# Large Paper Mache Sphinx



## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

I am planning a giant sphinx on the side of my house this year to go along with the Egyptian theme.

I have done some large structures in the past, so I am not afraid of the scale. The body and legs will be easily done with plywood, 2x4s and foam.

I am planing on doing the head using plywood sections cut out (these are shown to the left of the sphinx in the picture) stacking them and using blocks to set then 8-12" apart. Then I was going to cover the whole thing in chicken wire. 

My thought was to then cover the chicken wire with newspaper and spay the newspaper with watered down Elmers glue, doing several layers, Then paint and get all my friends over to hoist it up.

I only plan on it lasting this one season.

Has anybody ever done anything like this before, and can caution me on any pitfalls or problems I may encounter?


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## scareisburg (Nov 3, 2004)

That's going to be one large kitty!


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## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

The big problem I see is the weather. If you have any rain at all it could be damaged in a matter of hours.

Last year I did roots for my scarecrow and even though I coated it nice and heavy with spar varnish it lost it's shaped after one evening of rain.

I've heard suggestions of using Dryloc. It's a concrete sealer. I haven't tried it myself though.

Keep us posted on your project.


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## Haunted Host (Aug 25, 2007)

Wow, this is an ambitious project... especially since it's only for one year!  I was thinking exactly along the lines with Jackie (like minds think alike). I don't know the first thing about paper mache, but I would think that paper and lots of water could be a problem. Would suck (pardon my English) to build a great structure, PM it, and then get a soaking rain a day or two before Halloween to ruin it all. The structure would still be in tact, but I'd think a soaking rain would do significant damage. Now, I don't know what October weather is like in CO, but it's not like you're in AZ or NV. I would think that there was a chance of rain. Rain is pretty abundant in my area in October. If water doesn't ruin PM, then you can ignore everything I just typed with the exception of the first sentence.


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

I only need it to make it through the month of October -

I was thinking about using drylock, but it is a bit pricey. The exterior mis-tint paint is $3 a gallon at my local Lowe's. I usually just put on 4 or 5 coats of that and things tend to stand up pretty good to the weather here. We don't really get the massive rain storms other parts of the county get.

I was hoping the chicken wire and wood framing would help it to hold its shape in the weather, and we usually get snow (sometimes quite a bit of snow) in October. So I intend to make the structure strong, the paper mache would just be a smooth coating for show.


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## CMGhost (Oct 14, 2007)

My question is...Do you plan on building this indoors and then taking it out to set it up, or are you going to build it on the spot. That could be a potential problem with weather too. If you could store it inside until your ready to display it, but something that big will definately need some support for the weight alone. Even treated paper mache could distort in the weather over a few days...

If you build it outside, the mache will have to have time to dry and any inclimate weather will set you back.

very ambitious, and if you do get there, I'm sure we'd all like to see the finished results


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

I am going to build it in my garage, I want to start on it late August or early September. I will start on the legs pretty quick here, I am doing some mummy wrapped bluckeys that roll on to their sides in the legs as you walk in.

If I get really ambitious I may go ahead and build the head, and then put it outside under a tarp. But I think I want to wait until it is closer to October to mache it.


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## Abunai (Jan 28, 2008)

My wife has been making pinatas and other paper mache projects for years. She suggests using full-strength liquid starch instead of elmer's glue and water. It would also be better to apply the starch to the newspaper before it goes onto the chicken wire (as opposed to spraying.) The first layer of newspaper will have to be "anchored" to the chicken wire by wrapping the paper through the chicken wire and then back on itself, because it won't just stick to the chicken wire. Subsequent layers will stick to each other.

We live in Colorado too (Falcon, near Colorado Springs), and we know that the weather can get pretty dicey in October (we had 60 mile per hour winds last year that played havoc with our plywood maze.) You might want to consider a design that will allow you to remove the head fairly quickly for storage in your garage when the weather goes south. 

If you do go with this project, let me know. We would love to come up and see it.

We really need to get a Colorado Haunters group going. Let me know if you are interested.


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

I have been wanting to get a Colorado group together.


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## GrimmLeeFeindish (Aug 30, 2007)

Hi, 
Count me in, Im in Aurora. Looks like a pretty ambitious project. Where do you live? Im near Iliff and Buckley. 
Sam


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## GrimmLeeFeindish (Aug 30, 2007)

Im assuming monster mud wont work. Where will you store this thing after october?


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

I am at 470 and Jordan


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

Grimm -

That is why I am thinking paper mache, then I can just pitch it out with the trash on Nov 1.


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

Grim - 

I am afraid monster mud would be too heavy to hoist the head up on the framing.

I have kicked around the idea of using fiberglass - I have done quite a bit of it at a previous job, albeit that was 10 years ago. I am just worried about cost and I don't think I'll use the prop again.

But if somebody was interested in buying it, used, for use in 2009, I would do it in fiberglass!


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## Jackielantern (Oct 31, 2005)

Abunai said:


> My wife has been making pinatas and other paper mache projects for years. She suggests using full-strength liquid starch instead of elmer's glue and water...........


I gather the liquid starch dries harder? Did she have any suggestions for sealing the project to protect it from water?


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

I started on my sphinx yesterday (Saturday 9/13) I am waaaaaay behind!

I am using wood from my octogon tunnel two years ago, it has been setting outside uncovered for two years (I love Colorado weather).

I got one leg done and the second partly done. I put up the wood behind them temporaly to keep the dog in and the neighbors eyes out.

I should get the second leg done today (I have to cut it to fit around the house), and hopefully most of the body - If I get cooking maybe even lay down a coat of paint on it.

I am still trying to figure out how to roof the legs, I am trying to decide just to tarp it or use OSB wood.

Here are a few pictures:
Image of Sphinx Leg Construction 1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

Image of Sphinx Leg Construction 2 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


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## scareisburg (Nov 3, 2004)

I know the feeling, However I seem to get more done when I'm under the pressure of a deadline...a lot less hand wringing and trying to find the perfect solution,,its just straight get it done and move on to the next unfinished project.

Its going to be huge,


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## Savitch (Sep 10, 2008)

I did something like this for a Children's Theatre production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We used a base of cardboard built up on chickenwire then covered it with the brown paper you can get in most paint sections of any hardware or super store. We used a mix that a puppeteer gave us. The stuff turned pretty much into concrete and was very hard to tear apart after the show, even after being in the rain. Seems like the mix was just flour, water, and salt boiled for a few minutes. I'll see if i can contact the puppeteer and get the exact recipe.


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

I finished the Sphinx today:

bradbaum/Sphinx - Page 1 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

He is 20' tall. I wound up making the face in the form of an egyptian skull and I made it out of luan plywood.


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## CMGhost (Oct 14, 2007)

WOW... that is one incredible display... wonderful work. What is your overall theme? This should really draw a crowd!


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## bradbaum (Mar 19, 2008)

We are going to do several egyptian rooms, then move into other themed rooms.

We are just amature home haunters, so we have to reuse scenes for a year or two to help justify the cost of a scene.

Tends to cause our haunt to be a "Shotgun" haunt, with scenes all over the place.


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## Ghost of Spookie (Sep 28, 2008)

Holy Pharaohs! Is that one huge display. I love it! I really like how you adapted the face and really made it Halloween. I'm going to do an Egyptian mummy theme next year and wish I could construct anything as nice as you have. I'd love to see pictures of your Egyptian rooms when you get them done. It's like a theme park. Wish I lived driving distance to see it.


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## maximpakt (Aug 11, 2006)

Thats pretty darned cool.


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