Artificial or fake dynamite is a prop often used in plays and is often included in comedies and children’s theater.
In this post, we will give you tips and tricks for creating fake dynamite that will look so real that even the actors will handle the fake dynamite with care!
In this example, I will use artificial dynamite that I made for a professional production of The Comedy About a Bank Robbery at Rogaland Theater in 2021. I was engaged as a prop maker for the production, and I also made several other props, but today we will focus on the dynamite.
Let’s get started!
Materials and process for making fake dynamite
Materials:
- Acrylic paint or professional theater paint (I used paint from Haussmann)
- Wood log sticks
- Black rope
- Water (to dilute paint)
Tools
- Sandpaper
- Hot glue gun
- Paint brushes
- Gauze (to take away dark paint)
I used round pieces of wood that I cut to the desired length. Then, I sanded the surface and edges to make them smooth and give the dynamite a realistic appearance.
If the play is performed in a blackbox with the audience close to the action, then I would cover the logs with paper for an extra realistic result. But on larger stages, you can just sand the wood down and apply paint directly on the surface.
See the pictures below for details of the process:
Want to learn more about prop making and other techniques?
See a list of recommended books here.
This post are written by Sander Skarås Pedersen. He is a Norwegian prop maker, set designer, light designer, makeup FX artist, exhibition designer, scareactor and actor. Sander have worked for both professionals and with amateur theater. He also run a online store for Norwegian costumers where they can buy SFX-makeup and stage makeup.
