Ideas For Activating Movers With Small Objects

[iweiny]

I don't know if this is the right place to post something like this.

I had the idea of a start position like the old west poker table. Seated, elbows on table, "cards" in both hands, "chips" (4 1/2 dollar coins) laying on table in front of you, gun holstered and ready.

The idea was to have to drop the cards and pick up the "chips" and retain them for all or part of the stage. But to keep things interesting make the shooter drop them off somewhere before they can finish the stage. This kinda discourages the drop them in your pocket, as they would have to fish them out of said pocket "on the clock".

So I was thinking of using something like a rat trap which when the coins hit it would spring to pull a cord to activate a swinger.

Anybody ever do anything like this? Or perhaps requiring the coins to be in a place before the last shot fired would be appropriate in the stage description?

Ira

[shred]

Reliably triggering off light & small objects can be tricky using mechanical triggers. The rat-trap with a longish drop onto the catch might work. If you've got electricity, you can do all kinds of things with microswitches.

You might also consider a 'bar of gold' (spray painted lead) instead...

btw, moved thread to Match Ops..

[Jim Norman]

We built a 24" x 24" x 24" box with a raised "floor: and a hole in the top. When you drop a 50 cal can filled with gravel in, it pushes the bottom down and activates the target. With a minor modification, i think I can activate up to three targets off this one device.

In two matches it has functioned for over 130 shooters with only two reshoots.

Jim Norman

[John Dunn]

50 cal can filled with gravel

I don't want to shoot that stage!

[Vlad]

Bah it was fun. But more to the point you could build the same prop on a smaller scale, but a coin would not be enough. The gold brick idea however would work just fine.

Edited November 3, 2005 by Vlad

[Matthew_Mink]

How about a slot like a candy machine? Push the coin thru, there is a contact on the other side of the slot that is broken, and that activates whatever you want it to activate.

[GuildSF4]

Can be done easily with electronics (beam break sensor, battery driven, wireless activation even, must protect electronics and battery if they are downrange) or electrical micro-switch (wires can be a pain though, wire run must be well protected if it is downrange). Mechanical is a bit harder to ensure activation it would need more weight.

[Jim Norman]

the .50 cal can probably weighed less than the "gold Brick"

If the activators are properly designed and set, then there is virtually no chance of a failure. We had to set the cable tight on this stage as we didn't have a lot of drop, a minor modifcation to the activator box will elinate that for the next time we use the prop.

THis same prop will show up again with an interesting twist. We will use a weighted pipe that will be dropped vertically down a chute and will activate the mover, other variations planned include putting a compression spring under the trap and forcing the shooter to push the plunger down, sort of like the old movie/cartoon detonator box. more variations to come as I dream them up.

Jim

[shred]

A few years ago I did an Easter-bunny stage with your choice of props to carry-- either an inert grenade painted like an easter egg, or a chocolate rabbit recast in polyester resin. At the end you had to drop it in the 'easter basket', which activated a drop-out target via a pulley system.

They weighed maybe 1-2 pounds each and worked great-- one thing that helped was slack in the pulley cable-- give the bucket time to get up to speed before pulling the pin. Use wire-rope and not nylon rope too.

I also like Matt's slot idea.. it should be fairly simple to set up a latch activated by pushing the coin into a slot. Then the weight of the coin doesn't matter.

[mda]

A few years ago one of the clubs had a stage that had a bowling ball that you had to pickup and carry thru the stage and drop in a barrel before finishing. Had to go by several target before the barrel. Man was that thing heavy.

[iweiny]

Yea, we have done the "carry heavy item" thing... I think more thought will have to go into this. Unfortunatly electronics are more complicated than I think I can do with the equipment available. But I could probably rig something up...

I was just thinking of having something light because then the shooter is faced with a decision of shooting strong hand only or with their weak hand giving some support but not their "good" grip. I think this presents a more unique challenge which is not forcing just strong hand only... They could also just drop the coins in the pocket and fish them out. But of course this would be done "on the clock" in some way.

I don't know, I was trying to think of something different than the "carry heavy item".

