# Replacement parts for animatronics.



## BillTheTailor (Sep 5, 2020)

What parts do you need? If you can't find them commercially, maybe some out-of-the-box thinking/crowdsourcing would help.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

Pretty much you can't. These are not user-serviceable products. It's cheap crap made in China. Some people have made certain easily replaceable parts available like plastic gears, but if anything serious goes wrong, it's just trash. Throw it away. You wasted your money.


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## theric85 (Feb 23, 2014)

I'm pretty certain Spirit never offered replacement parts for their props. Since they're fairly inexpensive people just throw them away, or just try to rig them back together. What part are you needing?


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## FogMaster (Jul 4, 2018)

You can try these guys









Animatronic Repair Services


Skullkrane Animatronics is excited to announce that we are launching our Animatronic Repair Services! We can repair almost any animatronic at a very reasonable cost. We can repair any issue(s), including missing parts, dead circuit board, broken gears, outfit damages, etc. Any repair is...




www.halloweenforum.com


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## BillTheTailor (Sep 5, 2020)

Cephus404 said:


> You wasted your money


That loud screeching noise you just heard was my soapbox being dragged out from under the bed where it's been gathering dust.

I disagree. The parts may be cheap, true, but the truly hard work of creating the prop - gathering materials, casting the latex bits, building the foundational elements - is already done. When I first bought my 3d printer, I thought I'd gotten a great product. In the three years since, I've upgraded the motor drivers, the main board, and the heating components, and now I have a truly great machine with twice the print volume and half the price of a comparable, new machine. Point is: the foundation was there.

That's why I asked what replacement parts are needed. I can print a serviceable gear in under an hour. Give me a couple more hours, I can mold and cast a dozen of those gears in solid resin. 

I love the idea that this forum could be used for things like this: "Hey, I need a thing!" with a reply, "Hey, I have (or can get, or make) that thing." 

_soapbox screeches back under the bed_


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## Keltset (Oct 1, 2020)

BillTheTailor said:


> ...That's why I asked what replacement parts are needed. I can print a serviceable gear in under an hour. Give me a couple more hours, I can mold and cast a dozen of those gears in solid resin. ...


I have been wanting to get a 3d printer for years for this reason. My wife and I build up most of our stuff or repurpose other people's 'trash' halloween decorations. There are so many applications that simply reproducing something on a printer would be fantastic.

-K


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## BillTheTailor (Sep 5, 2020)

Keltset said:


> I have been wanting to get a 3d printer for years for this reason. My wife and I build up most of our stuff or repurpose other people's 'trash' halloween decorations. There are so many applications that simply reproducing something on a printer would be fantastic.


Totally worth it, as long as you recognize the limitations of the materials you're working with. I bought mine three years ago as a kit: 2020 aluminum rail, base level parts, a thousand screws, took a couple days to put together. As printers go, it doesn't get a lot of love in the online communities, but I've since upgraded all the major pieces and now I have a printer I can favorably compare to a lot of others, and it's big enough to print an entire head (260mm x 260 x 350). I enjoy tinkering with it. (I printed the skull that serves as the foundation of my human character for this year.)

PLA and PETG - the most common hobbyist materials - can be brittle and don't like any temperature near 100°C or more, and you're not going to get really fine detail with an FDM printer without a lot of work, BUT I've done a lot of mechanical parts for a couple machines I've built and they're still going strong.


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## FogMaster (Jul 4, 2018)

@ BillTheTaylor- it wouldn't happen to be a Creality Ender would it? I have the Ender 3, it's not the best but it does what I need it to do.


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## Krusty (Aug 28, 2019)

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## Engineerchic (Sep 6, 2017)

Krusty said:


> You guys that are printing parts for these throw away cheap props should just build your own stuff..... why waste hundreds of dollars on a crap plastic face and a costume? ...
> If you have so much creative ability just make everything and you will have something decent and original in the finished product.....


You do you. I find modifying props to be as rewarding as building from scratch. A $30 pose-n-play skeleton is a great base for some cool props. I don't feel the need to BUILD a skeleton, anymore than I feel the need to forge my own nails or fell my own trees for lumber. 

Fav prop this year in my lawn are a pair of skellies carrying a coffin (from Walmart) wearing distressed clothing (purchased) and there is a corpsed skeleton in the coffin who sits up & then lays back down (I corpsed the skeleton & built the mechanism). Simple prop, but I bought most of the components (even the Arduino board who controls the timing). Very little was "made" vs modified.

People can have creative ability but also prefer to riff off an existing item.


