# Animated Crawling Skeleton



## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Here is the reason it took me so long to finish my Pumpkinrot. I kept trying to think of a way to make a full size prop that would realistically crawl across the yard. After finally finding the right parts and MANY hours of labor I am well pleased with the result: my Animated Crawling Skeleton !!









Here is a pic of the basic MOTOR and linkage assembly:









I found a dual shafted 6 RPM DC gear motor from Surplus Center. They also had the swivel ball joints I needed to attach to both motor shafts to make the arms move like I wanted.









The motion of it working is basically like rowing a boat. I attached the left arm ball joint to the motor shaft 180 degrees from the right arm ball joint to make it crawl one arm at a time.
The right arm assembly rotates clockwise, so as the arm rotates around and hits the ground the gear motor continues to turn and lifts the body up and forward (turning it slightly to the left) as the arm keeps rotating then sets it back down on the ground again. Immediately after that the left arm assembly (which is rotating counter-clockwise) is just hitting the ground to lift the left side of the body up and forward (turning it slightly to the right), then setting it down on the ground again and it all starts over again. This motion makes it look like it is really crawling and also keeps it going in a straight line.
At 6 RPM it travels roughly two and a half to three feet per minute in the yard.

I wanted to try making another one, but make it faster if I could find the right motor. I have since found that Surplus Center no longer has the 6 RPM, but now has in stock the same dual-shafted motor in an 18 RPM version. I think this one would work better being quite a bit faster. That should make it move about 9 feet per minute.
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2005051318292626&item=5-1562&catname=electric
This is the swivel ball joints I used:
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2005052419423336&item=1-2292&catname=misc
I have since found they are now out of stock, but I think these others should work:
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.asp?UID=2005052419423336&item=1-2293-R&catname=misc

If you think you will have any interest in building one of these you might want to order the motor now, because Surplus Center can sell out of something and not replenish it.
I plan to use one of the wireless keychain remotes from Lowe's to turn it on and off. (If they sell them with the Xmas stuff again.) What I like about them is you can buy several for the same frequency and have them all activate from a single remote switch. The ULTIMATE would be to make 3,4,5 of these crawling things power up simultaneously. Make your own Army of Darkness on the lawn!! That would be a sight !!
The cost in materials was about $45.00 and I don't want to even guess how many hours of labor.









Here is a link to my complete album of pictures:
http://photobucket.com/albums/v630/DaveNTracy/Crawling Skeleton/

I will be glad to help anybody who wants to try making one.


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## Empress Nightshade (Jul 6, 2004)

Dave

that is freakin' impressive!!  Wow wee......!


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## Deathtouch (Nov 19, 2004)

I love it. Can it go backwards too? I see with all the kids toys in the background that you could use it to give kids rides.

Sorry, I need a nap. I have been working double hours to pay for my Halloween props for this year.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

If you want a faster motion use a wiper motor and use the linkage for the kicking legs but use it in the arms. It will crawl and have enough power to even crawl over thing.

To make it 100% mobile use a car battery and madr a whole zombie crawl. Put the wiper motor in the chest and the car battery in the butt. Since this prop will be on the ground you can't see under it. So to hold the weight of the battery put a piece of plywood down his pants. Connect some roller to the plywood and you have a prop that will crawl and crawl and crawl.......till the battery runs down.


(edit) BTW I forgot to say, great prop!!!!!!!!! And check out Big Lots for that wireless remote...I saw it for, I think 7 bucks!


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## BlackDawn (Aug 1, 2004)

Wow, just about the time I think I have my schedule planned out for the summer... somebody has to come up with a must have prop! I love it!


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## Haunted Plainfield (Mar 18, 2005)

(sniff sniff sniff) I
(pause) I
(longer pause) I love you man

dang it I got too much going on and you throw this out there! I take that back, I hate you. How am I suppose to make the silly phone ring, rig the air cannon, tinker with the switch mat pad, finish the corpse, build the automated control for the haunt, press Empresses T's, work, play with my daugher and the wife [  ], AND NOW....BUILD THIS!!!! ALL BEFORE HALLOWEEN!!!! I TAKE BACK HATE, HATE IS TOO NICE!!!



