Thread: Haunted Mine Shaft Ideas?

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Ok, starting to get that excited feeling...time to plan this years haunt. I have an idea for an elevator prop to make the tots feel like they are descending to the mine, but I'm not sure how to make a cave scene without spending big bucks. I would love to hear any ideas for props and effects for cave or mine haunts.

make two walls that're about 3 1/2 to 4 ft tall outta 2x4s...then lay a short 2x4 from one wall to the other for the width of the mine...then throw a big roll of black plastic over it to complete the mine. Space out the boards and make sure they are on the inside of the plastic so that it looks like the support structure in a mine.


Try and make it so that the walls are short enough and close enough together that the black plastic encases the whole structure

Hey, Scatterbrains, did you ever make it to the haunt that was in the (actual) silver mines up in Park City years ago? ( I think the last year of operation was 12 or 13 years ago)


Anyhow. They did a lot of stuff making it seem the thing was going to collaps (essentially a drop-spreader filled with sand, making the mine look like it was going to be falling in) and with people trapped in the rock. Big bugs and stuff like that.

It was actually pretty interesting as the only lighting was the lanterns on people's heads.

Then those went out...

Man, that's a very cool idea. If you go with the black visqueen, you could even paint the inside with brown,white,or grey, silver, or gold paint to inhance the look of a mine.

If you where looking to build a train cart, you might be able to score a wagon from a garage sale or flea market and build around that. Other wise you could build your own out of 2x4's and some plywood. Then you could add some tracks to the mine to attach the cart to. I'd build one if it was me. I'd then go to a local salvage yard and pick up some cheep rusted wheel hubs and weld a couple of shafts to them with bearings to move the cart down the tracks.

I could have so much fun with this idea.

Joe

Oh, if I only I could rig a way for head-lanterns to fizzle out by remote control!

I like the plastic idea. Price is right and it can be used year after year. I also considered buying big rolls of paper so that I could crinkle it up and paint it to look like rock. But the paper is pretty expensive for a one-time use.

If you wanted to use paper, you could use a glue made by 3M called super 77 spray adhesive to glue the paper to the visqueen. It runs about $13.00 a can, but well worth it. Then after you done you could roll it back up to store it.

Here's a link to the product. 3M Super 77 Multipurpose Spray Adhesive: strong-bonding, fast-drying glue that you just spray on. Think it up, glue it down!

Joe

yeah, I never did work out how they managed it. But, you passed a certain point, and the headlamps went out, and you had to make the last little ways in the dark. Had to be some kind of RF trigger somehow.

And I DO MEAN DARK. (well underground)

Miserable for me since I couldn't stand in the mine to begin with (too tall), and ended up more or less crawling that last bit.

Originally Posted by UnOrthodOx

Hey, Scatterbrains, did you ever make it to the haunt that was in the (actual) silver mines up in Park City years ago? ( I think the last year of operation was 12 or 13 years ago)


Anyhow. They did a lot of stuff making it seem the thing was going to collaps (essentially a drop-spreader filled with sand, making the mine look like it was going to be falling in) and with people trapped in the rock. Big bugs and stuff like that.

It was actually pretty interesting as the only lighting was the lanterns on people's heads.

Then those went out...

Never went when it was a haunt....but went a few other times. Don't get on that elevator if you're claustrophobic.

I suppose I could use chicken wire and paper machette to give it more of a solid feel and very realistic look for narrow tunnels and plastic/paper in the bigger caverns. I like the exposed timbers idea. I have some old 4x4 posts that I will run my car up onto break them, then put them in the ceiling for that about-to-cave-in look. Add some falling sand (brilliant!), creaky and rumbling sounds, dripping water, and swinging flickering lanterns.

Now, what about the actors? I usually have about 10 people. I figure 3 to manage the elevator scene, a couple of rescuers to lead the kids to safety at the end. That leaves 5 or so to be the theme actors. I know a cave is scary in it's own right, but I like to make it extra terrfying for tot teenagers.

Originally Posted by redrom

I suppose I could use chicken wire and paper machette to give it more of a solid feel and very realistic look for narrow tunnels and plastic/paper in the bigger caverns. I like the exposed timbers idea. I have some old 4x4 posts that I will run my car up onto break them, then put them in the ceiling for that about-to-cave-in look. Add some falling sand (brilliant!), creaky and rumbling sounds, dripping water, and swinging flickering lanterns.

Now, what about the actors? I usually have about 10 people. I figure 3 to manage the elevator scene, a couple of rescuers to lead the kids to safety at the end. That leaves 5 or so to be the theme actors. I know a cave is scary in it's own right, but I like to make it extra terrfying for tot teenagers.

Make a mining cart....if you have one of those garden wagons, just build a structure to rest on it... then you can have one actor dressed up as a miner pushing the cart and another one hiding inside to pop-up when the ToTs get closer