# Simple cage for our witch scene.



## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

We want to have a cage in our main witch scene this year. I started on this yesterday. It's 18 inches square by 27 tall. The top/bottom frames are a sheet of 1/4 inch plywood screwed to 1x2 cleats, drilled out with a 7/8 spade bit. The bars are 1/2 inch gray conduit which I got for free. I drilled two of the holes on the top all the way through so that 2 bars can be removed to put things in the cage. I put a screw into eacg piece of pipe both top and bottom. It will hang from a tree branch or I may fashion a tripod to suspend it from. Thinking of making a small pvc figure dressed in a childs costume. A bag of candy spilled on the ground beneath with some rats on the pile. Maybe a sound track of a child's voice crying or calling for it's mommy/daddy. Hope to have this finished by the end of the week and will post the completed prop then.


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## Hairazor (Mar 13, 2012)

Cool idea


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## The Halloween Lady (Aug 18, 2010)

Lookin Jdubbya.


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## Hauntiholik (May 17, 2006)

The thread title made me think of the teenage boys in the cage in Hocus Pocus.










great idea jdubbya!


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## ladysherry (Jan 25, 2012)

I must add to my to do list. Looking good hurry up so I can see the finished one. . ( Joking) great work takes time


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## debbie5 (Mar 2, 2007)

dogs spend the night in their crate. Why not kids??


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## craigfly06 (May 11, 2012)

Looks good, I really like it! are you going to hang it with chains?:jol:


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Thanks all! Yes, it will hang from chains. I'll use 4 eye hooks with 4 pieces of chain going up to a center hanging ring. I made a similar one a few years back, and it looked pretty cool!


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## Spooky1 (Aug 25, 2008)

The cage is looking good, and I like the idea. I wonder if you might put a small motor on the figure to make it move in the cage?


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Spooky1 said:


> The cage is looking good, and I like the idea. I wonder if you might put a small motor on the figure to make it move in the cage?


This was suggested and I'm liking this idea. Need to see what the final figure looks like and how I can make it move. I just picked up another shiatsu massager and could maybe use that.


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Looking good! We've used our cage for several years and I really like where you're going with this. I always liked the shaking skeleton in a cage setup for movement. There's a link for that somewhere. Just a motor and offset crank arm. Depending on how high or low you hang your cage you could put it on top or on bottom to hide it. 

Can't wait to see this finished. When you get this done I have a few hundred things you can start on for Road's End!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

lewlew said:


> Looking good! We've used our cage for several years and I really like where you're going with this. I always liked the shaking skeleton in a cage setup for movement. There's a link for that somewhere. Just a motor and offset crank arm. Depending on how high or low you hang your cage you could put it on top or on bottom to hide it.
> 
> Can't wait to see this finished. When you get this done I have a few hundred things you can start on for Road's End!


Thanks Mark! I'll have to look for that link as I do want some movement to it. not sure if I could motorize the figure inside the cage, which would actually move the cage itself, or just rig the cage to move a bit. Made a little more progress on it over the last couple days.
Two coats of black, added the hanging hooks in each corner and rusted it up a bit. Now I need to get the chains. Thinking I may build a wooden framework to suspend it: Two uprights and a cross member out of 4x4 stock. Hang it three feet or so off the ground.
I have a lead on a used kids Halloween costume which I'll use to make the TOT prisoner figure.





































More to come!


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Nice rust job! I don't see the dog in any of these pictures - she must not like cages


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Jerry,

Actually...ZF is the one who made the shaking Mr. Thrifty in a cage but I can't find the thread or the link for it for some reason. Ask him and I'm sure he can talk you through it but it would definitely add the 'let-me-out' movement you're looking for.

It's basically a motor arm with a weight on the end.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

*Hanging and ready for the victim*

Got the chains attached and it looks straight
A friend is donating a couple of her kid's old costumes to "the cause", so once I have those, I'll make the TOT victim that will go inside.



















I still have to hit the zinc plated hardware with black paint and age them a bit too to get rid of that new look.


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Looking forward to seeing the finished product jdubbya - looks great so far.


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## Halloween_Anna (Dec 13, 2011)

I really want to see how you make your child. I want a hansel and gretel type scene myself, but need ideas for the children.


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## Pumpkin5 (Aug 8, 2010)

:jol: Jdubbya, this is such a great idea and I love what you've done with your original concept. And I can't wait to see the unfortunate TOT that gets caught. I definitely thought of the movie Hocus Pocus when I saw the original. Really well done....


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Headless said:


> Looking forward to seeing the finished product jdubbya - looks great so far.


Me too! THanks!



Halloween_Anna said:


> I really want to see how you make your child. I want a hansel and gretel type scene myself, but need ideas for the children.


A friend of mine suggested doing Hansel and Gretel. I'm considering it, but guess I really didn't want to get into that story book theme, as much as maybe more a Hocus Pocus captured child thing. Still debating. I have a couple costumes coming this weekend so am going to experiment and will post up pics for opinions! Thanks!



Pumpkin5 said:


> :jol: Jdubbya, this is such a great idea and I love what you've done with your original concept. And I can't wait to see the unfortunate TOT that gets caught. I definitely thought of the movie Hocus Pocus when I saw the original. Really well done....


Thanks!I'm anxious to see how the child prop turns out. I have diffeent ideas on how I can work with it but it's kind of coming together.


