Thanks to u/stackhight-unknown for the idea, and Fright Props for the how-to video.

I originally used a powered window motor and a 3-D printed shaft adapter but that finally broke. I found a cheap windshield wiper motor on amazon and subbed that in. One of my favorite things about this hobby is finding random stuff in my garage that I have saved and using that. I had this bracket from something that I used to mount the motor.

The "mound" is some wire mesh with cardboard taped over it then plastic bags followed by some organic looking fabric my wife got for inside decor. This will eventually be hooked up to shelly relays and motion sensor. The tombstone is a styrofoam one my dad made in the 90's. "Here lies Poker Playing Steve. Caught with an ace up his sleeve."

My original Jack-o'-lantern monster mask, sculpted entirely by hand without 3D printing and handcrafted from fiberglass.

I experimented with three paint variations: white, yellow, and orange.

Which color do you think works best for this design? 🎃

Need to get 1 more tarp. And do a little more detail work. I can't stop walking through this thing.

Our front yard is raised and the hedges dont really let you see it anyway, from sidewalk to top of the hedges is around 8 foot tall. So we wanted a solution that was economical and looked great. So last year we bought a roll of beef netting, and gave it a shot. These are our beef netting spider webs this year. We have learned a lot from last year (our first time doing it). And I think this years look even better. We have a ton of spiders about hand size that fill it out nicely. And it really helps set the scene when people walk up to the house. We also set up some lights to highlight areas. Our main attraction is the back patio which we build like a giant spider nest with fog and sounds to go with it.

made it for the occasion

I'm hoping someone with more electrical knowledge than me can take a quick look at my setup and confirm whether I've wired everything correctly and, more importantly, whether it's safe.

I'm a complete novice when it comes to electrical wiring, so please forgive me if I'm using the wrong terminology!

What I'm trying to accomplish:

I purchased a small 12V DC inline blower fan that I'm planning to use for a DIY Halloween fog machine setup. The blower came with two exposed wires (red and black), but I want to be able to plug it into a regular household 120V outlet.

After doing some research, I purchased a 12V 5A AC-to-DC power supply and a female DC barrel connector with screw terminals.

Here are the three components I'm using:

1. Yaegoo Marine Boat 3" Inline Bilge Air Blower — 12V DC, 130 CFM

   https://a.co/d/0dEUxiOe

2. ALITOVE 12V 5A Power Supply Adapter — 60W

   https://a.co/d/04cTkjR4

3. Female DC Power Connector — 5.5mm × 2.1mm, screw-terminal adapter

   https://a.co/d/00PwcCFe

(I've attached three photos showing the components, the wiring connections, and the assembled setup.)

How I connected everything:

The blower has two wires: red and black.

I connected the red wire to the positive (+) screw terminal on the female DC barrel connector and the black wire to the negative (−) terminal.

I then plugged the power supply's male barrel connector into the female connector.

My understanding is that the power supply converts the 120V AC from my wall outlet into 12V DC, which is what the blower requires.

My questions:

1. Is this wired correctly? Based on the photos, does everything look properly connected?

2. Is the power supply appropriate? It's rated for 12V DC, 5A, and 60W. Is that sufficient for this particular blower, including its initial startup current?

3. Are these screw-terminal connectors safe for this application? Or should I be using a different type of connector to ensure a secure, reliable connection?

4. Do I need an inline fuse? I've read that I should install a 5A automotive blade fuse on the positive wire between the power supply and blower. Is that necessary, and is 5A the appropriate fuse rating?

5. Is there anything else I'm overlooking? Grounding, polarity, wire gauge, strain relief, overheating, or anything else that could make this setup unsafe?

The blower will eventually be part of an outdoor Halloween display, although I'll make sure the electrical components are protected from rain and moisture.

I haven't plugged everything into the wall yet because I'd rather get confirmation that I've done this correctly before potentially damaging anything or creating a safety hazard.

Any advice or reassurance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

So I’ve been getting more into the professional scene of haunting. I’m looking into pneumatic animatronics for next year an dive definitely set my eyes on the dropper clown from poison props. Does anyone know how much psi he needs? It doesn’t say on the website and stuff. And what are some good compressors? I’ll probably need around 125-150 and I don’t want them to be super loud. Thanks for the help

Putting in the sewer varmint and the rat king this week and waiting for my tree to drop some more leaves so we can fill more biohazard bags.

So happy with how it is turning out. The whole neighborhood has come out to comment and offer suggestions and I am so excited with how good it looks!

And yes...the fountain officially works!

Survey string like for marking fence lines for the cost amazing bang for your buck.

I won an animatronic from the Haunted Mansion ride at Funland in Rehoboth Beach DE from an auction. They’re replacing the ride over the next year and a half. When I went to pick up my prop they had a pile of free stuff. I grabbed these without really knowing what they were. Turns out they’re solid state message repeaters for sound effects. These were the sound effects that played when going up the lift hill and the wolf howl played when a werewolf head popped over a tombstone. I’ve loved that ride for years, so to have the actual sound effects from the start is incredible to me. I’m planning on wiring these up in such a way that I can pull them out on Halloween night and trigger them with doorbells. So stoked!

Hey, ya'll, I'm an EE student who recently got into haunt tech, and I've been interested in learning more about the electronics that go into them.

What are some of the most common points of failure when it comes to haunt tech? Are the electronics side of things typically something that you dread?

I'd love to hear a bit about any experiences ya'll have had with haunt tech and their electronics, thank you!

With and without clothes lmao

Basically what I'm looking to do is have a giant pumpkin head with lights inside that glow and dim in response to my voice. I got a blackout mask and the Pumpkin head, I just need to figure out what would be good lights to work with this effect. I'm hoping to use a bluetooth mic set up with the lights so i can take the Pumpkin head off and still have it glow in reactive to my voice but 0 know-how to set this up and 0 idea what to buy for it. Any advice is helpful