PS. Excellent job!


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## Dead Pilot (Sep 2, 2004)

SWWWEEEETTT!!! You sir are a mechanical genius and just plain wrong in the head. That crawling out of the bushes towards the TOTs...you are going to have so much candy left over! Add that to my '06 build list


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## lewlew (Oct 14, 2004)

Outstanding!!! Fantastic!!! Creepy!!! and a few more adjectives of admiration.
Too much to do for this year but it definitely has possibilites for next. 
What is your base made from? In a few of your pictures it looks like painted foam board but I can't quite tell.

Great job!


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## putrid (Aug 18, 2002)

DaveintheGrave, that thing is TOTALLY COOL!!!


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## Dr. Slickshill (Mar 15, 2005)

Holy cow, that's beautiful! Congrats!


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## Jon (Feb 16, 2004)

Wow, makes me wish i made my own one instead of buying it from spencer gifts. Great job!!!!


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## Hecate (Aug 25, 2004)

That is sweet! I am off and flying...what inspiration, as in "do I paint it metallic like terminator with glowing red eyes, or do I rot it out with a moaning zombie sound emitting from it? Oh the possiblilites to the demented mind, you are my hero.


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## john (Aug 9, 2004)

That looks awesome. Do you just let it crawl in a huge circle or do you have to keep running after it and putting it back at the starting gate?


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## deathofdave (Dec 26, 2004)

sweet thank you
i have like a car creeper my friend offered me and now it has potential 
thank you dave
awesome prop


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## Pennywise (Oct 21, 2004)

Great prop Dave! I was making a crawling zombie but the mechanics of mine were not going to be as simple as yours. Mine was a belt-driven thing that took so much planning that I haven't even started building it yet. Great job again!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Gee, thanks a lot for all the great compliments. I was anxious to post it on the Forum because I had never seen anything built like it before. I know last Halloween Spencer had a crawling zombie for sale, but I never saw one and had no idea how it worked. I just sat down and drew possibilities of what might work for me, picked the best/easiest one and was lucky enough to fine the two main parts to make it work (the dual shafted gear motor and the swivel ball joints). I planned in the beginning on making another one so I drew a basic pattern with measurements of the various pieces I used to make the base of the thing. I would be glad to copy them a send them to anybody who wants them. My loss is your gain (timewise). You wouldn't have to waste as much time on mistakes as I did.
Deathtouch-No, it can't go backwards. Unless I mounted the motor backwards. Also I don't have any kids-those are MY toys. Just kidding--I tell the kids if they don't clean their rooms and eat their vegetables they can't ride on the bucking skeleton today !!

Madmax-Thanks for the tip on the Big Lots remote controls. As far as the car battery I don't think the aluminum stock I used for the arms would be able to lift that weight. Unless Lowe's sells titanium metal stock.

Dead Pilot- I don't know about me being a mechanical genius. Just hard-headed and stubborn about making something work that (in my head) should work.

Lewlew--The base with the motor assembly is really just scrap wood spray painted black. Any lightweight wood will do.

Jon--How does that Spencer crawling zombie work? Is it the same kind of mechanism?

Hecate-- That was another option. If it was too time consuming to make the ribs, just use some chicken wire and an old ripped up shirt and make him a crawling zombie instead.

john--It crawls in a straight line. (If you used a single shafted motor with one arm hooked to it, it would go in a circle.) I guess I will be "walking briskly" after it since it only travels about 3 ft. per minute. Until I try the 18 RPM motor.

Thanks again everybody for all the comments. I figure if I can make something that impresses the Forum, then the general public should be blown away.
Let me know if you want to build one and need help.


