Making a flexible Mouth Piece

[CBPuppets]

I need help! What kind of materials could I use to make a mouth piece that can be very flexible so the puppet could be able to show expression?

 

[Slackbot]

I use gasket rubber. Flexible yet very sturdy. At Lowe's you can get 1/32" and 1/16" thicknesses. I use 1/16, which are stiffer, because the thinner ones can be too flexible and cause the mouth not to close right.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

You can also use 1/2 foam (either polyfoam or reticulated).

 

[CBPuppets]

You can also use 1/2 foam (either polyfoam or reticulated).

The only question is if I were to use 1/2 Foam how could I make it so it would be not too flexible but a bit sturdy in between?

 

[D'Snowth]

I wouldn't use foam. I've experimented with foam mouth plates before, and while they do give the mouth flexiblity, they don't retain their shape very well.

Like Slackbot said, gasket rubber is probably your best bet. Just remember not leave at least half an inch, if not more, of space for the hinge, and when you're fabricating the puppet not to pull the fabric too tight, otherwise you'll end up with a puppet with a permanent smirk/sneer.

 

[CBPuppets]

I wouldn't use foam. I've experimented with foam mouth plates before, and while they do give the mouth flexiblity, they don't retain their shape very well.

Like Slackbot said, gasket rubber is probably your best bet. Just remember not leave at least half an inch, if not more, of space for the hinge, and when you're fabricating the puppet not to pull the fabric too tight, otherwise you'll end up with a puppet with a permanent smirk/sneer.

So basically when I use gasket rubber I just need to make sure I don't leave a space between the middle?

 

[D'Snowth]

No, you want a little space for a hinge of sorts when you put fabric on the mouth plate itself; usually a half an inch or even an inch works best.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

I wouldn't use foam. I've experimented with foam mouth plates before, and while they do give the mouth flexiblity, they don't retain their shape very well.

They can actually work quite well, but they have to be designed properly and appropriate for the puppet. When using 1/2" foam you often need to create a firmer mouth plate(s) to glue on to the 1/2" foam (smaller than the actual mouth) to help the mouth to retain its shape and to provide something for you to mount a grip for your fingers/thumb on to.

Anyone on the forum who is new to puppet building should remember that when we talk about gasket rubber and polyfoam we are using slightly generic terms; not all gasket rubber and polyfoams have the same strength and flexibility. Generally speaking though, most 1/2" polyfoam is more flexible than most gasket rubber so it becomes a question of how much flexibility you need and what works best for the puppet you're building.

The best thing to do is experiment and try a couple different methods before you make the actual mouth plate for your puppet. The more you experiment, the more you learn and the more unexpected discoveries you can make.

 

[cjspiteri]

I just finished my first mouth plate and I used a thin piece of milk jug plastic covered in black craft foam. It was way to stiff and i had to reach into the head and slice it with a razor to get rid of some of the stiffness. I am trying foam covered in felt for number 2.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Post pics or videos if you can.

You know some people like to use plastic from ice cream or Yogurt containers, when I lived outside of Canada for a few years and couldn't find the right materials I had luck using neoprene placemats that I found in a local store.