# I'm new to this



## shawn_collins24 (Nov 17, 2009)

OK, folks, this will be a long post simply because I type EXTREMELY fast, so please forgive me. I will TRY to make it worth the read!
I've ALWAYS loved Halloween to the point of going to the biggest haunts around the St. Louis area multiple times. I also liked the decorations and scare aspect. It was great. I never had the opportunity to scare people, though. I DID catch the bug this year right at the BEGINNING of October. Well, I didn't want to dive into a hobby full force so I just read up on it. I read some more...read some more. You have no idea how much I've read! My job a lot of times entails sitting in front of a computer looking for something to do (so I really HAVE read a LOT!). Ok, there's the background.
Here it is and it wasn't a passing thing with me. I've got ideas, designs, and this is going to happen!  Next year, the neighborhoorhood will be entirely different, because of me! Mu-hu-hu-hah! 
So here's where I am at now: I'm still writing ideas down but I AM actually doing something. Now DON'T laugh, but I've always wanted a compressor for other things so I went out and avoided buying too small the first time. I'm going into this with a 32-gallon capacity compressor in my basement rated at 165PSI. I've designed a started building a grim reaper. My plans are big so they will probably not all come to fruition the first year, but I DO have 340 days left, correct? LOL
My grim reaper right now is a PVC skeleton with "splivel" joints. My next step, which will probably happen sometime this week, will be to get the chicken wire to bulk up the physique and some black cloth. That's no biggie. The big step for me this week is getting a solenoid and actuator. Just a little at a time. I will keep everyone posted on my progress. 
As I said, I DO have big, big plans and they probably won't all happen the first year but I will welcome the feedback, suggestions and criticisms. 
Now, you thought I was wrapping things up, and I almost am but here's what the reaper will do in stages. The reaper will appear small and only peering above the top of the tombstone. Upon activation, he will say something neutral or even friendly. However, within 15 seconds or so, he will become scary and rise up to his full height of (anatomically averaged measurements from the calculator at zombietronix) 6'4" THEN be raised an additional 22" on a grave jumper. There will be smoke, lights, servos, lots of pneumatics and I TOLD you all I dream big! But I AM taking it one step at a time so as not to spread myself too thin. Next will simply be building the grave jumper apparatus itself. I'll keep everyone posted. I'm taking a portion of this post and copying it to the pneumatics thread where I ORIGINALLY wanted to post it, but I hadn't introduced myself to the forums yet. 

Happy Haunting


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Well, first off, welcome to the forum, you should fit right in around here from the sound of it. We like to see pictures of builds and the end results. I know I would like to see the mech work on this prop.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Welcome to the Forum, Shawn!


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## shawn_collins24 (Nov 17, 2009)

*Grim Reaper Grave Jumper mechanism*

Bone Dancer et al,
You wanted to see the mechanism for my planned animatronic in action? No problem. Gimme about a week (yeah, a week). I actually want to build the "grave jumper" first and I'll worry about clothing the reaper's skeleton at a later time. I have the plans for this already (not made of PVC but aluminum). Would you or anyone else like me to post the plans I have using aluminum stuff from Home Depot? I am at work right now and don't have them here, but will get the link when I get home (if I'm still awake LOL).
The design really isn't very much different from any grave jumper plans i have seen, except that this uses aluminum posts for strength. What I haven't figured out to do is HOW I will make him collapsible. That was an idea born AFTER I built him. I really wouldn't take much but replacing a few of the "splivel" joints. 
Really, though, I want to concentrate on the mechanism next, so when I get that built, I will post pics and a movie. The reaper may or may not be mounted on it, yet, but I will get them up! Hope to hear from lots of ppl soon! I know it's not really the season, but does Halloween have to be limited to a specific time of the year?

Shawn


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## nixie (Sep 17, 2008)

Hello and welcome!


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Even thou your design may not be much different then others you have seen, you never know when something you changed may make it better.


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

Welcome to the forum shawn, good luck on your 1st project sounds like you have a good start. Look forward to seeing progress pics.


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## joker (Sep 25, 2007)

Halloween has a season?!?
(Not at my house)

Welcome to the forum!


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## ScreamingScarecrow (Oct 1, 2008)

Welcome Aboard Shawn!


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## CRAZYBOUTHALLOWEEN (Jul 19, 2009)

Welcome


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

Hi and welcome to the forum. Wow, you do start big. My first prop was a white sheet hanging from a tree.


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## shawn_collins24 (Nov 17, 2009)

ScareMe et al,
Yeah, I tend to over-complicate things sometimes but not in this case. None of it is over-complicated. It just may appear overwhelming to some. Honestly, though, once I get the pneumatic parts sometime this week, it will be done. Then it's on to the next project BUT I will continue adding to my grim reaper grave jumper. Just one thing at a time. Honestly, I started to add up what I've spent and what I'll have to spend. I think I seriously need to start hacking out some homemade parts soon! LOL! One big (and EASY) plan I haveis to use steganography on the face. Sounds fancy but incredibly easy. Without giving it away until I'm done -although you could easily look it up on the net- what will happen is my skull will be painted with "evil" features with a certain shade of paint. HOWEVER, the skull will ALSO be painted with friendlier features. Here's the key: the evil features will be washed out with a spotlight of the same color. Adding another certain shade of spotlight while dimming the first (or you can maintain and combine) will cause the "evil features" painted on to appear (really, in under 2 seconds the lighting will change, causing the "friendly" grim reaper to suddenly become evil and rise from his crouching spot peering over a tombstone to his full un-airborne height of 6' 4" and keep rising to his airborne height of 8' 2").
I guess the point of this whole post, besides revealing ideas that WILL come to fruition over the next months, is to point out that although I've planned big within one week this prop will be fully functional (but unclothed). Everything added after that is just gravy. This works for me 'cuz that way if I don't get finished with some of the "gravy", I still have a working prop, won't be disappointed and won't get burnt out! 
Thanks for both the public AND private support I've received in emails!

Shawn
[email protected]


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## DarkLore (Jan 25, 2009)

Welcome to the forum....and Merry Christmas.


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## pagan (Sep 9, 2009)

joker said:


> Halloween has a season?!?
> (Not at my house)


laf. wife threatened me if I put a linderg skull on top of the tree this year!

Shawn, welcome and Merrry Christmas!!


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## madmomma (Jul 1, 2009)

WELCOME Shawn and Happy Holidays! Can't wait to see pictures of your first project...sounds great!


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## steveshauntedyard (Nov 16, 2008)

Welcome


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## IMU (Apr 8, 2009)

Hello and Welcome!


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