ISSUE 38: WORKSHOPS

Basics of Faux Stone: Faux Granite

by Patrick K. Coppinger

In the Haunted Attraction industry, we try to create an atmosphere that will set the mood for our patrons; we want them primed for the scare before they encounter the first actor or effect. One of the best ways to achieve this is to place them in ominous surroundings, and one of the most versatile choices for this is faux stone. Faux stone walls provide a primeval, organic environment that can be used for a variety of scenes – everything from dank dungeons to Egyptian tombs – and do a great job of putting the patrons in the fright frame of mind.

For this article, I will cover the process of painting faux granite on a flat surface. Granite is one of the simplest faux stone finishes to paint, and has a very versatile application. I prefer to use Sinclair Stucco life artist colors by ICI Dulux (you can find a list of dealers at http://www.icipaints.com), which always achieve a natural coloring and effect for me. If you have a personal preference or want to experiment, there are plenty of fine paint suppliers and products on the market.

First, fill all holes (nail, staple, etc.) and seams with filler. Allow the filler to set, then sand the surface smooth. The next step is to prime the surface, but before you do, tint the primer to match the base color. In this case the base color will be gray, so use white, black, and a touch of burnt umber.

Once you have primed the surface and allowed it to dry completely, give it a light sanding. This will provide a textured surface for the base coat to attach to. (Figure 1)

Next, spatter the surface. There are quite a few techniques for spattering; you can dip your brush into the paint, then hold the brush vertically a few feet away from the surface. With your other hand, hold a stick horizontally, and strike the stick with the brush. The brush will fling paint against the surface, creating a spattering effect. Unfortunately, this method will spatter just about everything in the room.

Another process is to thin the paint so it is about the consistency of 2% milk and strain it into a hand held pump spray bottle. Pump the spray bottle until it is at full pressure (you will want to keep the pressure full, so check it often), and do a test spray on a separate surface. Adjust the nozzle until you get a dotted pattern. You can have a separate bottle for each color for ease and speed.

For a more controlled method, use an air-fed spray gun attached to a pressure pot; if you don’t have experience with this type of equipment, I recommend that you train with it first. If you have experience with this equipment, this will be a breeze. One color at a time, fill the pressure pot with thinned paint (about the consistency of 2% milk). Set the pressure on the pot to about 45 psi and the air pressure on the gun to about 20 to 30 psi. Adjust your fan control to the narrowest setting and your fluid control to almost fully open. Test your settings on a separate surface until you get the desired pattern.

I find it best to spatter the surface heavily with the white (Figure 2) and black (Figure 3) paints. You do not have to be consistent; in some areas you can be heavier with the white and lighter with the black, and vise versa. Granite occasionally has a hint of salmon color in it; when this color is more prominent, the stone is referred to as rose granite. You can add a light spattering of salmon paint for realism. After you have spattered the surface with the colors and achieved the effect you desire, allow the surface to dry thoroughly.

Since you will be making a flat surface look like a wall of stone, you will need to paint in the grout lines. Mix white, black and burnt umber to create a gray grout color. The burnt umber just takes away some of the blue in the black, so don’t use much. Old cut stones follow the same masonry pattern as brick or concrete blocks, but in a looser format. Your grout lines should not be perfect, and round the corners of the stone where horizontal and vertical lines meet. When you come to a corner in the wall, follow the stone around the angle to make corner stones. Once you have completed the grout lines, allow time for drying.

Using a small brush and thinned white paint, make a small line along the right and top edge of each block (Figure 6). Do the same with thinned black paint along the left and bottom edges (Figure 7). This will add dimension, depth, highlights, and definition, as well as enhance any light source you use. As you apply your highlight and definition lines you can add some shading to your grout lines to give them more depth. (Figure 8)

When your lines are dry, you can apply washes to age your stone wall. Mix a separate wash for the Burnt Umber color and Raw Umber color and pour them each into a spray pump; leave one pump for water. Moisten the wall with water and apply your wash colors, chasing them gently down the wall with the water. Apply the washes until you have achieved the desired effect. (Figure 9)

These faux granite walls will work great for creating a castle façade, mausoleum walls, a dungeon scene, and so on. You’re probably already thinking of an existing room or one planned for this year that could put these techniques to use. Just follow these faux stone basics, and you’ll be on your way to creating a convincing Haunt environment that will get your patrons ready for the scare.

