Organ Harvesting Device

$50 - $60 (based on 2020 prices)

Makes one device

 

2020’s mad scientist haunt was a massive undertaking, with the laboratory needing several large pieces of equipment to truly sell the theme. To create a unified set, I decided to use similar elements in all of the pieces: copper and silver pipes and joints, lights fashioned out of Christmas ornaments, and steel-colored bases. For this version, I repurposed an old light-up stack of skulls which had been a decorative element in the haunts for years.

• One 12” x 24” board of foam insulation
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in flat black
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic copper
• One 10 oz. can of interior/exterior, fast-drying spray paint in metallic silver
• A random assortment of bolts, caps, rollers, and screws
• One 4 oz. bottle of clear, all-purpose tacky glue gel*
• One 2” x 6’ PVC pipe
• Four two-inch PVC elbow joints
• Two two-inch PVC angled joints
• Two two-inch PVC cross joints
• One two-inch PVC coupling joint
• One one-inch PVC coupling joint
• One light-up skull tower (roughly seventeen inches tall)
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in red chestnut*
• One 8 oz. can of oil-based interior wood stain in Jacobean*
• One 2 oz. bottle of acrylic paint in flat black*
• One twelve-inch glass candle votive with removable base
• One ten-inch wooden dowel
• Two severed eyeballs (learn how to make them here)
• One 0.3 fluid ounce bottle of red food coloring*
• One 4 oz. bottle of clear, all-purpose tacky glue gel*
• Four feet of 3/4” clear plastic tubing
• Six clear plastic Christmas ornaments (two inches in diameter)
• One foot of red steel wire
• One foot of black steel wire
• One hot glue stick

1. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, build up layers of black and metallic silver spray paint to give the foam board the look of steel. I found it works best to apply a base coat of black to the entire prop and then add the sliver, working in quick bursts to allow parts of the black to remain visible. You can also touch up portions with additional blasts of black if the silver becomes too heavy.

2. Detail the board with the assortment of bolts and screws, applying a small dab of glue to the bottoms of their heads and pushing them into the foam. Your arrangement is entirely based on your chosen aesthetic, so you can apply as many or as little as you like.

3. Measure, mark, and cut the PVC pipe into one fourteen-inch section, one eight-inch section, four seven-inch sections, one five-inch section, three four-inch sections, and one three-inch section.

4. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, give the pipe sections two even coats of copper spray paint and the joints two coats of silver. You can always vary the colors to cater the prop to your haunt’s distinct color scheme.

5. Since the insides of the angled and coupling joints will remain visible with the finished prop, paint them black to darken their interiors.

6. Assemble the joints and pipes as shown in the picture to create the frame for the harvesting device and then, using hot glue, attach it to the foam board. You may need to use a collection of sturdy objects to help support the framework while the glue fully dries.

7. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well-ventilated area, stain the skull tower. You want the color to build up in the cracks and fissures. You can use whatever color you desire. I chose red chestnut because it gives the bones a meaty appearance. Once you have achieved your intended look, allow the tower to completely dry and then paint the insides of the eyes and noses black.

8. Accent the skulls with a variety of bolts, caps, rollers, and screws. To ensure they remain in place, use an industrial-strength glue and, for the bolts and screws, drill holes into the bones (be careful not to nick the electrical wiring) and glue the items in place.

9. Position the tower near the two protruding pipes with the angled joints and glue it in place. You want to leave enough room between the skulls and the joints to accommodate the tubing, so do not place them too close.

10. On a newspaper-lined surface in a well ventilated area, paint the candle votive with the Jacobean wood stain. I discovered that applying a thin coat and patting it with paper towels produces a hazed appearance. Then, dab the surfaces with the red chestnut wood stain to create spots of dried blood.

11. Cut the wooden dowel into one six-inch section and one four-inch section, give them two even coats of silver paint, and then glue them to the base of the votive. As with step eight, an industrial-strength glue will ensure a sturdier hold.

12. Position the eyes on the ends of the dowels and glue them in place. You want the yarn to dangle downward to wrap around the dowels in step fifteen.

13. Place the base on the board, situate it near the one-inch coupling, and glue it down. As with step nine, you want to allow enough space between the votive and the coupling to accommodate the piping.

14. In a plastic container (because the food coloring will stain, use something disposable or that you won’t mind dying), pour in your desired amount of clear glue gel and slowly add red food coloring to the solution until it achieves the sanguine hue you desire. To give the blood further density, add blue food coloring and mix well.

15. Saturate the yarn dangling from the eyeballs in the blood glue and wrap the strands around the dowels to make it look like the optic nerves have clung to the stand. After this, pool blood on the base around the dowels.

16. Cut the tubing into three sections (one nine-inch piece, one fifteen-inch piece, and one nineteen-inch piece), fill the tubing with the blood glue, and allow it to dry. Based on the space between the skull tower and the piping and the votive and the coupling, you may need to adjust the measurements of the sections.

17. Use a 3/4” bit to drill two holes into the skulls (be careful not to nick the electrical wiring) and feed the tubing from the angled joints into the openings. You may need to trim the tubing if it is too long to prevent the excess from bunching up inside the prop.

18. Reattached the glass sleeve no the votive, glue it in place, and run the tubing from the one-inch coupling into the votive. As with step seventeen, you might need to trim the tubing if it is too long.

19. Use the remaining blood glue to detail the prop, dribbling the liquid around the junctures where the tubing enters the joints and skulls, pouring it down the sides of the votive’s glass, and creating puddles at the base of the skull tower.

20. Remove the hanging loop from the Christmas ornament, cut a jagged opening into the ball, and dust the interior with a blast of black spray paint to give the illusion the light bulb has burst.

21. Fashion a filament to rest inside the ornament with strands of black and red steel wire and two pieces of a hot glue stick.

22. Insert the filament into the bulb and glue it to the two-inch coupling resting at the top of the frame to give the illusion the bulb has burst during the experiment.

23. The prop can be enhanced further with additional details to cater it toward your haunt’s needs, like swarms of maggots crawling across the skulls and eyes for additional creepiness. Also, the red food coloring can be substituted for green to make slime rather than blood. 

*You will not use the entire bottle’s content for this project.