Here is our latest yard haunt addition for 2012. The column is all Styrofoam except the frame is built from 1x2's. The skull turns using one of those mechanical turner thingys that most Halloween stores carry. It is lit using a PAR38 Red LED from American DJ. We're hoping to get a better skull that's a little more bone or white colored so we get a better glow on the skull. I'll try to attach a video so you can see the skull turn. Forgive the video, it was my first attempt at using video editing software plus it's an app for an Ipad so it has limited capability.
Spirit calls theirs a spinning motor . We bought ours a couple years ago for less than $10 at another Halloween store but can't remeber the name. I'm guessing it can be found cheaper than Spirit's online price.
Sorry Soldierwelsh this project went under several revisons as we went along so no tutorial. I'm sure you can see how it was put together though. It's how you build any column frame but one of the four uprights was set back so that the opening for the skull could be made on the corner. If you want your opening in the center, then it would be exactly how you build a column. The whole thing covered with pink foam and dremeled to look like stone, the top half filled with glued together two inch foam then dremel your opening and the size area you want for your skull to rotate. (although my wife did tell me how much faster, easier and less messy it would have been with one of those foam carving tools!) The spinner motor can be hung down from the top in any number of ways.
Feel free to email me if you decide to build one and are not sure about something. my wife or I will be happy to help out.
Thanks for the info. I will definetly be making one of these. I will try and post some pics when I start. I'm short on time this season to start a project like this but this is exactly what I am looking for once I start building for 2013.
Thanks for the info. I will definetly be making one of these. I will try and post some pics when I start. I'm short on time this season to start a project like this but this is exactly what I am looking for once I start building for 2013.