September 2014 15
9. Rocking
Character
A character can be brought to life by
adding a wiper motor to a rocking chair.
One of the more popular methods for
achieving this was created by the folks at
ScareFX. Their easy-to-follow tutorial
shows how you can add a little lumber
and a few pieces of hardware to a wiper
motor to produce a smooth rocking
motion. The motor moves the hinged
framework that the body of the
character attaches to and causes the
chair to rock in a very realistic fashion
(Figure 9A). You can take your pick of
costumes as this works equally well with
a skeleton, granny or grandpa, or even a
pirate (Figure 9B).
10. Laser Vortex
This is a stunning effect that — when used in combination with fog —
creates a wonderful swirling laser light effect. A small mirror is attached just a
little off center to either a fast spinning motor or fan (Figure 10A). When the
laser is reflected off the mirror, it produces a cone shaped tunnel of light which
will amaze your guests and will keep them talking about your haunt long after
Halloween is over (Figure 10B). Care needs to be taken to insure that your
guests are not looking directly into the laser and that you're using a properly
powered one. You can find more info on laser safety at http://web.princeton.
edu/sites/ehs/LabPage/ laserpointersafety.htm.
11. Thunder and
Lightning Machine
What says "spooky graveyard" better than thunder and lightning? It's important to incorporate items in
your display that stimulate as many of the senses as possible. You can not only provide a visual blast with
the lighting, but when used with a good stereo that has enough bass, you can add the "feel" of the thunder
(Figure 11). It takes the sound from a thunder audio track and uses the different frequencies of sound to
flash lights to the beat. This audio and visual effect can easily be achieved with a few pieces of hardware
and your home stereo and an audio track. Included in the sidebar with links for each project is a source for
some very cool thunder tracks, along with plenty of other sound effects that are free for personal use.
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Figure 9A.
Figure 9B.
Figure 10A.
Figure 10B.
Figure 11.
