2 Questions...Feet & Glue (respectively)

[staceyrebecca]

1. I might be able to figure it out without one, but if anyone knows of a good pattern or tutorial for puppet legs & feet, I'd love to find one! I've been Googling with no luck.


2. I'm really pretty down about attaching things. Eyes, horns and the whatnot. I'm using hot glue and it's messy and not as seamless as I'd like. Is it my inexperience? my technique? Is it the tool? The materials? Tell me what's wrong with me!

 

[JDAmato]

In terms of feet/legs, I have gotten good results for a more fanciful looks by filling stockings with stuffing material...it makes it pretty easy to shape and the connection is as simple as a little sewing. If you don't like that look, I would suggest just starting out with thick tubes and hand carving them, then looking at the carving unfolded and seeing if you can salvage some sort of pattern for the future from that. In my experience, the best legs are just a good pair of pants

In regards to the glue...I would try using contact cement or some Super 77 spray adhesive if hot glue isn't working. With contact cement, you need air ventilation and a safety mask since the fumes aren't so good. Super 77 should just require some good ventilation. If you don't like glue at all, I might give sewing a shot...it takes longer, but the results are usually more permanent. I use hot glue, myself, so maybe you should look into a new/different gun if it really isn't working...

 

[SesameKermie]

For feet/legs, I would recommend The Foam Book method. They use tubes of foam for the thigh and shin, and then carve the 'foot' out of foam, and attach smaller, shaped and trimmed tubes of foam for toes; and then the whole appendage is covered with fleece/fur/etc. It's similar to the method Sean Johnson used to make Ratchet's arms. I can't help but think that the foam insulation tubing for insulating pipes might save you a few steps in the construction.

As far as gluing--I'd agree with the contact cement. I also might work on some minor sewing to just tack features down in place--multiple straight stiches (nothing fancy) all made in the same spot-- in addition to the glue.

 

[staceyrebecca]

I have an idea of how I'll go about it, so I think I'll just make a pattern, & sew them. I did the foam book thing for a number of years & wasn't ever pleased with the results. I'm sure if I revisited it now with more experience I could gain more from it, but for this particular puppet I don't think the two styles of building would mesh well.

How well does contact cement work for placing things on top of fur? I've used contact cement for foam structures and such, but hadn't thought of using it to attach things post-skeleton. I usually sew on the soft extras by hand, but things like ping pong balls or wooden beads I use for eyes, teeth, etc. just aren't sewable. I might just be going through a cranky/impatient phase with my puppet building.

Thanks guys, for the responses! I think I'll invest in a new glue gun either way.

 

[Nojoy]

Funny you should mention this... been experimenting with leg and feet patterns.
Here's the latest draft of it...

http://rapidshare.com/files/70755001/Leg___Feet_Pattern.pdf.html

Unfortunately I don't have any example pictures yet... but the results turned out nice. Hope it helps.

 

[SesameKermie]

For attaching thngs to fur, put a dab of contact cement onto the item you're attaching and then onto the fur, but make the 'dot' of glue small and high. Let it dry like normal, then when you attach the whateveritis, squish the glue down. If your attachment is sew-able, then tack it down at cardinal points to keep it from moving. Once it's dry, VOILA!

 

[staceyrebecca]

The pattern looks good so far! I'm working with a very long pile fur, so we'll see what kind of adjustments need to be made. It's always a little more stressful when I make puppets for fellow-puppeteers

I should photograph my journey into footdom.

Thanks Sesamekermie for the tip regarding the glue. I usually use the contact cement at the theater, I'll run down to the corner hardware store and grab some today for myself.

I assume this works better for attaching eyes than does hot glue?

 

[SesameKermie]

That's basically the method I used to attach Esther's (The purple Bunny) eyes. Her eyes are spoons, so I couldn't sew them. To make sure it attached well, I cut squares of foam and glued them inside the hollow part of the spoon and then applied glue to the foam to attach the eyes to her face.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

"Barge" is a super-duper contact cement that will hold just about anything. I made a dog nose out of a foam ball by cutting a section out of it and gluing it together by pinching it, creating an oval. Then I also contact cemented it onto the puppet's face. I used "T" pins to hold it in place until the cement dried.

 

[scarylarrywolf]

To make sure it attached well, I cut squares of foam and glued them inside the hollow part of the spoon and then applied glue to the foam to attach the eyes to her face.

I second this method.

Another option, which gets kind of complex, is the bolt & wingnut method. Secure a small (1 – 1/2 inch) bolt to the item you're applying (using epoxy works for me), make a hole where you want to attach it, insert the bolt into the hole, put on a washer (to make sure the wingnut doesn't get pulled through), and screw a wingnut onto the bolt.

This way you can also swap out the eyes or horns or whatever for different ones (between camera takes for instance).