# Fireplace Portal Help



## NickWaka7 (Aug 10, 2013)

This year my dad and I decided to recreate this nice effect for our haunted house. The effect itself is quite simple to pull off. The only thing that I want to know is how to raise the outer part of the fireplace to make the illusion work without having someone constantly lifting and lowering the mobile part of the fireplace up and down. I was thinking pneumatics, but wanted to see what other ideas there were for the project. I am planning on creating a fireplace with side legs that are 4ft tall and when raised, the doorway doubles and becomes an 8ft tall.

If pneumatics is the way to go, what would I need to pull this off? Like most of us here, the less money I have to spend, the better. Also, if I do end up using pneumatics, would I need two, one for each side (or leg) of the fireplace?

Here is the effect:


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## Palmdale Haunter (Mar 3, 2012)

This is an ambitious build...
Getting 4 feet of travel will be a challenge.
Driving it directly via pneumatic could be pricey... Cylinders with that much travel get expensive.
You may wish to look at a lever system to amplify the distance. 
This will come with a cost of need for power.. This wil increase cost too as power = diameter in cylinders. Larger diameter = higher cost...
You could maybe use a winch or even build one using a wiper motor with parking and a limit switch...
Either way I think the lifting is a separate element from the structure that keeps thing in alingmment to prevent binding...
Keep things light and rigid...


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## wrasse (Aug 5, 2012)

I would suggest a garage door opener. Plenty of power. I have purchased a few of these unit for under $50 used.


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## screaminscott (Oct 13, 2006)

I agree with wrasse. A garage door opener would be perfect. They have motion limiters to stop them at the right place. And they autoreverse. And they have safety features so they can't be lowered onto someone (if you set them up right)


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## NickWaka7 (Aug 10, 2013)

I didnt even think about that! Do they make smaller versions that are somewhat quieter than a normal garage door opener?


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## wrasse (Aug 5, 2012)

Yes there are quiet versions available but if you purchase them off of ebay as I do, you have to take what you get. I have mounted them in a box made of 3/4" plywood lined with 2" styrofoam insulation and they are very quite then. Also with the openers, you can have them mounted 20 feet away if needed and just run cable to the prop using a couple of clothes line pulleys. They are very versatike units.


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## NickWaka7 (Aug 10, 2013)

wrasse said:


> Yes there are quiet versions available but if you purchase them off of ebay as I do, you have to take what you get. I have mounted them in a box made of 3/4" plywood lined with 2" styrofoam insulation and they are very quite then. Also with the openers, you can have them mounted 20 feet away if needed and just run cable to the prop using a couple of clothes line pulleys. They are very versatike units.


I was thinking about making a box like that. I planned on placing the motor right behind the wall of the effect, and using the motor to lift and drop the fireplace by using some pulleys. This will work correct? Or does the motor need to be farther back?


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## wrasse (Aug 5, 2012)

The motor should be at least 11/2 times the lift height you need for the prop if not a little more.


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## mroct31 (Nov 10, 2007)

Belt drive garage door opener is going to be your least amount of noise model. Check out the difference between a chain and belt here:






I think most of he noice on the belt drive model is coming from the door and not the opener.


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## NickWaka7 (Aug 10, 2013)

wrasse said:


> The motor should be at least 11/2 times the lift height you need for the prop if not a little more.


I plan on making a 3-4 foot tall fireplace opening that "stretches" to about 6.5'-7' fully extended, so it only has to lift the fireplace about 3-4 feet total. Is there a way to control the lift on a garage door opener?



mroct31 said:


> Belt drive garage door opener is going to be your least amount of noise model. Check out the difference between a chain and belt here:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks for the suggestion! I will keep that in mind when I purchase a unit.


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