# Horsedrawn Hearse



## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

One of the new projects for this year is a horsedrawn hearse. The idea is to park it in the graveyard with a talking skeleton driver. Out the back will be 4 skeleton pallbearers carrying a coffin to its final resting place.

First up was to draw out and get dimensions for the hearse.
After a few hours with Sketchup we have a design. The overall size of the hearse will be approximately 8.5 ft long, 6.5 ft tall, and 3 ft wide.










I'm cheap, so I am building this with very minimal expense. I didn't want to spend $50 per wheel for ones that could carry a load. So I opted to support the hearse on 2x4's instead. It isn't like I am going to take ToT's out for a midnight ride. I found 30in wheels at K-mart for $14 a piece.

A friend of mine bought a new house and took these outdoor wall sconces off. These will look perfect mounted to the side.










Today I started the build and was able to finish the base frame, wall frames, and the front and back walls.




























Still have lots more to do.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Looking forward to seeing this project develop. I love the look of the old horse-drawn hearses.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

This is gonna be great. Those sconces are a find for sure.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:I love your designs....I have learned over the years to watch your builds....you do such great work.... What kind of skeletal horses are going to pull your happy sleigh? Something like DavetheDead's Vestrals??? Just loving what your design is so far....I cannot wait....


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## Troll Wizard (May 3, 2012)

_*Really a smart idea, resting the hearse on supports like that. At night time you won't even notice them! Great job!*_


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## The Halloween Lady (Aug 18, 2010)

This looks like it will be beautiful. I love the light fixtures!!! They are so perfect.


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Day 2 progress. Got the sides cut out and installed. Installed the light fixtures as well.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Very pretty!


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## NickWaka7 (Aug 10, 2013)

Looks great so far! Where did you get that black frame on the front?


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

NickWaka7 said:


> Looks great so far! Where did you get that black frame on the front?


I got the frame at ikea. Thought it looked very Haunted Mansion'ish. Mine was already black. Looks like they only carry the white one. Nothing a little paint can't fix. Here's the link.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60232813/?preferedui=desktop&cid=us>mw>footer


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

That's going to be nice...looks great already!


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## NickWaka7 (Aug 10, 2013)

Chuck said:


> I got the frame at ikea. Thought it looked very Haunted Mansion'ish. Mine was already black. Looks like they only carry the white one. Nothing a little paint can't fix. Here's the link.
> 
> http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60232813/?preferedui=desktop&cid=us>mw>footer


Thanks for the link! After seeing the trailer for the upcoming movie Oculus, ot inspired me to make a two-way mirror effect for my haunt and i have been searching high and low for a nice, inexpensive mirror that looks like it has some creepy history. Like you said, nothing a little paint cant fix! Maybe ill add some detail paint work to it. cant beat that price! Thanks again!


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Finished constructing the seat last night. I engineered it so that it will hold a grown persons weight. I climbed up on it last night had a seat, held me just fine, not even a wobble. Should make for some interesting pictures, i think.

I should mention that I also designed this so that it will all break down and store as flat as possible. The seat is one piece that disconnects from the carriage part. Each wall is a seperate piece, along with the roof and base. Just back out a few screws and everything folds down flat.

My wheels should be delivered today and this weekend I will install the crown moulding, wheels, and paint her up.

Once that is done, I will take more than a few pics and break it down to store until Oct. (If only my neighborhood would let me park it out front all year round  )

So here is the hearse so far.


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

Looking good! I recognize the cut-outs of the 'cargo' area


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

dave the dead said:


> Looking good! I recognize the cut-outs of the 'cargo' area


I thought you might


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

Looking Good. Great job so far.


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## Blackrose1978 (Aug 13, 2011)

Can't wait to see the finished product


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Seems the shipper decided to only send 1 of the 4 wheels I ordered. Now I am fighting with them to send me the other 3. Thank god I have 6 months to go before Halloween.

In the meantime, I picked up the crown moulding and high gloss black paint last night. So at least I can get her all painted and looking perty. Once that is done I can put the curtains in.

More pics of the progress to follow this weekend.


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## redder (Jul 30, 2013)

Winter here in the great northeast is almost gone and this is one of the builds I plan to do this year.


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

redder said:


> Winter here in the great northeast is almost gone and this is one of the builds I plan to do this year.


I have the Sketchup file if you want it.


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## Palmdale Haunter (Mar 3, 2012)

Looking very good!


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Found these plastic fence toppers at Home Depot. Thought they would be perfect for finish off the roof corners and add a bit of height to it.










And here is how they look installed and painted.


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## Rahnefan (May 1, 2009)

Oh man this is going to be special.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Nice touch!


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Thanks for the compliments everyone.

