# Moving Ouija Board



## tignyx (Jul 15, 2004)

Shouldn't it be able to move by itself?


Sorry, just had to say that one.

Are you going to want this to move random or is just back and forth fine? Only thing I can think of would be attaching it to a gearmotor or maybe an oscillating fan but both of these would pretty much just give it a back and forth motion. 

Another option would be if it is underneath a ceiling fan, using fishing line to attach the fan to it. This could give it a circular motion or possibly somewhat random depending on how long the strings end up being (think marionnette) but the speed of the fan might still be too fast even on its lowest setting......


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## whylchyld82 (Sep 24, 2004)

Tignyx- thanks for your ideas...I would like the planchette to move randomly and because I'm actually haunting my college owned apartment I don't have a ceiling fan and am not allowed to hook one up. 
But as for the gearmotor suggestion...any ideas on how to hook this to the board so that its not exposed. It's a great idea but I think that the motor would be exposed? Maybe I'm just confused. 

Thanks again.

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep..."


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## scarymary (Oct 12, 2003)

How about making the motor move a magnet underneath the board, and magnetize the ouija widget.


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## Jon (Feb 16, 2004)

Here is something i could help you with because i actually am almost done making mine. I got these magnets from home depot. Very stong magnets. It comes like 8 in a pack and they are like 2 bucks. I had a motor that spins in circles but it was very weak and had little torque. So i went to the thrift store and bought an ice cream motor. I glued on a shaft with some epoxy. Connect the magnet to both the shaft and the ouija moving piece and there you have it. 

My original plan was to make it have a track so it would move randomly but due to time i decided circles works good enough for me.


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## Thriller (Aug 5, 2004)

I am planning on doing this too(if time allows, gotta go dig my ouja board out of the shed somewhere and I know the mover is not in the same place as the board, things never are where they should be..)I plan on using the method described above using magnets


"and though you fight to stay alive, your body starts to quiver
For no MERE MORTAL can resist the evil of the THRILLER...MUAHAHAHAHAHA"~Vincent Price
http://halloweengallery.com/index.php?cat=10057


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## LostboY (Aug 21, 2003)

There is a guy who puts an 'auto ouija' on ebay every week. He sells them for about $100 bucks. Just might be something to look at for ideas (he gives a pretty good description in his listing)-

LosT


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

What a co-inky-dink...I was comptemplating this exact effect just the other day.

My plan is to use the low RPM motor from one of those BigLots! yard sculptures, and a heavy duty retrieving magnet - my only hitch right now is making a seemingly random orbit.

FYI - the retrieving magnet is from Harbor Freight - see below:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=36903

I'm sure the magnet will provide plenty of pull, but I'm trying to avoid simple circles being made by the pointer - kind of dull, ya' know?

I have considered placing another magnet within the pointer, aiming the similar pole downward, to attempt to make the pointer "jump" away from the more powerful magnet, but haven't figured how to keep the pointer on the boarad - eventually, it's bound to slide off.

The whole rig will be pretty cheap, cost wise - much, much less than $100.


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## hotcars (Jul 4, 2004)

What do you guys think of this? Get one of these battery run toy cars you get at a dollar store. The kind that when you turn it on it will bump into a wall and turn and go another direction. Take the body off and make it as short as possible. Put a magnet on top of it then make a tray the size of the ouiji board with sides a little bit higher than the car. Then turn on the car. Then put the ouiji board on top of the tray and put a magnet on the bottom of the pointer. I would think the pointer would go anywere the little car does under the board. Well what do you think. I am going to try it tomarrow.


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## hotcars (Jul 4, 2004)

I tried to find a car like I was talking about but did not find it today. I will see about one soon and let you know how it works. Do you guys think it will work?


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## whylchyld82 (Sep 24, 2004)

Hotcars- I definitely think that there is something to that whole car thing, but I've never seen a car like that...But the possibilities are endless with a modification on a toy like that! Let me know if you come across one somewhere.

