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Thread: Giant Clam Shell Prop

  1. #141
    This popped up for sale on Ebay and is SUPER CUTE http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dance-Or-Sta...QAAOSwInxXM~My

    Super cute little double clamshell hideaways, would be cute open with a support and cushion inside.
    ~A mermaid found a swimming lad, picked him for her own, pressed her body to his body,and made the sea their home~

  2. #142
    Senior Member Euro Pod Echidna's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MermaidNerenia View Post
    This popped up for sale on Ebay and is SUPER CUTE http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dance-Or-Sta...QAAOSwInxXM~My

    Super cute little double clamshell hideaways, would be cute open with a support and cushion inside.
    great find, would be fantastic to have for dance performance.

    I don't see measurements or dimensions listed anywhere, though.
    And from the picture it seems to be rather childsized.
    It also doesn't mention what condition the item is in :O

  3. #143
    Quote Originally Posted by Echidna View Post
    great find, would be fantastic to have for dance performance.

    I don't see measurements or dimensions listed anywhere, though.
    And from the picture it seems to be rather childsized.
    It also doesn't mention what condition the item is in :O
    It is a bit on the smaller size but it seems big enough to be able to sit on (if you close up the hole for the dancers to sit in) I wish they had more photos of it, because if they had photos of the back and the hinges and inside I'm sure I would be able to figure it out.

    And I never thought of making it straight out of Styrofoam, I always thought of using expanding foam.

  4. #144
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    i'm pretty much in love with my new chair. This thing wont break on me like my last one did. Can't wait to finish it! <3
    come find Mermaid-Odette on facebook!
    my website is here
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    <iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/KahWlYkRbiGo8" width="480" height="360" frameborder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>via GIPHY

  5. #145
    Senior Member North Pacific Pod Arking's Avatar
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    I loved reading this thread, it gave me ideas I wanted to share. Recently I fixed up a beach tent for my puppy and really this is an extension of that experience. Basically it's a half shell beach awning/shade canopy.

    Attachment 41518

    The basic idea is a solid wooden base that's been trilled in a semi-circle half moon shape. From there you'd need to drill holes of appropriate sizes at regular intervals for carbon fiber rods to insert into. I also thought it'd be clever and less weight to have the base rest on an angled hollow box that could be filled with nearby beach sand or rocks to act as a counterweight against wind and the weight of the awning.

    The spines of the awning I've created for this mockup extend about 10' out and gradually get shorter as they near the outer holes of the half moon piece created to hold the shape. If you order custom tent poles these spines would be collapsable making for easier and cheaper transport too and from locations. Now you could go a step further and sew yourself the half moon shape using the same material you choose for the awning (nylon most likely) sewing pockets instead of drilling holes but you'd have to bury this part in the sand or rest something on top of it to prevent wind from catching it. I'll mockup a pattern for that later.

    The next step once you've got your rods and base or pocket pattern you'll want to create dimension and arches.

    Attachment 41519

    The best way to do this would be to find flexible bamboo, metal or plastic rods which you will then be putting into the end pockets of your awning and joining together with either presewn pockets at the terminus of each spine, or they could plug into 3D printed plastic or metal clips that will hold them at specific intervals and cause them to bow upwards at the end of your awning. You may need an inner layer of clips and flexible spines further down the interior of your shell for a more consistent ribbed appearance but that should not be too hard to include should you desire a really impactful scallop. Bamboo would be my choice item to use in this situation as it's extremely flexible and easily replaced should it break or get lost.

    The last steps would be to decide on the overall shape and size of your awning. Depending on the amount of material you plan to use ( whole pockets for each spine or just ribbons tie it down, pockets for the arches, how much fabric between arches etc) will determine the overall look of your beach shell. Personally I'd probably choose 60" white nylon which sells for 9.95 a meter here in Canada, getting around 6 meters so that I could have a 120" wide shell (stitched together) at a total length of 10" at its longest point.

    For added detail you could airbrush the inside of your material pink or iridescent for a mother of pearl look on the interior, lightly dry brush the exterior with paintable silicon and then paint it with a flexible acrylic for a more weathered realistic shell look.