Patrick K. Coppinger is a freelance scenic artist and set painter, and has worked in the entertainment industry for 20 years and stars in the first of a series of faux finishing “How-To” DVDs available from Haunted Attraction Magazine. You can contact Patrick at PKCPainting@aol.com or see his work online at http://hometown.aol.com/pkcpainting/index.html.

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Figure 9

THE X-RAY HAND

by Ken Pitek

As all home and professional Haunters know, there are situations that call for an eye-catching prop that will serve as a scene’s focal point. Whether the prop is indeed the centerpiece or just a distraction from the scare, it has to have a “wow” factor that will pull the viewer’s attention to the area you intend. One easy, inexpensive, and versatile option for such a prop is the X-Ray hand, which can be constructed in less than a day and can be designed for use in black light for added visual impact.

Step One

If you would like your X-Ray hand to be black light reactive, prepare one half of the gelatin according to the directions, but use tonic water instead of tap water; to avoid bubbles in the hand, let the tonic water go flat before using. If you do not want the hand to be black light reactive, prepare the gelatin with tap water. For a more durable hand, you may want to use about 25% less water or tonic water than called for in the directions.

Step Two

Pour enough gelatin mixture into the hand mold to fill it so that the fingers are filled for their full length and to about one half of their depth (Figure 2), then place the mold in the refrigerator to cool. You will need to carefully adjust the mold in the refrigerator so that all the fingers are filled equally and about halfway; the fill level in the rest of the mold is less important than the fingers. Leave the mold in the refrigerator until the gelatin is firm, about two hours.

Step Three

While the gelatin cools, use the needle nose pliers to partially straighten the loops at the ends of the fingers of the skeleton hand (Figure 3). You need add only about a tenth of an inch to the length of the wire; this will make it easier to move the individual bones around when you add the skeleton hand to the mold.

Step Four

Cut the loop off one end of the wire that keeps the knuckles of the fingers together (Figure 4). While everyone in the room should be wearing safety goggles, it is a good idea to cover this step with a towel before cutting to avoid possible harm from flying clippings. Remove the clipped wire from between the fingers (Figure 5). This will allow you to spread the fingers to fit the mold.

Step Five

Add the skeleton hand to the cooled mold (Note: you can tie string or wire to the hand as shown in Figure 6 to allow the finished prop to be tied in place). Spread the skeletal fingers out so that they are positioned in the center of the fingers of the mold.

Step Six

Prepare the second half of the gelatin as before.

Step Seven

Add enough of the gelatin mixture to completely cover the bones. It may be necessary to partially fill the spaces between the fingers with gelatin; this is not a problem, as it can be cut out after the hand is removed from the mold. Place the mold back in the refrigerator at an angle to ensure that all the fingers are properly filled. Allow the mold to set overnight.

Step Eight

After your mold has chilled overnight, fill a sink or pan large enough to hold the entire mold with hot water. Place the mold, with the open side up, in the hot water. The mold should float on top of the water; let it do so for about thirty seconds to a full minute. This will melt the gelatin just enough to let it fall out of the mold with ease. Now, place a clean plate upside-down over the opening of the mold, turn them both over quickly, and the hand should fall right out. Place the hand and plate into the refrigerator for about one hour, after which you may trim any excess gelatin from between the fingers or elsewhere, and your new X-Ray hand is finished (Figure 7).

Your completed X-Ray hand should hold up well for about one week; after that time, you can just strip out the bones and make another. The X-Ray hand is a fast and inexpensive eye-catching prop, and is versatile enough to fit into just about any scene. The black light reactive hands are great for everything from a deadly glowing toxic spill to an ethereal séance, while the non-reactive props work well to simulate translucent decomposing hands. Place one or two of these in an area, and you’ll have the visual focal point or distraction you need to make the scene work.

