How To: Make a Chainsaw Arm

by indymogul

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Intro: How To: Make a Chainsaw Arm

Do you love the "Evil Dead" series on Indy Mogul? Do you need a prop chainsaw? Do you have $30 burning a hole in your pocket? If you said "yes" to any of these question you'll want to watch this episode. Erik shows you how to make a prop chainsaw arm that will have Deadites running for the hills.

Watch the Video!!!!



Materials You Need:

1. Large Orange Juice Jug
2. 3 inch pvc cupler
3. thin aluminum sheet
4. old food container
5. thin wooden board
6. wooden dowel
7. miscellaneous hardware
8. bike chain
9. acrylic paint

STEP 1: The Base

Cut the large OJ jug in half (along the handle). Then cut off the handle.

Carefully bend the aluminum sheet metal along the contours of the jug. Drill holes and bolt everything together.

On the inside of the base, attach a wooden handle using bolts, so you are able to hold the chainsaw from the inside.

STEP 2: The Blade

The blade is made from a long thin piece of wood. The straighter the better.

One end of the wood is bolted inside the aluminum frame with standard cross braces and the other end is rounded out using a jigsaw.

Paint the blade silver.

STEP 3: Finish the Set Up

To close up the gap where the OJ handles used to be, cut the plastic food container in half. Using glue, bolts and plumbers apoxe get the container to fit into the hole.

The pvc cupler is attached to the metal, by the plastic container, using more bolts and standard cross braces, so that your wrist can fit inside.

STEP 4: Finishing Touches

On top of the base, create a handle using the wooden dowel and more cross braces.

At the bottom of the base, drill a hole and string a piece of rope through it with a dowel attached, for the pull cord.

Add some random shiny metal pieces to make the chainsaw more believable, and extra cool!

Add a nifty switch to the top of the base and a bike chain and your ready for blood. Which is dark red acrylic paint sloppily applied with your hands.

STEP 5: Grand Finally

Now all of us here at Indy Mogul know that your new arm is not only exceptionally cool, but completely fake. But, other people will not know that. So, if you go running around the street waving around a chainsaw arm, your probably going to get hurt, or injure someone else. So, I would say that that is a bad idea. But, your new arm is perfect for your dead and evil film effects!

29 Comments

depotdevoid 11 years ago

Hey indymogul, thanks for the inspiration, I built my own!

cheeserdane 12 years ago

Well very cool I like it but I have a broken but real chain-saw just lying around. I'm just gonna find a way to use that instead.

tinker234 12 years ago

wow how could i make a working one

sonicgreg 12 years ago

For a simple spinning chain you could probably attach the chain to a dremel or some other spinning tools on the inside, and use that from inside the chainsaw, so it could be hands-free like in the movies.

franzwa 13 years ago

looks like the guy in killing floor

mattgallion 14 years ago

 Umm. Firewire is capable of faster transfers than usb.

Cro1730 14 years ago

Do u cut the top off or what?

DrWeird117 15 years ago

i might try this but i cant decide 'tween this r a zombie fer halloween, plz help by commenting yer input

Father Christmas 15 years ago

what better way than to do both? a zombie with a chainsaw hand is teh ult1m8

CooperationIsKey 15 years ago

Fantastic! I've been trying to come up with a way to make a convincing prop chainsaw, but hadn't had any luck. With a little modifying, I think this can work for one of my costumes, too. :D

Ward_Nox 16 years ago

I think i have an idea how to make the pull cord work

dung0beetle 16 years ago

My friend made one from the same model of chainsaw used in the films. It works, but it gets hot after 15 seconds or so. I will see if I can get him to put up an instructable on it. You can see him this year at Texas Renaissance Festival and conventions in texas.
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