# Easy & cheap moving angry gorilla in cage



## whitehotdog (Jul 16, 2011)

THIS IS MY FIRST HOW TO OF MY FIRST HALLOWEEN PROP .SO HOPE IT ALL MAKEs SENSE .I USED A GORILLA DUE TO HALLOWEEN NOT BEEN VERY BIG IN UK BUT YOU COULD USE ANY FANCY DRESS COSTUME YOU LIke FROM
WOLFMAN TO ANGRY PRISONER /slave IN JAIL
PRICES LISTED ARE IN £`S BUT sure will be roughtly same if not cheaper

ITEMS NEEDED FOR CAGE CONSTRUCTION

3 x length of 3x2 timber (for back h frame of cage £6 from local diy store
old kitchen worktop piece for base of cage (or something heavy) free off cut 
1 piece of half inch thick board free i used pallet cover board but chipboard fine ) free
10 x half inch pvc pipe for cage bars £18 from local diy store
1 can of silver spray (for cage bars) £5 local motor discount store
1 dark sheet or cloth to go around side and back of cage (no shown)

gorilla construction

gorilla fancy dress costume (£40) uk ebay 
4x lengths 1.5" pvc pipe for basic skeletal structure of gorilla (£6 local diy store)
various pcv conectors fittings t pieces ,bends, ect (£5 diy store)
strong gaffa tape or any strong tape to save on fittings if you wish (£2)
foam head (£4 uk ebay)
pair of eyes (£1 uk ebay)
roll of chicken wire (£4 local diy)

sound movement and lights

car wiper motor (£4 local scrap yard)
12v 5amp power supply for powering wiper motor (£4 ebay)
256mb mp3 player small storage size so nobody wants anymore but can you any mp3 with repeat funtion £2 ebay
old amplified computer speakers (£4 ebay )
mini strobe light (£4 local electronics store )
garden security light with sensor (£6 diy store)









cage build
im not giving these measurements as depends on the size of cage you require and the gorilla you put in it .but make it just a bit bigger than gorilla costume you buy as this will give illusion the gorilla is bigger than it is.

cut pvc pipes to desired height and spray silver (cage bars)
drill equally spaced holes in front of wood base and wooded top same size as pvc pipe so pvc pipe can slot into holes
cut 2 lengths of you 3x2 timber to same height as pvc pipes and screw to
back rear corners of base of cage
put pvc pipes into drilled holes of base of cage
put roof on cage screw to tops of back 3x2 timbers and slot pvc pipes into
top holes 
the final 3x2 timber acts as a cross member to back of cage but the height
needs to match the top shoulders of your gorilla as the wiper motor will connect to the timber and to the gorilla to make it move .
on the base of the cage near the rear you will see some pvc fittings .this 
connect the gorilla to the cage via the 2 bends at either end as the gorillas 
pvc legs fit into them the t piece in the middle acts as a hinge due to using a bigger fitting than the pipe going through it .and the t piece is then fastend to the base so that cannot move.
the cage should look quite weak .this is the secret of making the ape look
realistic as the cage moves with gorilla as it springs with the front cage bars.

Pictures by wianson - Photobucket
gorilla contruction

use pvc pipe ,tape and fittings and make basic stickman skeleton the size of your gorilla
loads of info here how to do this
but on its back use a t piece and have some pipe extending out of its back.
this is going to conect to the wiper motor on the cross member timber of cage
pack full suit out with chicken wire

put gorilla mask onto foam head and push on to neck(pvc pipe)
stick eyes onto gorilla










put gorilla in cage and connect pvc legs onto pvc bends in base of cage
it should move forward and backwards with ease.
tape or bolt wiper motor to gorilla pvc back extention








the gorrila hands (gloves that came with costume )have been strengthened
with old garden wire inside them so it holds the bars but can cable tie them on if no wire to hand
as long as when it moves it stays holding the bars making the cage shake
thats fine .
now power up the wiper and see movement is ok for you .
i found that different different arm postiions give slightly different results

sound and lights

use the garden light sensor and connect a plug socket set onto it 
i wont give instruction on how to do this as loads of how to`s showing the process.

copy growl noise or and sound you require onto mp3 player and set onto repeat track (this plays continuously but wont make a sound until speakers
switched on

plug computer speakers into main socket and then into mp3 player
these wont work until they get powered up when sensor is activated

connect mini strobe to roof of cage and plug into socket .this too wont
work untill sensor activated .i put tape on my sensors sides so people have to get really close before activation .

fasteren the dark sheet around sides and back to complete the cage look
and it also allows the cage to shake easy rather that using wood that would restrict the movement 
then its just a case of decoration in cage .i e straw

i personally thinking of getting a cute baby chimp sat in bottom lit up via 
dim led lights so they will come to look at the cute baby cimp but cant see mummy utill they get too near ... lol

think thats it if any question or i have missed anything please let me know 
and i will do my best to help .
also got the growl in mp3 format that i can email if anyone cant find on net 
be great to see other peoples designs based around this .think a death 
row prisioner screaming and shouting help would look great .


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## ouizul1 (May 22, 2010)

That's pretty slick...and in the strobe lights, it looks quite good. I really like that the cage rocks around, too. I've got the perfect spot in the yard for something like this...and it's a pretty straight-forward build. Thanks!


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## scarypapa (Jan 23, 2012)

Great tutorial. I have been trying to figure out a good way to accomplish this effect. This will really work well for my werewolf in a cage prop. Thanks.


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## kprimm (Mar 14, 2009)

Very nice job on this. I really like the movement of him and the simple method of construction. This may make it onto the prop build schedule for me. Thanks for the how-to.


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## Lunatic (Oct 3, 2006)

Great effect Whitehotdog! The movement in normal light looks great as is. It will certainly startle the unsuspected in the dark under strobe lighting. Real nice. Thanks for the how-to!


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