# Hellavator 2013 HELP!!!



## haunt on virginia (Feb 5, 2011)

hey everyone,

for 2013 im making a mine shaft theme haunt, however i want to build a fake elevator to "desend" into the mine

im going to have them enter through one door and leave through another

now here is where i need your help/input

i purchased 8 small pneumatic cylinders, each one can lift 125 lb roughly, so we are looking at AROUND 1000lbs of lift

im using cylinders because i purchased all the cylinders for only 50 bucks, they are only and inch throw by the way

i want the elevator to be 4ft by 6ft and i want 3-4 people in it, NO MORE!

if you take the average weight of a trick or treater is 100lb, 

so if i have 4 people in there, one will be an adult, so lets say 470lb,

the elevator itself will weight alot... considering it will be 100% wood, so were talking 300lb, 

leaving me at 770lb, which leaves me a little to close that i would like to be, 

the cylinders only lift 125lb if its at 125 psi, which i dont want to run them at, id rather to a safe 100psi, meaning that makes me way closer then i want to be,

i dont want 3 guys walking in there and the platform not moving because they way 180lb each

SOOOOO this is where i ask YOU!

would it be better i just had the floor move, and had the walls around it stay still, i play to have a light cut out anyways, so it will be dark inside

LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

sorry for the long explanation, just thought it would be better for you to know the whole setup


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## The Halloween Lady (Jul 17, 2010)

Here are links to a couple of great elevator builds:

http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=30035&highlight=elevator
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=34089&highlight=elevator
http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=32523&highlight=elevator


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## haunt on virginia (Feb 5, 2011)

thanks ALOT!


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## CreepyCreations (Oct 16, 2011)

Sounds ambitious, but I'd love to see the build and the final result! If your cylinders only have an inch of throw, I would recommend:
1. Once the front doors close, drop it by half an inch, to simulate the start of descent.
2. Have your lights go out, sound effects, etc. Perhaps have something attached that would add a little bit of vibration, so it feels like it's still moving.
3. Lights come back up as you drop the last half inch, to simulate the end of the drop.

Total drop, one inch. Have your entrance higher that the exit. Chances are nobody will even notice the difference, especially if you have a ramp leading up to it. (It's a classic Disney trick). You'll probably need ramps on both sides, anyway, to allow for the mechanics under the elevator. So, the difference of one inch between front and back should be invisible.

Just some thoughts...


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## haunt on virginia (Feb 5, 2011)

Great ideas CC, i love your pneumatic less props!

unfortunately i don't think the half way cylinder idea is possible, normally once you apply air, even the smallest amount, the cylinder will extend fully,

i could however use flow controls, which would extend the cylinders slowly, but that will eliminate the quick jumping effect im going for, 

i forgot to include that perhaps i could have the cylinders fully extended when they walk in, once the elevator gets triggered the floor could drop, and one they 

reach the "Bottom" , the cylinders could extend back up,

i will definitely post videos as im building,

i love the shaker idea as well, maybe just something like you did on your shaking bridge?!

id love to hear your input on the ideas above


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Have you thought about the floor staying in place and the walls moving? The mind is easy to trick into thinking the whole thing is moving.

1. Go to the junk yard and get some old car springs and attach them to the floor. This will let the floor have a little movement and help the effect as the ToTs move around in the elevator

2. You have more control over your Air Cylinders since you are moving less weight.

3. With less weight you can use a controller to activate the cylinder 1, 2, 3 or all 4 separate or together to make the walls move in different ways

4. As someone else suggested add some vibration to the floor so the ToTs will get the feel of movement in their feet...very simple and cheap to do.

This is what I used to get vibration to the floor of my Electric Chair room 






Here's a couple taped to a piece of cardboard 







You will be surprised at how a couple of these will make a whole floor vibrate under your feet. If you decide to go this route and if you can't find the cushions that the motors are in (at the end of the video) contact me and I will send you a few ...free


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## haunt on virginia (Feb 5, 2011)

great ideas, i could defenitly do that, just need to find a way of makjng it safe and sturdy using the springs, very cool ideas, THANKS!


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## Dark lord (Jan 8, 2007)

I can offer up audio for it.....i made an "elevator to hell" soundtrack for a radio station intro promo last year. I have all the sections, it starts as sound of bell & doors closing, starts to travel, jumps, stop abruptly, dead silence of elevator not moving-sounds of cable stretching-snapping with sound of elevator falling then crashing into silence..... extra voices of floor man & people creaming to they're death during fall can be deleted......or screaming people left in...LoL Most likely be able to re create it to maybe more of a mineshaft elevator sounding..........
PM me if interested


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## darkmaster (Apr 29, 2009)

We did 2 different type of movements with ours. One year we moved the elevator along a track. This was Ok, but you neededsomeone to operate it. Last year it was automated. Here's a link to my YouTube video. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcRDkDiA6E4

I did not want any real movement of the elevator, because the ones we have been in, my wife ended up getting hurt. We didn't want any liability with the public getting hurt, so I played with their minds and made it seem like the elevator moved to a new floor. No one got hurt.


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## CreepyCreations (Oct 16, 2011)

Very cool! Does the elevator car move at all, or do you just rely on the sound effects, etc.? Great sounds for it, by the way!


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