MONSTER IN A BOX

Here is my first attempt at a HOW-TO.  If this makes no sense what-so-ever, shoot me an email and I'll try to sort it out... : )

I've built a prototype Monster-in-a-Box that I'm pretty happy with - based on Mark Butler's Super Easy Monster in a Box, (http://markbutler.8m.com/creepzone/semitb.htm) I just added a few enhancements - a real trunk (thrift shop $10), the drill opens the lid instead of lifting the box, a light inside to illuminate a half corpse prop (lid lifts about 3 inches - just enough to see "something" inside!).  Originally I used a hardware store flasher disc (39 cents) to intermittently interrupt power to both the drill and the light so the box lid bangs erraticlly instead of at a steady pace but since it takes some time to "warm up", I pulled it out in favor of a short duration timer instead.   Here's the scoop:

Parts List:

As you can see, I spent less that $40 on this, although I had a few "freebie" items laying around.  Here's what I did:

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To build a Monster In A Box (MIAB), you need to start with a box.  I found this one at a second hand store.  It was $10.  Really!  It didn't fit in my car and I had to drive home at about 5 mph with it sticking out of the back of my trunk.  I was NOT leaving it for someone else to buy while I went for a larger vehicle!

As you can see, I drilled a hole in the lid offset a bit to the side.  This will end up being my lift pivot-point.  You can't see it, but I also bored a 1.5" hole in the lower back of the box to run the power cords through...

OK, to lift the lid you need some lifting mechanics.   I don't have any decent  metal working skills, I used two pieces of wood, two bolts and a few nuts and washers.  I drilled two holes in the short piece and bolted it all together.  Here you see the top drying after I realized that the wood wouldn't show up as badly if I painted it black... 

Note the the right hand bolt (in this picture) on the short piece is LOOSE (so it can pivot in the hole).  The other two bolts  (the left hand bolt on the short piece and the only bolt on the long piece) are torqued down TIGHT!  I used the last of my Red Loctite on the threads for the first bolt, and since I was too lazy to go to the store I used Crazy Glue on the threads of the second tight bold.  Both seem to be holding up equally well.  An earlier attempt to use Blue LocTite failed as the torque was too high and the nuts backed off of the bolts or tightened so much as to bind the mechanism.  

Here is a reverse view of the same setup. 

I found this drill at a garage sale for $5.  The cinder  block was in my back yard.  Figuring out how to zip tie it down the drill without it torquing itself free was a pain in the !@#$#$.  This pattern seems to work OK so far...

Here you see that I added a shop light and a store-bought monster prop.  I ended up replacing the  black light bulb with a 25 watt white bulb for a better effect (IMHO) since it looks "creepy" when the lid begins to open a crack and the light  spills out.  YMMV.  I also moved the monster around until I liked where he was in relation to the TOT walk-by path...

For a trigger, I went to Home Depot for a motion sensor.  They had two cheap models.  One for $11 and one for $14.  I went with the $14 model because it has a "TEST MODE"  - see picture below.  Without this mode, the shortest interval it can be set to activate for is 1 minute.  With TEST MODE, it turns off after about 5 seconds of inactivity.  This is exactly what I want for a quick reset after the TOTs pass by since I want it to be quiet as the next victim approaches... 

You need a socket adapter to screw into the motion sensor... ($1.49 I think - again Home Depot) 

Screw the socket adapter into the motion sensor.  Also, I decided to put the 25 w  bulb into the other side of the motion sensor and save space inside the box by removing the worklight you saw in an earlier picture....  This let me have more lattitude in moving my monster prop around for a good viewing angle.  I plugged a multi-drop extension cord ($4.99) into the socket adapter and powered my drill and audio from that.... 

Did I say audio?  Here is a old boom box that I have placed an endless loop tape of monster sounds in "play" mode.  Originally I intended to put the audio in the MIAB box, but it muffeled the sound too much.  Now I have it behind the MIAB box and it works much better.

Here is the finished product.  No, there wasn't an earthquake.  I need to remember to use a tripod or some such support if I'm going to take an "action sequence".  Doh!  

UPDATE: Thanks go out  to Phil Scroggs ( http://phillustrations.com/ ) for making the animation more stable! 

That's it for now!  

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