[Spartan005]

So I was on halloweenforum.com yesterday and there was a thread called scariest scenes (same one as on here) and one person described a small room in a haunt he went to where the ceiling slowly lowered down and the lights go out as its just above their heads. So I was brainstorming in school (cause I'm a frikin weirdo) and I was thinking about making a fake stone wall similar to the cemetery pillars that vilethings makes... except I'd have bloody spikes sticking out of it with a bucky corpse mounted to it. When the victims enter the hallway there would be chains or something like that in front of them so they can't pass and the wall will slowly start moving towards them (with some loud sound effects of course) As it comes closer the lights will shut off and about 5 seconds later they will flicker on and the spikes will be right in front of them!

Anyway I want it to do something like that but I'm having trouble figuring out how to make the wall move without it looking stupid. I figured the wall would be made mainly out of thick styrofoam on a wooden frame... oh and I'm only 16 so obviously I'm working on a low budget.

So... any suggestions?

 

[Lilly]

Sounds good but I hope your spikes are made out of foam or you will poke someones eyes out..or have a clear wall in front of it.
I'm guessing you would have to have the wall on some type of roller with a slow moving pneumatic of sorts, or someone pushing it back and forth.

 

[BudMan]

Kevin,
You could probably make a set of tracks out of 'kindorf', which is a type of mounting channel that electricians and plumbers use. Mount fixed dollie wheels on the bottom of the wall that ride in the tracks. As for the movement part, weight and balance may be the key. Slow moving pneumatics was my first thought, as Lilly said, but you would have to make a linkage, depending on how far you want this to travel, and you would need double action cylinders. A garage door closer may work. Or if you built this on a slight pitch and used the weight for down hill travel, you could probably use a cheap winch to pull it back up. If you need some kindorf, let me know, think I have some next to the shed from a project that never happened.

 

[Spartan005]

hmm... I've never built any pneumatics before so this might not be a best first project to attempt it with, but I do like the idea with the track going down a ramp and just using its weight to travel. The biggest problem though would be balance... I know the slope doesn't need to be that high but this is going to be about a 7 to 8 foot wall!

If I can't resolve this problem then I was thinking I could also mount the wall onto a platform behind some slanted black scrim in one of my dungeon scenes and have the wall "fall" onto the guests. Might not be as dramatic, but still less complicated and good scare. Keep posting ideas... everythings appreciated!

 

[Sickie Ickie]

via falling buckets type?

 

[Spartan005]

via falling buckets type?

whats that?

 

[BudMan]

Kevin, how far do you want this thing to travel and how much room will you have behind it? The balacing act really wouldn't be that hard if you have room behind it for framing @ floor level. Basically you would build a big dollie that rides on the tracks and build the wall on one side. Brace the top of the wall back to the far side of the dollie and add counterweight if necessary. The counterweight should help with the forward motion. Or you could make top tracks as well.

 

[Spartan005]

Oh yeah... as long as theres four wheels and the platform extends behind the wall then that really shouldn't be a problem. I think what we'll do is build the wall first... the actuall range of movement will be decided after I finalize the layout for this years haunt. I don't have that many ways of rearranging the layout of my first floor which is why I'm concerned about whether to have the wall fall or take up an entire hallway.

I'll update this page with pics as soon as this project begins. Thanks Bud

 

[Brett Baker]

i did it, this year
check out my thread, I hope this isnt hijacking?
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=23316
i used a 6 foot tall scissor mechanism. it is horribly effective. i was going to flicker the lights just as you said but the second channel of my event timmer went out.
i would be happy to discuss it

 

[Brett Baker]

how did the wall go kid?

 

[MistressWitch]

If the weight of the wall is an issue and wood would make it too heavy to move using whatever controller you choose I suggest putting the foam board onto coroplast if you have a place locally you can get it. Contact your local sign shops to see if they have it. It's corruguated plastic that they use to make real estate & political signs out of. Here I can get a 4' x 8' sheet for $13. I have to purchase two sheets minimum due to an agreement the company made with local retail stores that have it but I always need that much (or will find a use for that much) anyway so it's no big deal.
I've made the walls for my zombie set out of it by lacing it to a PVC frame using fishing line- a hole punch goes right through it. I then used double sided tape to attach the stone wall scene setter to it. I can pick up all 4 walls including the roof by myself, though it's unwieldy so we use one person on each corner.
I will always choose to use coroplast over wood whenever I can because it's cheap, sturdy, stands up to all weather, lightweight, easy to cut, super easy to work with, etc.

Let us know how it turns out and how you put it all together.

 

[Spartan005]

Wow, I made this thread a long time ago.... it's good to know someone finished this project.

Fearshire, your wall looks awesome! Its everything I was hoping mine would be... unfortunately I decided against building it due to time constraints. I think me and my dad decided on making a bottomless pit instead. Maybe one day I'll get around to it, as it seems like it could be the talk of the haunt when its done.

MistressWitch,

thanks for the advice, even if it came a bit late lol. I'll have to try out that coroplast though and see if its as good as you say it is. Never would have thought of making plastic walls