Thread: Drinking skeleton

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I have been looking at pirate props on this forum and found someone's video of their pirate ship and it had a drinking skeleton they had rigged up and I was wondering if that person or anyone for that matter could give me some advice on how to make this prop?

I made one a couple years back. I only have photos but no actual video of it running. This is a photo from '06.




Built a treasure chest (pretty basic) mine was approx 2 1/2' wide by 2' high

Attached small blocks of wood in the 4 corners to hold up a piece of thin wood (this is the platform that the skelly will sit on).

Into this platform I cut a round hole (think outhouse) This is where the water will drain back into the bucket

You will need a MED size pump, they have these at home depot. Don't get the small sized ones don't have enough pressure to pump the water through.

You will also need enough of the clear plastic tubing to run all the way from the pump up behind the skeleton and zip tied to the arm and through the bottle. It's easier to run the tubing first then attach it to the pump. Right about here you'll need to position your skeleton arm and depending what type of skelly you use it can be done different ways like using large screws and 2 x2's to prop up the arm.

Then you need to place a bucket under the hole and fill with liquid of your choice, I've heard of using tea to look like rum or any color food colored water. Place the pump inside the bucket. If you plug it in now to try it out you'll have a BIG mess so either wait for the next step or take it outside.

I used a long sleeved coat for my skeleton for 2 reasons, 1st the sleeves hid the tubing and the length of the jacket will help to hide the plastic used to redirect the flow of the water back down to the bucket. What you need is a piece of clear plastic (I found mine at Joanne's) the kind used to cover upholstery or a clear shower curtain will work also. What I did was glued this to the inside of the jacket at the collar and a little beyond and once dried tucked it under the skelly and into the hole. Think of a shower curtain effect. This channels most of the water back into the bucket to be recirculated.

You'll need to adjust the positioning of your skelly to find the best angle for the optimum flow.

Hope this helps.

Very COOL Bucaneerbabe!

Love the Pirate scene...

Later,
Dennis

would I find the pump in the garden department, near the koi pond stuff?

Thanks Dacostasr!!

Originally Posted by neojacksparrow

would I find the pump in the garden department, near the koi pond stuff?

Yep. Be sure to post pics!!

FABULOUS!! I think I might try this for the "Hillbilly Hell-oween" party this year... I was just going to sit the moonshine jug next to the skels to look like they passed out, but this will be SO much more fun!

We're also going to try to find the time to build an outhouse with a swinging door. I plan to put the GID Bucky in there with some blacklights. Hubby says we need to have him holding an empty roll of toilet paper...

No wonder my neighbors love me!

[QUOTE=halloweenscreamqueen;468463]FABULOUS!! I think I might try this for the "Hillbilly Hell-oween" party this year... I was just going to sit the moonshine jug next to the skels to look like they passed out, but this will be SO much more fun!

What a great idea!!!!

Hey Babe, what kind of pump did you use and where did you find it? I found one at Target but I'm thinking it might be tooooo powerful!

Extra Large Fountain Pump : Target

Sorry, halloweenSQ, I haven't been receiving notices to the threads I'm subscribed to lately. Anyway, I think that pump will knock the poor guy over!!! Try a med sized one or even a large but not extra large. Oh and I found mine at good old HD.