[Toktorill]

Hello and thanks for clicking into my little thread!

The first thing I needed was some way to support everything that was turning, against everything that wasn't. A little $5 lazy susan served this purpose. These handy contraptions range in price from $3-15, with the largest I've found able to handle 1000 pounds.

The heart of the operation is the 110v rotisserie motor. I spliced it into a cheap 2-prong extension cord, leaving both ends intact, so that multiple devices could be powered by the same circuit.

I have found that furniture stores are great sources for HUGE pieces of cardboard, in quantity. The business I dealt with explained they paid their own delivery people to make weekly recycling runs. They were more than happy to let me make a truckload disappear. For the torture rack I only needed a single large circle.

 

[Toktorill]

The base was thrown together together with 1x4's and 1x2's. I drilled a hole for the business end of the motor to poke through, which also took it through the lazy susan, and bolted it to the 1x4 on the other side. Sorry, but I don't remember how I managed to pull that off. I just remember it got a little tricky.

The cardboard circle was then stapled to the front 1x4.

On the front I attached two more 1x2's, nailed perpendicular to the 1x4 on each end of the larger board. This sandwiched the cardboard between the wood. I then stapled the cardboard to the back of the 1x2's. This made a nice, light wooden frame to hold the cardboard rigid, as well as gave a place to attach some chicken wire, cloth, and mask to make the "victim".

To make things look more believable, I bought some woodgrain self-adhesive plastic covering at a dollar store. For the effect it gives, this stuff is a steal at $1 for a 40"x18" roll. I think it took 6 rolls to cover the circle. Next I took a black marker and drew in lines for where the fake boards were going to be, the edges, and any knots in the wood. Then I took a knife to it.

 

[Toktorill]

Black spray paint was used to darken all of the edges and lines to give more depth. Then out came the red, for some light touches here and there. We had a laugh at this stage when my wife's uncle came to visit the site, and asked "why didn't you just burn the wood?" From a short distance he had no idea it was fake!

We finished the prop off with some arms for the victim, some cardboard "straps", more gore (red paint) and a blacklight to make our victim's eyes shine. The day of the haunt it ran all day without any problems.

Well, there you have it. This prop was used in our 2005 haunt. The rotisserie motor was found by my father in law in his garage. All the parts of the victim were taken out of our supplies. The cardboard was free, leaving about $20-30 for wood, paint, and woodgrain covering.

 

[Toktorill]

You can watch it spin here:

:googly:

:googly:

 

[Bone Dancer]

Very nice work and thanks for sharing. I can think of a number of uses for that wood grain shelf paper.

 

[Monger]

Pretty cool, if I didn't know better from readin I thought it was wood also

 

[Wyatt Furr]

Great idea
nice work with the paper
I must go see if I can find some here...

 

[Sickie Ickie]

I've used the contact/shelf woodgrain from everything like covering a back of a dsk on stage, to making a styrofoam door. Good stuff.

 

[HalloweenZombie]

I would have never guessed that was cardboard by looking at the finished prop. Very well done!

 

[Lagrousome]

Great prop T. Thanks for the detailed how to! hmmmmmm.....

 

[Hellrazor]

Love the realistic look of the rack, Holy! Cow! Thats pretty awesome!

 

[Paranormal Media]

Looking at the final pic, never would have thought it was cardboard thats for sure!

 

[nikjay]

Great idea. Cheap and effective. Can't beat that.

 

[samhayne]

another prop to add to my to do list...thanks for sharing. Great prop||

 

[EverydayisHalloween311]

Amazing. Bravo man. I'm gonna use this idea for my clown room circus wheel of misfortune!

 

[Joiseygal]

I know this is an old thread, but damn that is awesome!

 

[stang233]

Where is the best place to find a motor like that?