Chris Craig
New Member
I wish id came up with the bird house idea haha Would have saved so much time. Loads of sanding and filling left to do on these.
The Conjuring Music Box
- Thread starter Chris Craig
- Start date
I wish id came up with the bird house idea haha Would have saved so much time. Loads of sanding and filling left to do on these.
Great start. I might have to take a crack at this myself.
Next, we need the inner "liner" to cover the birdhouse hole in the back and to create the little lip to fit inside the lid when it is closed. I cut strips of plywood on the table saw:
Then 60° miters were sanded on each end at the right length as I worked around the hexagon:
Then 60° miters were sanded on each end at the right length as I worked around the hexagon:
Now to start the creepy little clown! I stuck a styrofoam ball on a bass wood stick and sanded it to rough shape to make a light-weight armature for the sculpture. Light-weight so that the music box movement will be able to bob it up and down.
Next, mix and flatten a thin sheet of Apoxie Sculpt and cover the styrofoam:
Next, mix and flatten a thin sheet of Apoxie Sculpt and cover the styrofoam:
allosaur176
Sr Member
Looking great!!!!
Chris Craig
New Member
Started painting mone earlier. Need to wait until my clown and music box parts arrive before I make the hole for the clown just incase he doesn't fit.
Belladonna
Well-Known Member
Subscribing! This is an awesome idea! I loved this movie 
Chris Craig
New Member
I never copped the slanted cut either, Im interested to see how you make the clown bob? Im thinking of just leaving the mirror static.
I am working up a post now with the clown bob. For the mirror, you can find small, round music boxes that have a metal base as their "key." You wind it up by turning this base. Once it is wound, you set it down on the base and the box revolves while the key/base remains stationary on the table. I am going to try to put that sort of movement in the lid so that it can be wound by turning the mirror, then, as it winds down, the mirror will slowly revolve back in the opposite direction. The trick will be getting the opening of the lid to trigger both movements.
epilepticsquirl
Sr Member
I was thinking of using a small motor for the mirror and a simple little bump switch on the lid. Solder the power wires to the hinges and run it to a master on/off switch on the bottom.
Your boxes are looking great, following you all has been giving me some great ideas!
Your boxes are looking great, following you all has been giving me some great ideas!
So here is the movement:
All I really need, as it turns out, is the square metal attachment on the end of the bar going out to the airplane.
This is a good time to mention that I made the song creepy and unrecognizable by breaking off one of the musical "tines" and then loosening the screws and shifting the whole set of tines over by the width of one tine. Now all the pins pluck the wrong tines and it sounds weird and unfamiliar. There is a YouTube video with the actual music box output isolated so that you could play it electronically from a sound chip in the box, but I like the "no batteries required" aspect of this.
Next we need to make a cam for the music box to turn so the clown can bob. I used 1/4" styrene:
After cutting it out on the scroll saw I drilled a hole in the center and squared it off with a needle file to fit snugly on the fitting on the end of the music box drum:
The sloppiness of all of this is intentional so as to impart some randomness into the clown's movement
(Yeah, right!)
All I really need, as it turns out, is the square metal attachment on the end of the bar going out to the airplane.
This is a good time to mention that I made the song creepy and unrecognizable by breaking off one of the musical "tines" and then loosening the screws and shifting the whole set of tines over by the width of one tine. Now all the pins pluck the wrong tines and it sounds weird and unfamiliar. There is a YouTube video with the actual music box output isolated so that you could play it electronically from a sound chip in the box, but I like the "no batteries required" aspect of this.
Next we need to make a cam for the music box to turn so the clown can bob. I used 1/4" styrene:
After cutting it out on the scroll saw I drilled a hole in the center and squared it off with a needle file to fit snugly on the fitting on the end of the music box drum:
The sloppiness of all of this is intentional so as to impart some randomness into the clown's movement
(Yeah, right!)
Now, I will do my best to explain this photo:
First, note that the key emerges from the movement at the correct spot on the right side at the right height in the correct one of the hexagon's vertices. All it needs is a decorative extension straight out through the side of the box. At the bottom, near the front wall, is the white cam. To its left is a piece of brass channel glued vertically to the front of the box. This guides the cam follower (the brass rod with the loop in its end) as it rides the cam up and down and keeps it from flipping off the end of one "arm" of the cam and missing the next one. The cam follower pivots in a screw eye mounted on the back wall of the box. To the left of the cam follower is a vertical brass rod mounted to the bottom of the box. The tube I inserted in the bottom of the clown:
slides over this rod and this keeps the clown upright. The brass tube with the brass bead in its end that sticks out of the clown's neck at a right angle rides on the cam follower and transmits it's up and down motion to the clown.
Uh oh!
The clown's head has gotta be smaller or the hole in the hexagon has gotta be bigger!
To be continued…
First, note that the key emerges from the movement at the correct spot on the right side at the right height in the correct one of the hexagon's vertices. All it needs is a decorative extension straight out through the side of the box. At the bottom, near the front wall, is the white cam. To its left is a piece of brass channel glued vertically to the front of the box. This guides the cam follower (the brass rod with the loop in its end) as it rides the cam up and down and keeps it from flipping off the end of one "arm" of the cam and missing the next one. The cam follower pivots in a screw eye mounted on the back wall of the box. To the left of the cam follower is a vertical brass rod mounted to the bottom of the box. The tube I inserted in the bottom of the clown:
slides over this rod and this keeps the clown upright. The brass tube with the brass bead in its end that sticks out of the clown's neck at a right angle rides on the cam follower and transmits it's up and down motion to the clown.
Uh oh!
The clown's head has gotta be smaller or the hole in the hexagon has gotta be bigger!
To be continued…
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Plan B: move the tube over to the left so as to move the head to the center:
I added the sharp little rod on the the side of the neck to keep the head from rotating too much as it rides the cam follower up and down. I also had to carve away a fair amount under the posterior skull of the clown so that it clears the music box movement and can settle well down into the box.
Now to extend the key…
I added the sharp little rod on the the side of the neck to keep the head from rotating too much as it rides the cam follower up and down. I also had to carve away a fair amount under the posterior skull of the clown so that it clears the music box movement and can settle well down into the box.
Now to extend the key…
First, I found a threaded nylon (edit: use aluminum, the nylon strips too easily!) spacer to act as a coupler between the key shaft and a piece of 6-32 threaded rod:
Then, I found a key with a suitable bow (this was at the hardware store with the furniture locks and catches.
Then I cut off the shaft and ward and drilled and tapped the bow for 6-32:
Next, drill the box and line the hole with brass tubing just larger in ID than the new key extension:
Add a piece of brass tubing over the threaded rod and the key is ready:
Then, I found a key with a suitable bow (this was at the hardware store with the furniture locks and catches.
Then I cut off the shaft and ward and drilled and tapped the bow for 6-32:
Next, drill the box and line the hole with brass tubing just larger in ID than the new key extension:
Add a piece of brass tubing over the threaded rod and the key is ready:
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