Ken Pitek is a telecommunications specialist with Southwestern Bell and Home Haunter in Northbrook Illinois. Ken’s Halloween decorations get more elaborate each year, which has led him to author the soon to be released book Tips from the Crypt. If you have any questions about this article or suggestions for the book, feel
free to contact Ken at tipsfromthecrypt@ameritech.net.

Materials (Figure 1):

• 1 Hand-shaped gelatin mold
• 1 Skeleton hand
• 1 Box unflavored gelatin
• 1 Bottle tonic water (you may use plain tap water if you do not want the hand to be black light reactive)
• Needle nose pliers
• Wire cutters
• Safety goggles

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Pneumatic Sliding Portrait Prop

by Norm Glenn

NOTE: You'll need to refer to the magazine for diagrams referenced.

Introduction

This project originated during an effort to create a maximum amount of scares with a minimal number of actors in our Haunt. Having an appropriate number of actors in a Haunt is a priority, but I thought if I could automate some of the effects, I could use our limited number of actors more efficiently. One such effect is the drop panel or drop portrait that is used by many Haunted Houses.

The pneumatic sliding portrait prop performs the same function; your guests walk down a hallway that is lined with several portraits. All of a sudden, one of the portraits slides open with a bang and a ghoul pops out and screams. Once I broke this project down into steps, it turned out to be relatively easy to automate it. With the minimal cost, I can reproduce this effect 3 or 4 times throughout the Haunt with slight variations to create actor-free, effective scares.

Before You Get Started

As with any prop construction project, working with pneumatics can be dangerous. I assemble and test all pneumatics separately from the prop mechanism to ensure everything is safe. Please take the appropriate safety precautions when cutting all wood sections and in assembling and testing your pneumatics.

I listed in the materials that you can use nails or screws for this project; I prefer using wood deck screws for most of my projects. I find it’s easier to make design changes to fit a particular purpose. This is especially important if you are building your rooms before you know what the actual space will look like. In using screws, I pre-drill all holes beforehand to avoid cracking the wood with the screws. Lastly, I did not include prices in the materials list for common items that people typically have lying around or easy access to.

Building the Frame

The framing is a 2x4 wall section with legs at the bottom to make a freestanding frame. You can either use this as an inset into a Haunted House wall or build it as a freestanding unit to place in a corner of a room, in front of a doorway, etc. You may need to adjust the construction of the feet to accommodate your application.

CAUTION: If you keep the frame freestanding, it has to remain stable enough to not tip over on your unsuspecting victims.

Cut the 46" horizontal pieces and 7' vertical supports. Assemble these pieces with the frame laying flat on the floor, making sure to square your corners. Add your 3' horizontal bottom feet and 2 angle supports on each leg. Your frame should look like diagram 1.1.

Building the Portrait and Sliding Track

To build the panel that will roll horizontally on a track, start by cutting out a 22" x 29" section of the ¼" plywood. The remaining section of plywood will be used as skin on the outside of the wall section. Cut the 1" x 4" x 8' board into two 22" pieces for the upper and lower ends of the portrait. Next, cut a 22" piece of 2x2 for a vertical support on the portrait. Screw the window/door roller wheels 4" in from the sides, with two wheels at the top and two wheels at the bottom as shown in diagram 1.2. You should test the portrait by manually rolling it along the frame in place. There should be no more than a 1/8" gap between the portrait and the frame as it rolls along the frame. If there is more or less, you will want to adjust the upper or lower 2x4 horizontal section of the frame.

For the track, cut the 1" x 2" trim pieces into four 46" lengths. Screw the track in place according to the diagram. You want to end up with a track groove which is ¾" deep and ¾" wide. Remember to put the portrait in the track before securing the last piece of trim. Finish this section by adding lithium grease to the wheels and upper and lower track grooves; this was a great idea from Robert Wesolowski to make the portrait slide open with less effort. In building pneumatic props, I try to make all of the design changes I can that will aid in putting the least amount of stress on the pneumatic cylinder and mechanism. This will make the prop last longer and allow for more props to be used with the air compressor.

