Thread: What are some of the simplest animatronics to make?

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Hi guys. I would really love to start building animated props, but I know nothing (repeat: NOTHING) about, well, any of this stuff really.

What do you think would be some of thes easiest props for a beginner to try to make?

I too am a beginner animated prop builder. My first project was a flying crank ghost. You will find tutorials here as well as on the Internet that give you step by step instructions on how to make this prop. It starts with telling you all the materials you need and I found a u tube video on exactly how to hook up the mechanical part of the prop. It is a good first project.

Hard to beat a leering prop for a first animated project. Here's a link to one - http://www.my-mania.com/halloween/leer.html

A Tombstone Peeper is a fairly simple prop to build.

For me a simple one was a grave digger with moving shovel. Just attach a hinge to shovel point and wood base, then hide small deer motor in dummy's boot and add a simple linkage. Also look on this site for a new way to do a flying crank ghost without the crank using 3 small motors. I also made a very simple roasting bat on a spit attached to a deer motor that turns over a fire.

I found rocking granny prop easy to make. The hardest part was making the body.

http://scarefx.com/project_rockin_granny_2.html

I built my first ones last year. All of which are based off the same motion. Daveinthegrave is right the "Tombstone Peeper" is the easiest. For mine I made the motion a simple Up/Down one. I used this same motion on my butler to tip his head/hat, my pirate to lift her gold coins out of the chest. Heck, I even made a waving mickey mouse for my parnets at Christmas using this motion. It is simple to make and flexible.

Some of my earliest animated props were using a oscillating fans wearing mask as moving heads. Fans should be cheaper this time of year.

PB