Thread: chest prop I made at lunch today.

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Well I built this lil prop today. Its a chest. With the lid that moves up and down. I used some 1x6s and some 1x3s I had around the shop. Made a air cylinder out of a pvc pipe some end caps and a wood dowl. I made up some transparnt red oxide and black paint reduced it and sprayed the box to give it a better lool. And hooked up an air fitting. It works great manuel. But I have a few questions, I want to add a electric air valve whitch I can do. But also want to add a motion sensor so when someone walks by it starts bounching the lid. So my question is where to get the motion sensor and how to hook it up? And would I need a relay?

You want some kind of prop controller - the motion sensor will hook up to it, then trigger the relay for a period of time (20 seconds or so). The relay turns on the mechanism that makes the lid go up and down.

Look through this part of the forum, there's a ton of info on prop controllers. You can buy ready-made ones, or if you have DIY skills at electronics, you can put your own together and program it.

You can get a motion detector at walmart $10-$13 range and set on test mode it will stay on for 7 seconds. There's no need for the relay because that basically is what a motion detector is.

Get the motion detector and you can look on the forum and find a how to on it and it really is simple to modify. If for any reason you can't figure it out someone will step up and walk you through it.

More than likely you will get comments on your PVC air cylinder on how unsafe it is. Since it's not a problem to you then don't worry about it. It's enclosed in a box so if anything caused the cylinder to fail the box will catch it. To be on the safe side you could wrap the cylinder with a couple wraps of duct tape.

Also if you want it to bounce the lid you can do it with a $60-$100 dollar controller or you can get the bounce for a few dollars with a starter fuse (again a very simple thing to make). In my opinion the prop controller will be a waste with the PVC cylinder.

THanks for the help. Yeah thats one thing I was thinking on the pvc air cylinder. I run maybe 20psi through it. And its not a tight fit. but yeah ill check on here on more about the motion sensors

Yes the air cylinder will likely get some comments, the PVC can shatter when over pressured, just be very careful. Box looks great though, love the antiquing.

Yeah I did not even think about it bursting its the same pvc we use at our shop for all the air lines down the walls. Its not the water pipe pvc. Boss said it holds 140psi. But yeah ill be getting better cylinders, after I learn how to make a few better props for sure. Its just a test run.

Lazy D the chest looks great and I'm one of the few people that think PVC cylinders are safe used with low pressure. I used them for two years back in the early 2000s

Try to get a 3 way air valve because it will save you time and trouble by having a exhaust port instead of putting a bleeder valve in the pvc.

Thanks madmax.

We Know How Unsafe PVC is for Cylinders (there I said it)


Could you show how you made the cylinder?

I am interested in creating one that will be housed inside of a box as well.

You can pick up solenoid valves pretty cheap on Ebay.

Great job!