Thread: Wanting to have my 6 foot rubber snake strike out looking for cheap materials

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Doing our 3rd annual haunt and want to have my 6 ft rubber snake strike out at the petrons. Looking for the tutorial step by step with the cheapest materials

thanks

Do you want them to see the snake coiled up? or just have it lurch out at them? Is it hollow? Do you mind modifying the snake? Were it me, I would make a PVC air cylinder with a 4 to 5 foot throw. Make the part that sticks out extra long, and thread that through the snake. Attach an air line to the top and the bottom of the cylinder. Next get two electric irrigation valves and hook one up to each line. Finally hook them up to an air supply, but don't over do it on the pressure. Hook the valves up to a trigger mechanism, and a timer, so that when the prop is triggered one valve opens, fills the cylinder with air and propels the prop forward. After a set amount of time, the other valve opens, and forces the prop back. You would need additional valves in there to let the air out of the opposite side of the piston that's being filled.

Just to add to Pat-f's suggestions, for a simpler setup you could use a PVC cylinder with only one valve to extend, and use a bungee cord to retract. There is a safety issue in that these air cylinders can have a lot of force and the PVC could hurt someone if in reach, or if the stop fails and it becomes a projectile, being that it is moving towards them. I have been thinking of using something more safe, like a pool noodle, as a piston in a PVC cylinder. A big realistic striking snake is something I have been wanting to make for a long time!

Here is another idea. Get yourself a fish tape from the electrical department of your hardware store, 7 feet of discharge hose from the plumbing department, an irrigation valve or two, some air compressor hose, and some PVC fittings and hose clamps to connect everything together. Also you'll need some duct tape. Take the discharge hose and fold over one end a couple of times to seal it off. Take a short length of PVC pipe, cut a slit in it, and use it to clamp the hose you folded over. Attach the other end to your valves. Inflate the hose with air, and secure the fish tape to it with the tape. You want the fish tape to run the whole length of the hose. Now let the air out, and note how it coils up. Thread this assembly through the rubber snake, and secure.