Thread: Electric Chair modification idea - would like feedback

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Last year I built my electric chair prop that had the PVC pipe dummy animated with a remote by a jig saw mounted on the back. It was a big hit but I think for this Halloween I want to make it more interactive with the TOTs.

My idea is to modify it so that the TOTs can sit in it to get a picture taken but have it rigged so the seat vibrates when activated by a remote. I thought this would be a fun trick for the kids and for any adult who decides they want a picture.

I've included a picture of the chair and as you can see the seating area sits pretty low in relation to the tops of the arm rests. Fine if you're about 6'3" but no so much for a kid. Because I don't want to cut a hole in the seat or anything like that my idea is to build a "second level" of sorts to the seating area. A box that is the same demensions as the seating area and approximately 6 inches tall. A square hole would be cut in the center of the seat and I was thinking of a small electric sander suspended in that hole. Then securing a piece of sheet metal over the area. This box would then be placed on the seating area and secured. I would probably place some thin layer of some sort of foam or padding between the sheet metal and the sander. That would probably do the trick so it's not so loud and the vibrating isn't so intense.

Some other ideas are to drill peep holes (for lack of a better term) in the frame of the box and inside of it along with the electric sander have a strobe light hooked up. This modification would also raise the seating service of the chair which I always kinda thought looked bad because it was so low.

Any thoughts, suggestions or advice on this idea of mine would be helpful.

That's how I built my electric chair about four years ago. It's just a prop that anyone can sit in for pictures or the fun of being "vibrated". I trigger mine with a remote control also.
The way mine is constructed, the seat is mounted on some rubber bushings between the seat and the chair frame. My vibrating motor is attached on the underside of the seat.
So, the rubber mounts allow the floating seat to vibrate more since it's seperate from the chair frame.
I used 4 of these for the mounts:

http://www.goldmine-elec-products.co...?number=G15464

Here's my chair and the motor mounted underneath:

Those are good tips... thank you.

I would also like any suggestions about a better "headpiece" for the electric chair. As you can see from the picture, the one I have now actually goes on the head of the PVC dummy (his name is "Bob") by the way. I can't have the kids wear that obviously. I want something that suspends above them but it has to be high enough so if the jump up from being scared they don't hit their head on it.

Any ideas?

What did you make yours out of Dave?

I don't know the name of the part, but I found it in Lowe's in the electrical section. It's from an assembly for mounting a recessed overhead light. It's in the same aisle of the store where you find the plastic and metal electrical socket boxes. The flexible metal hose came from the same assembly. I ran some thick gauge wire thru the hose above the cap so I could try to keep it suspended above the TOTs heads (like you want to do), but I think some coat hanger wire would work better.

By the way Dave I have seen pics of your chair before..... last fall when I decided to build the chair I did an internet search for pictures for ideas and kept them in a "idea file". I was looking through that file the other day and saw those same pics you just posted since they came up as part of my research.

Your work is famous now.

Really? Me? Famous or INfamous? LOL Well, if I can help inspire someone like I've been inspired by other people then that's great! Thanks!

I had fun building it and I wish I could get a good video shot of it, because the electrodes and the lightning bolt in between are lit up with electroluminescent wire and it looks really cool at night. The electrodes flash yellow and the lightning bolt flashes blue.
I also have some brown leather dog collars I wanted to put on the arms of the chair for wrist restraints, but I'm afraid of some one getting spooked by the chair and pulling it over on themselves while trying to get out of it.