Building the Lever Mechanism

The lever mechanism opens and closes the portrait. This design uses 10" of cylinder stroke to move the picture 22-24 inches, with the cylinder pulling the lever and portrait into the open position. I originally implemented a scissor mechanism, but found that it would bind up too easily. After several frustrating days of trial and error, I turned to the www.HalloweenForum.com message board to get brainstorming help. Robert Wesolowski helped with the idea of a lever mechanism instead of the problematic scissor approach. Simplicity ruled, the scissor mechanism went into the trash, and I ended up working the entire prop at 25 PSI.

Start by screwing an 8" section of 2x4 to the right rear vertical frame. See diagram 1.3 for placement. Drill a ¼" hole through the 8" section that is protruding out from the frame section and through the 36" 2x2. The hole should be drilled 12" from the end on the 2x2. When you are done, the 36" 2x2 lever should be 24" on one side of the hole and 12" on the other. Secure the 2x2 to the 8" 2x4 using the 4" long ¼" bolt with a washer on each side, the middle, and a lock nut. Next, drill a ¼" hole 1 inch from the end of the 2x2 section for connecting to the metal stock. This should be on the 24" end of the 36" 2x2 lever. Connect this section to the metal stock using the 2" long ¼" bolt with a washer on each end, the middle, and tighten the lock nut on the end. Secure the other end of the flat metal stock to the portrait using the 2" long ¼" screw. It is very important that the lever mechanism opens and closes smoothly. To accomplish this, all lever connections have to be vertically level. Otherwise you’ll have binding with the mechanism. I added 2x2 scrap blocks to the portrait to level out the last metal stock connection (see diagram 1.3a).

Diagram 1.3a

Assembling the Pneumatics

In this step, we’ll be securing all pneumatic connections and components separately from the rest of the prop in order to address any air leaks, adjust the regulator and bleeder valve, and test the cylinder operation.

CAUTION: Anything dealing with compressed air can be dangerous. When testing the cylinder operation, always bolt it to a solid surface first and don’t point it towards anyone. I only use industrial cylinders, but because I get them from EBay, I don’t trust them to be safe or operational until I’ve tested them thoroughly. Getting struck by the cylinder under high air pressure could cause serious bodily injury.

Using Teflon tape, connect all fittings according to diagram 1.4. The exhaust port, which is not used with the cylinder, should just have a bleeder valve opened to its maximum setting. You can also attach an 1/8" mini quick connect end to it so that debris does not enter this port. When making connections, always look at the arrow on the air regulator to ensure that you do not connect it backwards.

Using a 110v extension cord cable, cut the female end off, strip the ends of the two wires and connect them to the N-51 wires going to the valve. You can use screw caps or heat shrink connectors around the wires. If you are not comfortable with electronics or this type of electrical word, you can use an ASCO Redhat commercial 2-way 110v solenoid valve or similar, which is already set up with a 110v plug. The ASCO valve runs around $20 versus the $3 for the N-51 washing machine solenoid, but the difference in price may be worth it to avoid the risk of electrical shock or turning your pneumatics into a fire hazard.

Once you’ve tightened all connections, connected your 2' hose, and secured the mini hose clamp, you can test the cylinder activation. Test the component’s operation under a low PSI and gradually increase the pressure once it is attached to the sliding portrait lever. I would make sure your air compressor is set to no more than 30 PSI to begin this test. Adjust your air regulator and bleeder valve to a safe working PSI during this test.

Adding the Pneumatics to the Frame

There should be a screw fitting at the bottom of the cylinder that will allow a ¼" screw to slide right through. Secure the cylinder to the lower horizontal wood frame section with the ¼" x 2" screw through this fitting. Secure the N-51 solenoid to the framing using wood screws. Next, secure the end of the cylinder rod to the end of the wood lever using the “U” bracket or “L” brackets and the wood screws with washers. Secure one eye screw through the bottom end of the wood lever, and one to the vertical framing section. Attach the bungee cord to these two eyehole screws and close the loop ends on the bungee cord. If the bungee cord is too loose, either move your eye screw higher up the vertical frame or tie a knot in the bungee cord. See diagram 1.5 for details.

