Pneumatic Coffin Lid, Phase 1

No work on the fence today, but I did work on my coffin lid opener. I made yet another trip to the hardware store and picked up a set of metal files. I needed a file to file down the clevis mount FrightProps sent me. They eventually decided to send me the right one but I didn't want to wait for it so I went ahead and filed down the wrong one to the right size.

The old plywood coffin is a bit heavy and poorly constructed. Once I put the cylinder kit together it took me awhile to figure out where attach it for the effect I wanted. Finally I decided to mount it at the foot of the coffin, but the sides were too thin for the screws. I had to measure and cut a piece of 2x4 to glue and screw to the foot of the coffin so that the cylinder mount would have something to screw into. Everything was going well until I tried to screw in the mount. That 2x4 was a tough SOB and I nearly stripped all the screws. I gave myself a blood-blister at one point when the screw slipped and I started to screw my forefinger.

I did the same thing to the top of the lid, measured and cut a shorter piece of 2x4 for the clevis mount to screw into. I was lucky that the 2 pieces of 2x4 didn't hit each other when the lid closed all the way. I determined the placement of the clevis mount, marked the place, and the had to drill pilot holes for the 2 screws that go into the mount. I still had trouble with it. Those 2x4s are tough bastards or my drill bits are weak, I don't know which.

Once the cylinder mechanism was in place I took a break and went to run errands with Kat for the rest of the afternoon. We picked up the rest of our costume supplies. When we got back I drilled access holes in the back of the coffin for air tubes and cables, and cut some supports for the back so it won't rest directly on the ground.

Next I gave the inside a quick once over the the black spray paint to hide the plywood and the new 2x4s I'd added. I touched up some of the outside of the coffin where there was light paint from last year and then redid the lid. Last year I'd painted a rough white cross on the lid, but that looked bad so this year I painted R.I.P in white. It's only slightly better than nothing.

When I tried to hook up the air compressor and give it all a test I determined that I didn't have the right sized hookup for the air hose. I'll have to make yet another run to the hardware store tomorrow.