Detachable Pieces

[TherianPrime]

So from what I can remember Bert on SS was the only muppet that regularly had any of his body parts (in his case his nose) removed during a skit. I do vaguely remember eyes and nose coming off other muppets in the midst of a skit, though I don't remember any sort of "attaching device" visible on any of them. Does anyone have an idea how that was done? I'm thinking that I may want to be able to do that with a character I'm developing. I was thinking about magnets in the head and metal shims in the body parts ... what do you guys think?

 

[ravagefrackle]

velcro, double stick tape, or toupe tape, pretty much industry standards

 

[TherianPrime]

I suspected Velcro but didn't remember seeing that tell-tale "patch" one would expect if that were the case. Never thought of the others, probably because in my head they'd be too unreliable during a performance.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Using two magnets works really well, better than velcro in my experience. Just make sure they aren't too powerful.

 

[ravagefrackle]

I suspected Velcro but didn't remember seeing that tell-tale "patch" one would expect if that were the case. Never thought of the others, probably because in my head they'd be too unreliable during a performance.

True enough for live , but remeber you can get away with a lot on Video, and film,

but like buck said, Magnest will work, its just a matter of finding the right ones, and spending the time to construct the puppet with the magnets in mind

 

[SesameKermie]

As far as using velcro goes, you would only need the "hook" side if your puppet is covered with fleece. There should be enough fiber there for it to grab hold of. However, i agree that magnets would be better.

 

[Phantom]

I remember Bert's nose coming off way before I remember velcro. Doesn't mean velcro wasn't used, but it makes me think double-sided tape.

Just an observation.

 

[Was Once Ernie]

I remember Bert's nose coming off way before I remember velcro. Doesn't mean velcro wasn't used, but it makes me think double-sided tape.

Just an observation.

Bert's nose was simply T-pinned on. That was how Ernie could stick it on the clay bust. I was in the studio when they taped that bit.

 

[ravagefrackle]

T pins work to, Thanks for the input

 

[MGov]

I remember Bert's nose coming off way before I remember velcro. Doesn't mean velcro wasn't used, but it makes me think double-sided tape.

Just an observation.

From Wikipedia:

Velcro

Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners used for connecting objects.

History

The hook and loop fastener was invented in 1948 by Georges de Mestral, a Swiss engineer. The idea came to him after he took a close look at the Burdock seeds which kept sticking to his clothes and his dog's fur on their daily walk in the Alps. De Mestral named his invention "VELCRO" after the French words velours, meaning 'velvet', and crochet, meaning 'hook'.