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## BlackDawn (Aug 1, 2004)

Dave I am impressed with you in more ways than one! You have managed to catch the attention of the grinch that stole Halloween (a.k.a my hubby). The evil little grin that spread across his face when he saw it was priceless. I poked fun of him for a bit , his only defense was that it had a motor and he was the mechanic in the house - as for the rest it just needed a diffrent kind of body work! So please forward all the info on it to me. I am sooo excited! Oh, by the way thanks - now maybe I can get him playing in monster mud before the summer is over!


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## pandora (Jul 15, 2004)

Dave, that's really impressive. You should submit it to the monster list, unless you're already there.... Either way, it's incredible!!! I'm turning green, green, green.


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## Jon (Feb 16, 2004)

Dave, the spencers crawling zombie doesnt actually crawl on its own sadly. I havent opened it up but its basically a remote control car and its arms are moved by a seperate motor im assuming. So its arms dont actually drag him. It just makes him look like he is dragging himself.


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## whynotgrrl666 (Oct 13, 2003)

do you have video of it in action? a clip? looks terrific!-amy


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks again for all the compliments again. I thought I might be on to something big. Who knows? 
Black Dawn--That's funny about your husband. Maybe we can turn him to the dark side. I guess all my props will be motor driven because I don't really want to get into pneumatics. (Right now at least.) If you want the information I have (patterns), let me clean them up and if you want to private message me with a mailing address (business, home, whatever you prefer) I will mail them to you. I'm not computer literate enough to draw it on a program. Sorry. One thing though-I'm sure this thing will work with the 18 RPM motors. I have one on order now (also the swivel joints I posted too) so if you want to make one you might be wise to order those now before Surplus Center runs out of them.

Pandora--I thought it might be good for the Monsterlist, but I guess I need my own web page to link it to first. Plus I'd probably need some tips from Putrid and Vlad on how to write a good how-to. I'm pleased that you think it's that good.

Hey Jon--I'm really disappointed to find that the Spencer's zombie doesn't really crawl on its own. Sounds like false advertising. I figured I was way behind and buiding a cheap version of something already built. Maybe I should have patented it first-LOL.

whynotgrl666-- I don't have a video clip of it. I know I have a digital camera that will record a 30 second movie. But I have no idea how to load that where you can see it. If anybody knows I would be glad to try. But truthfully it really looks like it's crawling. The arms touch the ground at the elbows and the rest of the arm/hands are just free-floating and bent to touch the ground at the same time.

Just let me know if I can help anybody further.


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## Pennywise (Oct 21, 2004)

Dave I'm with you on the pneumatics...noisy air compressors and lots of hoses doesn't float my boat. I would likely trip over them myself  As for the Spencer's thing, that is disappointing, glad I didn't buy one! Mine is going to work like Dave's does: it'll pull ifself along on it's elbows. Only thing I haven't figured out is how to keep it from crawling away into the night all by itslef LOL. Maybe I can chase it down or use some kind of tether to pull it back into it's hindind place.


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## Lurks in the shadows (Mar 12, 2005)

Great prop!!!

If you shorten the length of one crank arms (attached to the motor shaft),
wouldn't that cause it to crawl in a circle?

The end of the crawling arms would travel in different sized circles, resulting in more distance on one side.
The greater the difference in the lengths of the crank arms, the smaller the circle.

OK! I want plans now!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

For anybody that's interested in building one of these I have posted a how-to on a web page at this link:http://hometown.aol.com/tafrdav/myhomepage/halloween.html
It covers the whole mechanical assembly for now while I'm working on adding text and pics of the body parts (arms,hands, ribs and head). It's not the best web page (my first try) but I am limited on the space I have to work with. The skeleton seems to work a lot better (faster) with the 18 RPM motor.
For AOL haters: Sorry-this is an AOL web page.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Where did you get the Ball joint swivel connectors and their cost?


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## Haunted Plainfield (Mar 18, 2005)

Ummm, max, read the post from the beginning, he calls out the site and provides links to the items.


