How to win fiends and influence specters
The Mausoleum of
"Calamity Jack"

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A mausoleum is essentially a big box.  Boxes are easy to build.  However, making a big box that looks like a mausoleum is a different matter.

Here's a quick peek at the finished project.

Reactions have ranged from blank stares to,  "Look!  There's a monster in that shed!"

Shed.  Humph!

Note:  Golden retrievers are extremely helpful and are highly recommended as helpers for all sorts of Halloween projects.

Our first flying crank ghost took just under a month to construct in 2002.  The mausoleum and its resident specter Calamity Jack took about 2 days.

Material list
8'  2x2  (recommend 1x4 or 2x4) 11
8' 2x4 2
4x8 sheet of 1/4" foam insulation 3
Monster mud tbd
Black paint 1 gallon (on sale)

We decided on a 6' x 6' cube with a depth of 4'.  This should give us enough clearance for the crank arm for the specter that will "live" inside.  We plan to tack a facade on front that will give the appearance of a pitched roof.  We opted for 2x2 stock instead of 2x4s to cut down on the weight of this thing.  We learned that 1x4 boards would have been a better choice.  When you only use a single nail on your corners, you end up with a lot of pivot points and a very wobbly frame.  Lesson learned.  Two nails on every corner from now on.  (Considering we built a complete 10x12 building this spring, you'd think we would have known better) Continue

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