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## Krusty (Aug 28, 2019)

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## BillTheTailor (Sep 5, 2020)

FogMaster said:


> @ BillTheTaylor- it wouldn't happen to be a Creality Ender would it? I have the Ender 3, it's not the best but it does what I need it to do.


@FogMaster It would not. It's an FLSun 3D Cube. (It's now called the F5.) They're hard to find anymore and they're not officially offered, but they're built with off the shelf parts so building another would be easy - which is exactly what I plan to do if I ever want a second one. It's a sub-$300 printer with a lot of punch. (Though you have to enjoy tinkering.)


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## FogMaster (Jul 4, 2018)

BillTheTailor said:


> @FogMaster It would not. It's an FLSun 3D Cube. (It's now called the F5.) They're hard to find anymore and they're not officially offered, but they're built with off the shelf parts so building another would be easy - which is exactly what I plan to do if I ever want a second one. It's a sub-$300 printer with a lot of punch. (Though you have to enjoy tinkering.)


Awesome, looks like a decently built printer. I would enjoy upgrading my Ender 3, where did you get your information for the upgrades?


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## BillTheTailor (Sep 5, 2020)

FogMaster said:


> where did you get your information for the upgrades


There was a workshop at a local makerspace. I knew nothing when I started with the printer, so when the main board died I knew I needed professional help. The subreddit /r/3dprinting has been a huge help, too. Oddly enough, a cartesian FDM 3d printer doesn't have that many moving parts and only two major systems, movement and heat. I got into arduino for other projects, so that helped me with the firmware piece. 

The Ender's a great printer right out of the box. Most common upgrades I see on it is to have a metal extruder (which was the first thing I did to my printer because it was the first thing to break) and some sort of stabilizer for the Z-axis control rod using a skateboard bearing (I can walk into the local thrift store on any day of the week and get a set of six from a $2.99 pair of rollerblades.)

If your printer is using the stock board (with the A4988 stepper drivers) you might want to upgrade to the silent board which uses TMC2225 drivers. You'll be shocked (SHOCKED, I tell you!) at how quiet your printer becomes.


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## Cephus404 (Oct 13, 2017)

Krusty said:


> You guys that are printing parts for these throw away cheap props should just build your own stuff from scratch using decent parts and 3D printed items as you desire..... why waste hundreds of dollars on a crap plastic face and a costume? You know the mechanism is junk and guaranteed to fail in these crap props!
> If you have so much creative ability just make everything and you will have something decent and original in the finished product.....
> I learned long ago not to buy junk cars and spend more money on parts than if I bought something good in the first place...... unless you are totally broke and have no $$. The same goes for houses and tools and props!


I do. I don't own a single animatronic that came out of a Spirit or a Halloween City. Everything I do is built. It's the other people that you have to convince that it's a total waste.


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

Hey you kids, get off my lawn!!!


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

Can't we all just get along? This forum strikes me as a relatively easy place to celebrate our differences.


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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

Cephus and Kristy, I hope that your thinking isn't this rigid and inflexible in other areas of your lives.


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## Krusty (Aug 28, 2019)

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## Restless Acres (Apr 21, 2016)

Wow! Thanks for reinforcing my suspicion! Why don't you do yourself and everybody else a favor and quit this website, as you have "threatened" to?

Does being a know-it-all curmudgeon bring you joy? I bet it doesn't.


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## Keltset (Oct 1, 2020)

At the end of the day everyone just needs to do what they do. I'm not an expert in animatranotics but I try to learn more and more every day. My stuff starts from parts and pieces, build your stuff and be happy with it and that is all that matters. I continue to work towards having a better display but there is no reason to put someone down over how they go about doing it. That's called bullying. I'm new here but no one needs put down for the path they choose when its the path that works for them with their display. 

At the end of the day, no one is forcing you to like what they do, I don't like a lot of what I see but that has no bearance in my support for them to continue and work on their displays as they are able. It's a holiday that dies if only the "experts" are allowed to do what they do. I'm sure no one wants that, if anything we all want more people to simply "do something". 

I'm not a fan of store purchased decorations, yet I use them frequently. It's what I can do. I'm not wealthy, I can't afford to go out and just spend all this time on designing and printing everything from scratch. Time is money as people often forget this simple fact. Sometimes it's cheaper to upscale something you have than it is to build from scratch. Is it perfect? Maybe or maybe not... What exactly is the point in this conversation and who cares? To each their own and let them do their displays as they wish. 

It's often easier and less costly to fix / adjust an existing product than it is to design it (and build it) from the ground up.

It is Halloween guys... Relax, have a beer and enjoy doing what you do without feeling the need to bicker on a forum..

