How to convert an old swingset into a guillotine prop for Halloween

Step 6 Build the stocks

I happened to have an 8' section of lumber that we had used as a shelf at one time. I cut two sections of that lumber to match the width of the prop, then prepared to position them on the uprights as the stocks. If time allows I will sand down this lumber and then rub it down with graphite to give it a gray, weathered appearance.

I got on my hands and knees between the uprights and determined the approximate area where the center of the stocks should be located. Then I laid down the prop and positioned the lumber on the uprights. Once the frame was square and the lumber was clamped down, I drilled 1/2" holes for carriage bolts to secure them to the posts. Four holes were drilled into the bottom half, for a semi-permanent mount, while only two holes were drilled in the upper half. This allowed me to use wing nuts on the upper bolts and be able to open and close the stocks to secure 'victims' in the stocks.

Two short sections of weathered 2x4 were screwed to the bottom section as battens, making the upper bolts optional if desired.

After everything was fitted I removed the lumber, drew out an oversized circle for neck hole and removed that section with my jigsaw. I wanted people to be able to pose in the stocks without having to feel as if they were trapped in them, so the bigger hole allows most people to put their heads through the hole without the top section being raised and then locked back in place.