# Improving on the K-Mart Gargoyle



## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Well, I guess it's my turn again to share my own take on improving a prop. In this case it is improving the K-Mart gargoyle.










First I removed the wings. Not hard since it basically is wired stuck into teh styrofoam and hotglued in position.










With a knife I cut out the eyes and mouth to make them concave.










I didn't really care for the painting that was done on them, so I repainted them with gray latex paint. The interior eyes and mouth were also painted.










The nice thing about the latex paint is that it forms a shell around the polyfoam. Kinda like a latex skin sealing it. So any chips can be filled with small peices of styrofoam and painted over.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Remember that joke thread about using fork tines for vampire teeth? Well, it works great for gargoyle teeth! Just cut them...










...and push them into place. No glue needed.










I then rigged up some led eyes and instead of soldering the wires, used black hot glue to hold them together.










I taped the end of the wires of one eye to a rod and stabbed it through the eye and out the back of the gargoyle. Then I did the other eye. I found out the best way todo this was to pass it through the eye and out the opposite side of the body like an "X".


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

If you look in the above pic where I removed the wings, you'll see the back has a "bar" in the rectangular hole. Simple to cut it out, and paint it black.










This rectangle is just large enough to fit a double AA box. Just hook up the wires to it, and hot glue it in.










Paint the gargoyle how you would like, pop the wings back on and hot glue them in place again. Put in batteries and you should have a much improved gargoyle Sickie Ickie style. heh


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Pop it on top of a column if you wish, and your improvement is done! 

Once again:

The original









The improved


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## Koumajutsu (Aug 9, 2006)

wait, after all that wonderful work, you then just zip tied it to a column? Please tell me that's not permanent.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

LOL It was for Halloween, then I snipped the tie and took it off. I was on a time limit.


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## Koumajutsu (Aug 9, 2006)

Yeah, i know how it can be when the clock is running low. Seems like every year, no mater how much we do, we always think, "I wish i could have done X or Y."


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Don't ya know it? I only had a chance to work on the display and props from the 2nd week of Oct on. Next year, baby! Next year!


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## skeletonowl (Aug 8, 2006)

I wasn't sold on the teeth but seeing the final result, it looks great!


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## Fester (Sep 17, 2006)

They are made from foam? I got a couple from HD that must come from the same mold but seem to be plaster. The label at the store said it was paper mache. I bet the foam was a ton easier to work with. Mine are hollow and I had to glue in tubes to hold the leds and marbles for the eyes. 

Next year I think I will change the eyes to a lower MCD green led and use the red leds in the mouth with a fog tube.


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## BudMan (Mar 6, 2007)

That was a nice fix up Sickie, now I'm sorry I passed them up! Didn't even think to repaint them.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Cool improvement! Very mean-looking. Like skeletonowl I didn't think much of the fork teeth in the first pic but when they were painted up and the red eyes were installed they look awesome. Good job.


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## TearyThunder (Jul 1, 2006)

Kmart has them on their site on clearance. Even with shipping they aren't a bad price. (Less than $10 ea)


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Good price! I paid $16 ea reluctantly earlier on in Oct.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Fester said:


> They are made from foam? I got a couple from HD that must come from the same mold but seem to be plaster. The label at the store said it was paper mache. I bet the foam was a ton easier to work with. Mine are hollow and I had to glue in tubes to hold the leds and marbles for the eyes.
> 
> Next year I think I will change the eyes to a lower MCD green led and use the red leds in the mouth with a fog tube.


The styrofoam was easy to work with. I bet the plaster/mache will last longer. heh


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## higginsr (Oct 4, 2007)

good job... love making something 'better'!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

I do that a lot. Seems I'll see something that's kinda like what I want, and then do things to it to get it closer to the look I want. This also avoids the issue of "Oh, I saw the exact same thing at so-and-so's house." heh


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## The Haunter (Apr 7, 2007)

If you wanted flapping wings you could add a couple of "flying" bats They are way better looking than they started out for sure


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## Hawks Hill Haunter (Apr 1, 2007)

Nice job, SI!! Love the way it turned out.

I'm such a chicken when it comes lighting things up. I'm a simpleton, I guess. I just don't get the whole LED thing or what's involved or even where to find the stuff. oh well...I'll just admire yours!


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

OMG sickie those would have been perfect for my columns. You wanna sell those right????


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

hawkshillhaunter said:


> Nice job, SI!! Love the way it turned out.
> 
> I'm such a chicken when it comes lighting things up. I'm a simpleton, I guess. I just don't get the whole LED thing or what's involved or even where to find the stuff. oh well...I'll just admire yours!


Give me a pm, and we'll figure out what you want lit together.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

The Haunter said:


> If you wanted flapping wings you could add a couple of "flying" bats They are way better looking than they started out for sure


What a great idea! I'll have to look for some slow flapping wings now!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

turtle2778 said:


> OMG sickie those would have been perfect for my columns. You wanna sell those right????


