Thread: Coffin Animation Idea

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I'm working on an idea and would like some thoughts from the fine board members I'm trying to add some more animation to my graveyard. Right now I have a gravedigger with a turning head (oscillating fan) and a groundbreaker (shiatsu). This year I was thinking about adding the following and would like some advice/suggestions.

Dog Ear Coffin. I would hinge the lid and place some chains and such over it for effect. Inside I would create a mechanism that would lift the lid a couple of inches and the slam it shut. I have seen a few ways to do this, such as using a drill. I would like any advice on a good mechanism to use. I am also planning on adding a light inside the coffin so that when it opens you see a little light. In addition I am planning on diverting some of my fog, or even getting a cheap fog maching for inside the coffin. So when it opens a burst of illuminated fog rises from the coffin. That is the general idea.

Here are some other random thoughts I have had about making this.
I thought about putting a skeleton in the coffin and having the lid rise a little higher and the skeleton would sit up a little.
Thought about maybe a strobe light inside as well.
Thought about having the coffin sit on an uneven surface and having a second drill rocking it around as the lid opens. I would hope to put this on some kind of a time delay so that just every so often it would turn on and the coffin would rock around and the lid would open and close like it was possessed.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Originally Posted by jdw34

Dog Ear Coffin. I would hinge the lid and place some chains and such over it for effect. Inside I would create a mechanism that would lift the lid a couple of inches and the slam it shut.

I would recommend a low RPM gear motor with a snail cam attached. That's how I built my Opening Tombstone.
Here is an animation of how it works (near the bottom of the page).
http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/mechanisms/pages/cam.html

Ditto on what Dave suggested. Here's a how to for the mechanism they used a box but it would work just as well in a coffin.

You could also do this with air cylinder one to lift the lid and one to lift the coffin. A little more complex as you need a couple of 4 way valves and some type of progamable device like the Pico Boo or Animation Mastreo

http://www.unpleasantstreet.com/inde...the_box&y=main