I have also heard of having to carry a basket with "eggs" (golf balls) or something and then assesing penalties if they are dropped out of the basket. I might go with something like that short term, as this other idea is probably going to require more thought.

Thanks again,

Ira

[TDean]

I'm thinking of something similar (lightweight object activation) and my search turned-up this thread. Any news as far as mechanical activation ideas?

I'd like to use a plastic pellet gun as a prop that when "given to the hostage" (dropped thru hole in target into 5gal bucket) a swinger is activated. How do I get the weight of 1# pellet gun to pull the cable on a swinger....?

I was thinking of positioning the bucket above a standard platform (foot) activator with enough weight (sand) in it so it could easily activate the platform, but how do I make it so that the weight of the gun being dropped into the heavy bucket is what makes the bucket drop?

It needs to be simple and reliable.....

The rat-trap idea sounds intriguing. Does the trap have enough oomph to trip a swinger?

[Crusher]

Electronics are probably the best way to go given the use of lightweight objects (micro switches, beam break sensors), coupled to a linear actuator (depending on force/throw) can activate multiple targets, by sequencing the cable set-up on the target array. Like mentioned above PROTECTING the electronics is key to match surviability for the stuff.

More work than its worth for a level 1 match but you would be the talk of the section if you built it.

[shred]

Electronics are probably the best way to go given the use of lightweight objects (micro switches, beam break sensors), coupled to a linear actuator (depending on force/throw) can activate multiple targets, by sequencing the cable set-up on the target array. Like mentioned above PROTECTING the electronics is key to match surviability for the stuff.

More work than its worth for a level 1 match but you would be the talk of the section if you built it.

2nd the use of microswitches to trigger electric solenoid pulls or motors or whatever. If that doesn't work for you, look into trigger type mechanisms-- have your item trip a mousetrap or knock a barely-balanced bowling pin with a rope around it off a shelf or something.

[bpowe]

The BB gun in a bucket idea should be workable. Just use a hinged swinger prop. Two pieces of 2X2 hinged together in the middle with the activation cord attached to break the "knee" of the prop to activate the swinger. They have used them at the National matches for the last few years. Very reliable and don't take much force to activate.

Bill

[TDean]

Could you elaborate on the design of that Bill?

..are you saying an overcenter knee made of 2x4, when tripped, will then activate the overcenter knee of the swinger ?

The BB gun in a bucket idea should be workable. Just use a hinged swinger prop. Two pieces of 2X2 hinged together in the middle with the activation cord attached to break the "knee" of the prop to activate the swinger. They have used them at the National matches for the last few years. Very reliable and don't take much force to activate.

Bill

[shred]

Could you elaborate on the design of that Bill?

..are you saying an overcenter knee made of 2x4, when tripped, will then activate the overcenter knee of the swinger ?

Just take a standard swinger stick, saw it in half and screw a hinge into the gap. Put a pull-ring to tie the cord to on the side opposide the hinge. You can tune these by adjusting the hinge gap to take a little or a lot of pull before the hinge triggers.

[11.43mm]

Only a matter of time 'til Hollywood FX guys or better still, the Myth Busters get involved...thesse ideas are great and this "best practices" arena is superb (keep sharing)

[JFlowers]

One way to deal with this would be to reverse the idea. Removing the coin sets things off, then you only need to use the coin to hold a falling weight in place until the shooter takes it away.

[MemphisMechanic]

Stick the coin through a slot (maybe make it an ATM and credit card to modernize?). Put a decent length 2x4 behind it, with a dowel rod through it 2/3 of the way down as a pivot point. The rope attaches at the bottom, so that as it falls backwards, it pulls the rope TOWARD the shooter.

Stick a cabinet latch type of magnet to the back of the board with the slot cut in it, and screw a small piece of steel to the 2x4 so that sticks to the board. This will allow you to have the 2x4 off-balance, so that it wants to fall over as soon as the magnetic hold is gone.

A 48-60" length of 2x4 will have more than enough force to pull a hinged prop out from underneath a swinger.