hello everyone,

I am thinking of playing a practical joke on my brother and I am looking for some help planning it. back story: when we were kids we had "old spice fights" where we would ambush one another with one of the two old spice bottles my dad had around. so, since someone gave me a bottle of old spice last Christmas (which I will never use), I figure its a perfect opportunity to play a joke on my brother.

the problem is, he moved to Florida a few months ago (I live in Michigan). so I was thinking of something that I could send him that when he opened it, old spice would pour out on him.

any ideas of what kind of device I could make that would survive shipping and spill upon opening?

I was thinking of maybe a test tube glued upside down into a container, with its cork glued to the bottom (which would have holes in it). what do you think? since I don't have a test tube, what else could I use? or should I abandon the test tube idea as it may not survive shipping?

hello everyone,

I am thinking of playing a practical joke on my brother and I am looking for some help planning it. back story: when we were kids we had "old spice fights" where we would ambush one another with one of the two old spice bottles my dad had around. so, since someone gave me a bottle of old spice last Christmas (which I will never use), I figure its a perfect opportunity to play a joke on my brother.

the problem is, he moved to Florida a few months ago (I live in Michigan). so I was thinking of something that I could send him that when he opened it, old spice would pour out on him.

any ideas of what kind of device I could make that would survive shipping and spill upon opening?

I was thinking of maybe a test tube glued upside down into a container, with its cork glued to the bottom (which would have holes in it). what do you think? since I don't have a test tube, what else could I use? or should I abandon the test tube idea as it may not survive shipping?

Yes. Put a small bomb in there with the old spice... The practical joke would turn into an impractical nightmare.

Sounds like what you are really doing is making a package bomb. :eek:

lol, no. no bombs. =]

I am pretty sure they would catch a bomb. moreover, I am looking for a way of releasing liquid old spice, I doubt such a device would work for a bomb.

Why don't you figure out a way to make weapons-grade Old Spice? Ultrafine powder. You could then have far more options of dispersing it from the package.

But, if you insist on liquid form, then why don't you rig a jack in the box with a squirt gun somehow.
Crank the handle and the old spice sprays out from a hidden nozzle in the front of the box...
Complicated, but the best way I can think of.

Rigging something to open directly with the package would be far more complicated....

I wonder if there's a ready made solution at a gag store?

Hmmm... Keep in mind that if the address becomes unreadable in the postal system, they will open it up. You don't want old spice all over the postal employees!

I'm not sure I completely understand your test tube idea. If you can explain it to me better I might be able to think of a better implementation.

I was thinking of shipping a small container of some kind within the outside box (so I can have lots of padding) and have the tube of old spice glued to the lid and bottom of the container, so if the lid to the container is removed, the lid of the tube would also be removed. the tube would have to be upside down and there would need to be small holes in the bottom of the container, to let the old spice pour onto his lap.

but I would be afraid of getting a poor seal and loosing the old spice too early.

hmm, maybe I could super glue the stopper into the test tube, so the tube would just crack upon opening.

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Pour the Old Spice into a Zip-Loc bag and ship it in a cardboard box filled with those styrofoam "packing peanuts". Duct tape the sides of the bag to the flaps of the box lid, so that when it is opened, the bag is simultaneously forced upward and opened, splashing the hapless victim.

(Hell - it probably wouldn't work, but it's all I could think of )

;)

I don't really want to splash, as I don't want my brother to be blinded by old spice. but the bag idea has some promise.

or if you could somehow get it to puncture the bag upon opening.

If this joke works, it will be so funny.

you must remember that your brother will probably shake the box.
make it so there are no tell tale clues that there is liquid inside.

Make a box with big holes all over it. It should be about twice the size of your fist. Have a lid that slides open with a needle attached to the inside of it. The needle should be positioned so it will jab when the lid is removed, but will slide harmlessly past the contents when thee lid is closed.

Take a red rubber balloon. It shouldn't be too big. Fill it partially with Old Spice, then blow it taught. Peel a label off an Old Spice product and glue it to the balloon.

