Animatronics experts. I need your help

[Egon Spengler]

I'm trying to make a retractable extendable tentacle.

Can anyone please give me some pointers or possibly guide me along on how to do this? Maybe 'we', myself and whoever chooses to help can exchange ideas.

The tentacle would be hidden inside of a large object and need to extend out of it and be able to 'wiggle' around once outside of it.

This is for a Halloween project. Does Radio Shack have anything I could use?

Thanks.

 

[Egon Spengler]

bump

 

[rollerboi]

At first, I read this as something completely different than a "tentacle"!!! :lol

 

[Raffles]

A hollow light rubber tentacle with a small off centre holes near the end. Blow compressed air thru and it'll extend and writhe around. Fasten a length of fishing line inside from the tip to the base and have it "wound" in on a reel after it has been used. Use a timer or some sort of timed release pressure vessel to control the inflation and a switch looped onto the line so that once it is extended for a few seconds it starts to retract.

 

[Paradox]

Does the mechanism need to be automatic, or will it be operated at all times?

-G

 

[Egon Spengler]

I need to be able to operate it by a switch of some kind. The compressed air thing is good but it won't work because the box needs to be able to be carried around.

 

[Egon Spengler]

bump

 

[Darth Lars]

I am also looking for more info on something like this. So far, the best resources I've found are in this thread on The Effects Lab.

I think you could wiggle it manually by having it firmly attached to something in the middle of the rig, and moving the other end around with muscle power. If I am not mistaken, that is how Jabba got his tail wiggling in ROTJ. I don't see why that idea could not be applied to small size.
To make it appear, maybe just push it out of a tube?