Need to make a rock move

[JennMann84]

Hello, I need some help! I've just been handed a project with a swift approaching deadline.

I have to make a rock for a church VBS production about Moses and Israel in the wilderness. I plan to make it from Paper Mache and have already figured out how to make the water "spring forth" when it gets struck by Moses.

What I'm trying to figure out now is how to get it to move around on the stage. Our director wants it to look like it's following the charcters around, and then suddenly stop when they look back.

My first thought was to somehow rig a remote control car/truck to the rock, however they usually only have one speed setting which is a little zippier than what we need. Maybe a RC Tank or something would move slower? It needs to kind of "creep up" on the characters.

I only have a week to get this together. Any ideas are greatly appreciated
Thanks!

 

[avkid]

There's some really advanced high end R/C gear out there if you have the budget.

 

[Footer]

How big is the rock? There is always the low tech option of putting someone it and and have it propelled by some 9 year old.

 

[JennMann84]

There's some really advanced high end R/C gear out there if you have the budget.

For this project the cheaper the better, but I will look around.

 

[JennMann84]

How big is the rock? There is always the low tech option of putting someone it and and have it propelled by some 9 year old.

Fairly big, about 4ft high I think.
That was the original idea but with the water mechanism, I'm not sure this will work. Also I don't know many 9 year olds able to sit still that long =)

 

[shiben]

Fairly big, about 4ft high I think.
That was the original idea but with the water mechanism, I'm not sure this will work. Also I don't know many 9 year olds able to sit still that long =)

Then put a flyer from the cheer squad or a ballet dancer in there.

 

[sarahsliefie]

Put a small motor on a dimmer that will allow you to control the speed and turn it on and off. If you put two in there you could make it turn.

 

[Van]

I just built a rowboat for "Jack Goes Boating". I went on Craigs list and found a used power chair for $50.00. I rigged the motors inside the boat, under the middle seatwith only about 1.5 inches projecting below the bottom of the boat. I put swivel casters at the back end of the boat and mounted the joystick control next to the rear seat. I bet you could find plaenty of folks willing to volunteer to "drive the rock" no matter how cramped the space. People would fight over who got to move the rowboat. Anyway, a real person in the thing is probably the safest way to go on a low budget. Too many variables to go wrong if you tried to do it with just standard OTC radio control parts.

 

[MarshallPope]

There could also be the low-tech option of attaching a couple of pieces of fishing line to it, going offstage on either side and having people pull it.

 

[chausman]

I vote for sticking someone who doesn't have anything else to do in the rock. If you put it in casters, or better yet (something inhale seen before) carpet samples. They should slide fairly easily.

Just out of curiosity, how is the water going to be "springing forth"?


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[shiben]

I vote for sticking someone who doesn't have anything else to do in the rock. If you put it in casters, or better yet (something inhale seen before) carpet samples. They should slide fairly easily.

Just out of curiosity, how is the water going to be "springing forth"?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Well if someone is in there they can just operate a hand pump...

 

[JennMann84]

We're using a pump for a small fountain.
Pretty much it will be a mini fountain with the rock built up around it enough that the kids can't see the base and such. Since our platform is up high enough it should work *fingers crossed*

I'll have someone switch it on when Moses hits the rock.

We bought an RC Jeep today so we're going to try that first, and we will be constructing the rock structure this weekend.