Pneumatic Zombie Ground Breaker

Casa Fear · Feb 6, 2009

Here is a segment from my haunt of the prop in action.

Here is a video I created showing the workings of it.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Spartan005 · Feb 6, 2009

Awesome how to! If I ever get around to making some pneumatics this will definetely be on the list! thanks a lot

joker · Feb 6, 2009

Sweet! Thanks for sharing.

SpookySam · Feb 6, 2009

This really makes me want to make the move from motors to pneumatic. I'll have to find a way to talk myself out of it again. Thanks a lot!

Seriously, this prop is great and I love the simplicity of it. Good job.

DarkShadows · Feb 6, 2009

SICKKKK!!! im so copying this but i'll change it up and try a bucky torse. nice prop man i love seen new **** like this!

Sickie Ickie · Feb 6, 2009

Somebody call me? LOL What strikes me is that once again, the simplicity of the body makes it one of the best I've seen!

beelce · Feb 6, 2009

This thing is great...I must try air!!....Thanks Casa

bourno · Feb 7, 2009

Nice !!!

Thanks for sharing, that is pretty sweet for the action with only 2 air cylinders.

Fiend4Halloween · Feb 7, 2009

kinda hard to read the materials needed. Could you please list them, and btw, AWESOME JOB!!!!!!!!

Phil · Feb 7, 2009

I was trying to picture the mech after seeing you posted your haunt vid. The most effective props always seem to be the simplest (and most reliable). Thanks for sharing!

Dr Morbius · Feb 7, 2009

I love that! That gives me a reason to try pneumatics.

Lotus · Feb 8, 2009

OH WOW could you post the parts lists its hard to read it from the movie

groovie ghoulie · Feb 9, 2009

Awesome Prop, an where did ja get that "brains" audio? I sure could use that! Oh and what the heck the parts list also!!

Casa Fear · Feb 9, 2009

Sorry the parts list was hard to read, but here it is.

6' of 2x4
2 pneumatic cylinders
2 foot brackets
2 rod clevis
2 clevis mounting brackets
2 4-way solenoid valves
1 prop controller
4 3" hinges (wrist/elbow)
2 2.5" hinges (shoulder)
12 carriage bolts (attaching cylinder)
10 flat phillips bolts (hinges)
2 hex bolts (shoulder)
locking nuts/washers for all bolts
drywall screws (elbow hinge, securing wrist hinge to plywood base)
plywood for base

All bolts were 1/4 by 2" long
I used a picoBoo as the controller but you can use anything that has at least 2 outputs.

joker · Feb 19, 2009

Casa Fear said:
Sorry the parts list was hard to read, but here it is.

6' of 2x4
2 pneumatic cylinders
2 foot brackets
2 rod clevis
2 clevis mounting brackets
2 4-way solenoid valves
1 prop controller
4 3" hinges (wrist/elbow)
2 2.5" hinges (shoulder)
12 carriage bolts (attaching cylinder)
10 flat phillips bolts (hinges)
2 hex bolts (shoulder)
locking nuts/washers for all bolts
drywall screws (elbow hinge, securing wrist hinge to plywood base)
plywood for base

All bolts were 1/4 by 2" long
I used a picoBoo as the controller but you can use anything that has at least 2 outputs.

I just picked up some 1" stroke cylinders for really cheap. Do you think I will get enough movement out of them for a prop like this?

undead41 · Feb 9, 2009

Incredible!!

Nice Job man! Looking at the finished prop you would expect to see so much more going on under there...fantastic!

Sickie Ickie · Feb 9, 2009

What psi did you use?

Casa Fear · Feb 9, 2009

The PSI was around 35.

Casa Fear · Feb 9, 2009

the sound bytes were from Adam Johnson's Sound Effects Library, which you can get at frightprops.com.

scream1973 · Feb 10, 2009

Ohh this looks like something i might have to try since it seems fairly inexpensive to do given that i have a box of cylinders.. what a good way to start trying out some pneumatics

scream1973 · Feb 10, 2009

Whats a good controller to use thats not to pricey?

Casa Fear · Feb 14, 2009

The quick answer is...
prop-1 - cheapest but you have to program it.
picoBoo - Easiest to set up but cost twice as much.

Here is a thread where they talk about it.

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=14582&highlight=controller

For this prop, you need something with two outputs.

HauntCast · Feb 12, 2009

That is awesome. Is that an original design?

Casa Fear · Feb 14, 2009

It is an original design, it took me about 4 months to come up with that. That's why you will notice in the video that the wood is not cut evenly because I was contanstly adjusting it.

turtle2778 · Feb 12, 2009

This is really cool, thanks for posting it!!

Terrormaster · Feb 15, 2009

I'm curious about costs for this. I don't even own a compressor or know a good source for cylinders that size. Say if I wanted to build this guy and maybe two other air controlled props, what size compressor would I be looking at?

Thanks,
-TM

bourno · Feb 15, 2009

I would get a decent sized air compressor around 15 to 25 gallon. Yeah, gonna be overkill for a couple props, but is nice to have the extra capacity for other jobs. I bought an oil less compressor several years ago and wish that I had an oiled one instead just on the vibration and noise aspect. Watch the spring auctions.

Here is an ebay link for some 3/4" bore x 3" stroke cylinders. Not sure what Casa used for sure. http://cgi.ebay.com/BIMBA-Air-cylin...0?hash=item220359335500&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:10|39:1|240:1318

These are spring return but should work fine for this application.

Terrormaster · Feb 15, 2009

So looks like my first air prop is probably gonna hit me up for something in the neighborhood of $500 (including the compressor). This is definitely the one I wanna start with but I'll have to think about it simply for cost reasons - especially since uncle sam just hit me up for a rather large chunk of change.

That's still a pretty decent deal on the cylinders.

Casa Fear · Feb 19, 2009

If you have a Harbor Fright or Big Lots in you neighborhood, you can get them at a decent price there. I ran several pneumatic props from my 4 gallon compressor.

Here is one for $80
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90168

I eventually upgraded to a 21 gallon and got it on sale for $130.

Pneumatic Zombie Ground Breaker

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