Time to get out the old chopper. This is the one where the persons actual hand drops down into a cloth, which is bright red. The thing looks like I bought it at disneyland.
Looking for suggestions or actual pics of a 're-imagined' look. Menacing is good. Mechanically horrific is better!

The easiest fix is to weather it. I did a similar thing with a head cremation that I built a few years ago. For reference, it is essentially a large Square Circle. I made the box look like it was quite weathered, possibly metal, possibly wood... just dark and sort of soot covered. (The intended venue was a haunted trail at an old blast furnace factory.) It was faux painted so it looked like old bolt heads or rivets held it together, so adding rust to these areas was a natural. Of course this was just rust colored primer sprayed into certain areas as the box was being painted. The box was somewhat generic by nature.

The tube kind of pulled it together as a theme. It was painted red and yellow, like barber pole stripes. But this was given a good dusting of that same sprayed on soot (just light mists of gray, khaki, and black). The particular show scene was based around an old decrepit carnival, so this had that evil carney/evil clown kind of a feel to it.

I guess the basic idea for your prop would be to make it look like it has been used for actual torture, probably quite some time ago, or like something that you or some other crazy psycho made in his basement from salvaged junk... something that creates the impression that it might not work. Combine danger with doubt and you develop fear!
Start by doing a Google search for weathering techniques. There is a lot of good info out there for modelers, who already have these techniques down pat. You can also look at info for artificially "antiquing" furniture. You should be able to see some of these processes on video, but they will also probably provide info on materials to use.

Guyactor, I think you will have to post a picture of your chopper, as your comment makes it sound like a Mak Magic item, but the color you state was never used to my knowledge by Mak Magic. Mak Magic used soft pine wood and tempered Masonite to make their magic props. So stripping is not recommended with this wood combination.

Just rough up the surface with sanding paper, fine girt, then put a coat of 'Bin primer' on it and then paint however you like. If you do not know about designing "Menacing" or "Horrific" then you will have commission someone to do it for you.

If you want to strip it, I would suggest you have a professional do it, so it does not come apart.

Use the Attachment feature below to show us your prop. Then maybe someone with your same tastes will show you theirs, if they wish their work to be copied by a total stranger who does not give any information about whom may be copying his work.

Bill, I will take a few pics and post. Michael, I like the psycho idea. That's good for my persona. Thanks both. They'll be up shortly......

Barry

You could always go steampunk with it. Add a few gauges, dials, copper tubing, gears etc. make it more of a scientific theme.

I thought about that after I posted. Between this and the 'psycho', "Not sure if it'll do what it's supposed to", it may be just what the Doc ordered.

If you want it it be mechanically horrific, remove the gimmick and sharpen the blade…just a thought

Howie, yeah. That'd do it.....

I've just pulled it out and will post pics of the original paint scheme soon.