"Whatever you do, don't fall asleep..."


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## jcarpenter2 (May 30, 2004)

This would give you something besides a circular motion and if i recall this would follow the desin of the lettering layout. http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/mechanisms/pages/quickreturn.html


Life is full of choices - if you don't like your life - make better choices


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## Tammers611 (Oct 3, 2003)

There must be a way of modifying those x-mas villiage skating ponds
they work with magnets i think
like those mirrors from 80's-90's that used to play music 
and had a seagull or such fly all over the mirror


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## frizzen (Sep 9, 2004)

I'm was thinking like a geared double crank thing, but that's the hard way. Too much engineering to explain at nearly 0600 before I go to bed.

You want it to follow the arc of the letters, right? Belt drive. Very basic: Pulleys (or guide pins, whatever) at each end of arc, another pulley as the center guide of the arc, motor for the 3rd point of arc; fasten like a Rare Earth magnet to top of belt. Set another magnet on board and run to check positioning, when it's all good fasten other magnet to pointer thing. Add however many pulleys you want to make it seem to change direction as often as you want. 

If you're REALLY anal about making it look freaky and way cool, you could change friction a little in certain areas of the board so the pointer will actually piviot across the arc.

I want a hearse.


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## mloyless (Oct 4, 2004)

New user here.... you guys have lots of great ideas! I actually found a 'bump and go' iBot scorpian ($1.99) at Walgreens but can't get the concept to work. Took all the outer covering of the scorpian off and I've tried several different magnet strengths but I end up with it being so weak it won't pull the planchett or so strong that it magnetizes the wheeled mechanism to the board. If anyone else figures out how to make it work this way please post here - for now I'm looking into something motorized.


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## Bentrod (Jul 26, 2004)

This is what I was planning on doing. The magnet rolls along in small circles on an irregular cam. I thing the important thing is to have very strong magnets and a very slow gear motor (1 RPM). I don't have the time or money to do it this year, but maybe next. Do you think it will work?

















Just because I'm Paranoid, doesn't mean there isn't someone out to get me!


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## Nozoki (Jul 27, 2003)

Tammers611, that's exactly what I was going to suggest. Great minds I guess.

***Trick or treat. Smell my feet. Give me something good to eat.***


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## mloyless (Oct 4, 2004)

I think it will work, the bump and go almost worked but the car was too eratic and didn't really have enough weight. I think you are right, a slower motor and a steady course looks like it should do the trick. Thank you so much for posting that.


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## mloyless (Oct 4, 2004)

I have a dumb question - where does one go about finding the pieces required to put something like this together? I'm somewhat mechnically inclined and would like to try. I'm almost thinking I could buy a cheap erector set at the toy store for the different pieces connected to the motor - or do they sell parts like this at home depot or radio shack? I think you could even use a clock movement maybe for the motor part of it to get the rotation desired...


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## mloyless (Oct 4, 2004)

I'm not having any luck with this. Tried the erector set but the motor still seems to go too fast. Getting a little discouraged and thinking next year we may just buy the one off ebay! My next course of action is to try maybe a clock motor.. it will already have the circular motion, my only concern at this point is the weight of the magnet stopping the motor. Will let everyone know how it works.


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## Bentrod (Jul 26, 2004)

I don't think a clock motor would work. You are going to have to have to have a motor that has a lot of torque. A Dayton gearmotor would work if you want to pay about $50.00. If I had the time I would probably make one this year, but I have already bitten off more than I can chew...

Just because I'm Paranoid, doesn't mean there isn't someone out to get me!


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## Ooogiboogie (Sep 28, 2003)

Bentrod your a freakin genius. I am gonna get started on your plans today. I am going to use a granger motor I think. Ive got an extra one from an unfinished FCG. I think if I put a rheostat on it I can slow it down enough. If not then I will have to breatk down and just buy a slower one. I will let you know how it turns out.

