Hey, everyone, and welcome to the technical blog for the rain machine.
All you people who wanted a cheap way to recreate good-looking "movie
rain" read below. The coolest thing about this project is you probably
have a lot of the parts laying around the house.
Warning:
I'm using power tools to build this project. Always have adult
supervision when using power tools if you are younger than 18.
Seriously, people, be careful.
Shopping List
- 25- to 50-ft garden hose.
(I bought a 50 ft one, but the water only came out about halfway. I'd try a 25-footer)
- Some cheap wood.
(I got about 20-ft of 1"x2" beams. If you have some old 2"X4"s laying around, just use those.)
- Cable ties.
(I used these to fasten the hose to the frame. You could use duct tape in a pinch.)
- Plastic hose cap.
(This was like a dollar and screws on to the end of a hose to cap it off.)
- Female-to-male hose adapter.
(This is a simple piece that allows you to screw the end of one hose to the beginning of another. Mine came with a nifty valve.)
- Four eye bolts.
(To provide a good place to hang ropes.)
- Rope.
(I used some leftover nylon rope I had from the samurai armor project, but whatever you get, make sure it is strong enough to support the rig. You don't want this thing falling on your actors.)
- Some screws, nuts and bolts.
(Basically something to hold the frame together. I used wood screws.)
The Frame
This
can really be made out of anything that is reasonably light and will
hold our hose in place. I chose to build a simple wood frame and would
suggest you do the same. Start with two beams that are 5- to 6-ft long.
Using some wood screws, or even better a bolt, nuts and a few washers,
secure the two beams in the middle. You should end up with a big "X."
