Kermit build help required

[wulster]

Adjusted bv2 as per comments. will try bv3 tomorrow. worth a try

 

[pashmonster]

The 2nd one is better. What I do Is make foam rings that goes around my fingers to bulk up my fingers so that I looks right. Are you using Antron fleece?

 

[Muppetlab]

2nd one is much better..
When i made mine i lost count of how many heads i made overall. Easily 20-25 making small changes with every one!

 

[wulster]

Just normal fleece for the moment. I will save the real stuff for when i am happy with the look.

The fleece i got didn't have any name of a type on it..it is good for brushing over the seems, i have just not went to any bother on the tests to tidy them up.

I've spent the last couple of years drooling over all you guys work, it really is just a case of keep going till you get it right..i am still not there but hey its ****** me off along the way but i'll tell ya i'm having some fun doing it lol. If someone just gave me a pattern it would be simple but not as fun i guess.


Now i know why i should have invested in a thimble

 

[pashmonster]

Try a test head with Antron fleece, it will make a big difference. The same pattern without Antron doesn't look the same as say a normal polar fleece does. The Antron can stretch so you can tighten him up when stiching.
I glue the fleece to the mouth plate with barge cement and then if you stretch the antron around you hand and sew the fleece taking any slack out as you go. If I try sew the head up before attaching the plate he looks more like a snake

 

[wulster]

yeah i probably should try antron, i notice even the wrong thickness of mouth plate is changing the full look too. gonna Finnish this one cos im doing a body test.

 

[wulster]

Bear in mind this isn't all stitched up right and stuff ad a poor stuffing job till i design an inner core but he is looking not bad. got a few pattern tweaks to implement for the next test and also got the correct neck and sole felt now for the next one

 

[FoxWorthy]

^^^ I think the head is looking good! My gut says that things would go well if you started a final version.....(or one of the many final versions?)

 

[wulster]

yeah starting to think that too so earlier today got myself some antron. This was my first test of the body pattern i had done. ive done small tweaks to the full pattern, all bits. i still need to construct a real mouth plate with full inner loops etc if i get that i can test this head properly and see if it looks like i want.
since filming the video i made my first proper inside core, just that alone makes it look even better.
one thing i want to include is some sort of removable rods. still trying to work out how. i spotted one done with wee toothed clips but dont like that idea.

the head still feels a bit loose and baggy, i did do a slightly reduced one but the smile look was lost instead the bemused look was achieved. might just be my hands are too small as im making it to henson scale and ive small hands..it could be that my over all length of the head is wrong and i need to shorten it.

 

[wulster]

hit a wall again, built up the new body pattern, arms n legs..all looking good. just got to make an inner core. ready for antron im feeling.

so far tho i have binned 5 heads. ive made the correct mouth plate with the right type of rubber...loops and all. all good.

up till now i just took my home made head pattern and cut it out, made up a foam moth plate glued the red to the foam then put glue all around the edges and pulled the head cloth on to the glue. worked for tests and looked ok if rough but could do it that way tidy if i had to..but wanted the mouth stitched to get the right inner mouth edge/depth if thats how to describe it. ive added seam allowance and tried to sew on the correct inner red area shape.

then id glue the full moth plate on to the new red inner inside out then turn it all out. five times now i've trashed each head or completely lost resemblance to kermie..

any advice anyone can offer from reading my description would be great ty im looking to make a mouth plate that can be fully articulated like the real one for expressions