Thread: Mad Lab - Need ideas!

Tweet

Hey everyone!

It's getting to be that time of year again to start thinking of ideas. Last year seemed to be the year of the electric chair. And well, mine was a huge success for me. Everyone loved it! So I'm not sure I know how to top it.

So, I've come looking to see what your ideas are for this year's newest mad lab prop!

Thanks!

look at ideas from Steampunk these are totally SCI Fi ideas, the movie wiild wild west with will smith featured some of this type of Mechanised work google it

Yeah! i've had my eyes on steampunk since last "building season"... lots of cool stuff, not enough money or time to build half of it! Maybe etsy has some items for sale

Not sure if this is what you have in mind but this is something that I've been thinking of doing one year in my "science lab" setting. Aside from having all kinds of science experiments going on, I thought I would have a rat/mouse running on a wheel (maybe it will be a modified Zhu Zhu hampster). Maybe the running rat could be powering some other kind of science experiment with the help of an attached belt (like engine belt not pants belt!). I could go on with this theme and create a sort of Rube Goldberg contraption (for those "older" haunters out there -- remember the Mousetrap Board Game?) and I think this that would be fun for the kids to watch. Maybe at the end there could be a scare of some sort.

I thought my lab would have all kinds of weird creatures in specimen jars and specimen glass boxes--creatures that were mutants--part of one animal and part of another--maybe made with paper mache or carefully cut and glued toys--great if there could be something animated like a tail or eyes, etc. I also wanted to include an alien suspended in a metalic-looking cryo-tube. Love to softly illuminate the inner tube with a pulsating green glow. The tube would have a window on it which would be partial frosted over and through it you'd see the head of an alien (just need a mask this way). As the ToT approaches, it's motion triggered to have it's eyes glow or something like that to indicate it's alive. I also want to create a transformation chamber based on the movie "The Fly".

I've been giving this alot of thought over the past few years slowing formulating things in my head and on paper. I bought a few of the Gemmy White-Haired Spirit Ball guys last year and will work one or two of them in for animation somehow. Great if I could change out the face or add theatrical make up and prosthetics effects to it. BTW if you missed Open Track Racers haunt last year, check it out on the forum. He built one heck of lab.

Since you mentioned an electric chair last year, are you looking for something more along the lines of horrific?

Michaels has these glass jars that look like the flasks that are boulbous and have cork stoppers. cut open some green or whatever light sticks and put the glowing stuff in the jars... dont mix with water because it seperates from the water and looks really bad.

Using the handy-dandy search feature (located in the upper right bar on the page):

Best Mad Scientist Lab I've Seen

A skit using the mad scientist theme by UnOrthodOx:
The Laboratory '09

The most amazing built from scratch I've seen:
Mad scientist's lab

Hey thanks! Why search, when I can have someone else do it for me? Just kidding. I was more curious about what the plans were that people had for this year's top prop (last year seemed to be the electric chair)... Thanks for the links though!

I'm checking out some stuff on etsy, and the prices seem a little over the top!

A Jacobs Ladder... I always wanted to build one of those.

I agree with Yubney. A Jacob's ladder is one of the creepiest lab props.

I'll be beefing up my lab this year with several items...

- Control Panel. A sheet of plywood, split in half for two panels. Many wires and conduits going between the two. My Christmas gears in the background, valves, dials, lights, and switches on the front.
- Transformer Power Box. Using 3 cardboard boxes on top of each other, each smaller, make that into a transformer. Cut holes and cover from the inside with faux valve printouts, lit from the inside.
- Experimental Arm. A arm prop in a framed box (no sides, just a frame) with wire suspending it up. Add coils of electrodes and chicken wire.

This goes along with my live actor on the table and giant spinning vat of toxic goo.