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

Stupid me!







I guess I should read some of this great stuff......instead of just looking at the pictures.


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## KNightWalker (Jun 30, 2004)

WOW..... I mean..... WOW!!!!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Hey madmax-- these ball joint swivels are a bit longer (and more heavy-duty) than the original ones I used. That's why you'll see in the pics I had to basically mount them BACKWARDS on the cranks to make them work. Seriously if anybody wants to make one it seems that 18 RPM motor from Surplus Center is perfect for this application. Last time I looked Surplus had about 124 of them in stock. And if you order the balljoints make sure you get the RIGHT-HAND threaded ones.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

madmax said:


> Stupid me!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I said the same thing to myself about Playboy magazine.............


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## scarymary (Oct 12, 2003)

I have the spencer's version and this totally kicks it's fanny. Thank you thank you thank you for your work and posting/directions. I love this. You are fabulous.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks scarymary !! Yea--I was kind of surprised when jon told me the Spencer's zombie was basically a remote controlled car with the body on top moving it's arms. I hope to have the rest of the page done soon. Let me know if you need help or if something doesn't make sense. Also-as I said before-anybody that has any interest at all in making one in the future would be wise to order the motor and the swivel joints from Surplus Center now. A lot of times they sell out of a part and (being surplus) they never replenish it.


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## Otaku (Sep 10, 2004)

WOW! Simply amazing, Dave! Have you investigated the possibility of it crawling in a circle yet? If it can do that, you could attach a tether to one side of the base and use a rotating mercury connector to send the power to the motor. As long as there is a bit of tension on the tether, it should work. You could have this guy crawling in a circle in the graveyard. The mercury connector is available from McMaster-Carr, p/n 7631K41. I've used these before, very reliable.


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## Lurks in the shadows (Mar 12, 2005)

If you shorten or lengthen the distance between the motor shaft and the ball joint, on only one side, it will cause the arms to travel in different sized circles. This will result in the skeleton moving further with the pull of one arm than the other.

Trust me, it'll crawl in a circle.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks for the idea, Otaku. And the parts source. But, like Lurks said, I knew it could probably go in a circle by shortening one shaft or making one arm shorter than the other. 
My yard is pretty small, so right now my preference is for it to be turned on periodically to start moving towards the TOTs, chase them, that kind of thing. That's why I want it to go in a straight line. Or I could make the power wire into a leash and walk it down the street. Or hey---knock on someone's door, turn it on and have it coming toward them as they open the door.


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## Nightshade (Jul 18, 2004)

Dave - This is so awsome. I wish I had your mechanical knowledge. Thanks for sharing.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks Nightshade. I don't have any formal mechanical training. I just come up with an idea, think about what might work best, draw a few simple sketches, then pick the best/easiest one to try.
This web page can help a lot: http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/mechanisms/index.html

Also this one: http://www.walterruffler.de/Designs.html

I guess I try to think outside the BOX. But sometimes, like when a CAT does that, I just make a big mess.


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## Jon (Feb 16, 2004)

*Ready?*

Ok dave now that i am going to have some free time, I am going to try and make this thing. Be prepared for a bunch of questions if you dont mind. lol.  . This will be a very hard thing for me to make but i know i can do it with your instructions to made. Thanks alot!!!. Im ordering my parts from the surplus center that you gave us a link too. Now, to home depot to find all that other stuff (ill be there for a good 2 hours trying to find half this stuff because none of the home depot employees like to help out. Ugh.......).


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

OK Jon---Feel free to ask any question. I usually check the forum at least once a day. As far as I know I think one or two other members are in the process of making one, but I haven't heard from them lately. I'm about 70% complete with building another one and this one is turning out better than the original. I'm also still working on the pics and narrative for making the ribs, head and arms/hands to add to the web page.
Somebody else was complaining about Home Depot lately. I always go to Lowe's, mainly because it's closer to me. Plus I know what aisle to go to for everything I need.
Good Luck !!!


