Getting the DROP on the TOTs

Made some good progress over the weekend!

Most of the wall panels are attached to the PVC pipe frame... AND I built and installed (my first) drop panel window in one of the walls!

Overall I'm quite happy and impressed with the PVC frame; it's proving to be quite sturdy and easy to work with - and knowing it will never rust or warp is a big plus. Here's one side with most of the walls attached (all bolted for easy assembly/disassembly):

 Of course, since I'm assembling all this in my basement - as soon as I get it all put together I need to take it apart so I can get it outside into the back yard where it will be setup.

 I made the drop panel out of 2x3 on 3 sides with a 2x4 at the top. The actual panel is a piece of 3/4" plywood - the 1/4" panels I'm using for the walls just wouldn't hold up - nor would it be heavy enough to crash down with any kind of satisfying (and shocking) THUD. I used a couple 1x2s inside the 2x3s to form the guide that holds the drop panel in place against the wall - giving it just enough room for the panel to move freely up and down. A simple bolt lock allows me to secure the panel in its "up" position, and a handle on the back of the panel will make it easy for our actors to lift it into position after a good scare. I also painted all the inside edges and corners black. Here's a picture of the panel assembled before I mounted it:

 The panel itself measures 20" wide by 18" tall - and allowing for the panel to completely drop below the opening I made the overall frame 20" wide by 36" tall. One of the considerations in picking the size was that it had to be large enough for an actor to stick his/her head through - or at least a couple arms. Also, since next year I plan on flipping the drop panel to the OTHER side of the wall (where the WHITE side is on the outside when we use the passage in a haunted house next year) I needed to make the opening a fairly standard size - hoping that I can find an appropriate sized picture frame to cover the other side next year.

 Finally, here's the hole I cut in the panel. I cut the hole 1" smaller in each direction than the actual panel (so the hole was 17" x 19") to allow for a little overlap - which of course helps hold the panel inside the wall.

 And here are some shots of the panel mechanism from the inside after I screwed it to the wall;

And from the outside (still need to paint/age the drop panel):

 Boo!!!