: I've got gargoyles From: "Brent Ross" Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 13:22:47 -0700 (PDT) I've been working on my gargoyles for 3 months now, and there just about = ready to go out.(im waiting on materials, for the wings) The models description and pictures can be viewed at = http://www.deviousconcoctions.com/gargoyle.htm and I will try and get an updated picture of the final product up within = the next week. I decided to make 2 versions; Version#1 is made completly of rigid urethane foam, will arrive yellow, = but is meant to be primed then painted with rock paint. (I may prime them = before they go out, but only time will tell) This version will accept the = animated wing pack, but due to the power of motors and pneumatics, I dont = advise it. Price $60.00 plus s&h (approx $10-15.00) Version #2 is filled with the same rigid urethane foam but it has a hard = plastic (pour a kast) shell that can be drilled and or machined. It is = very strong and will stand up to alot of abuse. This is the version that = I designed to accept the animated wing pack. The wings will be the same = design as above, but there is another version that will have the metal = foundation built into them. (directions will be included to modify your = static gargoyle, into an animated prop) This version will also need to be primed and painted. Price $120.00 plus s&h ($15-20.00) Animated wing price $30.00 for the set. If anyone is interested please email me at dvsconcoctions at netscape.net Thanks Brent www.deviousconcoctions.com - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Bottomless Pit Question From: Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 13:03:51 EDT I used coble stone wallpaper in mine. It worked great. It was cheaper and less time to build it. Tony n a message dated 8/7/01 8:42:06 AM Pacific Daylight Time, sue at halloweenfear.com writes: << The bottomless pit is one of the props that I have always wanted since day one but just never got around to it. Could a person NOT cut out the styrofoam stones for the walls but instead leave the foam in one piece and carve out the spaces between the stones? It seems like if the foam was glued to the plywood framing and the stone design marked on the foam and then the spaces were dremeled out, it would cut down on some of the time involved. Has anyone ever done it this way? >> - - - - - Subject: Re: Bottomless Pit Question From: "Iron Kingdom" Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 12:48:37 -0400 Hi Sue, I did mine a little different in that I used a 2' square, 3' tall plywood box, then lined the inside with chicken wire to make the 'hole' rounded and covered it with burlap and monster mud. It made it look more like a dirt hole. Also, instead of a bare light bulb, I used fluorescent strips in two opposite corners behind the chicken wire. I made cut outs = and slashes in the monster mud and put red gels in the opening. I also put roots in the MM before it set so that it looked as if the hole went = straight to hell. The red glow from the sides looks great. In hind sight, black light strips may have been interesting too. Just add some GITD bugs and underground critters. Ironman - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question From: "D Anello" Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2001 15:03:36 -0400 I caught the beginning of a show on prophecies on the learning channel the = other day and it started out by going down a path with brick walls. The = path followed to where the the walls became stone. It ended at a hole in the floor which looked like a bottomless pit, glowing orange, but with the fog = flowing into the hole instead of out of it. This looked really cool for a = prop instead of the usual bottomless pit. It looked like it was pulling stuff into the hole like a black hole. This could probably be done with a = tube (dryer exhaust?) leading out from underneath to a distance away with = a small fan in the tube to pull the fog through. What do you think group, does this sound like something that could be done? >From: "Iron Kingdom" >Reply-To: "Halloween List" >To: "Halloween List" >Subject: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question >Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 12:48:37 -0400 > >Hi Sue, > I did mine a little different in that I used a 2' square, 3' tall >plywood box, then lined the inside with chicken wire to make the 'hole' >rounded and covered it with burlap and monster mud. It made it look more >like a dirt hole. Also, instead of a bare light bulb, I used fluorescent >strips in two opposite corners behind the chicken wire. I made cut outs >and >slashes in the monster mud and put red gels in the opening. I also put >roots in the MM before it set so that it looked as if the hole went >straight >to hell. The red glow from the sides looks great. In hind sight, black >light strips may have been interesting too. Just add some GITD bugs and >underground critters. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question From: "Wes Wilson" Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2001 15:16:27 -0400 >>> anellod at hotmail.com 08/07/01 02:03PM >>> I caught the beginning of a show on prophecies on the learning channel = the=20 other day and it started out by going down a path with brick walls. The = path=20 followed to where the the walls became stone. It ended at a hole in the=20 floor which looked like a bottomless pit, glowing orange, but with the = fog=20 flowing into the hole instead of out of it. This looked really cool for = a=20 prop instead of the usual bottomless pit. It looked like it was pulling=20 stuff into the hole like a black hole. This could probably be done with = a=20 tube (dryer exhaust?) leading out from underneath to a distance away with = a=20 small fan in the tube to pull the fog through. What do you think = group,=20 does this sound like something that could be done? OOOH! that could work really well! I've been looking to power a few props = in my haunt with one of those 3 foot club fans this year... adding a = little extra suction with some dryer conduit would be easy. It would also = help clear the air of "risen" smoke. After my cooled fog gets warm, it = starts filling my haunt rooms a bit too effectively. Perhaps this floor = suction idea would help keep the air a bit clearer... perhaps a slight = rise around the hole would let your settled smoke stick around and pull = most of the airborn smoke down into the hole. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question From: "Iron Kingdom" Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 14:45:43 -0400 I don't know if we are talking about the same effect on the bottomless pit. It is done with a two way mirror at the top, and a standard mirror = in the bottom of the hole to make it look as if it goes on to infinity. One problem I see with the fog/smoke idea is that the reflection will make it look as if the fog/smoke would be pulled in at points every so many feet, depending on how deep your pit is. In other words, you would see = fog/smoke traveling in both an up and down direction. It would not look as if it = was traveling down to the bottom of the image that you are looking at. The next, and biggest problem I see is that standard fog from a fogger will leave a residue on the mirrors and I would think eventually block the = vision completely, even with the exhaust fan pulling it. To avoid this, you may try using real smoke from incense or try to come up with one of those bee smokers that bee keepers use. Of course, you're still going to have the = up and down image to deal with. Ironman Check out our new Halloween Domain.... http://www.TheIronKingdom.com Custom Ironwork..... http://www.villagesmithy.itgo.com/ And come see us in the crypt.... http://www.oneillpcs.com/haunt/chat ----- Original Message ----- From: "D Anello" To: Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 3:03 PM Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question > I caught the beginning of a show on prophecies on the learning channel = the > other day and it started out by going down a path with brick walls. The path > followed to where the the walls became stone. It ended at a hole in the > floor which looked like a bottomless pit, glowing orange, but with the = fog > flowing into the hole instead of out of it. This looked really cool for = a > prop instead of the usual bottomless pit. It looked like it was pulling > stuff into the hole like a black hole. This could probably be done with = a > tube (dryer exhaust?) leading out from underneath to a distance away = with a > small fan in the tube to pull the fog through. What do you think group, > does this sound like something that could be done? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question From: "Iron Kingdom" Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 15:18:48 -0400 Then yes, this would work and look really good I think. It would be great if you could use 4" perforated pipe attached to your incoming dryer hose, and create a circle around the hell hole. You could loosely cover = the pipe with leaves to allow the fog to escape. You would need one hell of a vacuum from the inside of the hole, but man, what a great looking effect that would be. Ironman Check out our new Halloween Domain.... http://www.TheIronKingdom.com Custom Ironwork..... http://www.villagesmithy.itgo.com/ And come see us in the crypt.... http://www.oneillpcs.com/haunt/chat ----- Original Message ----- From: "D Anello" To: Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 4:01 PM Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question > Ok not a bottomless pit...how about a hell-hole...glowing orange hole = with > smoke going into it instead of pouring out. - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: Bottomless Pit Question From: "Rob Withoff" Date: Tue, 7 Aug 2001 16:10:05 -0500 > The bottomless pit is one of the props that I have always wanted since > day one but just never got around to it. Could a person NOT cut out the > styrofoam stones for the walls but instead leave the foam in one piece > and carve out the spaces between the stones? It seems like if the foam > was glued to the plywood framing and the stone design marked on the foam > and then the spaces were dremeled out, it would cut down on some of the > time involved. Has anyone ever done it this way? A number of years ago, I was involved in a production that was set in a medieval castle. The set walls were constructed from 4x8 flats with 2" = blue styrene glued to the surface. They used a propane torch to "carve" the stones, and a sea sponge with acetone to texture the surface. They also = did wood beams that were reasonably convincing from a distance, and "stained glass" windows done amazingly well using theatrical gels, glue, and paint. BTW, they did all of this work *outside*. Acetone is _nasty_. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question From: "Sue McDonald" Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2001 20:56:57 -0700 Now that sounds pretty good. I was planning to drill small holes throughout the hellmouth I am making and put tubing out each hole. This will take the fog out through the holes in the slope and make it appear to be hot. It will also come out the top. I want to do a pulsing light instead of just a steady red light. Sue D Anello wrote: > > Ok not a bottomless pit...how about a hell-hole...glowing orange hole = with > smoke going into it instead of pouring out. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Re: Bottomless Pit Question From: "Thanatoz" Date: Wed, 8 Aug 2001 00:08:01 -0700 (PDT) --- D Anello wrote: > I caught the beginning of a show on prophecies on > the learning channel the > other day and it started out by going down a path > with brick walls. The path > followed to where the the walls became stone. It > ended at a hole in the > floor which looked like a bottomless pit, glowing > orange, but with the fog > flowing into the hole instead of out of it. This > looked really cool for a > prop instead of the usual bottomless pit. It looked > like it was pulling > stuff into the hole like a black hole. This could > probably be done with a > tube (dryer exhaust?) leading out from underneath to > a distance away with a > small fan in the tube to pull the fog through. What > do you think group, > does this sound like something that could be done? Well we did something like this long ago...accidently. We had a fog and chiller going, spreading across the lawn. There was a depression in the yard where we had dumped out some ice and water from playing with the fog chiller earlier (wanted fresh ice and all for the night). We noticed the fog around seemed to flow into the drepression when it got near. As far as we could tell it wasn't so much the terrian as the ice that almost seemed to pull or hold onto whatever fog it came in contact with. We never tested the idea after that, it was just an observation. Maybe if you filled the hole with ice you would get the desired effect. - - - - - Subject: Re: Haunted storm drains From: "Evil Eric" Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 17:13:02 -0400 Sounds like a great place for a modified "Hell Hole". We did the same = thing with a metal culvert in the ditch near our street. Instead of a straight-down visible hole, we mounted a cassette or CD deck and speaker = on a shelving board along with a couple of lamp sockets for red light bulbs. We shoved the whole affair into the culvert as far as we could reach and = hid the power cord. The effect is great, especially when walking along the street. Gives a "possessed" look to the culvert or storm drain. Adding a fogger would only increase the effect. Evil Eric > Anyone ever rig a storm drain with anything creepy? We have one just a = few > feet from the entrance of our graveyard. It's actually accessible = through a > tunnel entrance about 150 feet away where it dumps out into a creek bed. > Thought maybe I'd explore at least putting spooky sounds or lighting in > there. - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 15:03:51 -0700 Yeah, some sort of sounds, a glowing green light, some sort of sounds, and for a change, a great place to use a fogger with OUT having to chill the fog because you want it to rise! Have you seen National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation? Perhaps leave some cans on their side along the drain that have "Toxic Waste" or "Nuclear Waste" on them. Fog and green lights coming from below - Something along the lines of what happens after cousin Eddie's been "just pumping out the crapper!" Or Return of the Living Dead II - the nerve gas canister in the storm drain. Maybe a bucky hand sticking up through the grates Or maybe red & yellow flickering so it looks like something's burning down there and a recording along the lines of the devil's workers or some underground dwellers have finally broken through and are coming to get the kids. -----Original Message----- From: Halloween-L at WildRice.com [mailto:Halloween-L at WildRice.com] On Behalf Of Josh Coen Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2001 01:58 PM To: Halloween List Subject: Hall: Haunted storm drains Anyone ever rig a storm drain with anything creepy? We have one just a few feet from the entrance of our graveyard. It's actually accessible through a tunnel entrance about 150 feet away where it dumps out into a creek bed. Thought maybe I'd explore at least putting spooky sounds or lighting in there. - - - - - Subject: RE: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: "Rowan" Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 18:38:53 -0400 Oh, Josh. Haven't you ever read Stephen King's "IT"? If you did anything to the storm drain that reminded me of IT around here, = I would end up moving far away. *brrrrr* Reading that at night was sooo dumb. Gurgling sounds, maniacal laughter, fog, a voice saying "we all float down here..." - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: "Josh Coen" Date: Thu, 09 Aug 2001 16:06:10 -0700 Rowan wrote: > If you did anything to the storm drain that reminded me of IT around = here, I > would end up moving far away. You're right! I almost forgot about the residual effect. Kids will be terrorized for months! Fortunately, the couple who lives closest to it doesn't have kids, so they won't object. This could be VERY worthwhile. = Nice ROI (return on investment)! - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 19:40:37 EDT Maybe some green slime fired from a compressed air cannor out of the storm = drain as tot's walk by? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: "Lisa Duncan" Date: Thu, 9 Aug 2001 23:29:24 -0400 OOOOOO-OOOOO, GOOD IDEA!!!!!! You could put evil demonic sounds coming from it and throw red glowsticks in and get great stuff and have it coming out of the drain kinda like it's crawling out or spreading or something! Leslie On Thu, 09 Aug 2001 18:13:14 -0700 Sue McDonald writes: > Make it an opening to hell. > > Sue > > Josh Coen wrote: > > > > Anyone ever rig a storm drain with anything creepy? We have one > just a few > > feet from the entrance of our graveyard. It's actually accessible > through a > > tunnel entrance about 150 feet away where it dumps out into a > creek bed. > > Thought maybe I'd explore at least putting spooky sounds or > lighting in > > there. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Gargoyle sources From: "Thanatoz" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 01:56:11 -0700 (PDT) --- patty a nuth wrote: > Oh about 12-16 inches or so. Thanks hmmm...take a look at these and see if the smaller one will be in your price range. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: "patty a nuth" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 18:05:56 -0400 I like it !- no pun intended! How about a fake arm with clown like fabric reaching out of the drain with glowsticks, dry ice and maybe a speaker source." WE ALL FLOAT.".......bet all the adults accompanying the tots would get it !! On Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:55:14 -0400 "Kathleen McCarthy" writes: > Anyone remember the book or movie called "It" by Stephen King? How > bout a > RRREaalllyyy scary clown reaching out to grab your ankles???!!!.... - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: "Nez" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 19:16:59 -0400 Don't forget a set of glowing green or yellow eyes, dimming on and off slowly, but set back far enough to give that illusion of depth... Hauntingly yours, ~Morganna~ http://zombie.horrorseek.com/home/halloween/morgannaland/ ----- Original Message ----- From: "patty a nuth" To: Sent: Friday, August 10, 2001 6:05 PM Subject: Re: Hall: Haunted storm drains > I like it !- no pun intended! How about a fake arm with clown like = fabric > reaching out of the drain with glowsticks, dry ice and maybe a speaker > source." WE ALL FLOAT.".......bet all the adults accompanying the tots > would get it !! - - - - - Subject: Animated Gargoyle info (was gargoyle sources) From: "Brent Ross" Date: Fri, 10 Aug 2001 16:41:32 -0700 (PDT) Im trying to get the bugs out of the wing kit before I start up any hype. = Originally it was a simple form, but it was really complicated to = assemble. So I have a new set that I am working on that will be able to = hook up to a basic 2in crank or pneumatic cylinder. The wings will bolt = on instead of needing to hollow out the gargoyle, and the actual shape of = the wings are alot better. So im shooting to have them done this month, = but i cant make any promises. Also the animated version's basic form = takes alot more time to build as well as materials, so the original 120.00 = isnt looking like its gonna work. Im spending almost that much just in = materials. I dont suspect that there will be a big jump in price, since = id love to have my custom props out there, but I do need to cover my = costs. Anyways, I'll try and get everythign worked out in the next couple = of weeks, and ill keep you all informed. Thanks for the interest and patients Brent www.deviousconcoctions.com --- Jack of Shadows > wrote: >>Ive got gargoyles, but the foam version is $80.00 a pop. Still a >>way better price then the foam filled latex models. Mine is like 3 >>times the size and much more detailed. Check out a pic at >>www.deviousconcoctions.com/gargoyles.htm > >That link didn't work for me, but I found them by going to the main >page, and selecting "products". > >I believe that, in a previous posting, you mentioned an animation >pack for the wings. This sounds cool. What does the pack look like; >what do the wings look like? - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: Haunted storm drains From: "WebMistress" Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 06:09:02 -0700 (PDT) Have a bloody arm coming out the bottom and then put a weasel ball in = above it. Then it would have the appearance of a creature eating the arm. = You could even add bone crunching sound f/x :) Webby --- Josh Coen > wrote: >Anyone ever rig a storm drain with anything creepy? We have one just a = few >feet from the entrance of our graveyard. - - - - - Subject: Re: Hall: fake foam rocks From: "WebMistress" Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2001 08:38:59 -0700 (PDT) This site should be a standard bookmark ... http://www.horrorseek.com/halloween/juggernaut/projects.html Webby --- Robert King > wrote: >Webby, whats the site for fake rocks? - - - - -