Thread: How to "Float" Evil Entity over your [driveway / yard / haunt / etc]

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I'm not sure if there will be any interest in this project. Maybe it will help someone by sparking some similar solution to a project that has been percolating, waiting to take off. Maybe there is no info of any help to anyone here. If there is interest, I can post some detail pics later. If not, this thread will deservedly float off into history.

For many, many years we have had a static, light weight Ghoul mounted on rebar, extending from our second floor balcony-ette (very small) out about 6-7 feet and about 8 feet high over our driveway.


When we saw the vid of EE in July, we knew we needed to find a way to replace our old Ghoul with this new animated prop. We had no idea if EE's design would lend itself to this goal or fight us all the way. We loved the look, the animation, and the sound of EE so we decided to take a chance, buying it on the internet. We knew we would have to weather proof him and we knew he would be significantly heavier than our old ghoul ... so this would not be a simple swap.

As it happens, EE has a quarter inch OD tube going side to side about hip level. This supports the "vertical" rod that makes him move up and down and right and left. This horizontal tube is clear of any obstructions. We built a small 2x4 box frame just a bit wider than that tube, put a solid metal "axle"(this is a metal rod from Home Depot) through the horizontal tube and into matching holes drilled into the sides of the 2x4 box frame.

Using 6 mil plastic and Gorilla Tape, we fashioned a cover over the motor mechanism that is at the bottom of the prop. EE's afore mentioned vertical rod that moves him requires an open slot that guides him. This had to be covered or rain would get into the motor and kill the prop. WITH THE ROD AT ITS LOWEST POINT in the animation cycle, we added another cover, taping a cone of 6 mil plastic to the rod above the guide slot. This cone of plastic is long enough that the bottom extends below the guide slot even when the vertical rod is at its highest point.

To recap simply, we used two cones of plastic to water proof EE:
1. A large cone on the bottom, attached to the horizontal tube at the hips, with a hole at the center that allows the prop's vertical tube to operate.
2. A small cone above the large cone, that is attached to EE's vertical rod and is long enough to never expose the hole at the center of the large cone, to any rain.

The bottom of the large cone is left open - like an umbrella - to allow the heat from the motor to escape. The rest of the prop is fully exposed to the elements.

Checking the modified prop by holding the box frame, we discovered that it is top heavy at this design's "natural" pivot point. We added one 2x4 across the bottom (prop knee height) as a counter weight and that seemed to be adequate for our application. Holding the 2x4 frame the prop now stayed close to vertical and the head could swing front to back - We had added more animation!!

Mounting to the Balcony. We decided to use two lengths of metal conduit to support the prop, because we were concerned that one length would torque with this heavier prop and likely not stay vertical. We attached one length of conduit to each side of the 2x4 box frame. On the balcony, we covered one side of two 2x6's with thick material to assure no damage or scratching of our balcony railing. the 2x6s were bolted together, one on each side of the railing. The railing is very sturdy, but to be safe (the high winds we get would be pushing very hard against EE) we built a trangular support behind the railing. That support is attached to a large piece of 3/4" plywood that has several cement construction blocks resting on it.

To add strength to the conduit at the balcony mounting point, we placed a 3ft length of rebar inside each conduit. The rebar was a tight fit and had to be hammered in leaving about 4 inches of "empty" rebar on both mounts.

Here is where we could have done a bit better. We drilled holes for each piece of conduit, just larger in ID than the OD of the conduit - tight fits. The angle of the holes is EXTREMELY important. Too horizontal will likely result in the winds bending and / or twisting the conduit. Angle the holes too far and the prop will be too low in the driveway. My son and I disagreed adamantly about this angle. We split the difference, but the prop is still a foot or more too low. Next year we will need to drill two new holes and alter the mounting somewhat.

While still on the ground, we drilled one hole about 3.5 inches in (just before the rebar re-reinforcement starts), large enough to slip in a solid metal rod perpendicular to the length of the rebar, to hold it in place on the house side of that 2x6.

Before mounting we attached via twist ties, a 15 foot extension cord to one of the conduit lengths and painted, the conduits and the cord flat black. The extension cord goes through the false front on the balcony railing a couple of inches above the conduit entrance.

We had one wind storm and three rain storms with no damage to EE. He worked flawlessly and was a big hit on Halloween night.

In full "Float"


Here you can see the two lengths of conduit. You also see that the wind storm pull some of the scene setters off the false front on the balcony.


Hope you were able to follow my ramblings and that it might help you.

very nice! I was trying to think of something like this on halloween night and this will give me some ideas. Thanks!

I want to follow what you are saying here because it looks like a killer prop but I don't know your starting point. What is an EE prop?

Originally Posted by Terra

I want to follow what you are saying here because it looks like a killer prop but I don't know your starting point. What is an EE prop?

"EE" is my lazy shorthand for Evil Entity, the second and third pic in my first post. Here is the prop as it looks out of the box:


...and a vid:


Because of our center pivot point and no base, ours also rocks forward a bit as the head reaches its highest point in the cycle.

Oh, now I see. That is a killer prop and way better with the way you mounted it on the house. This is awesome!

Thanks Terra. Considering EE was a gamble for us from the start, we were very lucky to get this result. My son shot an HD vid of the haunt that he said included EE. However, it took him about 18 months to edit our '09 haunt and I still haven't seen the vid of the '10 haunt. Think I'll go bug him about it right now!

Great mod on the EE, I love the results! Nice job

Thanks RHC, We lucked out.

I don't quite understand the cone thing you did.But it looks great.I to would love to see a vid.

That is the trickiest part to try to explain. I'll try a different explanation: EE has a motor assembly at the bottom within a frame ...see assembly inside the red outline...


This framed assembly mates to another frame that continues in the triangular / conical shape ... see this frame inside the red outline.


These two pieces mate at the points in both pics that are circled in green. The top is the light blue circled tube - the pivot rod goes through this tube. This tube has a (backwards) "D" welded to its outside, at the mid point. A rod goes from the motor, through that "D" and supports the entire upper body of EE. This is what makes him move up and down and right to left. I covered the assembly in the first pic with plastic, taping the plastic to the tube circled in light blue and extending past the bottom of the motor cover (the large black thing in pic 1). I had to cut a hole in the plastic where the "D" is in order for the upper body rod to pass through that "D." This makes the shape of the lower plastic sheet cover look like a cone with the top cut off - and the lower assembly is vulnerable to rain through that "D."

Next I taped plastic to that upper body support rod that goes through the "D." The attachment point is above the point where the top of the rod is at its lowest position of travel - closest to the "D." This plastic "cone" is long enough so that at the highest point of travel, the bottom of this plastic "cone" is still covering the "D." This prevents water from getting into the motor assembly.

I don't think that I mentioned that just to be extra safe, I placed tape over the back of the open wires for the lights that light up EE. Nothing electrical is open to the weather.