Thread: Need help cheap jack in box

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are any of you good with figuring out the michanics of making a prop from skratch?

i'm clueless when it comes to this kind of prop http://wolfstone.halloweenhost.com/P...pkinPopup.html

im working on my jack in the box prop and the box is cardboard http://www.halloweenforum.com/member...ntern-box.html

the box is 11 1/2 inch tall and 13 1/2 wide
the pumpkin is 9 and 8 inches wide and 8 inch tall
in the box with pumpkin there is 4 ich space left from top and 3 1/2 ich from sides left

i was also thinking of using a motion dectected toy to mabe use and put at bottom of box and pops up the pumpkin but what toy would work that jumps up jack in the box like?

thanks -SkellingtonGhost

I am going to bump this for you.

hmm im happy to help but your working very small here. the pop up prop is what people call a trash can trauma. basically you need a pnuematic cylinder which runs to a solenoid. when the solenoid is activated air from a compressor will activate the cylinder causing a rod inside to push out to full extend. in turn a prop such as the one in link will push up from a trash can and scare people. if this is what your trying to do id recommend a few things.

1) a bigger box.

2) a box made out of wood.

you can even make a trash can trauma if youd like and have a pumpkin pop out of that.

Air cylinder with a scissor mechanism maybe....

that could work if hes doing a pop up in a trash can or a large box a large cylinder that pushes up a mask or a pumpkin might be best. but a vertical scissor mech could also work.

This could work non pnuematic and pretty small .. http://www.frightprops.com/electric-...-mech-ud1.html

I hate to hear cheap and pneumatics in the same sentence. For good quality and safe mechanics your look at around $35 on a new pistion and $25 on a valve thats already $60.

Originally Posted by Calloween

I hate to hear cheap and pneumatics in the same sentence. For good quality and safe mechanics your look at around $35 on a new pistion and $25 on a valve thats already $60.

Not necessarily. Look at his specs; this is a very small project. He could pick up new parts on ebay for a fraction of $60.

You can find inexpensive cylinders on Ebay. You need to determine the size of the prop you are attempting to have "pop out" of the trash can or whatever you are using. If you are going with a pumpkin that is, let's say, 12 inches long, then you will need a cylinder with at least a 12 inch stroke.

thanks everyone for your advise i did mesure everything even space left over i put all messerements in first post if i find a wood box i might beable to do this is i have little money and findstuff in trash is how i do all my work thanks