Next, screw two 2x4 blocks to the upper and lower tracks so that when the lever pushes the portrait completely open, the portrait barely hits the wooden blocks. You don’t want the portrait slamming into these blocks completely, because it could damage the prop over time. It should just slightly touch the blocks. This will add the bang sound when the portrait opens. You can experiment with attaching different materials to the blocks and contact points on the portrait; Michael Ball had the idea to nail a piece of tin to these areas in order to enhance the slamming sound.

Building the Ghoul Mechanism

The ghoul mechanism consists of a hinged bar to spring the ghoul out into the window space when the panel opens. Originally I intended to just have a mask hanging in this space with a robe over some shoulders I would make out of PVC. I changed this at the last minute when I saw how easy it would be to add motion to this prop using the same force generated with the lever mechanism.

CAUTION: When testing this prop, it is important to adjust the bleeder valve so that the portrait does not close before the ghoul has a chance to pull back into the window space.

Start by cutting the 2x2 into a 36" piece, a 14" piece and three 12" pieces. Connect the hinge to the end of the 14" piece, then drill and screw the other end of the 14" piece to the top of the lower horizontal frame section. Drill and screw the three 12" sections to the 14" section for support. See diagram 1.6 for details. Now connect the other end of the hinge to the 36" section. The 36" 2x2 section should now actually be sitting on top of the 14" 2x2 section at a 90 degree right angle. Attach one eye screw on the top front of the 36" section for the ghoul to hang from, and one on the top end of the 36" section to run your fishing line. See diagram 1.6 for placement of remaining eye screws.

Run the heavy duty fishing line through the eye screws to the lever. You can control how far out the ghoul moves by how high or low on the lever bar you place the last eye screw; see diagram 1.6 for approximate placement. This will be important depending on what you use as your ghoul to pop into the window space. You want to ensure that your ghoul only pops into the window space and doesn’t travel too far outside the portrait. You don’t know how close someone will be standing to the portrait and they could get smacked in the face by the ghoul if he pops out too far.

Next, place two large eye screws into the bottom rear of the 36" section and another two large eye screws under the bottom horizontal framing section. You will be running two 6" bungee cords through these to help the ghoul spring back into position when the portrait slides shut. Be sure to close the bungee end loops with a pair of pliers once they are in place. You can see the placement of these eye screws in diagram 1.6.

Adding the Finishing Touches

Start by add the remaining ¼" plywood wall skin to the outside of the wood framing with 1½" wood screws or nails. You can then add an old 22" x 28" (inside diameter 20" x 26 ") picture frame to the front of the wall. I picked my frame up from a flea market for $3.00. Use 3M adhesive spray to mount a 22" x 28" theme-appropriate picture or poster to the front of the sliding portrait. If you are concerned about damage to the poster, you can mount a thin piece of Plexiglas over the top of it. To close off some of the gap between the portrait and the frame, I used finishing nails to nail wood trim to the edges of the picture. It makes the wood trim look like a matte around the picture and hides the small depth between the portrait and the picture frame. I could have also secured the wood trim as a border to the inside edges of the picture frame. You will want to spray paint anything that you can see inside the frame when the portrait slides open, including the ghoul mechanism. Anything you don’t want viewable by the audience when the portrait slides open should be painted with the flat black paint.

Optional Enhancements

For sound, I built a Radio Shack digital 20-second sound recorder kit and connected that to a 50W computer speaker system that I picked up at Target for $25 on clearance. I have been able to find similar amplifiers and speakers at most Goodwill stores. You could also use an old tape player with a loop tape. Given the loud bang that the portrait makes when it opens, this type of added sound is not necessary for the effect to be successful.

I also added a sound-activated strobe light that I picked up from a yard sale for $1. I mounted this under the ghoul, aiming up. This adds to the motion effect of the ghoul when the portrait slides open.

Lastly, I connected everything to a floodlight motion detector. I wired the positive and negative contacts on the floodlight (what is normally wired to the house) to a grounded cord and plug, then screwed 110v outlet plugs into the light sockets. This way whatever I plug into the floodlight will get triggered by the motion sensor. I set the motion sensor to the test setting (10 seconds for mine). I don’t really need an Event Control Timer for this prop, because it takes so little air to trigger the device.

