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SPIDER JUMPER

  

 
This was my favorite project to date, and the one I'm most proud of. The "Spider Jumper" is a remote controlled prop that when triggered, 3 things happen at the same time: the lid snaps open, the spider inside shoots straight up out the top of the cage, and it hisses. All in less than a second. It scared a lot of people, some dramatically.

 

    Closed position, it lurks                                        

Open in a snap!
 

First up, the cage:

 

The bamboo came from some bargain tiki torches I got for a buck apiece. They were cut to length, then split with a putty
knife and hammer.

 

Next the basic shape was hot-glued together, then every slat was wrapped with steel wire, and finally thick twine.

 

Next is The Linkage:

 

 

The action comes from a screen door closer, converted to a pneumatic cylinder. When compressed air is pumped into it,
the cylinder 1: pushes the spider up, and 2: pulls down the back of the cage lid linkage, opening it.

 

The blue arrows show the pivot points. The red arrows show the direction the bars travel. The cylinder is fastened down
tight, but notice the wide dark bar is allowed to swivel a bit.

 

 On to Page 2!

Any questions or comments? Contact me at:  laz123@mchsi.com