Tag: PropPage

A coin labelled Master on one side and Slave on the other, for various magic tricks.

I’ve ordered some stamps…

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Stamps-Letters-Alphabet-Numbers-Set-Punch-Steel-Metal-9-36-Die-Tool-Case-Craft/381196671638?_trksid=p2141725.c100338.m3726&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20150313114020%26meid%3D45fb0d76ad5041c695295fed830f48c5%26pid%3D100338%26rk%3D10%26rkt%3D23%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D281910327723

The metal needs to be fairly soft for the stamps to work. 

So I could cut my own coin….

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CHEAPEST-Brass-Flat-Bar-all-sizes-Lengths-upto-1300mm-long/291747088462?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D40794%26meid%3Dd27a416814f74dc98fb737c9ae427363%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D6%26mehot%3Dpp%26sd%3D161858987044

…I could speak with Jo about making a dobrão

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brass-Washer-Brass-Round-Blank-Brass-Disc-CUZN37-MS63-6mm-/232397748069?var=531678172192&hash=item361bfc3765:m:mmcv_vWHDUGeudb4IOw3hVg

….I could buy a brass washer….

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/sis.html?_itemId=232397748069&_nkw=Brass+Washer+Brass+Round+Blank+Brass+Disc+CUZN37+MS63+6mm&_trksid=p2047675.m4099.l9146

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/10pcs-Huge-Raw-Brass-Round-Stamping-Blank-32-mm-A0420/32748744039.html

I’ve also thought about using some stencils to paint/write the words onto a coin and then using an engraving tip on a Dremel to engrave the words. To that end I bought some diamond tip bits and a desktop/drill vice.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Mini-Carving-Bench-Clamp-Drill-Press-Vice-Hand-Micro-Clip-Flat-DIY-Tools/32835836125.html

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/30-pcs-Diamond-Burrs-For-Dremel-Rotary-Tool-Drill-Bit-NEW/32506510058.html

Attempt No. 1

This is with a steel disc from ebay. The letters were drawn on with a marker and stencil. Then I used a diamond engraving tip in a  Dremel  (other rotary tools are available) to go over the letters…

Not a bad effort but I can do better!!

Attempt No. 2

Using a real coin as the base disc! The first step is to remove the embossed content of the original design using a grinding stone bit, flappy sandpaper bit (not sure what you call it!), wire brush bit, polishing bit (with polishing compound). 

Then write the letters with a template and engrave them out again with the diamond tipped bits. 

Here’s a before and after removing the face of the coin…

 

OK…. so the coin itself is way better but my engraving still sucks!

I think that I need to look at engraving machines or do lots more practice at freehand engraving!

 

 

I was going to a festival and had spotted a cart/trolly in Asda to drag the boy around in. Weather forecast was scorching sun and/or thunderstorms! So commenced “Operation Gypsy Space Caravan”

The folding trolley, its an Ozark Folding Trolley and cost me £40 from Asda.

This is what it looks like when its folded up…

 

Requirements:

• Should be able to flat-pack
• Should be water proof (ish)
• Should provide sun shelter
• Should be light weight

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I’ve got loads of various ply off-cuts left over from doing the van, so the cunning plan was to build a frame from ply that I could then drape silver insulation / bubble wrap over, which I also have stacks of left over!

I decided the ply frame should just slot into each other so that it can flat pack easily and any piece should go anyway around so I don’t need to label them.

 

This is going pretty well so far…. at this point though I realised that it also comes apart fairly easily so a few strategically drilled holes allowed me to keep everything pressed together with bungee cords.

The idea with the cover was to have it able to roll up the sides or slide the front half back over the back half. In reality it was either all on or slid back and I didn’t ever roll it up.

To fix the cover in place each end of the two strips is rolled and glued around a piece of dowel, I added some furniture tacks as well as I wasn’t convinced the glue would be enough. I then added hooks in each end of the bits of dowel (so 4 bits of dowel and eight hooks in total). I could then loop more bungy cords over the hooks and through the frame of the trolley to keep the covers in place.

In all its glory…

Flat-packed and stored in the trolly…

  

Seal of approval…. I ended up having a cool box in the back with his pillows leaning against the cool box. Good for water, snacks and beer 😀

It proved to be robust enough to survive with his nibbs climbing in and out of it and sitting on the the lower horizontal bars. He also loved it so much that when he wasn’t in it, he insisted on pulling it.