    Attachment 41520
    Last edited by Arking; 07-03-2017 at 12:56 PM.

  6. #146
    Senior Member North Pacific Pod Arking's Avatar
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    Last post promise. I kind of went a little idea crazy and thought up a Spiral shade or changing room beach tent too.
    Attachment 41532

    The basic idea for this is a round tent supported by one bamboo rod threaded through nylon pockets at the base of the Spiral crown and at the top of the tent base. This rod is jointed to form a complete circle via a soldered metal joint. The base is supported by collapsable carbon fiber rodding that is longer than the tent so that when it is threaded through three sewn nylon pockets the rods bow outwards rounding the sides.

    The spiral crown has Spring Steel wiring threaded up through the shape, spring steel you may know is the same steel used in collapsible laundry hampers among other things. The spring steel helps to reinforce the stitching of the spiral which doesn't quite match the pattern mockup above as it was created prior to my first attempts using paper ( that design creates individual doughnuts that mimic the look but don't match the spiral shape at all). Each layer is then given approximately 4 or more nylon pocket pairs throughout so that bamboo rods can be cut and placed in the finished work to bow outwards and complete the rounded walled shape. The crown of the spiral crown is supported by two bamboo rods threaded through four nylon pockets that criss cross each other. The pattern for the crown, four individual triangles remains the same.

    Without testing it I can anticipate that the spiral crown may need to be supported by a tripod of three measured rods (carbon fiber or bamboo) that insert into nylon pockets stitched into the base of the crown and top of the tent portion and pockets sewn below the final criss crossing crown portion level.

    EDIT: you may not even need the spring steel threading if you use the tripod support method for the crown. If I come up with an actual sewing pattern I'll upload it here to share. Likewise for the scallop tent.

  7. #147
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    practicality speaking, I love my inflatable shell. It inflates with a 15$ portable electric pump I got off Amazon prime. it can fit 2 mermaids and kids easily. deflates to a tiny size. so easy for use after use after use!






  8. #148
    Senior Member Pod of The South Keiris's Avatar
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    Wow Arking! You really put some thought into this! It reminds me of building stage props for the Theater.

    Raina, those pics are waaaay too cute!

  9. #149
    Senior Member North Pacific Pod Arking's Avatar
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    Awe, I like the inflatable one more than mine now and it's way more portable. The only thing I'd maybe do if I had one is try and sew a bunch of different slip covers for it to jazz it up whenever I felt, but it's just cozy as is.

    Not much thought Keiris, just an hour or two whilst tanning today and on the bus ride from work. I do window displays for work and started doing some theatre and film props lately. Used to work on a haunted house building rooms and props too so some light experience but nothing qualified really. I'd build small mockups before attempting anything big, I find the little wooden sticks you put in scented oil jars have enough bend to them and they measure about 12" you could get a good tent mockup in if I got some and cut them to size. Plug the design into my embroidery machine and let it chug away at some nylon, sculpy or dremel to make the connecting base and I'd probably have a mockup of the scallop in a day or so.

  10. #150
    Senior Member Pod of The South Keiris's Avatar
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    Impressive! And to think, I just thought you were a pretty face. Actually, it sounds very cool.

  11. #151
    Senior Member North Pacific Pod Arking's Avatar
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    Ah but isn't a pretty face part of the bait? :P Granted I think I sing like a choking pelican so you know I'm no siren. This does remind me I need to update my profile to something more recent, that photo is two years old now.

    I would never use a shade tent myself come to think of it, I'd just open source the pattern for people on here to use if they wished.

  12. #152
    Senior Member Pod of The South Keiris's Avatar
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    hahahaha a choking pelican???!!! And yes, you must be right. A pretty face IS part of the bait and suits you. It's a handsome picture.

    As far as the clam shell, it's a great idea for something really dramatic and large for a prop.

  13. #153
    Anyone put their inflatable shells on a bench or something to raise it off the ground? I noticed on my gig on the 4th that disabled people with mobility aids have problems getting onto the shells on the ground and before i buy a shell i want to make sure it can handle being say on something else, or if i should make a small bench like these instead for ease of access (i would like to buy the inflatable though as it would take up less room when deflated and is easier to transport)


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