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## Jon (Feb 16, 2004)

dave, is there any specific size coter pin to get??


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Hi Jon--If you are talking about the pin used to hold the crank on the SHORT shaft I actually used a long staple. (If you've ever bought furniture that was shipped with a temporary wooden pallet type base to it--It's the staples used to hold that wood to the furniture that you pry off when you get it home.)
But anything such as a stiff piece of wire bent over or a thin nail will work. Just something to keep the crank from slipping off the shaft. Probably as small as you can get, since there's not much room on the shaft to drill a hole.


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## Morticia (Jul 5, 2005)

That looks so cool!!!!!!!! I need to learn how to make motorized things!


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## Jon (Feb 16, 2004)

ok dave, i got my motor and the swivel ball joints in the mail. Time to get started!!!!! This is going to be any interesinting experience i tell you!!
One question though, my bro was looking at the motor and he said that i would need an inverter or something. I have no clue what he is talking about. lol. MInd explaining how you hooked up the motor before i go and blow something up.  Thanks a bunch!!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Jon--He's talking about the AC/DC converter you need to convert your house AC electric into DC for the motor. (I refer to this as the wall wart in the tutorial.) This is the one I use:http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=search&item=DCTX-1234&type=store
Just snip the connector end off the converter, separate the two wires and connect them to your motor. The negative wire normally has a white line printed on it. It shouldn't hurt anything if you hook the wires up wrong, just the motor will turn backwards. Just remember you want the short shaft of the motor to turn counterclockwise (as you are looking straight at it) or the skeleton will try to crawl backwards.
You might look around your house and find an old 12 volt converter you can use instead of ordering one.


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## Vlad (Nov 2, 2003)

Geez Dave, I don't know where I've been that I never opened this thread, lol. What an awesome prop. I wonder if any of our more electrically savvy haunters can figure out some way for it to back up so you don't have to keep moving it back by hand. Just an inspiring piece of work though.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks Vlad, I appreciate the compliment. I'm almost done with the second one and hopefully it should turn out better than the original.
As far as crawling backwards I never put much thought into that. I was just hoping it would crawl FORWARDS more than anything. But-I don't know-being a DC motor isn't it true if you reverse the power leads the motor will run in the opposite direction? If that's true couldn't you hook the power wires to a double pole, double throw switch and then just flip the switch to change direction? 
I'm no expert, though. It's like the old saying when I was in the Navy: Yesterday I couldn't SPELL technician, today I AM one..............
I hope your prop-making is going well. Thanks again !!


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## Professor Frink (Oct 18, 2004)

I can only immagine how good this looks with the propper lighting. Since there is no such thing as too many compliments. This is Great Work!

Have you worked out how you will use it in your haunt?

My mind is churning with the possibilities. With some fade in - fade out lighting and a couple of mechanical ground breakers ... oh boy!
Even if you have to reel it in and reset it for the next show this is a spectacular prop!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks Professor. Actually I don't have an indoor haunt, I'm just going to have it in the yard hooked up to a wireless remote control. I'll just let the TOTs think it's a static prop until I turn it on. I even thought about carrying it around the neighborhood when my kids go Trick-or-Treating, ringing some doorbells and have it coming towards the opening door. (I would have to use a battery for that , though.)


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## madmax (Dec 28, 2003)

I guess I could go back and look but you are using a DC motor...right?

If so you could use 2 power supplies with a switch like most hallway or stairwells are wired. When the first switch (or remote) is on it goes foward. Wire the 2nd power supply the with the + to the - on the motor and the - to the + on the motor. With a flip of a 2nd switch the motor turns backward and the p[rop comes back to you. I think this would work but not for sure.


