Fiber Optic / Pneumatic whips
I have seen several air cannons as well as several "air blasters"
on the Internet.
One idea really caught my eye. I have no idea where it
originated, or even where I saw it first, but I will finish
this version of it for the Hinton Haunted House, 2002.
I don't know the name of this prop, so for the time being, it will be called
the Pneumatic Whips prop. Air enters the female coupling at right and exits
through the four brass ferrule fittings inserted into each "tee." I have attached a
twelve inch length of vinyl tubing to each fitting. (See photo below) The intent here
is to use enough air to make the tubing whip around erratically.
I found the page that inspired me. (...give credit where credit is due.)
In the dark, this prop would be great. Visitors to the haunt could hear
the air hissing through the hose, and feel the air blowing around ankle level.
With soft black rubber tubing (which I plan to add after testing) this prop
would be undetectable in a dark hallway.
This is where Brian's creative genius came in. He suggested we find a way to
add a light to each hose. The effect would resemble an angry, ankle-biting
firefly. The plan is to trigger the air and light to activate with a momentary switch.
How do we put a light at the end of a hose and still maintain the
whipping effect? I guess that rules out LED's. The super bright variety
would certainly be bright enough, but the wires (whether inside the tubing
or out) would interfere with the necessary flexibility.
We would never forget the safety issue either. A piece of hard plastic
could possibly do some damage. We want to MIMIC the ankle-biting
fireflies. ...So, how about fiber optics?
As of May, 2002, I have only purchased the Fiber Optic Cable. I have
not assembled the "lighting" part of this prop. I would, however,
gladly recommend the source from which this cable was acquired:
I went to this online store with absolutely no knowledge of
Fiber Optics. After reading through their pages for about thirty minutes,
I ordered some cable with great confidence. The product arrived quickly, and
the company contacted me within a few days just to "check up" on things.
Go to:
