Cool!, I was kinda hoping it was green, I was gonna paint mine green even if it wasn't right.
Pee-Wee's Big Adventure Clown
- Thread starter Duckbutt
- Start date
Duckbutt
Well-Known Member
As usual, not as much progress as I would like (where did all the weekend go?) .. finished the upper body woodworking today though. Haven't decided yet how I'm gonna attach the head. Hopefully tomorrow I can drill and install the mechanical pieces to finally have an assembled body.
There are a million smaller things to do still. Looking forward to the day the suit goes on and I can work on the next piece (shoes and base) ...
There are a million smaller things to do still. Looking forward to the day the suit goes on and I can work on the next piece (shoes and base) ...
PeeWeeFan
Well-Known Member
I believe that I have come up with a good way to reproduce the clown's plastic torso. There is a material called Wonderflex that a lot of cosplay people use to produce armor. It's essentially a thermoplastic with some additional mesh for added structural support. Using a heat gun, the material can be shaped. An existing torso could be covered in aluminum foil (to prevent sticking) and a sheet of Wonderflex applied. From the videos and tutorials that I have watched/read, it looks easy to work with.
I really did not want to tear apart my latest clown to do it, but if someone were interested in experimenting with one of theirs, I would be willing to pay for the material and have it shipped to you. If the experiment works, I would of course want the resulting torso pieces.
I really did not want to tear apart my latest clown to do it, but if someone were interested in experimenting with one of theirs, I would be willing to pay for the material and have it shipped to you. If the experiment works, I would of course want the resulting torso pieces.
Yeah, it's even from the Tim Burton Planet of the Apes
Duckbutt
Well-Known Member
PWF - I may give that a try .. I'm fast approaching the time for forming the torso cover.
Tonight I'm gonna weld the arm collar, then finish assembling the body (got it drilled out last night, but need to pick up longer bolts). I have also been using a pneumatic nail/staple gun for my recent assembly. I'd highly recommend it, as expected you can really fly through the assembly of the body, plastics, suit, base, etc.
On a side note, I suspect the movie clown might have been yet another permutation - older face paint with the thicker neck head. If you look at the screen captures, the neck doesn't have much curve, and begins around the cheeks. And if you look at the A/B photos I posted previously, the face angles are nearly the same, but the movie neck is much wider (my clown is pretty much the same as the Night of the Comet clown).
I do think the hair is the same material, just more of it. I'm gonna order some 3" shag fabric samples eventually to find a match. Also need to match the material and colors for the hat.
Tonight I'm gonna weld the arm collar, then finish assembling the body (got it drilled out last night, but need to pick up longer bolts). I have also been using a pneumatic nail/staple gun for my recent assembly. I'd highly recommend it, as expected you can really fly through the assembly of the body, plastics, suit, base, etc.
On a side note, I suspect the movie clown might have been yet another permutation - older face paint with the thicker neck head. If you look at the screen captures, the neck doesn't have much curve, and begins around the cheeks. And if you look at the A/B photos I posted previously, the face angles are nearly the same, but the movie neck is much wider (my clown is pretty much the same as the Night of the Comet clown).
I do think the hair is the same material, just more of it. I'm gonna order some 3" shag fabric samples eventually to find a match. Also need to match the material and colors for the hat.
crimsonghost
New Member
Im new here, and this is the first forum ive ever joined. I am very excited to have found others who share an intrest in these mechanical clowns. Ive searched locally for years trying to find one to restore with no luck. It seems you guys really know your stuff about these. For those of us newbies who might have to build one from scratch, can anyone recommend places to get parts, or templates to make the parts ourselves. Thanks in advance.
Duckbutt
Well-Known Member
Greetings! I plan to make one big post eventually with materials and measurements/templates, in case anyone else decides to scratch build a clown. There are still some materials to be identified (hair, hat/suit fabric, etc) but a lot has been documented in the thread so far. I'm hoping one day to have heads, shoes, and wheels for kits. But as you can tell from the posts, most of us are still in the midst of clown production.
BestBike
Active Member
Welcome, CG. I'm not building a clown (at least yet) so all I can do is cheer you on. But your in great hands with DB and PWF. They are killin' it on researching, restoring and replicating this thing. They've made amazing progress in a short period of time. Just wanted to say welcome. -- BB
Just curious, where does your interest in this clown stem from? "Big Adventure" or something else?
crimsonghost
New Member
Thank you BB
As a kid i saw both the clown and gorilla in front of a vacuum store. They both scared the hell outta me. As i grew older i got into prop making for haunted houses, etc. The more research i did the further down the rabbit hole i went. I remembered the laughing clowns that used to sit on the roof of fun houses and how id just stand there watching them. It creeped me out but fascinated me at the same time. Now that im older and i tell my son about the good ole days, i really have nothing to show except maybe a few photos off the net. I think my interest is as much a love of different and creepy things as it is trying to preserve a peice of childhood history. The clowns and gorillas i used to see have just vanished. Ive ran ads looking for one for years with no luck. The fun house clowns and big lady in the rocking chairs etc seem to be as hard to find. Finding this thread was like finding gold. At least i know the clowns have not been forgotten, and some kid out there will get as big of a kick or scare as i did....
As a kid i saw both the clown and gorilla in front of a vacuum store. They both scared the hell outta me. As i grew older i got into prop making for haunted houses, etc. The more research i did the further down the rabbit hole i went. I remembered the laughing clowns that used to sit on the roof of fun houses and how id just stand there watching them. It creeped me out but fascinated me at the same time. Now that im older and i tell my son about the good ole days, i really have nothing to show except maybe a few photos off the net. I think my interest is as much a love of different and creepy things as it is trying to preserve a peice of childhood history. The clowns and gorillas i used to see have just vanished. Ive ran ads looking for one for years with no luck. The fun house clowns and big lady in the rocking chairs etc seem to be as hard to find. Finding this thread was like finding gold. At least i know the clowns have not been forgotten, and some kid out there will get as big of a kick or scare as i did....
Duckbutt
Well-Known Member
Here's a pic of the waving arm collar - 1.5" long, 0.5" diameter, bored to 0.25". I'm just using a single 3/16" rod for each arm, as opposed to twisting two smaller rods. This is pretty comparable size-wise, but small enough to still be bent by hand to reposition.
Tonight is body assembly, then this weekend the sliding piece will be milled.
Tonight is body assembly, then this weekend the sliding piece will be milled.
BestBike
Active Member
Awesome story, CG. Yes. You DEFINITELY need to end up with one of these things -- be it a restoration project or a replica build. And now that you've found this thread, I see an automated clown in your future.
My interest in the clown comes from a love of "Big Adventure" and Pee-wee in general. Think most people here are building clowns as the ultimate accessory for the PWBA bike builds.
Now that I heard your story, I'm anxious for you to get started on a clown. -- BB
My interest in the clown comes from a love of "Big Adventure" and Pee-wee in general. Think most people here are building clowns as the ultimate accessory for the PWBA bike builds.
Now that I heard your story, I'm anxious for you to get started on a clown. -- BB
Duckbutt
Well-Known Member
I'll have atleast one, and probably two, restored clowns for sale at some point. But that won't be for awhile, since they're currently disassembled for reference. They're also something that's best to pick up in person, unless you want to pay for crate shipping (who am I to judge, I have done it three times). I would suggest searching Craigslist or antique advertising collections as the best bet to finding one.
I saw PWBA in the theater and have always had it in my top childhood movies (The Goonies being another). I started collecting bike parts a few years ago, and decided to see if the clown could be found for displaying next to it. I've got three clowns now, and usually keep one waving by the doors to our 80s arcade room. Too many hobbies, not enough time ...
I saw PWBA in the theater and have always had it in my top childhood movies (The Goonies being another). I started collecting bike parts a few years ago, and decided to see if the clown could be found for displaying next to it. I've got three clowns now, and usually keep one waving by the doors to our 80s arcade room. Too many hobbies, not enough time ...
PeeWeeFan
Well-Known Member
I matched the colors and bought the vinyl. I actually had them take apart the original suit and make a pattern from it. They only had to take apart the yellow-green suit itself. The original cuffs and hat they simply measured.
- - - Updated - - -
I guess if a guy really wanted to lose weight quick, just put on the suit and take a jog!
Duckbutt
Well-Known Member
Starting to look like an animated mechanical advertising robot finally! Here are some photos, with my second clown behind it for comparison.
Drilled the motor cutout with a 2" hole saw, used 3" long 0.25" bolts for the spine rods (on both of my clowns, the pivoting arm is about 4" above the top of the wooden spine piece).
Next is milling the horizontal sliding piece, greasing everything, attaching the speed nuts, then wiring the motor to the power cord.
Drilled the motor cutout with a 2" hole saw, used 3" long 0.25" bolts for the spine rods (on both of my clowns, the pivoting arm is about 4" above the top of the wooden spine piece).
Next is milling the horizontal sliding piece, greasing everything, attaching the speed nuts, then wiring the motor to the power cord.
