# Gibbet Tutorial



## RebelDead (Sep 2, 2015)

So someone asked if I would post a tutorial on how I made my gibbet this year. Now I mostly followed Hermans Secret tutorial but I made some tweaks. As per the rules I won't link to that tutorial but I will put in the steps and what I did different. I just wanted to make sure that Hermans Secret got the credit due.  I will make sure I put up the links in my gibbet post so you can see more. 

Measurements are done by the number of holes and not by inches or centimeters. The finished cage is around 5ft tall. but could be made taller with adjustments to the longer strips


Materials required:
Plastic Plumbers Tape Here is the link to the purchase I made from Amazon. Plumbers Tape
Machine Bolts, w/nuts 6-32 x 3/8 (from a 100 pack)
Spray Paint - I used Matte Black, and multiple colors of the hammered finish.
Plastic Curtain Rings
4ft Plastic Chain ( I got the cheapest white plastic they had at Home Depot)
Insulated foam sheet
Acrylic paint

Tools required:
Scissors
Screwdriver
Pliers
Paintbrushes

1. Cut lengths of Plastic Tape as follows
2 lengths - 42 holes long
1 length - 58 holes long
1 length - 74 holes long
4 lengths - 87 holes long
4 lengths - 77 holes long

So like it says in the beginning there are no measurements done. I didn't try to see how long each section was when it was done. I literally counted out all the holes for each strip. TWICE! lol It may have taken longer but I wanted them to be correct. 

Make sure when you cut it, it is in between the holes. After the last counted hole.

2. Start by joining the 4 shortest lengths into circles. Overlap the two holes at each end and secure with two nuts and bolts. 










3. Next, take the longest strips and attach to one of the smaller rings. The long strips should be attached inside the ring. Alternate the lengths so that there is a shorter length between the longer lengths, and there should be four holes between each strip. Use the screwdriver and pliers to secure the nuts and bolts, the pliers hold the nut whilst you screw in the bolt. (Do not over tighten the nuts as this distorts the shape) --- Keep them tight enough to hold it together but it will distort if they are too tight. When all is said and done you can tighten everything. 















This image helped me so much. If you see the way the bolts are set up in this pic you can use this as your guide for all the cirlces and strips you are attaching. 
4. The strips are next attached to the next size ring, there should be 24 holes between each ring, and 6 holes between each strip.











5. Attach the strips to the largest ring, 19 holes between the large ring and the mid size ring and 8 holes between each strip. 

6. Finally attach the strips to the other small ring, 19 holes from the large ring and 4 holes between each strip. You should now have the frame shape completed.


The Top-

1. To form the top, The longest strips are overlapped by two holes each, Secure the center hole to hold all 4 strips in place, then secure the last holes using the nuts and bolts. It took me a couple times but I actually got it. I think trying to hold all the strips together through 1 hold was a little more difficult. In the future I might use a longer screw for the first one just so they all fit on better. 

















2. For the hanging rings, undo the nuts on the short ends, bend the ends back to form a short loop, then secure with the nut. Next put a plastic curtain ring through the loop. Attached a twelve inch length of chain to each curtain ring. 










Paint and you are basically done.

Here are some more steps that I took though. I had problems attaching the plastic chain. I cut holes in the links but then realized I would have a hole when attaching it to the hanging ring and creating a weak point. In my time crunch I gorilla glued the opening shut. This is something I will fix next year. 

When painting I used the matte black as my base layer. I added multiple layers of a "rust" hammered look paint and some other variations of this. I would go back over the spots with the matte black if it was too much. 

Wood base- I approximately traces the bottom ring size on a small piece of insulated foam board. I cut it out and had to sand it a bit to get it to fit. There are bolts in the way so I also cut little grooves for them to fit. It also hides them in the end so it works out. For the wood texture I just used a small file tip that I usually use with my dremel. I was at work when I made this so using the dremel wasn't an option. I put in deeper lines to make it appear if they are all separate planks. Small grooves and "knots" and other details to make it look like wood. You could use the wood grain tool after you paint to give it this look but I wanted actually texture. I used black acrylic paint and put on a light base layer. I really jammed it down in the big cracks. I went over all of it with a brown mixture and added details as I went. When I was all done I was able to wiggle it in place and voila you have a wood bottom. 










Lastly, I had some problems trying to fit Sans (my skelly) in this gibbet. I had to do some orthopedic surgery. I put his leg back on while in the gibbet. See there are just somethings that aren't covered in the tutorials but if you are a problem solver, which if you are a prop builder you should be, then you have a lot of trial and error things. But it was all good in the end.


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## HauntedWyo (Apr 13, 2017)

Awesome. Thanks for the tutorial.


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## deadpirates (Nov 22, 2019)

A hint: If at the top, instead of using the strip. You use some plastic chain, from the top ring to a ring for hanging it. It will be plenty flexible to put the skeleton in or out. My gibbet I made from 1/8" aluminum strips so was very ridged. I saw some examples of original ones with chain hangers














while doing research on them.


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