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## blackwidow (Jun 13, 2004)

Wow, that is just too cool for words. Outstanding job DaveintheGrave!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks for the tips, Madmax. I'll give this some thought and see if I can draw another crude design of how I think it might work.
Thanks Blackwidow. I'm kind of humbled by the response to this prop. It's like I said originally: If my fellow haunters/propbuilders are impressed--it should REALLY be impressive to the general public.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Hey Madmax and Vlad--I figured out how to add a switch to a DC motor circuit that can be used to reverse the motor's direction. I worked it out and soldered it togther a while ago, but just got around to testing it and it works. All it does is reverse the polarity of the power coming into the motor, which causes a DC motor to reverse direction.
All you need is a DPDT switch like this:
http://www.allelectronics.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?category=700475&item=SSW-37&type=store

Then wire it into the circuit like this:









Basically the two power supply wires coming from your AC/DC converter are soldered to the center terminals of the switch (Pins B and E). Then the wires coming from Pin D and Pin C are soldered together into one single wire, which is then hooked to one of the two power wires for the motor (doesn't matter which-positive or negative). The wires coming from Pin A and Pin F are soldered together into one single wire and hooked to the OTHER motor power wire. As the switch is flipped, the motor will reverse direction.
NOTE: This wil NOT work with an AC powered motor. DC only!!

I haven't tried this on my skeleton to see if it will crawl backwards. It should work if the weight distribution allows it. I'm almost finished with a new one using the 18 RPM motor instead of 6 RPM. I'll try it on that when I finish it.


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## Vlad (Nov 2, 2003)

LOL, Damn Dave, how did you know I'd been thinking of this, lol. Brilliant solution my friend!I'm the worlds worst when it comes to electronics, but there was something sticking in the back off my mind the other day when the discussion came up between my F.I.L. and I about it not mattering how I rigged the wires onto an AC motor because it wouldn't go backwards, only a DC motor would.
It started up thoughts in my mind of rigging up trip switches at the begining and end of a DC powered props travels, so that it would infinitely pace back and forth.


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks, Vlad. I originally started using this same switch in a bi-polar LED circuit. (The 3-legged LEDs that have both green and red in the same LED.) I wanted to incorporate a switch I could flip and change the color from red to green. So, I experimented with it on the DC motor and it worked fine on that too.
That's a cool idea about the trip switches to reverse a prop. I'll have to ponder on that one a while.


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## Gothikim (Jul 25, 2005)

*Oooh!*

DITG--I happened on this thread today, and showed my DH what he'll be building for next H-ween! He may not be thrilled, but I shiver with antici...pation!

Thanks for the inspiration


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## murf1013 (Jun 25, 2005)

dave...

i have no words...i can't...i'm speechless. that thing is just...one of the coolest things i've ever seen. i hope it scares the bejeezus out of the TOTers! GREAT JOB!!!

oh look. i found words


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Thanks for the compliments Murf and Gothikim. Gothikim--I know one or two forum members were in the process of building one, but I haven't heard if they've finished the prop yet. If you need any help, let me know. I've only got a few more pics to take and I'll finally be finished with the tutorial I started on it a while ago. I hope to post a video of the new one in action soon.


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## Vlad (Nov 2, 2003)

Dave, I know I saw the circuit detailed somewhere, I'll keep looking.


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## Jon (Feb 16, 2004)

lol dave, Im still in the process of building it. I have officially hit a hault. Im still trying to figure out what i am doing right now. Question, is cutting of the corners and stuff really important? Another question, how did you drill through the cam? I am having no luck. Thanks!


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## DaveintheGrave (Feb 12, 2004)

Jon--the trimming of the wood pieces is more for cosmetic reasons than for function. You don't HAVE to trim those pieces off. Your finished prop would probably look better if you did.
As far as drilling the cam--I guess you're talking about drilling a small hole in the motor shaft for the cotter pin. Use a teeny-tiny drill bit, one that you don't mind breaking in half because it probably will when it finally breaks thru the other side of the shaft.
If you can't drill a hole, just J-B Weld the crank onto it. I do that a lot.


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