# WIP - Branks from A Bucket



## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

*Still needs paint/rust/head/mount...*

The Branks was a very cruel form of punishment. 
Scold's bridle - Wikipedia, the free [email protected]@[email protected]@/wiki/File:Scoldengravingalpha.jpg" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Scoldengravingalpha.jpg/175px-Scoldengravingalpha.jpg"@@[email protected]@commons/thumb/2/23/Scoldengravingalpha.jpg/175px-Scoldengravingalpha.jpg Seriously. Basically a sharp piece of metal is locked into the victim's mouth, making speech painful if even possible.

In real life, women who gossiped or swore or yelled at their husbands were punished this way. Sometimes the branks were outfitted with ass's ears or a tinkling bell to add to the victims humiliation. Sometimes they were attached to a chain and the victim's husband would lead her around thus like a dog. _In my haunt concept, witches will have been punished this way for spellcasting etc._

My version is fairly over-simplified in construction but is dirt cheap. I started with a 5-gallon bucket like this one:









I used a drywall saw (on a bucket, this is much faster and easier and straighter than using a Dremel) to cut it into three bands about 2 inches wide. I left the edges ragged because I think it will add to the old and rough-hewn look once I paint it to look rusty. Then I trimmed the pieces to length, drilled holes, and bolted them together and added a hinge and a hasp.










Ignore the foam head in this; it is a work in stalled progress and probably won't be used for this prop. The other head is also still in progress.



















When finished, I'm thinking of displaying it flat on a shelf but also considered attaching a chain and hanging the whole thing from the ceiling. If you have ideas/suggestions, I'm all ears. Also open to ways to make it (the branks) more creepy or more in line with my theme.

*Still needs paint/rust/head/mount...*










True, there is probably enough wiggle room in my version that a person could get that thing out of their mouths, though not entirely escape the branks. I could make the mouthpiece longer but probably won't. It's a simple thing made from a bucket, that's all...I think the lock, once it is in place, will make the point jump out a lot more. There was a tutorial somewhere around here for making an old looking padlock...?


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## bobzilla (Nov 13, 2008)

Very original idea...I like it


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