Mouse Trap

[wycome5]

I need to create a mouse trap that looks and snaps realistically onto someone's hand. I have got some normal mouse traps and weakened the springs however when it snaps shut it doesn't grip your fingers like a real one does. Does anyone have any ideas that could be done in a small theatre and will look realistic?

[smalljoshua]

Double sided tape on the trap so it stays on the hand?

 

Josh

[Russ83]

Assuming that your springs still look authentic when the bar snaps shut try putting some double sided tape on the base to help keep it stuck to the finger.

 

edit: *snap!*

[wycome5]

Could work but that doesn't keep the arm down (i.e. the spring loses power before it reaches the normal point). Also has to be re-set on stage and fired numerous times. Really looking for a way of putting another spring or elastic or something in.

[themadhippy]

paint the trap with coke?

[benash]

What you're looking for is a torsion spring that has lots of turns. That way you only lose a small amount of force as it snaps so you can have a low force spring that still has enough power to hold on when it's closed.

 

I have a feeling that any spring that's strong enough to hold the trap securely on your hand will also be strong enough to inflict some pain. Perhaps another way would be to use a normal trap but protect the hand. If you were to get something like one of those doctor's tongue depressors (like an oversize popstick) and hold it between your fingers, the trap would close on it rater than on your finger. Tape it onto your finger and get some makeup going and you're good to go.

[Jivemaster]

Cut away the wood where the mouse would get trapped and cover the cutout with some sheet rubber -say the back of a surgical glove. The sides of the trap wire should still snap down onto the wooden edges but the end of the wire loop should press fingers into the rubber skin. A little bit of felt pen graphics should conceal the "switch" the word ACME seems to occur in these cases!

[Jimi]

Okay I'll make a wild suggestion. I don't know how your actor gets their finger caught or what distance the audience are but ... you could try getting one of those fake fingers that magicians use for disapearing cigarette tricks and have your actor put their real finger inside it. the force of the trap coming down should be absorbed by the "finger armour". This would only obviously look right if the auidence aren't right on top of you.