Love everything all you guys and gals do for the holiday,
-K


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## crickpop (Aug 14, 2015)

Ramathorn said:


> Does anyone know where to source replacement parts for Spirit halloween props? Specifically the Nightmare Harvester.
> I have contacted Spirit and as usual got the we no longer carry parts for them. Which is strange because they still sell the prop. Thanks for any help.


Have you contacted Spirit's Dr. Zombie team? When my Untimely Death prop motor stopped working two years ago, I got in touch with them, hoping to find a replacement motor. They said they didn't have the motor anymore (she was no longer in production), but they could fix it- at no charge! I paid to ship my prop to them, but they covered the return shipping. In less than two weeks, my Untimely Death was returned to me in perfect working condition. I doubt that they could fix it as quickly during the Halloween season, but you might want to give them a shout to see if they can help. I was very impressed with their service.





__





Dr. Zombie - Spirithalloween.com


Dr. Zombie




www.spirithalloween.com


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## BillTheTailor (Sep 5, 2020)

Cephus404 said:


> I don't really care, it's their money to waste as they wish. It's just lazy people anyhow. And I agree, this forum is dying, it's a constant disappointment these days, people who are more apt to run out and buy things than simply be creative and learn new skills.


Allow me to rephrase what you said: "People must enjoy things according to my expectations, and if they don't there's obviously something wrong with them and it ruins my experience." 

Some people want to decorate but don't have the creativity, the time or the money to learn the skills, or whatever. It doesn't matter. They are more apt to buy than build, and that's fine because that's how THEY celebrate. It's "HalloweenForum.com", not "HalloweenTheWay @Cephus404 WantsIt.com."

And where does it stop? I've got a 9' pumpkin scarecrow in my yard I build from scratch. Did I also need to make the beach ball the head was molded around? Did I need to manufacture my own PVC pipe? Did I need to grow my own wheat for the flour for the paper maché? Buy some silicone and make my own LEDs? 

When you go to a renaissance festival (assuming you do, or have) did you go in costume? Did you make your footwear or buy it? Did you make your tights, or buy them? Did you wear tights at all? Maybe you wore sweat pants. Did you drink out of plastic or paper while you were there, or did you carry a period appropriate mug and a wooden bowl? What about eyewear? Didja wear your glasses? How about a hat, didja wear a hat? Well thank YOU for ruining the renaissance festival @Cephus404, for not going out to festival in $1000 worth of costuming and props (like I do, to be honest.) For me and mine, a kid who comes to the faire with a plastic shield and Thomas the Tank Engine t-shirt is just as worthy as the kid whose parent spent all summer making him look like Henry VIII. They came, they joined in, they (hopefully) had a good time.

So many choices you could make: educate, guide, encourage, but instead you're the guy in the staff meeting who complains loudly in every meeting about his stupid co-workers but doesn't lift a finger to help them. I'm calling you out @Cephus404. Do you hear how sadly bigoted you sound? Let people enjoy things on their own terms.

"I need a new piece for this prop I purchased" isn't necessarily a sign that someone wasted their money, but it is absolutely a sign that they _participated_, and god bless 'em.


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## BillTheTailor (Sep 5, 2020)

crickpop said:


> Have you contacted Spirit's Dr. Zombie team?


Hold up, hooooold up! There's a Dr. Zombie _team_??? Oh MAN I want that on my business card...


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

Cephus404 said:


> I don't really care, it's their money to waste as they wish. It's just lazy people anyhow. And I agree, this forum is dying, it's a constant disappointment these days, people who are more apt to run out and buy things than simply be creative and learn new skills.


Once again I will say this:
This place is what YOU make it. Period.

Did it ever occur to you that some people just can't build things? Some people should never be allowed to touch a power tool let alone a glue gun lest they cut their own arm off while burning down the building. We all have that ONE friend, family member or co-worker like that so it stands to reason that some forum members are like that.

You could easily continue to come & post info on how to build props, be helpful & answer questions even when someone has the same question over & over again, you could baby step someone through pneumatics, wiring, tool usage, etc. But that's not what you're choosing, you're choosing to write the entire place off AND insult forum members at the same time.

Not everyone wants to build things, not everyone is capable, not everyone has the time, some may once have been builders but now they've got 2 kids to look after while working from home with their spouse with no daycare in the middle of a pandemic, some may just be getting too old for such things, some live in apartments & have no room, some folks have room but have lost their job recently & can't or don't wanna spend money unnecessarily, some people prefer inflatables because you can open them & BOOM! you're done, some people actually like & collect Spirit props, some folks buy props & alter them, there can be a MYRIAD of reasons that people don't build things from scratch. Just take a few minutes & step outside your "build" thought bubble & realize that not everything is for everyone.

