# I need a motor for coffin lid



## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

I built a toe-pincher coffin. The idea is to make the lid move up and down i.e. the coffin in the Haunted Mansion. Nothing too crazy. The small electric motors I have won't lift the lid. It's not overly heavy. Has anyone done this before? What kind of electric motor would work best here? I don't want to order some high $$ motor. I was thinking more along the lines of salvaging it from something else. Thanks!


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## psyko99 (Jan 11, 2008)

Take a look at these:
http://www.sciplus.com/recommend.cfm/recommendid/14632


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## RacerX45 (Apr 13, 2008)

A wiper motor would do the trick. You can get one from Monster Guts for $16 plus shipping (although I usually buy the power pack which has the power supply and quick connect included). Here is a link:

http://monsterguts.com/electric-motors-for-props/power-pack/prod_105.html

Randy


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## RacerX45 (Apr 13, 2008)

Here is a link to a tutorial on using the wiper motor to open the lid:

http://www.cindybob.com/halloween/mib/

Randy


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

I second the monster guts wiper motor. I used one for my lidbanger coffin and it worked fine. The coffin is made of wood fence pickets so the lid has a little weight to it.


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## heresjohnny (Feb 15, 2006)

I like wiper motors, but prefer to pull them from cars at the junk yard. You can usually get them from 10 to 20 dollars each (no shipping), and it is easy to find wiring diagrams online if you take note of the make and model of car you pull them from. That and a salvaged computer power supply and your good to go.


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## corey872 (Jan 10, 2010)

Also, if you can add some type of spring or counterbalance to help with the weight, that will reduce the load on the motor and/or allow the lid to swing faster.


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## michael myers (Sep 3, 2007)

heresjohnny said:


> I like wiper motors, but prefer to pull them from cars at the junk yard. You can usually get them from 10 to 20 dollars each (no shipping), and it is easy to find wiring diagrams online if you take note of the make and model of car you pull them from. That and a salvaged computer power supply and your good to go.


Wiper motors out of Saturn cars seem to be the easiest to work with and you can find the wiring diagrams online with little effort. As everyone else has pointed out, you will have to have a 12v power supply to operate it.

The toe pincher that I built out of replacement privacy fence slats (Lowes for about $1.25 each) was retrofitted with a monster of a motor that I got off Ebay for $25. It was one of the automatic door opener motors for a glass type front door, one like you would see at a grocery store, with the arm that opens and an internal recoil spring closes. This thing is *heavy as all get out, but I was able to take all of the connecting rods off, using just the swing arm itself and a skateboard wheel bearing on the end to act as a roller. Its a little on the noisy side, but with everything else going on, and the fact that it is a coffin, it does a great job for me.*


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## littlepriest01 (Mar 20, 2010)

Awesome, this is going to be one of my first props and I happen to repair computers. I have a lot of computer power supplies laying around and hadn't thought of it as a dc power supply (don't know why)


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

corey872 said:


> Also, if you can add some type of spring or counterbalance to help with the weight, that will reduce the load on the motor and/or allow the lid to swing faster.


Cory has a good suggestion. Last year I built a full size coffin with solid wood...no cheap plywood. It's heavy, and so is the door. A wiper motor can handle it, especially if it's standing. If it's laying down, I'd seriously consider Corey's suggestion.

I believe the weight of the door is the reason many people choose to make the top of a full size coffin slide over. Due to the weight. Lifting a coffin door high enough to look it, isn't as easy as making it slide to one side. Personally...my door opens wide...but in hind sight, I would have preferred the other method. (my door is a half door. See my albums for photo.)

Also...you might want to look at Otaku's motor controller.


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## Ryan Wern (Dec 3, 2009)

Thanks for the help. I think the wiper motor might work. The coffin is made of fence pickets. I just replaced a bunch of old fence at my house, so the wood is already weathered and it didn't cost me a dime! I'll have to hit the junk yard and look for a Saturn. Since I'm on the whole "Haunted Mansion" subject, is there a place I can download/buy a video of the singing busts?? I'm building the stands for the busts and I want to project the video on to some wig heads or something. You get what I mean. Not too original, but I've wanted to do it the past few years, so what the heck.


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

try doombuggies.com, I believe it's loaded there somewhere. Or post a new thread asking for the video...someone will oblige.


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