Crypt Completion

Well, Labor Day lived up to its name- another full day of work, but the crypt is more or less finished. Once again, Math bested me in single combat and I ended up 2 feet short on my burial niches, but I can fix that later. I need to add some boards to give the foam more support, and I need to add a roof and some trim around the garage door opening, but that's it. Come October 1st, when we put it up, we'll do some additional detailing and weathering, add some moss, and then put the skeletons and candles everywhere.

This was a challenging build, and it seemed like nothing was going to go right, it would never be finished, etc. But now that it's "done", the hard work really seems to have paid off. I'm pleased with how it turned out, and can't wait to get the lights sorted out and test it.

 

 

 

 

Home Stretch

Got the walls up.
A trip to the hardware store, an afternoon of measuring and cutting and drilling, and now the entrance is assembled.

Remaining tasks:

• Paint the exterior boards
• Trim and tape the SceneSetters on the inside
• Make a bottom section for the front facade
• Make a wall section for the front facade
• Cover the roof supports with weed block

Total work time: about 2 days. Then we're done with the exterior build and can start on the interior. I'm hoping to have it complete by mid-September and then I can concentrate on the remaining odds and ends for the haunt.

Inside Out

Taking advantage of the warm weather and abundant sunshine, I tested the finish on the outside of the walls for water resistance. The blue color wash held up, the yellow came off a bit, and the brown came off about half the stones. So, after consultation with SpiderWitch, I went back over them with a blue and a gray wash. I also went over the panel lines to bring them out from the background.

Once that was done, it was time to glue/staple the SceneSetter backing on the inside of the walls. This was tedious, and it didn't help that a breeze blew in. But, all the walls have their insides prepped, so the project is one BIG step closer to being finished.

The next step will be to assemble the structure using L-brackets and fastening plates, to hold it steady while I make a roof out of the weed-barrier fabric. When that is complete, I'll finish detailing the outside walls- paint the trim boards, finish the bottom of the walls, add the moss and maybe some stains.

In September, I'll work on the bricks which will be laying about the grounds, as well as the crypt itself. Slow but steady...

Here are some pics of the repainted walls:

The inner side of the wall, showing the SceneSetter

The front arch, with its fresh coat of blue and gray

The upper side wall, with the toned-down brown panels

Foam to Stone...With a Little Help From My Friends

Lots of progress today!
First, got the black and white laid in with the sponge- turned the bare grays into a more granite-like look:

While I was working on this, the neighbor girl (9) came by to check things out. She was soon sponging away at the panels, which was a big help.

Once that was finished, we were supposed to weather the panels with some washes and color variations. However, it was easier (and more educational) to simply wash the entire surface of the stone with a thinned down color, which we were able to do in very short order:

Okay, maybe the colors aren't representative of "real" stone, and maybe they're too bright, or not tied together...but the really important thing is that today a love of Halloween- including the building of props and development of a theme- was passed along to a young girl...who will continue to be a part of our haunt until she grows and moves away and develops her own haunt- and one day, she can pass it along to the next generation. I'd rather teach one child about the fun of building and decorating than create the greatest prop ever...after all, we do it for the kids!

Not Quite Fifty Shades of Gray...Well, Two Actually

Got the primary colors laid in on the walls- two shades of gray, which gives them a subtle but distinct difference between them. The next step will be to use a sponge and add black and white paint to give it a stone look. The first pic has a higher contrast to bring out the difference in the colors, the second photo is more of a normal view.

Monster Mud and Monster Heat

Got a bit warm here today- high 80s and a bright toasty-thing in the sky. Still, a good day for cutting and texturing foam. First up was the foam knife and heat gun- I cut the foam boards into blocks, then used the heat gun to add details:

After that was done, I applied Monster Mud to all the panels- right now they're beige, but we'll be painted and dry brushing and stippling and washing them to create more of a stone effect.

Once the outer wall textures are finished, the next step will be to complete the interior- either paint or Scene Setters stone wall pattern. Once that's done, we'll assemble the structure and build a roof, complete the details for the exterior, and begin work on the doors, broken wall, and rear wall; this looks into the garage, so it's the last part to complete before we tackle the interior project.

Lots to do still, but the hardest parts are behind us now.

The Crypt Comes To Life

Got the walls to the crypt entrance built and did a quick test-fit. Next step will be to permanently fasten them, cover the insides (canvas and scene setters), then start texturing the outside. Final steps will involve building a roof and adding architectural details like moldings, trim, etc.