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## fick209 (Aug 31, 2009)

It's looking great. I look forward to seeing what unfortunate type tot you put in the cage.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Started on the armature for the TOT. It will have a styro wig head and costume. Looking for a one piece clown type costume or something similar. Ill have one hand grabbing the bars and the other reaching out. Still have to figure the hands but if it's a clown costume I may use white gloves.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Thinking og using a pair of footie pj's instead of a costume, just to give it a true "little kid" look. Still working out ideas for the hands and head but liking this. Scareme was so generous and sent me a cute little kid's costume but it was too small for the armature, so this might be a good altermative to a costume. ?Thoughts?


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## Cat_Bones (Jun 1, 2012)

I love it with the footy pajamas!!


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## Lord Homicide (May 11, 2012)

Those bars look awesome


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## tattman98 (Jun 29, 2011)

Easy way to make hands is to use baling wire and wood dowels cut small sections of the dowels, cut each approximately the size of the finger bones. and drill holes through them
and then make the wire armature for the hands. I have used these hands for years. I made a set quite a few years ago and they still work. the best part is these hands are completely pose able and strong they will hold a knife. You will have to double the wire if you if you want them strong.


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## tattman98 (Jun 29, 2011)

I do like that cage though.........


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Cat_Bones said:


> I love it with the footy pajamas!!


THanks! I'm liking it too.



Lord Homicide said:


> Those bars look awesome


Thank you!



tattman98 said:


> Easy way to make hands is to use baling wire and wood dowels cut small sections of the dowels, cut each approximately the size of the finger bones. and drill holes through them
> and then make the wire armature for the hands. I have used these hands for years. I made a set quite a few years ago and they still work. the best part is these hands are completely pose able and strong they will hold a knife. You will have to double the wire if you if you want them strong.


Nice idea. I may give it a try as I do want thenads to be posable and grab the bars.


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## tattman98 (Jun 29, 2011)

jdubbya said:


> THanks! I'm liking it too.
> 
> Thank you!
> 
> Nice idea. I may give it a try as I do want thenads to be posable and grab the bars.


I made a mistake you have to wrap the baling wire around the dowels instead of through it, you twist the wire after each joint. That will make it pliable enough to bend,and it will last forever.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Re-thinking this and tried it with one of the smaller poseable skellies. I like this too and not sure which to go with. Opinions?
The little boy figure would be pretty life-like but the Skel is more Halloweenish.
Hmmm... With the skel I wouldn't have to worry about a face/hands.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

Skellie, all the way! He looks too adorable not to be part of your haunt. Also, I think some folks would be less apt to object to seeing a skellie in a cage as opposed to a small child in a cage. You can still put the jammies on him, too.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

RoxyBlue said:


> Skellie, all the way! He looks too adorable not to be part of your haunt. Also, I think some folks would be less apt to object to seeing a skellie in a cage as opposed to a small child in a cage. You can still put the jammies on him, too.


Ya know, I was thinking along the same lines, and actually had a couple comments about the child figure looking a bit too realisitc/creepy in the cage. Probably the reason I tried the skellie and I really do like the look of him. I have 5 more of these skellies that will be doing various things in the scene. I like the idea of dressing him in something. Thanks for the feedback RB!


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## tattman98 (Jun 29, 2011)

For the really creepy put the clothes on the skelli. That would put it over the top.


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

Got this great little costume from a friend and it fits perfectly. I really like the look of this and am sticking with it. Kind of whimsical and funny looking.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

LOL, that is soooo cute!


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## lewlew (Mar 15, 2006)

Yep. You nailed it!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

RoxyBlue said:


> LOL, that is soooo cute!


Thanks! I thought so too, but in a creepy way.



lewlew said:


> Yep. You nailed it!


Thanks Mark. I agree!


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## CreeepyCathy (Mar 28, 2009)

LOVE how this turned out!! fantastic job.


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## crims0ngh0st (Jun 29, 2012)

Fun! Who doesn't love a good cage...?


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## Headless (Sep 4, 2011)

Such a great job on this prop - well done.


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## orlokoclock (May 18, 2012)

Love how the child has withered away to bones in his halloween costume. Good job!


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## jdubbya (Nov 6, 2005)

CreeepyCathy said:


> LOVE how this turned out!! fantastic job.





crims0ngh0st said:


> Fun! Who doesn't love a good cage...?





Headless said:


> Such a great job on this prop - well done.





orlokoclock said:


> Love how the child has withered away to bones in his halloween costume. Good job!


Thanks all! Appreciate it. I'll grunge up the costume a bit. The cage will hang from a 4x4 beam supported by 2 4x4 uprights. It will be suspended about 4 feet off the ground, with a candy pail/bag laying on the ground underneath, and rats eating the candy. There will be some other elements to the scene too. Hoping to erect the frame soon and see what it looks like.


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## GhoulishCop (Sep 25, 2009)

jdubbya,

Just catching up on this thread and the cage looks great. I saw someone early on was interested in seeing "how you make your child," and I gotta admit, I actually became kinda curious too: will that be featured on the Spice Channel? Or do we need to go to an "adult" site for that? And I didn't realize the Mrs. was so easy-going about having cameras take pictures of the process. 

A new level of intrigue has been reached from a simple cage prop, which is most excellent by the way.

Rich


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