Vortex tunnel frame DONE!

**devilsfan** · 09-08-2011,04:35 PM

Pics as promised - the ramps and walkways weren't set up since we were under a red flag warning and couldn't set up on site (and no way am I dragging those things back home from the haunt shed!!!). Anyways, here's the tunnel itself. So far, we've spent around $400. That's my 6 yr old there for size reference. This sucker is BIG.

Everything ran pretty smoothly. Have black plastic sheeting on order, that will have to be put on the morning of set up (we only run it for one night). I'll update when we have the whole thing set up.

**Industen** · 09-08-2011,04:39 PM

All I can say is WOW!!! Haven't seen many of these being made rather then purchased from a prop shop. I can not wait to see the finished product. Then you can come over and build mine

Nice job!!!

**coryjwa** · 09-08-2011,06:45 PM

i want one so bad, i have seen them online for 7000$ so yea you are ahead for the game.

**Screaming Demons** · 09-08-2011,11:08 PM

Try to have as many helpers there as possible to attach the plastic. That usually ends up being the most frustrating part of the whole project.

**devilsfan** · 09-09-2011,07:53 AM

Any tips on attaching? We were planning on drilling through the metal cross bracing and securing with screws with a plastic strip on the front and back to prevent stripping, then using black duct tape to seam it (I have a 10' x 100' 6 mil roll on order). I've heard of velcro being used but I'm wary of that holding up.

**scream1973** · 09-09-2011,08:18 AM

One thing i would have thought about is the heat shrink plastic they use at boat yards to cover your boat.

**Screaming Demons** · 09-10-2011,04:43 PM

Ten foot strips the length of the tunnel is the way to go. Doing the whole thing with one big piece is where it gets frustrating. The last time we did one it was only for one day so we just used plastic zip ties and duct tape. We were more interested in getting it done than getting it done right. If we were running it for a week or two that would have been something else. I have seen some others use velcro and things have always seemed to pull loose overnight.

The method you're decribing would definitely work, but you might find that it is more difficult to actually do than it sounds.

For painting, we had a couple of people lying on the bridge with brushes doing the paint while someone else would slowly turn the tunnel. We did a base coat of white and then went over that with fluorescent paint. Without the white underneath, the fluorescent just doesn't "pop" under blacklight like it should.