Now You’re Finished

The pneumatic sliding portrait prop is a relatively easy, inexpensive do-it-yourself effect that can cause a great startle scare without tapping into your actor pool. It can be modified to match practically any theme or scene, and placing several throughout your attraction will not diminish their effectiveness.

I hope that you come away from this either building this prop for yourself or getting a spark from it to create your own idea. I’ve learned a lot from the Halloween community and always want to share new ideas. If you are like me, your garage always has a half finished prop lying around and no family members will dare to enter the garage with the lights off or on. I have to thank Larry Mckenzie, who runs www.HalloweenForum.com for a great internet forum on prop building and brainstorming ideas. If you have any questions or need assistance, please e-mail me at TheDarkTomb@MansionOfTerror.com.

Norm and Kelly Glenn have been working with Haunted Houses and yard Haunts for the past 10 years. They are opening a new, completely themed commercial Haunted House called The Mansion of Terror in Austin, Texas for the 2004 season. Information can be found at www.mansionofterror.com. Norm has also recently started a prop building webpage to post ideas and designs: www.mansionofterror.com/props.htm.

Materials List:

5 – 2" x 4" x 96 " (Home Depot $2.00 x 5)

3" wood screws or nails for the framing

1 – sheet of ¼" x 4’ x 8’ plywood (Home Depot $13.00)

1 – 1" x 4" x 8’ (Home Depot $2.00)

1 – 2" x 2" x 8’ (Home Depot $2.00)

2 – Packages of window/door roller wheels (Home Depot $3.50 x 2)

2 – 1" x 2" x 8’ trim (Home Depot $1.50)

1 – Tube of lithium grease (Home Depot $3.00)

1 – 12" flat metal stock with holes (Home Depot $1.50)

1 – 2" x 2" x 36" wood left over from #2 above

1 – 4" x ¼" bolt, three washers, and lock nut

1 – 2" x ¼" bolt, three washers, and lock nut

1 – ¼" x 2" screw

1 – 8" section of 2" x 4" scrap

1 – 1¼" bore x 10" stroke double cylinder (EBay $10.00)

3 – 1/8" male to 1/8" male brass extender fittings (Home Depot $1.20 x 3)

1 – 1/8" female brass “T” connector (Home Depot $2.25)

2 – ¼" to 1/8" brass reducer fittings (Home Depot $2.00 x 2)

1 – ¼" brass air bleeder valve (Home Depot $3.50)

1 – ¼" x 5/8" hose connector port (Home Depot $1.50)

1 – 2' section of 5/8" flexible hose rated 100 PSI or greater (Home Depot $1.00)

1 – Mini hose clamp

1 – ¾" x ½" brass garden hose connector (Home Depot $2.50)

1 – ¾" PVC threaded end cap (Home Depot $.50)

1 – ½" to ¼" brass reducer (Home Depot $1.50)

1 – ¼" male to ¼" male brass extender fitting (Home Depot $1.20)

1 – Air regulator (HarborFreight.com $7.00)

1 – Female ¼" quick connect (Home Depot $2.00)

1 – N-51 Washing Machine Solenoid (Appliance Repair Shop $3.00)

1 – Indoor extension cord (Wal-Mart $1.00)

1 – “U” bracket or 2 “L” brackets to bolt the end of the cylinder rod to the lever (Home Depot $1.50)

1½" wood screws with large washers for bracket

1 – ¼" x 2" wood screw

1 – 9" bungee cord

2 – Large eye screws (Home Depot $1.20)

1 – Can flat black spray paint (Wal-Mart $1.00)

1 – 20" x 26" or 22" x 28" picture frame

1 – Small spray can of 3M Adhesive Spray (Wal-Mart $3.00)

1 – 20" x 26" or 22" x 28" Halloween portrait or poster of some kind

2 – 6" Bungee cords

8 – Eyehole screws (Home Depot $1.00 x 4 - 2/pk)

10' – Black heavy duty fishing line (Wal-Mart $1.50)

1 – Ghoul mask or hanging prop

1 – 2" hinge (Home Depot $1.20)

1 – 2" x 2" x 8' pine (Home Depot $2.00)

Approximate cost for project $101.00