# Hi There! I'm New



## waldiddy (Aug 4, 2008)

Last year, i came across a magazine at Border's I'd never seen before, 'Make:'. Anyone see this periodical? The particular issue was Halloween and i'm hoping they're going to do another Halloween issue this year, too. 

I bought, cause i've always enjoyed the holiday by putting out a couple of jack o' lanterns, and even doing some costuming w/ our kids. Wow - the stuff in this book opened up a whole new world. I immediately went to work on some foam tombstones, and planned out a very crude front-lawn display. I don't know how many TOTs we had, but i'm guessing around 120. I went though 4 large bags of candy, including one of those massive Wal-Mart bags. But, i'm hoping we get tons more this year. 

So, now my wife thinks I'm nuts cause I'm spending a decent number of my weekends on this stuff. So far, for this year, i'm going to put up a Flying Crank Ghost and a Trash Can Trauma, all incorporated into a front & backyard haunt. I also want to do the Floating Head on a Table. I've already built the FCG, and it is wicked, especially w/ the black lighting. 

Even with the little amount of prep time i had last year, i was able to do a variation on the Pepper's Ghost illusion. Anyone seen 'Big Scream TV'? Due to my very late discovery of the website, I didn't have enough time to get that DVD shipped by Halloween, so I made my own Big Scream video, starring Me! With a PC monitor facing the ceiling underneath angled plexiglass aimed at a window, it made an awesome illusion that got a lot of comments. I'm hoping that my wife will let me shoot a few mins of her in monster makeup, so i have additional footage for this year. 

This is an awesome hobby. I love the theatrics of it, and learning all this stuff about pneumatics, machining and electronics. I've just barely scratched the surface and am having a ball. 

Anyway, if there's going to be another Halloween version of 'Make:', it should be coming out soon. I highly recommend it, especially to newbies out there like me. 

BTW, doesn't Trunk-or-Treat totally suck?


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## Tyler (Jul 17, 2008)

Welcome! Sounds like the bug bit you, and it sounds like you have some cool stuff for this year. Im sure you will learn alot on this site!


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## Spartan005 (Mar 13, 2007)

Welcome to the forum! Wow, I can't believe you're calling yourself a newbie... If I new how to build a trash can trauma or FCG then I'd probably be doing another haunted house this year (yeah, I'm kind of technologically challenged lol) 

Last year though, I was able to make a full sized pepper's ghost illusion and it was one of the highlights of the haunt. Anyway thanks a lot for the tip on the magazine, I'll make sure to check it out

~ Kevin


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

Welcome to the forum waldiddy.


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## waldiddy (Aug 4, 2008)

Well, I don't know how to put together a TCT. So far all I've done on that front is buy a kit off monsterguts.com. But ... I mostly finished a FCG this past weekend, after working on it off and on since March. 

Now, it doesn't take months and months to do a FCG, but I just worked on it in little chunks, leaving it alone for weeks at a time. Plus, I travel during the week, so I can only do this stuff on the weekends. But the only way to learn it is to do it. 

BTW, for tombstones, Home Depot sells a pink foam board that's really thick, about 2 - 3", I think. That's what I used last year and they look great under a coat of grey primer.


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## Haunted Bayou (Feb 16, 2007)

I made a ghost several years ago...never got it animated. You are so way ahead of me.

I do a yard display and decorate the garage for the ToTs. Nothing fancy but it is a lot of fun. Welcome to HauntForum. You will be teaching us pneumatics before you know it.


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## HalloweenZombie (Jul 22, 2007)

Welcome aboard Waldiddy! I guess it's too late to warn you that this place can be pretty addictive.


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## Spartan005 (Mar 13, 2007)

waldiddy said:


> Well, I don't know how to put together a TCT. So far all I've done on that front is buy a kit off monsterguts.com. But ... I mostly finished a FCG this past weekend, after working on it off and on since March.
> 
> Now, it doesn't take months and months to do a FCG, but I just worked on it in little chunks, leaving it alone for weeks at a time. Plus, I travel during the week, so I can only do this stuff on the weekends. But the only way to learn it is to do it.
> 
> BTW, for tombstones, Home Depot sells a pink foam board that's really thick, about 2 - 3", I think. That's what I used last year and they look great under a coat of grey primer.


haha yeah I learned my lesson when I bought one off ebay for $115. The movement was so slow that it would literally take a full minute to do one up and down motion. I screwed around with it until it got noticably faster but about 10 minutes into the haunt the string wrapped around itself until it broke.

I learned two things that night:

1) Don't buy stuff on ebay
2) Leave well enough alone

seriously


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## sharpobject (May 7, 2008)

Hi and welcome. I look forward to learning lots from you.


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## Bloodhound (Oct 16, 2007)

Welcome Waldiddy! You have got it bad!! mwah-ha-ha. Now that you have found us at the HauntForum. Your weekends and weekdays will be filled with the HauntForum, the Home Depot, the build, the plan, the prop, the scare, and all in preperation for the one incrediable night. 
So now it's time to give your wife and kid's a kiss goodbye and ask them to pray for you.


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## Wyatt Furr (Jun 5, 2006)

Howdy and Welcome


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## pyro (Oct 7, 2006)

hello and welcome


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## Hellvin (Jul 6, 2008)

Welcome Waldiddy.


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## Vlad (Aug 2, 2005)

Hey Waldiddy, welcome home! Wow, it sounds like you're going all out, way to go! And yes, the concept of trunk or treat is just awful


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## Ghostess (Aug 21, 2005)

Welcome


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## perdidoman (Dec 2, 2007)

*Welcome Waldiddy !!*


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## Lilly (Jun 13, 2006)

Welcome Wal..
yes trunk or treat is the pits...those poor kids are missing out on a great time.
hope to see pics soon


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## midnight_moon (Apr 28, 2008)

Welcome


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## dynoflyer (Oct 8, 2006)

Welcome to the forum, waldiddy! Sounds like you're our kind of wacko, alright.


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## Spookineer (Aug 20, 2006)

Welcome neighbor! I'm over near Greensboro. (well in 2 weeks I will be)


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## scareme (Aug 29, 2006)

Hi and welcome to the forum, from a fellow "nut".


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