# Fun new groundbreaker frame



## Hippofeet

I got some time to make a ground breaker with a different action.

Just the bare, unfinished frame, but I like how it moves.

Running at 60 PSI with speed controllers all over it. Run wide open it would be pretty dangerous, I would prefer a soft end on that flopping arm, and I will make one out of foam rubber.






Bonus, you can check out my rising dead acting chops! lol.


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## Hippofeet

I got the head and mask on, and the coat is just on for a bit, with just the barest padding to flesh out the body. I still have to undo it all and paint the frame, and get everything nice and tight.






The head is a bit loose on its post, but it will be better in a few hours, after I get it all set up. And then the head will move more. I think.

I'm still searching for the perfect, heavy duty yet light weight, fixed or moveable jaw, solid mounting head. What I have works, but I really want to blow mold my own. Ah well. Someday.


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## Troll Wizard

_*Pretty Awesome! A little refinement and it will be perfect. What you've done so far looks great!*_


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## Hippofeet

Thanks, Troll. 

I can mess with these things forever, lol. I want this one done by tomorrow morning, though, so I have decided I like the slow speed better.

I don't have any hands, though!


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## Hippofeet

The mech frame getting dressed out. It is painted, and cleaned up, and I double checked some things early this morning.


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## Hippofeet

A little on the body, eventually I should be doing these with cast latex bodies, but the only real difference it will make will be the ability to show more skin/bone, instead clothing to hide the mechanisms.


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## deadSusan

Very nice.


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## Jack Mac

Fantastic work on this, the movement it has is just perfect! Great job!


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## Hippofeet

Thanks, Mac! I need to spend some time this weekend cleaning up the airlines inside, and i am thinking I might want a different coat. I REALLY want to do like a 50's bus driver, complete with hat, but the actual greyhound hats from the period are a bit pricey. But then I could have him zombie mumble "aaaugh to the moon Alice" lol.


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## Riff_JunkieSFR

That is one cool ground breaker, and the movement is just awesome!


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## RoxyBlue

I think he's had a little too much to drink


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## fontgeek

A couple of questions or thoughts.
Why not put the expansion patch for the pants at the back where people wouldn't see it?
Adding a spring into the neck so that it could have a little "Bobblehead" action might be fun too.
A thought for the trapped or trailing arm? Have the hand and lower arm of another corpse reaching out of the ground and grasping your groundbreaker by the wrist of forearm. It would send the message that there are more bodies buried beneath the grass, and that they are alive/undead too. The arm could be corpsed, skeletal, or anything in between.
This looks neatly done so far.


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## Hippofeet

I love the idea for the other hand. The spring in the neck wont make any difference, it is on a cylinder, not loose. I made the last one loose, and people kept turning up the pressure to increase the speed of action, and it was really tough on the joint, and I had to keep going back to repair it. This way I sort of control what can be done, and I hope I have it designed so that even at 120 psi, it will last. The joints are all impact swivels for air tools.

I'm finding that if I don't build for the max psi than COULD be used, I am going to have problems down the road. 

The opening for the expansion has to be in the front, because of the cylinder location, otherwise I have to make it so the pants stay up, and slide on the support ring, which would be tough. It's easier to use velcro, and really, its pretty invisible now, and it only took a couple minutes to sew in the elastic. I used Mil-spec 2 inch elastic, and I know that will last a long time with heavy use. But yeah, the back would be better, anything that puts "the workings" out of sight is the way to go. I will think about a way to get it back there.

I think I am gong to get a different coat, though. I am just not sold on it.

I SOOOO want to be able to cast my own foam bodies for these things. Cost prohibitive to cut up a 200 dollar foam torso every time I make one. And really I just want a flexible, supportive "skin" and not a full cast torso I have to gut anyway.

Someday, lol.


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## bourno

Awesome work on the groundbreaker. Very cool.


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## fontgeek

You might look at the plastic tubing/bags the newspapers use to bag their papers. It's actually just one, long tube that they cauterize and cut. You could use that tubing and stuff it with other plastic grocery bags around the armature to get your body. You'd still need to come up with whatever flesh you would want to be exposed though.
You're right on the money when building for the maximum pressure. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.


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## Headless

WOW - lots of movement! Well done.


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## Hairazor

You are so right when you said "fun"! Looks great


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## Darkwalker

Wow!!!! I love it! I'd say I'm impressed but that would be an understatement. 
Jealous is more like it!


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## S L A M

Dude that thing is killer. Love it!


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## dommyboy

That is sweet. I will have to try my hand at something similar!


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## Mharnish

*Videos*

I know it is a really old post but are the videos of the Groundbreaker still around? The links all come back video not available. Am looking to add a couple Groundbreakers this year and am currently work on the Dead with Dave - Pandemic Cemetary version. Would love to see what you did different.


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## RoxyBlue

^Just a heads up that the OP (Hippofeet) has not been active on the forum since June of 2015.


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## Mharnish

UGH, thanks!

Where are the best places to get prop ideas these days. Seems like there is not too much going on around the forums. Is Youtube the best way to find stuff? I am just getting into Pneumatics and looking for ideas.

Thanks


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