Smashing music box for Next to Normal

[VCTMike]

Anyone have ideas on a breakaway or smashing music box? In Next to Normal Dan tosses it to the floor and I need something that can be put back together for each performance.

 

[josh88]

Anyone have ideas on a breakaway or smashing music box? In Next to Normal Dan tosses it to the floor and I need something that can be put back together for each performance.

could you make a box and instead of gluing/screwing sides have the pieces you want to break off held together with magnets inside? throw it to the ground and the force breaks the magnetic connection and then you just put it back together afterwards. There's probably a better approach but that was what came to mind first for me.

 

[VCTMike]

could you make a box and instead of gluing/screwing sides have the pieces you want to break off held together with weak magnets inside? throw it to the ground and the force breaks the magnetic connection and then you just put it back together afterwards. There's probably a better approach but that was what came to mind first for me.

I was thinking along the same lines... that or maybe low temp hot melt glue dabbed on the corner joints. I was going to use this as a starting point:

and have the bottom also attached with magnets or hot melt glue. I would attach the lid as shown with hinges to the rear piece. Anyone see a problem with this thought process?

 

[Van]

Actually what VCTMike is proposing is what I was going to do! Last show of our season is NTN. you can pick up a packet of rare earth magnets at Harbor freight for $4 or something. just drill divots and epoxy then into the seams. Rather than "weak magnets" you want something that will hold up to handling. We did a similar thing for "3 sisters" last year, one of the daughters throws a small china clock and it's supposed to break every night, that one we molded out of PLasticene then embedded the magnets.

 

[VCTMike]

Actually what VCTMike is proposing is what I was going to do! Last show of our season is NTN. you can pick up a packet of rare earth magnets at Harbor freight for $4 or something. just drill divots and epoxy then into the seams. Rather than "weak magnets" you want something that will hold up to handling. We did a similar thing for "3 sisters" last year, one of the daughters throws a small china clock and it's supposed to break every night, that one we molded out of PLasticene then embedded the magnets.

Sounds like a plan. There's a Harbor Freight nearby too.