Im not going crazy.. its just a nice place to visit.


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## Ooogiboogie (Sep 28, 2003)

I put this in the general halloween section as well but this way your sure to get it. Check it out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5524796777&fromMakeTrack=true

Im not going crazy.. its just a nice place to visit.


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## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Bentrod:
Brilliant! I'm gonna use your concept next year. By the way, is that an AutoCad sketch?

Wolfman


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## Bentrod (Jul 26, 2004)

I modified my Autocad drawing a little bit. Since I don't have a Ouija board yet, I just guessed about the board dimensions. Maybe later I'll dimension the whole thing if someone wants to try to make one.

















Just because I'm Paranoid, doesn't mean there isn't someone out to get me!


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## mloyless (Oct 4, 2004)

The talent on this discussion board is awesome! Thank you so much for the autocad of the ouija. I think that it is above my level a little though so am going to give up on it for this year.


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## Ooogiboogie (Sep 28, 2003)

HEY JON... I was wondering if you ever finished your ouija board we were talking about last year. I ordered a board off of ebay last week for $5 and I started on the motor assembly this morning. If youve got it done Id love to see pictures as you moved along. I am photographing my every step and will post them once this is done.


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## MoochJWL (Oct 21, 2003)

Please do! I have always been interested in one too and it would be great to see one finished and know how you did it.


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## Deathtouch (Nov 19, 2004)

I came a crossed this site and thought about you. Maybe they can help. They have a video of it at this link. 

http://hometown.aol.com/corissagaulin/


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## Ooogiboogie (Sep 28, 2003)

i checked it out and I cant quite make out what the board is doing... . is the plachette moving a bit on its own or is the board rotating?


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## Deathtouch (Nov 19, 2004)

It looks like it is doing both.


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## FontGeek (May 7, 2005)

*Bored games*

A simpler way to go at this may be to use the wheel and serpentine edged guide as you have posted, but instead of doing a Rube Goldberg contraption, why not just use a windshield wiper and motor, and place your wheel with the magnet at the end of the arm instead of a wiper blade?
The junk yards sell the motors and such for a buck or two, and they run off of a twelve volt power supply. Quiet, easily gotten, cheap and efficient.
You may want to design your own board to meet your mechanical limitations, design your artwork to be as big and fancy as you want, take it to a sign shop that does floor graphics (like the use in grocery stores and movie theaters) and you can have the Ouija board of your dreams, make it big and extravegant, so that the guests can see it without any strain or problem understanding what it is they see.
FontGeek


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## Deb (May 25, 2005)

Hey y'all, I just recently found this forum, and since you were talking about Ouija boards, I thought I'd show you the one my husband and I made for last Halloween. Every couple minutes it would do one of 20 random sayings. It was definitely a big hit.

http://www.skyko.com/halloween/ouija.wmv


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

Okay *Deb* - have to know what you're using to accomplish that, and what the cost is.

My guess is a plotter, with a heavy magnet on the print carraige - but that's more money than I'd be able to spend...

Unless you've fooled me with a stop action animation...which is fair enough, but a horrible tease, 'cause I'd really like to think this could work...


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## crazybob (Apr 11, 2005)

Holy Cow!!! HOW did you do that?!?


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## Ooogiboogie (Sep 28, 2003)

Wouldnt ya know that I've already started making mine and then Deb goes and posts that AWSOME looking one. I would love to know how you did that though Deb. Maybe even a photo or two of the underside would be great. Good work.


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## crazybob (Apr 11, 2005)

Alright... i'm very impatient on this one. That has to be the most amazing prop i've seen in a long time!


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## Deb (May 25, 2005)

It was no small effort. The under-magnet is actually servo motor driven (one that swings an arm in an arc and one that makes the magnet travel up and down the arm), and it ended up being quite expensive (because we used really good server motor drivers, really good and quiet motors, an actual coffee table, etc.). It's controlled by an Atmel microcontroller (with a sound chip - don't know if the sound came through in the video very well but it plays when the thing is moving).


