Speeder's updated 2010 scarecrow

**thefireguy** · 08-05-2010,12:45 AM

Not liking my scarecrow last year I've made some revisions. I'm attempting to make it scarier. I'll attach pictures as I complete work on it.

Materials:

1 x 4 piece of wood

Pumpkin head (use a funkin it will save you days of work)

1/2" pvc pipe (white schedule 40) - for mounting the pumpkin head (there are many ways to do this I had to go this route because my pumpkin head was way too heavy for a central under the bottom mount - otherwise I would have gone with a diff. option (central mounting with 1 1/2" PVC pipe)

LED lights/amber fluorescent starter option (TBA - I'll finish prop firs and test with the diff. options)

Newspaper and duct tape (I use duck tape because it’s cheaper and way more heavy duty and thicker than the expensive 3M kind)

1 1/2" (black plumbers and not the white charlotte schedule 40 kind) PVC pipe x 1 (10ft stick)

1 1/2" PVC fittings (black plumbers) T with a curved output for the middle of the T, 45 degree T, 20-25 degree angle changer (sorry don't know the name of this piece of PVC fitting), 90 degree plumbers elbow, 1 1/2" to 1/2 reducer, and 90 degree schedule 40 elbow

Assortment of 1/4" bolts/screws, nuts, u-bolts, and washer

PVC glue

Step 1:

Drill your holes in the bottom portion of the 1 x 4 (this is how I support my scarecrow to the ground...I just slip the ubolts over a contractors stake and tighten)

I used thick plumbers tape here so the nuts wouldn't dig into the wood but washers would work great too

Step2:

Mount your shoulders. I used 1/2 PVC pipe that was heated and then flattened with weight and allowed to cool. Make sure you flatten 3-4" on each end so it tightens against the wood nicely. Here use 1/4 bolts with washers on either side.

Step 3 is in next post!!

**thefireguy** · 08-05-2010,12:47 AM

Step 3:

Mount the 1 1/2" PVC pipe. Pay attention to how I mounted the pipe to the 1 x 4. You will have to do this before your glue your PVC fittings together otherwise you won't be able to mount them the way I'm showing you.

Step 4:

Mount your ribs. This part took awhile to find the look I wanted. Be patient and don't rush.
Front portion (sternum and clavicles)

Back portion

Step 5 is below

**Dr. Dark** · 08-05-2010,05:45 AM

This is looking KILLER!!! The face, and ribs are awesome. I can't wait to see the finished prop. I wanted to build one of these too, but I don't think I'll have time this year. Winter project!

Great job!!!

**ElPitchfork** · 08-06-2010,10:23 AM

That's great. This is my first year at attempting a pumkinrot too. Your's is looking killer. Love the rib cage. Is that just all tubing?

**thefireguy** · 08-09-2010,02:36 PM

Step 5:

Attach 90 degree elbow to plumbers T (inside chest cavity)

Step 6:

Mount head and PVC pipe (for inside the head). Because I used a mache head my first attempt as a central underneath mount didn't work due to the weight. So my only other option I could come up with was to heat a stick of 1/2" PVC pipe and flatten and bend it in the shape of the backside of the pumpkin head. I attached the PVC pipe to the head with 4 1/4" screws, nuts and washers. I then heated and bent the last part of the PVC pipe the angle I desired the head to look and then mounted it into the top portion of the 45 degree plumbers T with a reducer and then glued. I'm actually surprised at how stable this is.

Step 7:

Mount the arms using 1/2" PVC pipe with the ends heated and flattened and secured with 1/4" screws/bolts with washers on either side.

Step 8: Mache and texture - will update when I'm finished with progress

**thefireguy** · 08-10-2010,10:59 PM

Step 8:

I started by puting a layer inside the chest cavity. I let it dry over night and put a layer of mache on the outside heavily accenting the ribs and othe features of the scarecrow.

I had to remove the arms for transport so the pictures show the scarecrow without arms. However they are mached with one layer of paper towel mache and textured underneath the mache with rolled up paper towels.

Step 9:

Lined the chest cavity with tin foil and used great stuff to fill in the spots I couldn't get with the tin foil. I'm trying to create an air tight space for a reason.

Step 10: - Paint Next post

**thefireguy** · 08-10-2010,11:01 PM

Step 10: Paint

I used black spray paint and black exterior latex where I couldn't spray.
After drying I dry brushed a very small amount of dark brown paying attention to go AGAINST the grain of the texture. This makes the texture pop nicely by only brushing brown on the end of the texture and leaving the dark black behind for that 3D depth.

Step 11: Mount lights will update on next thread