Downsides.

The whole thing is heavier than I would like it to be and it was a massive festival site that I was dragging him over so it ended up being quite hard work but still worth it. I will aim to reduce the weight before the next festival. I would also like to add fairy lights, a dragons head on the front and a tail at the back!

Click on the links below to jump to the various sections of this design….

• Intro
• Brief & Inspiration
• Time & Money
• Preliminary Sketches & Development
• Review So Far!

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Intro

The idea behind this one was just another prop to add to the combination goat / faun / devil outfit. It is going to be a blank contract for possession of a soul that I can then carry round with me and get victims / punters to sign two copies one for me and one for them.

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Brief & Inspiration

I can’t remember what inspired me to do this but here are some examples I’ve scavenged from the internet…

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Time & Money

This should be a fairly cheap one to do as there are not many materials involved and most of those I’ve got to hand.

	Estimated	So Far…
Time to Design	3 hrs	1 hrs
Time to Build (Including sourcing/scrounging materials!)	3 hrs	0 hrs
Cost to Build	£5	£0

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Preliminary Sketches & Development

A few links to aging paper techniques. I’m not going to go into too much detail here as this is an easy one!

http://cephalopodprods.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/paper-ageing-techniques/
http://www.curbly.com/users/diy-maven/posts/863-how-to-antique-paper
http://www.hintsandthings.co.uk/library/tips.htm

Along with aging the paper I want to add “blood” stains and maybe a wineglass stain. Once I have a few different versions, I will pick the best and add a wax seal and ribbons.

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Review So Far!

Its looking pretty good so far! Searched around on dafont.com and 1001FreeFonts.com to find a suitably curly font to use and on google images to find some swirly embellishments!

The dying of the pages was done by wiping the pages in tea and then sprinkling them with instant coffee granules before smearing the coffee around. Then cooking them at 100° until the edges start to curl up.

Next steps are possibly some more staining and the wax seals.

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Update:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Skull-Wax-Seal-Stamp-wedding-stamp-party-initial-wax-seal-stamp-set-sealing-wax-vintage-stamp/32836200590.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.wIVFqo

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/12-colors-Vintage-Retro-Sealing-Wax-Seal-Dedicated-Beeswax-Stick-Wax-Strips-Paint-Stamp-Rod-Wax/32846603607.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.wIVFqo

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Wine-Red-Silk-Satin-Ribbon-with-gold-Wedding-Party-Decor-Gift-Wrapping-Christmas-New-Year-Apparel/32552459518.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.wIVFqo

 

 

Click on the links below to jump to the various sections of this design….

• Intro
• Brief & Inspiration
• Time & Money
• Preliminary Sketches & Development
• Making

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Intro

Steam punk accessories and equipment that can be used with many costumes.

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Brief & Inspiration

[pin_board url=”https://uk.pinterest.com/fearpig/nerf-gun-ideas/”]In case my Pinterest plugin stops working again, here’s a link to the board…
https://uk.pinterest.com/fearpig/nerf-gun-ideas/

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Time & Money

	Estimated	So Far…
Time to Design	2 hrs	1 hrs
Time to Build (Including sourcing/scrounging materials!)	6 hrs	0 hrs
Cost to Build	£50	£7

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Preliminary Sketches & Development

I am going to use a Nerf Maverik as the base for this as it is cheap, actually shoots a dart, looks great and importantly is cheap (£7).

There are also various attachments that can be fitted to the Nerf Maverik that could easily go through the same sort of modifications.

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Making!

So on we go….

1. Sand Down any bits you don’t want. I used a 240 grit sand paper to remove the Nerf logo and any of the text I didn’t want.

2. Take it apart…. take lots of photos as you go so you can easily remember how to put it back together. Put screws into separate, labelled baggies!

3. Undercoat, still not sure on the colour scheme so far but its going to be a dark colour scheme so I’m going for a matt black base layer. I was pretty heavy on the paint so actually had to sand some pits back and respray them once it was all screwed back together. Even so it still looks pretty good so far….. please note the single unidentified screw. Still not sure where that came from but it seems to work fine without it. I also had to fire about 20 times before the action was smooth again, at a guess the paint was too thick in some sections and just wore down or settled in some way. I certainly would not like to do too many layers over the moving parts!

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