Put the partially filled, inflated red balloon in the box. Make sure the label is facing up.

Carefully replace the box's lid.

But the box in a shipping ontainer of your choice.

Mail the package.

take the mechanism from one of those mop buckets that squeeze when the lever is pulled, then attach the level to one of the flaps of the box, and place the spice is a squirty bottle(like you get dish detergent in) between the squeezers with the end open slightly.

when the flap is lifted it will squeeze the bottle and force the squirter open and the spice out.

hello everyone,

I am thinking of playing a practical joke on my brother and I am looking for some help planning it. back story: when we were kids we had "old spice fights" where we would ambush one another with one of the two old spice bottles my dad had around. so, since someone gave me a bottle of old spice last Christmas (which I will never use), I figure its a perfect opportunity to play a joke on my brother.

the problem is, he moved to Florida a few months ago (I live in Michigan). so I was thinking of something that I could send him that when he opened it, old spice would pour out on him.

any ideas of what kind of device I could make that would survive shipping and spill upon opening?

I was thinking of maybe a test tube glued upside down into a container, with its cork glued to the bottom (which would have holes in it). what do you think? since I don't have a test tube, what else could I use? or should I abandon the test tube idea as it may not survive shipping?

Send him a modified old spice glad plug-in.

I know...
Drag your ass to Florida. Buy a huge package and crawl inside with a spice bottle. Make sure the delivery people know about this, and handle with care. And when he open it up...kaboom in his face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

idea: perhaps I could use a play-doh container, upside down inside a cookie tin. with the lid and body glued to either side of the tin. many small holes in the bottom of the tin would allow the contents to pour out. I could tape the tin closed so that the lid would keep enough pressure, during shipping, to prevent leakage.

He might be suspicious of the holes in the bottom of the tin. I'm not sure a play-doh container has a watertight lid though. Even with pressure being applied, if it loosens up even a little during shipping, it will all work its way out. I think this is the best idea so far, but it has to be something other than a play-doh container. Something with a tighter seal.

Whatever you end up doing, I'd use one of those "snakes in a can" things, an obvious one. That way he's expecting spring snakes to pop out the top and he gets Old Spice out the bottom. Possibly one of those plastic test tubes with the screw on top, (available in most liquor stores with free bonus alcohol inside) upside down in the can as you said before. With the lid glued to the bottom of the can and the tube glued to the lid of the snake can, it should work. I'd use Epoxy to glue the tube inside and remember to have it centered perfectly inside the can to make unscrewing the lid from the test tube as easy as possible. I'd recommend using the entire tube of Epoxy and just pushing the tube into it and let it dry. That way the rounded bottom of the test tube should stay stuck to the lid of the can while the victim unscrews it.

yeah, the rounded bottom may be a problem.

I would not use the Postal Service. They get really bitchy about stuff like that. There's probably an obscure law they could use to prosecute you just for spite, or at least harrass you a lot. They have the right to open any package that they think is "suspicious." I can't imagine you putting this together and not having it look "suspicious" to postal workers who have been living on pins and needles since 9/11. If your brother opens it in the presence of other people, in the first couple of seconds as it goes off, one of them might think it's real and have a heart attack.

I've always been of the opinion that practical jokes suck, but this one could be dangerous for both of you. This is just not a propitious moment in American history to be fooling around with fake bombs.

fake bomb? its just going to spill on him. besides, the device would be within another box. I would not rig the main box.

you are right though, perhaps I will have to save the old spice until a Christmas in which we are in the same state.

Place the mighty hypnotoad into the package and hypnotize him into splashing himself with the Old Spice.

http://thesmokeaggression.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hypnotoad.gif

All hail the hynotoad....

http://ystig.com/hypnopaul.jpg...

Maybe you could handle your sibling rivalry in a less aggressive manner.

what? we get along fine. he would find it quite funny.

what? we get along fine. he would find it quite funny.

"Practical Joke: n. A mischievous trick played on a person, especially one that causes the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort."

OK, whatever, but almost any method you choose has an element of unexpected consequences.