Webs – An Unorthodox Halloween

Product Review: The Webcaster Gun

Long time readers will remember I made my own web gun a while back. However, I wanted a bigger glue gun, and was shopping for such when I ran into the Webcaster gun on an after-Halloween sale. For $20 I couldn’t pass it up. It’s taken me a while to actually open and use it, however.

The Webcaster Gun is a nice little package with a number of nice features.

The on/off for both glue gun and air right in the handle are very nice (If designed for a right hander, but you can’t blame them for that), and allow for quick and easy use.

The gun does exactly what it sets out to do: Sprays webs quick, easy, and convenient, and for that, it is to be commended.

From 2011 buildup

That is not to say it’s not without it’s little niggles.

First up, as with all these style web guns, you REALLY, REALLY want the BIG glue sticks. Not the little standard sized ones they sell on their website, and distribute with their gun. You burn through glue in a hurry, and as their FAQ even states, you’re going to burn through two full sticks before you even get any glue out, thanks to the guns “large heat chamber”.

This heating chamber also causes another little issue, in a minor lack of control of the glue dispensing. After you release the trigger, glue is going to continue to come out of the tip for a few moments. In fact, I found it easier to get the control I wanted by leaving the trigger depressed and manually pushing the glue stick with my other hand, then pulling it back slightly to stop.

Another minor quibble I have with the gun is the size of the tubing used for the pneumatics. There’s not a very good volume coming out, and this limits the range compared to other such guns on the market, and my own homemade version. I question the listed “12 feet away” on the website. Especially for something “designed to be used outside”.

Still, for “small” projects (a porch, a prop, etc) this very well may be the perfect little package. For doing an entire yard, or haunt, however, it’s going to take a considerable amount of time and may be worth investing in a different commercial web gun, or building one yourself.

King Hamlet’s Ghost

Finally wrapping up Kyles costume…

From 2011 buildup

A very nice custom cape, much like Alec’s…only some minor abuse done to it. And, I even broke out my brand new webber.

From 2011 buildup

And again, the little touches no one will notice…

From 2011 buildup

I’m toying with the idea of whipping out my OTHER webber for some of that nice sheet styled cobwebs, and if this was a one time on and leave it, I would, but this kind will serve for now, with at least 5 separate dressings to go.

From 2011 buildup

I’ll have a couple of product reviews forthcoming…namely that new webber, and the canned webs from Krylon…

My new toy…

When planning a haunt around a character known as Spider Woman, it is clear one thing is going to be important…WEBS.

And, last year, we made myself a web shooter.

And, I found a BIGGER one in an after-Halloween sale for dirt cheap THIS year.

However, I was not finished. No, I sought out a web SPINNER. Fortunately, Scott had one he was getting rid of, and included some wonderful instructions on how to make my own web fluid to save even more money.

The weather finally cleared enough for me to go play with it.

From 2010 Buildup

Now, later on in the year, I’ll do a full up side by side review of a web shooter vs web spinner. There’s a major project I’ll be starting that will make use of them both in tandem…

2009. Or not.

It’s that time of year to look ahead.

All the Christmas Craziness is coming to an end, and a new year is comming upon us swiftly.

As I sit down looking forward, it’s clear 2009 will need to be scaled back. On the one hand, I have a whole new direction for the yard picked out. Something I personally have been needing. Being the Gemini that I am, I have to have something NEW, can’t be doing the same boring old thing every year. And, this tribal setup has been goign towards the boring direction with me lately.

Fortunately, I have the Lab setup for the school to keep me occupied. But, I’ve been meaning to get around to doing an unconventional witch. And, when coupled with too many nightmares from the Alien movies as a child,(Who am I kidding, they still can keep me up)watching Gremlins one too many times this Christmas, comming upon yet another new Witch I had previously not known of, this time from Navajo folklore, and a dissappointment that no one was able to see all my webgun work last year….

I’ve put together, in my head, a whole new outlook on the yard, and we’ll be working towards that end this year.

In fact, there’s actually 2! plans. One that I really want to try, and a fall-back that takes it just a bit to the left in case Jen remains so completely opposed to my first choice.

In fact, I already have acquired a bunch of victims ready for mutilation, even if Indy thinks they’re his bed.

From Halloween buildup 09

However, problem is with the budget this year.

I’m going to be working on my OTHER hobby this year, for a change. At least for the next few months.

As such, if I’m unable to complete things to my liking in time, the yard may end up the same as 2008 on Halloween. That’ll leave revealing the new stuff till 2010. But, I don’t know if that’s neccessary or not. There really isn’t a LOT of things required for the new ideas.

But, more on all that later.

Skeletons, Fire, and Webs, Oh my

Fred.

Well, exactly what I thought would happen with the panty hose, did. It stains darker than I wanted. BUT…I’ve been outvoted as Jen, Kyle, and one of our babysitters like it as is.

And, Alec has been on this Skeleton OBSESSION since I hung Fred. Wearing his skeleton shirts, playing with his lego skeletons, asking to BE a skeleton, telling us we have skeletons inside us, asking about the kitten’s skeleton, TALKING TO FRED, asking if he can give Fred a lightsaber to fight, asking why Fred cannot move…

Well, suddenly, Alec most decidedly DOES NOT like Fred anymore. Poor kid asked me where Fred was. I show him to the sliding door, where Fred hangs just beyond. “No, Fred doesn’t have yucky stuff on him”. Well, he does now, son. He does now…

The darkness does give nice contrast.

And for some reason, I really like the foot here.

Still mad the head got a bit messed up when he fell…, but I guess it’s ok.

So, Fred is a success with everyone but me. And I’m picky. I’ll just have to make another one to please only me, right? Maybe next year. Maybe later. We’ll see how it goes.

Now, I gotta figure out how to impale the poor guy. And light him…

The Island King Torch got another little workout for a picture.

Island King on the left, a regular torch on the right.

I’m liking the idea of just acouple of those instead of more of the regular variety.

And, just to show it off a bit, I fired up the web gun last night and re-webbed the chair.

As said before. Even I can make decent looking webs with this thing.

If it looks a bit barren, it’s because I only used one gluestick.
The little balls are from when we cleaned it off after the first time. Would make for some great egg sacks in a dedicated spider area, rolling up small balls and sticking them in the web.

Sure to have fun playing with this stuff…