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## crazybob (Apr 11, 2005)

Wow... seems pretty complicated. But for a prop that amazing, I'd be willing to learn...


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

*Deb* - most impressive...that's some serious technology (and cost) going on...


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## widowsbluff (Nov 2, 2003)

Deb,

That is great! I was thinking about building the same thing...how big of a magnet did you use?


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## Deb (May 25, 2005)

The magnet is about 0.5"(diameter)x0.125"(thick). Took a picture of the "guts" - http://www.skyko.com/halloween/ouijaguts.jpg


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## Ooogiboogie (Sep 28, 2003)

LOL Ive been watching this thread to see if I should scrap my current project and attempt to make one like yours. Im not even going to pretend that I would be able to put yours together. If I had VERY VERY detailed step by step instructions then maybe... but what a great job. You and your husband obviously do good work together. I would bet that if you went back and thought it out, wrote it all down with a parts list you could prob sell the plans on ebay. There have been several "how to" CDs for sale there that are obviously made by home haunters.


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## Guest (May 27, 2005)

Wow... you could put a dremmel tool on that and have a CNC xy router to do tombstones...

That is very cool...


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## Bentrod (Jul 26, 2004)

Ooogiboogie,

How is your Ouija coming along. I broke down and got the Glow in the Dark board version and have put some super magnets 
( http://shop.store.yahoo.com/fridgedoor/neodmag3dia1.html ) in planchette. 
These magnets are so strong that they will LOCK ON good through the ouija board and through a card table. I should be able to just attach my mechinism on the underside of my card table without cutting a hole in it. This way if anyone asks how it is done, I can lift the Ouija board off the bare table showing no strings attached and hopefully get the desired reaction of "HOLY CRAP!!!" I would like to start on my mechnism in a few weeks, but I've been pretty busy at my real job.

Deb and her husband have definately have the absolutely the Best design, and I would love to be able to make her version but my wife is not as understanding.


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## Deb (May 25, 2005)

randyaz said:


> Wow... you could put a dremmel tool on that and have a CNC xy router to do tombstones...


Naw, we use a CO2 laser mounted to a CNC mill for those (styrofoam).

A picture:
http://www.skyko.com/halloween/tombstones.jpg

Did them in layers. Cut the text out of 1/2" foam and styro spray glued it to 1" pieces. Jake, by the way is our cat, hence the 9 ticks for his lives. The devil is lit from within with UV LEDs so he glows.


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## Guest (May 28, 2005)

geeez... hey, can i borrow it?


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## Ooogiboogie (Sep 28, 2003)

Hey Bentrod,

My board is coming along fine. I am of course using your design. My daughter is out of town with our digital camera so when she gets back I will take pictures and get them posted. Ive changed a few things but the basic design is still yours. Someday I will have a web site with "how to" section on it.


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## frizzen (Sep 9, 2004)

*picks my jaw off the floor and looks for a mop to clean up the drool*

That board is absoulutely amazing!!!


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## Deb (May 25, 2005)

Speaking of automated ouija boards, anyone catch Monster House? They painted a ouija board on the floor and made a coffee table in the shape of a planchette (with the window) and put motors on two of the three legs controlled by an RC controller. It was pretty cool.


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## earl grey (Jan 3, 2006)

hey people,
I'm new to the forum. I've been struggling to make an automated ouija board for a few months now for an art project-it's great to hear that other people have been tryng to figure it out as well.
I was just wondering how Bentrods board worked out? Oogieboogie; did you end up making it? it'd be great to see some pics! 
Also deb, i'd love to take a look at the plans for your incredible board (i'd even consider buying them!) I have very little time(about 3 weeks) before an upcoming exhibition so i'm starting to panic a little.
any ideas anyone has would be great! i've been playing around with a few ideas too based around a windshield wiper or toy trains.
thanks!
Earl


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