Honestly, that's why I love this place, the diversity of Halloween lovers. I may not build Distortions quality props but someone else here does so if I wanna learn I can ask here. If I need to know how to keep slugs outta my inflatables I can ask here. If someone needs some kid friendly Halloween movies they can ask here. If someone wants the next level past kiddie flicks but not quite ready for Freddy flicks, they can ask. 

So complain all you like about props, how they're built, what you like & don't like, instruct us on different ways to do it, just don't insult other people for their Halloween choices.


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

*As as been pointed out so nicely above, this site is supposed to be inclusive: all levels of Halloween fans with a wide range of skills or talents, mechanical genius or shopping guru - all are welcome here. *

*What is NOT welcome is being nasty to the other members you don't agree with. We have rules, and if you don't feel you can be on this site without breaking them, no one is forcing you to stay. 

Removing a few of the posts that are name calling/rude. *

*








Forum Rules


Forum Rules We do not ask much of our members for the most part. Your posts must be legal and not break any laws. No personal attacks or insults are tolerated. Rants, soap-boxing, or otherwise expressing violence/hostility towards any groups or individuals is strongly discouraged and threads...




www.halloweenforum.com




*


Me personally, I have many store bought props and I have some built from scratch props. I don't care if someone decorates with all one or the other. I don't know why that's such a problem to be nice to others and helpful when possible, complain about stuff without being insulting or attacking others, or just ignoring things you don't care about? Why do we have to pick a side? 

I think it's kind of exciting that the 3d printing has opened up a whole new world of repairing the stuff that breaks and for those that collect and enjoy store bought things they now can figure out how to keep their collection working.


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## RCIAG (Jul 19, 2010)

I find 3D printing fascinating. It's such a game changer from making prop parts to making new body parts for people & animals. I would love to get one but right now there's too many other irons in the fire & even though they're more affordable I'm just not ready to put my brains & money there right now.


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## Engineerchic (Sep 6, 2017)

RCIAG said:


> I find 3D printing fascinating. It's such a game changer from making prop parts to making new body parts for people & animals. I would love to get one but right now there's too many other irons in the fire & even though they're more affordable I'm just not ready to put my brains & money there right now.


I'm in the same boat with 3D printing. Plus the added detraction of dear friends and family who have said, "I wish YOU did that, I have so many ideas for things I need". If I get one it will be in secret, LOL.


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## Rena (Oct 7, 2021)

Ramathorn said:


> Does anyone know where to source replacement parts for Spirit halloween props? Specifically the Nightmare Harvester.
> I have contacted Spirit and as usual got the we no longer carry parts for them. Which is strange because they still sell the prop. Thanks for any help.


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## Rena (Oct 7, 2021)

Ramathorn said:


> Does anyone know where to source replacement parts for Spirit halloween props? Specifically the Nightmare Harvester.
> I have contacted Spirit and as usual got the we no longer carry parts for them. Which is strange because they still sell the prop. Thanks for any help.


Same here my first time buying spirit animatronic "night Crawler" tried to put him together yesterday just to find out letter "C" "elbow joints is missing!! Im so annoyed and frustrated due to halloween around the corner! I've called they gave me and customer service email... which they haven't replied to yet!! I'll never buy from spirit halloween again!! I spent $200+ for this animatronic and now it's sold out everywhere.. I can't exchange!! I just need the 2 elbow joints..


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## Bill A (Nov 3, 2021)

Ramathorn said:


> Does anyone know where to source replacement parts for Spirit halloween props? Specifically the Nightmare Harvester.
> I have contacted Spirit and as usual got the we no longer carry parts for them. Which is strange because they still sell the prop. Thanks for any help.


Hi. Does your control box work for the Harvester? Mine died this year and I am looking for a replacement for the controller box. Would you be willing to sell the control box?


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

It would be great if people here can help out with part repairs of favorite props. Not everyone even has tools to repair things let alone build props. Even with prop repairs unless your retired and enjoy the tinkering or time on your hands, I’m guessing parts/repairs is not something that “pays” except for knowing you’re helping someone and able to use your talent.

All that said I bought a prop this year, the top hat and cape skeleton gentleman with the interactive haunted dog and having fun defrocking him and redressing him to be a security guard with his canine growling/barking guard dog. Whatever rocks your boat as they use to say. I will say it gets tiring to keep reading posts from prop building skilled people who year after year post about the commercial “crap” that most homeowners buy instead of making themselves. We all know it doesn’t hold up long term generally and isn’t made to be used outdoors but it serves the purpose for the vast majority and the technology in props these days is something people only hoped to see years ago. Although volume control and ability to select or record an audio track to play (or not play) still are on my list of “now wouldn’t that be great!”


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