# Rising & Falling Chest / Simulated Breathing



## Up_Up_And_Away (Jul 19, 2008)

Has anyone ever tried to create a chest that rises and falls? I've often thought about a "sleeping" witch out front near the doorbell, but I have no clue where to start, aside from an open mouth and snoring sounds...


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

People have done breathing graves. You might be able to adapt the techniques to your purpose.

Walterb's thread:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=29984&highlight=breathing+grave

Scott_Garrett's thread:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=29430&highlight=breathing+grave

And his build thread so you can see the guts of it:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?p=602573#post602573

There is an old discussion of breathing prop methods here:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=17453


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## Bone Dancer (Oct 7, 2005)

I do the same thing but its a secondary effect of having my heart running on batteries.
It looks good but it a bit expensive.


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## turtle2778 (Jul 9, 2006)

I always thought this would be a cool prop. I might have to add it next year.


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

I think the area would have to be well lit, and the movement fairly excessive for people to notice. Adding sound effects would definitely help too.
I'd look at something like an electric drill mounted sideways inside the witch's chest, 
With a cam (an egg shaped piece of wood would work fine for this) mounted on a shaft thats installed like a drill bit, you could set the speed of the drill to have the chest rise and fall as you wish. Of course the ribcage needs to be flexible and somewhat elastic so that it contracts when the short side of the cam is facing the witch's front side. Some bungee cords lightly stretched around the witch's chest should do the trick for the elastic end of things, you can use a section of a plastic, 5 gallon bucket to give the basic rib cage shape, that smooth plastic interior would allow the cam to rotate against it nicely.
You may find some other electric or pneumatic motor to use instead of a drill, but the concept would be the same. You could use a potentiometer or light dimmer to fine tune the speed of the electric drill or motor. A regulator would do the same for a pneumatic drill or motor.


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## Palmdale Haunter (Mar 3, 2012)

I would look for a 12 RPM gear motor and a crank to the sternal area with a sound track built to match....


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

A barbecue rotisserie would work well for this unless you needed the breathing to be really fast. It's made to move a chunk of weight and to work in hot conditions. The trick would be getting your soundtrack, if you use one, to match it's pace/speed.
You could mount small wheels on each tong/fork of the skewer part so that it would roll smoothy while lifting the "chest" or your bury good friend.


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## Up_Up_And_Away (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks for the tips, all!

When I was a wee little boy back in NJ, my fascination with fairy tales (specifically witches and then, consequently, Halloween) started around age three. That summer, my parents introduced me to the now defunct _Gingerbread Castle_ in Hamburg, NJ and _Fairytale Forest_ in Oak Ridge, NJ.

Anyway... on the ground level of Rapunzel's tower at _Fairytale Forest_, one could peer into windows to see Rapunzel's captor, the witch, fast asleep - a static figure. I'd love to recreate her and, if possible, "plus" her with simulated breathing. From a 1970s postcard:










Well recently, while the other witch was drying between her many layers and coats, I started on my sleeping witch:


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Looks like a great start to her. Good luck with this prop it sounds fun!


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## Up_Up_And_Away (Jul 19, 2008)

Thanks, Headless!


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

I am really looking forward to your finished project, it sounds so hot!


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