[ChimpDaddy]

Next year I would like to try and do the talking Skull animatronics that I have seen on this site. It looks like most are suggesting the Bucky skull for it, but I really like the Harvey skull since it is more life life. It has a removable skull and hinged jaw like the bucky...but the teeth are way better and you can get it with an aged look. Anyone have any experience working with this skull for this type of project?

Link below as a reference to it...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Aged-Harvey...n-Skull-NEW-/200921038098?hash=item2ec7d3bd12

 

[J-Man]

If you're just doing jaw movement it should be fine. If you're doing a 3-Axis then I suggest the Lindberg, it's much lighter.

 

[Atom058]

I agree with J-Man - This looks like a pretty heave skull for a 3-axis attempt. I have had good success with the Lindberg and have done some blow-mold 3-axis skulls ($4 @ Walgreens) that came out great! For 3-axis movement, weight is really an issue...

 

[Scary Papa]

Hey Atom058, I am going to attempt to make an animatronic talking skull. I'm going to get a servo controller from J-Man later for this project. I am wondering what is the blow-mold skull from Walgreens you mentioned in your post? Maybe this would be a good one for me to start on.

 

[bfjou812]

I have used a bucky , actually 2 of them ,for 3 axis props. The biggest thing that I found was if you can get it balanced on the pivot rod it will help a lot!! I also needed more room so I gutted the 2nd one and removed almost a pound of material. But as others have said , the best is the Lindberg skulls.

 

[J-Man]

Hey Atom058, I am going to attempt to make an animatronic talking skull. I'm going to get a servo controller from J-Man later for this project. I am wondering what is the blow-mold skull from Walgreens you mentioned in your post? Maybe this would be a good one for me to start on.

He's talking about the cheap light weight skulls with a moveable jaw that you can find just about anywhere. Kinda like the skull on a Pose-N-Stay. I have made a few talking skulls with these myself, cutting open the skull cap can be a PITA and then figuring out how to mount the servo. Then comes the part where you have to re-attach the skull cap somehow so it's accessible. All in all, not impossible but it's not my first choice. Here's the link to the Talking Cauldron Reaper I built last Winter using a Pose-N-Stay. http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-props/140269-start-my-cauldron-reaper.html

 

[Neverhart]

Scary Papa: A "blow-mold" skull is simply a hollow thin plastic skull... cheaper to make but not as detailed as your Buckys, Harveys, or Lindbergs, so they're sold in the seasonal Halloween sections at pharmacies, Walmarts, etc. (They're called "blow-mold" because they're made by inflating a hot plastic balloon in a mold.) Some of them have (cheaply) hinged jaws which are convenient when making the skull talk. I've noticed most seem to be smaller than life-size, which can be an issue shoving all the mechanicals in if you're trying to do a traditional 3-axis.

As has been said before, the Bucky skulls are durable but HEAVY, so I used a Lindberg for my 3-axis. Really like the look of the Harvey (especially the teeth!) but a little brown gel wood stain on your Lindberg goes a long way.

Lightweight plastic skulls are easier for servos to push around, and heavier skulls usually look better. The Lindbergs are highly recommended because they hit the sweet spot. For what it's worth, making a 3-axis for me was a pretty rewarding experience that taught me a lot, and worked better than I feared it might.

Quick, unconfirmed Google comparison:
Bucky: 3lbs, ~$15US
Lindberg: 1.8lbs, ~$16US
Harvey: 2lbs, ~$40US
Blowmold: <1lb, <$5US

 

[J-Man]

NeverHart,
Just curious, where'd you find a Lindberg for $16?

 

[Scary Papa]

Thanks neverheart. I haven't seen the blow mold skulls in our local stores so I was curious about them. I am not attempting a 3 axis right now. Going for the moving jaw first to see how I do. I just got a talking bucky skull. Wicked grandma got tired of me complaining about not having a talking Skelton so she bought one for me already set up. I'm still going to make my own after his halloween. I'm going on order a servo controller from j-man and see if I can do it. I just don't have enough time to do it before this halloween as I already have several projects to complete for this year.

j-man, I just saw a Lindberg pirate skull on ebay for $19. Is that the same thing?

 

[J-Man]

Scary Papa,
Where did Wicked Grandma get the talking bucky?

 

[Scary Papa]

J-man, I'm not sure. I will ask when I see her. I know she had it for awhile and was keeping it for a surprise
It is a bucky sort of plug and play thing. Came with the controller and servo installed. Was fairly expensive I think. Around $100. All I had to do was plug in my mp3 player with the audio track and adjust the jaw movement. She said she thought even I could manage that. I suspect she got it on amazon or ebay from someone.

 

[Scary Papa]

Ok j-man, after putting wicked grandma in an interrogation room, under a bright light, and threatening to not allow her to put any children in the cauldron this year, she fessed up. Here is the scoop. She has a friend who was at a swap meet a few weeks ago. She saw the skull and knowing how we are always looking for Halloween props sent wicked a photo and asked if she wanted it. Didn't know if it worked. Wicked said yes and low and behold it worked. I did have to use the info you sent me to help figure out how to adjust it. Everything was already hooked up. Just put batteries in it and connected my mp3 player. Was $40.

 

[Atom058]

Scary Papa - Sorry for the delay getting back to you. For some reason the notification for this thread was going to my spam box. Anyway, sounds like J-Man has answered most of your questions. Here is a PhotoBucket library of the one I did and a comparison video of a Lindberg VS the blowmold skull. I have laser-cut skull plates for both and they use a modified version of the GYS mechanism.

http://s1006.photobucket.com/user/jwheat058/library/Walgreens 3-Axis Skull

 

[J-Man]

Ok j-man, after putting wicked grandma in an interrogation room, under a bright light, and threatening to not allow her to put any children in the cauldron this year, she fessed up. Here is the scoop. She has a friend who was at a swap meet a few weeks ago. She saw the skull and knowing how we are always looking for Halloween props sent wicked a photo and asked if she wanted it. Didn't know if it worked. Wicked said yes and low and behold it worked. I did have to use the info you sent me to help figure out how to adjust it. Everything was already hooked up. Just put batteries in it and connected my mp3 player. Was $40.

Sounds like you got a great deal! By any chance is the jaw connected with plastic wire ties?

 

[Scary Papa]

j-man, I just checked and yes the jaw seems to be connected with plastic ties. Is his jaw going to fall off or something?

 

[Neverhart]

NeverHart,
Just curious, where'd you find a Lindberg for $16?

Google Shopping / Amazon... $16 plus $7 shipping. I think thats what I paid for mine back in the day.

http://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=...npMgCFdK_gAodnd8CSg&ei=270OVpbeONL_ggSdv4vQBA

And ScaryPapa: the (easy!) instructions for installing a servo in the Bucky Talking Skull are here, although you'll have to find a way of controlling it... $40 is a steal!
http://www.scary-terry.com/buckyservo/buckyservo.htm

 

[Scary Papa]

Neverheart, thanks for the info. When I make my own I'm going to use j-man,s controller.