I finished painting the entire thing yesterday and repainted the mirror and sconces then wired them up with flicker bulbs.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

So when do you start building the horse?:jol:


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## redder (Jul 30, 2013)

*Yes*

YES I do will pm you


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Chuck said:


> Thanks for the compliments everyone.
> 
> I finished painting the entire thing yesterday and repainted the mirror and sconces then wired them up with flicker bulbs.


Looks great! You added a lot of nice decorative touches. Really impressive!


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

Really beautiful!


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## creeperguardian (Nov 6, 2012)

I love the fact your doing it at a minimal cost... and for such a budget it looks amazing....


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Played with some lighting last night. I had some blue LED strip lights left over from another project I was working on. I put those up along the inside of the carriage.

I also had a couple of red satin curtains in a storage bin that I hung on the inside to get a feel for how it would look. 
As you can also see, I was able to mount the wheels as well. I used 1in dowels to simulate an axle.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Any ghoul would be proud to be taken to their resting place in a hearse such as yours!!!


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

Very nice!


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## fontgeek (Jul 24, 2006)

What, if anything, are you going to do for horses?
The strip lighting works well for this, enough light still with some subtlety.
The curtains look good too, though traditionally they*would be black too. I think the red stands out better, especially in the kind of lighting conditions you will have.


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

I don't know what I am going to do for a horse. That is still up in the air. I thought of making a skeleton horse until the saw the cost of a horse skull. 
I do have one of those horse head masks. Maybe I can see what I can throw together utilizing that. Who knows yet.


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Thanks to everyone for your kind replies.


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## azscoob (Oct 6, 2010)

Phenomenal work! It's looking amazing!

Instead of crafting up a horse, how about the old "ghost horse" angle and have the yolk, reigns, and bit appear to float in front of the carriage ala Disney haunted mansion style


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Really impressively beautiful!


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## Blackrose1978 (Aug 13, 2011)

This is looking seriously cool!! Job well done!!


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

That turned out great Chuck....nice accents and detailing!
I like the lighted shot, too.


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Thank you all for your kind replies. I can't wait to be able to put this out in the front yard for Halloween.

I am pretty much done with this until the end of September, so I took it out of the garage to break down and put in the shed. I had to make room for the horse project, which will be starting very soon.

Here are the last shots of it before I broke it down.


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## Riff_JunkieSFR (Jul 11, 2011)

That's one goo looking hearse, and thanks for the lead on the wheels!


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

WOW, it's May 5 and you are basically finished. It looks great....I bow to you!


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

So I started building my undead horse for the hearse last night. I looked all over for building the frame for the horse. Dave the Dead's thestral was perfect. The simplicity of the frame was what I was looking for (plus I have a ton of left over PVC piping and tubing) so this should cost me next to nothing to build.
I am going to be using the Horse skull mask for the head of the horse. I have no idea how I am going to skin him just yet, but we will see.

So far here is what I threw together last night. (Keep in mind, I have no idea of the measurements of a horse. SO this is going to be a learning process)










Here is the mask that I will be using for the head.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

That is going to be so cool!


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Looks like a great start. I can't wait to see how you finish this


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

I was able to fill out the body and mount the head. I am using the plastic sheeting corpsing technique. Right now it looks like a mummy, but once I paint it up it should looks like a good ole corpsed horse.


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

It's looking good!


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

Was able to finish corpsing the horse today. Tomorrow I am going to put a mangy looking mane on it and hook it up to the hearse.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol:Wow! That looks amazing! He's the perfect steed to pull your magnificent hearse. People that come to your haunt are going to be dropping their jaws.


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## ATLfun (Oct 12, 2012)

Man, that is super creepy.


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## byrdawg (Sep 24, 2014)

great job!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

That is one nasty-looking corpsed pony - good job!


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## LittleBlueBMW (Nov 4, 2010)

nice horse! Can't wait for the final pictures.


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## Acid PopTart (Oct 29, 2007)

Just stunning! Incredible. Officially jealous..... I want to be the one lucky enough to "drive" that coach. (Which I use to do..... not a funeral coach sadly, just "romantic" tours of this boring city.)


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## dave the dead (Jan 31, 2007)

good job!


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## morbidmike (Sep 11, 2009)

great work ....my GF is on me to build another one I gave my other one away when I got a divorce  now I'm starting over


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

The horse is a work of art!! This is going to be so cool!


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## Chuck (Oct 10, 2009)

And they are all setup in the front yard.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

That looks amazing! Well done, Chuck!


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## stick (Jan 21, 2009)

Great Job for sure Chuck.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

All your hard work paid off, that is Smashing Good!!!!


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## deadSusan (Jun 26, 2013)

Absolutely fanatastic Chuck! Congratulations!


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## Mattimus (Oct 23, 2013)

Hard work paying off.... BIG TIME! Awesome job.


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## drevilstein (Sep 17, 2013)

Fantastic horse corpse (horpse?) there Chuck!


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