# Skullcruncher



## tzankoff (Nov 16, 2008)

Here is another idea that is a modified version of a scary tunnel. Parts of the build might be a little bit harder to create, but there will be more visual appeal (especially to younger TOTers) and the level of "what might happen next?" is a bit higher since you will not be able to see everything this idea has to offer all at once. With that said...

Imagine walking down a damp and dreary hallway when you reach a dead end. On the wall is this giant skull...

Note: You will see just *how* big in a moment.










The size of this skull might be intimidating enough, but suddenly you hear a deep groaning sound coming from within. You look up at the skull, when suddenly...










...the mouth opens!


The skull is hungry and wants you for his next meal...hence the "crunching" reference in the name.


Now for some of the details...

The size of the skull in comparison to the size of the wall in these quick and dirty MS paint renditions is a bit off, but I do not see any reason why the large skull could not fit on to a 8x4 sheet of plywood. I picture the open mouth to provide a 5x3 opening for the victims to crouch through.

That's right! The skull's mouth is the opening to a tunnel. With various other props that use internal organs of one kind or another to get a fright or two, why not have something where you actually walk through one of those organs?

In case you are wondering, the part of the wall below the closed skull is just a piece of fabric that is painted to look like the rest of the scenery. When the mouth of the skull opens, the fabric (attached to the back of the jaw) simply drops to the floor along with the jaw. If somebody in a wheelchair needs to get through, just keep the jaw shut and have somebody lift the fabric wall out of the way. There should be plenty of room to go underneath.

The skull itself would be built in a fashion similar to a guillotine blade or a drop portrait...just on a slightly larger scale. The top half of the skull would be built out of foam. The jaw would be primarily built out of wood (to prevent damage caused by people who "accidentally" step on the jaw) with a slight foam facade.

Once through the skull's mouth, you will just have to make your way through the "digestion track" which consists of black plastic draped over a support bar placed about 5 to 6 feet off the ground. I do want people to crouch slightly as they go through this. The plastic will have a slithery feel to it and make things dark and somewhat unpredictable.

Just picture a camping tent without the wall support as pictured below.










At the other end of the tunnel is another 8x4 plywood wall with a regular looking (from the outside) exit. I will avoid the painfully obvious "exit" jokes at this time!

Thanks for reading and I would appreciate your feedback.


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

So when the jaw drops, anyone going through the mouth will have to step over the lower jaw, yes? Would it be possible (thinking to avoid a trip hazard and allow for wheel chair access without lifting anything) to create a hinged lower jaw that would fold forward when the jaw came down and lie flat on the floor?

"Obvious exit jokes"...?...oh, NOW I get it!


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## tzankoff (Nov 16, 2008)

RoxyBlue said:


> So when the jaw drops, anyone going through the mouth will have to step over the lower jaw, yes?


That is correct.



RoxyBlue said:


> Would it be possible (thinking to avoid a trip hazard and allow for wheel chair access without lifting anything) to create a hinged lower jaw that would fold forward when the jaw came down and lie flat on the floor?


I did not mention this before, but a counterweight is used to keep the jaw in the closed position by default. The part of the wall underneath the closed jaw is a fabric curtain painted to match the rest of the scenery. Somebody working in the haunt could just pull the curtain aside and allow the wheelchair to go through. Since that wall is not attached to the floor in any fashion, it would not create a trip hazard.

*At this point, I thought about your hinged jaw idea for several minutes.*

How about this? If you were to build the jaw out of a piece of 1/2"-3/4" plywood with a slightly angled bottom edge, you could attach that jaw with hinges to the beams that the jaw is attached to. Something as simple as a few rubber bands could hold the jaw in the up position. When the jaw hits the floor, it would fold forward.

In short...yeah, that's a better idea.



RoxyBlue said:


> "Obvious exit jokes"...?...oh, NOW I get it!


:googly::googly::googly:


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## tzankoff (Nov 16, 2008)

RoxyBlue, is this what you had in mind?


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## RoxyBlue (Oct 6, 2008)

I hadn't actually visualized what it would look like, but I believe you have a nice solution.


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## tzankoff (Nov 16, 2008)

When you said "fold forward", I thought that was what you were implying. Regardless, I am glad this little tweak came to be. I think it will make things easier for everybody.


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## tzankoff (Nov 16, 2008)

Of course, an alternate idea would be to simplify the project by eliminating the moving parts and build the skull to be open all the time (and possibly eliminate the bottom jaw altogether in the process). While that might be advantageous, the part of me that quite possibly knows better says that it would not be as scary or fun!


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