# Monster Under the Bed by JW



## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

This is just a little prop I threw together for a bedroom scene I am building as part of my walk through. My prop "Casey" and her mother in the swing will be outside the bedroom. The bedroom will belong to Casey. As you walk through the bedroom you will walk past Casey's bed, and when triggered an arm will come out from under the bed and a light will go on behind it to bring attention to it. Not a very complicated prop but I think it will scare a few girls.  Thanks to Corey and Monkey for helping me get out of "stupid" mode. LOL This is not a detailed step by step tutorial. You will have to fill in the gaps, as I am not good at this.

Cut a piece of plywood long enough for your arm to be mounted to and travel across. I made a bracket from a piece of aluminum rail and mounted it to the end of the plywood.









Mount your motor to the bracket. I used a 6 rpm reindeer motor.










You will need an arm (not the rubber one) to run from the motor linkage into the rubber arm. Measure how far you want it to run inside the rubber arm. I suggest as far as you can get it for more stability. Then figure how far you want it to travel (divide this number in half). Now add the two numbers together and cut an arm this long allowing about an extra 1/2 inch for your mounting hole. I used an old piece of molding I had laying around. If you have aluminum stock I recommend that. You will notice in the video, I later changed my spacer to a longer one as I did not make the first one long enough to clear.










Attach a wheel to the bottom of the rubber arm about where the wrist is. I used zip ties running through the wrist and through the holes on the wheel mount. Do not use a caster type wheel (the type that can rotate), it allows the arm to flop over to easily.


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

I used angled aluminum with holes precut to make a small track for the wheel to run in. Without this the arm will run amuck.










Insert the linkage arm into the rubber arm. If it is not a tight fit, you may need to secure it with something like great stuff or a liquid nail, etc.










I think I covered everything. Here is a video of it running.

[URL=http://s245.photobucket.com/albums/gg54/Just_Whisper/2010/Halloween%20Props%20in%20Progress/Monster%20under%20the%20bed/?action=view&current=MonsterUndertheBedvid.mp4]Monster under the bed :: Monster Under the Bed Prop video by Just_Whisper - Photobucket


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## PirateLady (Jul 23, 2010)

Great Idea......thanks for sharing


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## RavenLunatic (Jan 3, 2006)

nice! everyone's scared of the monster under the bed lol


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Great idea!


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## halloween71 (Aug 9, 2007)

Another awesome prop from you.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

I like it!


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## tot13 (Jul 25, 2007)

You seemed to be down-playing this a little, but I really like this a lot. I never would have thought of the track to keep it running straight and I love the look of that arm. Did you make it or where did you get it?


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## Aquayne (Sep 1, 2008)

I love the simplicity and bullet proof nature of the design. I love this thing. Thanks for sharing.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Way cool! A fresh idea and well built. I see a lot of folks doing this.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Man, does that hand have a really bad case of eczema or what?

This would adapt nicely to a hand reaching out from under a bush (something we've talked about doing for our display).


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

tot13 said:


> You seemed to be down-playing this a little, but I really like this a lot. I never would have thought of the track to keep it running straight and I love the look of that arm. Did you make it or where did you get it?


Thanks to everyone for your encouraging comments. It really means a lot to me.

Tot...I think I bought the original arm at Spirit last year. I painted it once for a different prop and did not like it. So I painted it again, added some great stuff for the "warts" and then painted those. To give them that warty look I waited till the GS was dry on the outside but still sticky on the inside and I flattened them a little.


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## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

Nice simple design and a great prop. Very good smooth movement, I can see alot of other uses for this same design. I am making a facade, and i can just see a few of these reaching out form crumbling holes in the hole to reach at people when they pass by. Thanks for the inspiration on this.


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## samhayne (Jul 3, 2008)

nice idea.. thanks for sharing it with us.

I like it


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

That looks great. I've been planning on making something like that for an arm reaching out from under a bush by our front walk. Thanks for the post.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Cool! I love the texture on the arm & hand.


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## jaege (Aug 23, 2009)

Yep, that is exactly what I was thinking. An arm reaching out from under a bush in the yard. Great idea.


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## Dark Angel 27 (Sep 11, 2008)

excellant prop! this will get 'em!


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## MommaMoose (May 15, 2010)

This is gonna make a lot of TOT's pee their pants! You have got to post vids of the reactions you get from it!


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

I will try to do just that, mommamoose.

Thanks for the great compliments. I thought this was a really simple prop, and had no idea anyone would actually be interested in it. You guys made me smile...really really big.


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## MorbidMariah (Mar 28, 2009)

It really is a cool prop! Sometimes the "simple" props make the biggest impact.  Oh, and your kittycat is super cute. What did he/she think of this thing in action? hehe


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## shar (Jun 19, 2010)

Oh what a great idea! And so true about kids being afraid of the monster under the bed (me too)!! Thanks for sharing!


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## Just Whisper (Jan 19, 2009)

MorbidMariah said:


> It really is a cool prop! Sometimes the "simple" props make the biggest impact.  Oh, and your kittycat is super cute. What did he/she think of this thing in action? hehe


Thank you Mariah and Shar.

Mariah, my kitty loves all my props, even the static ones. She is truly a halloween kitty. She came running over as soon as I turned this one on and sat there watching it for quite a while. And thanks for the kitty compliment.


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## Uruk-Hai (Nov 4, 2006)

Very cool!!!


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## Nevergoback (Oct 2, 2009)

That's a really good one....prepare to be copied at any moment.


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