Scary huh? Leonard 'Dr. Ickybod' Kobal here. I'm working on my little show and have come to a point where I need some guidance. First I'm going to have pretty much the entire show in a wooden box that is made from aged wood. Having a cabnet maker do this is cheaper than buying and old crappy box since every idiot thinks if something looks old it MUST be an antique....yeah....right. I want to put a mysterious symbol inside the lid so do any of you freaks know a site that has old societies symbols? You know some of you do....

The second thing is I'm using a lota pot as a way to frame the performance, something that is running throughout and then when it runs out the show is over. To punctuate the ending I want the last load of water to not be clear but to be red (bloody to you spookites) so when I pour it into a chrystal pitcher with the regular water it is clearly red. I figure I could palm in a food coloring tablet so I wonder if you all know who sales good ones that will mix with water with minimal swirling being required. I'd appreciate any advice on this.

Thank brothers of the tomb!
Lovable Lenny K

If you have a Hobby Lobby near you, they generally have a wide assortment of old looking boxes. I saw them on sale here the other day, half off. You could get a pretty nice one for twenty bucks or less. I know a few guys who buy them to hold sideshow zibits.

For the blood, you are going to need some really intense food dyes to make water look like blood. Look for cake decorator's colors that come in a paste form in little jars. This is not the grocery store liquid stuff in little bottles. That's not strong enough. Adding it to the water may be up to experimentation. I'd try putting a glob of it in a small package made from thin bathroom tissue. This would start to disintegrate almost immediately when it hits the water. Not sure about how well it will mix without some agitation, but a thought that crossed my mind was to drop an Alka Seltzer tablet in with it. The fizzing may be enough to start the mix going.

There may be better ways to add the dye to the water.

One other option might be to use actual Dye, like RIT. It will stain the hell out of anything it contacts, but you can maybe get a good intense color with red and a touch of black. It comes in both powder and liquid. Powder would be less problematic until it gets wet.

Finally, there are those Mr. Wizard chemical mixtures that turn water to wine. Might be worth looking into.

Thank you Mr. Baker. I think Carson City has a Hobby Lobby, I was in town this morning and didn't think of it. Bakers dye could work, sure can't be the grocery store type. I don't want to stain anything so water based is better I just want it to be clear that it is red. You are correct, getting it into the pot will be a challenge to be tackled.

The idea is that there is a paper found in the box that references that the spirit encountered in the mine will wander around until the water from the spring turns red, thus the red water.

Thanks again for the help.

Lenny, the problem with this is the staining of the inner wall of the lota as the colored water sits in the pot--some will seep back thru the hole, and it will be a !@#$% to fully flush the red out again, May be better to somehow apply the powder during the pour, rather than in the pot.

Balaram, you have an excellent point and I figured I'd have to flush it but you are right. I plan on doing a number of shows in one day so flushing it won't work, oh well. Thus is the creative process, one has to change when one needs to. Dang I liked the idea of the last load being red. I do appreciate the input.

Lenny, I got this off the internet. I was looking for that stuff we used in the show, Wicked, and ran across this:

This popular chemistry demonstration is often called turning water into wine or water into blood. It's really a simple example of a pH indicator. Phenolphthalein is added to water, which is then poured into a second glass containing a base. If the pH of the resulting solution is right, you can make the water turn from clear to red to clear again, as long as you like.

I think we used to buy some stuff called, "Stage Blood."

Interesting. Thank you Tabman. So I'm wondering if I increase the PH of the water, it will remain clear, then adding the indicator I can then pour that with the last water into the pitcher turning it red. I like it. See, proof that Georgia produces great minds.

I'm familiar with stage blood. I was figuring with technology came a dye tablet that wouldn't damage a clay pot.

I appreciate you checking that out Tabman.

Posted: Sep 3, 2010 10:51pm
Tabman you genius you! I was pondering this and did some reading and you have hit on the solution. I just have to add some sodium hydroxide to the pitcher and have either a secondary container I first pour water into, a tin cup for example, that I would have to pour into the pitcher because the additional water would over flow it, and then just add a few chrystals or switch in a cup with the other chemical in it then it will turn red! That way my pot never touches either chemical. I could also have the other chemical attached to the side of the pitcher and when the water gets to that level the water will turn red on its own!

Working together is so much fun!

After a mountain of cleaning bills especially from the women in the audience we blew off the blood. Everything we had was spalttered with it from the saw blade. Looking back, I think you could use warm water and they'd scream from the association with the bloody blade and surgical gown.

True...the mind is scarier than the reality.

It only makes sense.

Slinging water in a room with red lights is a common haunted house gag. It works well! Tabby, you look like Rasputin in that photo. Ha-ha!!

So you're saying I look like a semi-literate peasant from Siberia? Well, that's what my mother calls me but she doesn't laugh when she does it.

1) sodium hydroxide requires care in handling. Except when very dilute, it can cause irritation or burns to the skin.

2) Most coloring agents (dyes, food colorings, etc.) stain clothing. I use small amounts of Spangler Blood, which does not stain. Unfortunately, it is no longer on the market.

3) Accurate blood color is not pure red. Small amounts of green or blue should be mixed in to achieve the correct color.

Well, I won't compete with your mom, if she said it first!

If you have ice cream and cake you can call me Rasputin whenever you want.

I'm more going for red not blood, that was just to excite the kids. If the chemicals are hazardous I'll have my wife handle 'em.

I think a small container (thumb tip?) of Kool-Aid introduced into the pot may work. It certainly would be easier to clean up than a food coloring or dye. I've mixed cherry and some grape together before, and it turned a deep red. Only takes minimum swirling, and it's tasty too!

See that? Simple, yet brilliant! I can make a rice paper envelope for it and palm it!

Oh, for the box, I say go with the Blair Witch symbol.


....or peruse symboldictionary.net

Thank you....