LOL pm me baby! heh


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## Severin (Aug 5, 2007)

I bought a couple of these because they were on sale. Now I'm really glad I did. That was a great how-to!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks Severin.


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## Fright Zone (Sep 28, 2006)

Nice job!


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## Cassie7 (Sep 16, 2007)

Wow, that really added life to the face. Great job!

Let me know when your LED lesson is scheduled for


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Well, mine is easy. I rig up two leds in line and add 1.5 v ( one AA battery) until they light. LOL


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## BlinkyTheHouse Elf (Apr 2, 2007)

WOW Sickie That Looks Great Something else for Carol to seal,lol

Fester The one I saw at HD were plaster like too. I should have bought them..
(kicking self now  ).


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Tell Carol she has full permission to steal this. LOL


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## dionicia (Aug 4, 2007)

Great how to. I will have to keep an eye out for some of those next year and use them for my pillars.


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

okay were do you get the battery pack thing from ..radio shack ?
looks good Sickie


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## Silent Requiem (Feb 17, 2008)

great gargoyle! I never would have thought fork tines could look so good!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Lilly said:


> okay were do you get the battery pack thing from ..radio shack ?
> looks good Sickie


I didn't see this until now. Yep, from radio shack, Lilly. They have holders for all kinds of batteries and one or multiple battery holders.


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## ScareShack (May 26, 2006)

Very big improvment......great idea and job doing it.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Thank you kind sir.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Sickie thats an awesome job! Glad you wiped that silly grin off his face 

Man I'm always the snooze and lose guy. Anyone know where I can get a couple gargoyles this size and in this price range this time of year? I spent hours last night googling around for cheap gargoyles (hit ebay too) and came up empty handed. Most were only in the 6-7 inch range. I need them as toppers for two 5' cemetery columns. These look really easy to hack too - so thats a plus.

-TM


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Looks like someone else had the same idea as me, and this may save you some work.

http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/b...ProductsCatalog&x=0&sd=Gargoyle+With+Led+Eyes










Found at Oriental Trading $19.95

Gargoyle With LED Eyes. This carved creature has his LED eyes on you! Scare Halloween party guests by setting this demon free at your medieval haunt! This 14" foam gargoyle has a 34" wingspan. With on/off switch. Requires 2 "AA" batteries, not included.

Keep in mind, I had to pay $16 for mine last year, unhacked.


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Sickie Ickie said:


> Looks like someone else had the same idea as me, and this may save you some work.
> 
> Found at Oriental Trading $19.95
> 
> Gargoyle With LED Eyes. This carved creature has his LED eyes on you! Scare Halloween party guests by setting this demon free at your medieval haunt! This 14" foam gargoyle has a 34" wingspan. With on/off switch. Requires 2 "AA" batteries, not included.


Wow, thanks SI - thats exactly what I was looking for. I don't mind the work though because I am considering hacking it beyond the eyes only. Would I be able to slice the head off cleanly? I want to motorize the neck using the fake security cam mechanism so the head turns based on motion sensing.

-TM


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## HouseBloodthorn (Aug 16, 2007)

Awesome! That is one radically improved "S-mart" Gargoyle. I shudder to think what you could do with a plastic spork. Heh. Great job.


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks Dr. 

Terror, the neck turn sounds like a great idea. I don't know how the head is set up with LEDs on this new one. The only way to find out is to get it and see.


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## Lotus (Nov 12, 2004)

I love the gargoyle you made Sickie


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks, Lotus. 

Later I have to see if either got damaged. I had them in a stack, and an avalanche happened. :googly:


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## Terrormaster (Sep 27, 2007)

Hey Sickie, BuyCostumes is getting these in stock at the end of August:

http://www.buycostumes.com/Gray-Paper-Mache-Gargoyle/35115/ProductDetail.aspx

Looks like the same as the K-Mart special you got. They advertise it at paper mache yet the one you have looks foam.

-TM


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## Spid3r3lla (Jul 3, 2008)

Amazing work Sickie, you amaze me all the time with the things you do. Super improvement! Gotta love his make over!


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## dynoflyer (Oct 8, 2006)

Those look great, Sickie! I've been thinking about a set of columns for the entryway and those would be just the right size. I wonder if I can order them online?


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## AzKittie74 (Aug 10, 2007)

Great job SI!!


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## Sickie Ickie (Jun 20, 2006)

Thanks everyone.


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## anthamm (Sep 22, 2008)

lowes has those on the website for 8 and walgreens has them for 10


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## aznraverkid (Oct 10, 2007)

I went to Walgreens in San Francisco on Monday and saw the gargoyles for $7 on sale!


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## rottincorps (Jun 1, 2008)

Just saw this thread and now Ive got less time to build all the stuff I haven't finished


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