Thread: Drop Kicking Hangman Life-size Gallows

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Well Heres my latest prop,

I am doing a old west theme and wanted to hang a bandit outlaw cowboy so I built a Hangman Station (Gallows).

I wanted to drop the guy thru the floor like a real one but i couldn't figure out how to pull him back up after he fell thru the floor. I ended up using an air cylinder with a 14 inch throw so he fall a decent amount thru the doors.

I wanted to use everything on one solenoid but that turned out to be trouble some. The doors were closing to quick and would catch the guys feet and everything would get hung up. I didn't want to use another solenoid cause of the cost involved of have to separate systems but there was just no way to avoid it.

Here is first run testing with me manually operating the solenoids so the timing is not perfect and i had the pressure turned up a-little to high on the lift cylinder so he springs up a little to fast. Ill slow that way way down



[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AaKLjsACyuQ"]YouTube- Hangman Halloween Prop[/ame]

Wow! That is so realistic - the movement is amazing!

Goota say that is an incredible prop, but I think your garage is even more incredible - how do you keep it so clean and clear of junk!?!?!?!?

That is seriuosly creepy! Wow!

*seriously

full on aswesomsauce!

Originally Posted by Cortney from the coven

That is seriuosly creepy! Wow!

I agree - great prop but also something a little disturbing about it! I guess that shows just how realistic it is!

Thanks!
I was pretty happy with the movement.

I was thinking about adding a lever that a dummy can pull to make it look like he/it's activating the drop doors.

Any ideas on a lever or something?

Or what type if dummy to throw the lever? Maybe a sheriff

Awesome!

Never tried anything like this but I was thinking...............................couldn't you hook up a simple lever that was triggered by the doors opening? Basically, as the doors drop, they trigger/knock against a simple & lightweight lever underneath the stage which extends through the floor to above the stage. That way the doors and lever moving would be synched & there would not be any need to build another animated part with the associated synching problems that would cause?

You could then construct a lightweight prop that just loosely had its hands attached to the lever so that it went back & forth with it when it moved. When the floor doors reposition themselves the lever would too.

May work?