# Lab ideas



## thebrainyscientist1 (Sep 17, 2011)

i was wondering if someone could also share ideas how or what is need to setup a halloween mad scientists lab with glass flaks etc, what sort of layout should i be looking for ive never set up a lab so could do with any and all ideas possible.
many thanks. colin.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

What is your "mad scientist" involved in? ie: Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Jeckyl, Dr. Moreau, the guy who created the Hulk, the fly, etc.
The labs would be different depending upon what the scientist is doing or working on.


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## thebrainyscientist1 (Sep 17, 2011)

i was thinking frankenstein more like, but there probably wont be an actual mad scientist in the lab ie it will be a few bottles of bubbling coloured water/chemicals etc on show but i was thinking of a frankenstein type effect.


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## The-Haunter (Sep 24, 2009)

Aquarium pumps work well to add bubbles.... Cutting open glow sticks for glowing bottles etc.... I've always used a poster of the periodic table for back drop ..... Hoses switches lights can be built onto a board as a control panel ( I used the panel for a drop panel) ... Make sure to stick anything close to the patrons down to the table to avoid broken glass Out of ideas for now but I'll keep thinking


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## QueenRuby2002 (Oct 23, 2011)

Maybe something that looks like a Tesla coil to channel the lighting into the monsters.


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

Lots of webs and chain in the ceiling area. Large jars with body parts in colored water and some back lighting. 
Also, get a copie of Young Frankenstien if you can. It shows the lab area fairly well.


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

I can't emphasize enough the "stick stuff down to the table". I bought some of that tacky clay that sort of worked..I had to resort to using a long strip of clear packing tape down the back of everything. If you put detergent or anything in your water that will make the water opaque, you can drop small mouth or earring/ring sized glow sticks right in the fluid. You could have a spare brain in a jar... lots of gears, wheels, lighted panels....you can hook up an old turntable to make gears spin at low rpm..


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## The-Haunter (Sep 24, 2009)

Just remembered when I did my lab I used rope lights wrapped around tomato cages to make coils on either side of my monster. You can buy a flasher unit at Menards that will make them flash.. Plug them in at diff times for alternating flashes same time for same flash


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

If you get a chance, watch Young Frankenstein. It gives you some good views of your desired lab and the props you might look at making, buying, or borrowing.
You can make the raised bed that the monster is strapped to raised all the way to the ceiling, with chains and wheels down at your level, have a strobe light for lightning, and a soundtrack for thunder and static electricity. There's no rule that says the lab has to be ancient either, so you could have computers, monitors, etc. Maybe some showing "views" of the monster getting shocked by the lightning. Lots of options to choose from.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

The-Haunter said:


> Aquarium pumps work well to add bubbles.... Cutting open glow sticks for glowing bottles etc.... I've always used a poster of the periodic table for back drop ..... Hoses switches lights can be built onto a board as a control panel ( I used the panel for a drop panel) ... Make sure to stick anything close to the patrons down to the table to avoid broken glass Out of ideas for now but I'll keep thinking


I think it was Stolloween who just recently posted a Halloween version of the table of elements which was very well done. That would be a nice touch.

I was a mad scientist for a couple Halloween parties and used the same costume to answer the door and hand out candy. I held a prop that was a large glass flask filled with a thick translucent liquid with a glow stick in it. It makes the liquid glow beautifully.


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## Warrant2000 (Oct 8, 2008)

I did a mad lab in my 2011 haunt, you can see it 



 It's more of a toxic zombie experimentation lab, with some modern and semi-retro looks.

On my youtube page I also have several close-ups of the various lab props used, most are hand made.

In preparation for the 2011 haunt, I ordered a small lab experiment kit with beakers of various sizes, pipets (thin glass tubes that go in the corks), plastic tubing, test tubes, and a small burner (didn't light it though). I also purchased a fish tank air pump (got the 2-output one for a 50 gal tank), then made a daisy chain of tubing to push air bubbles into about 5 containers. I added food coloring and background chem lighting for additional flavor. Lots of containers with body parts, colors, and icky things.

Since I had an actor inside the lab, I didn't have to worry about ToT's snagging stuff.

The power panel is spare parts, tubing, and a 4'x8' sheet of plywood. Hoses are corregated pool hoses I found on a curb.

Re-Animation Arm prop is junk in my garage, arm was $15 on eBay. Electric lightning (green thing) and the L-Wire were from Amazon.

Power Transformer was made from 3 large plant containers, shoved some old printer cables into it, put some orange lights and a strobe inside. I want to clean that up though and put some more coils on it.

My Mad Scientist actor had some welding goggles and a paper painters suit (Home Depot) as his outfit. My costume was "Dr. Horrible", complete with boots, gloves, and smock.


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