Making a flexible Mouth Piece

[cjspiteri]

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.

Thanks for that tip. There is a "$" store nearby that has a wall of placemats to choose from. I had not even considered this.

 

[Jinx]

The company I work for manufactures camera straps out of neoprene. Though you can't see it, Garth (my Avatar Photo) has a mouthplate made of 1/4" thick neoprene that has red lycra bonded to it. This mouth acts as a regular rigid one, but if I need any flex I have it immediately. It has held its shape for about nine and a half years now.

 

[cjspiteri]

With regards to thumb and finger "holds", what is a good material to use with the neoprene material? I am planning out a second puppet already and want to try the neoprene in the mouth plate.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Depends what type of hold you want. What have you done before?

 

[D'Snowth]

I think he meant what's good material to cover the backsides of the mouth plates so his thumb and fingers won't be sliding around sweaty plates and to get a better grip.

 

[cjspiteri]

Depends what type of hold you want. What have you done before?

I have a plate that has two duct tape loops (four fingers on top, thumb on bottom)inside to help actuate the mouth plate.It being hot all the time here, I choose incorrectly. I added a foam insert inside the "sinus" area on the face of the puppet on the upper plate to help hold my four fingers down onto the plate without using the loop (which is nasty sticky now). I was trying to make an insert to put into the bottom plate so I can keep using a loop to move the lower jaw. Again - lesson learnt on this one, thinking for my next puppet.

I found contact cement here finally - "Contact Liquid" by UHU. Not the same brand my Dad used in his shop before, but its the same stuff. I hope to glue my second head together on Sunday this week - Wife is at school and I can go to the roof of the apartment to work. I am thinking of the neoprene mat with a thin leather layer on the inside - leather loops or pockets to hold the fingers in place.


Any suggestions, advise and replies are appreciated