Neoprene Rubber ???

[BryanS]

Does anybody know what Neoprene rubber looks like or what kind of texture it has? You Know, the stuff used to make mouth plates for puppets. Is it any thing like the stuff computer mouse pads are made of? I have been looking all over for it or something like it. I think if I use a mouse pad for the mouth plates on the puppet IM building it will be too thick and not stiff enough to hold its shape. Also I have thought of using Foamies but, at Walmart and stores where I'm from. I haven't been able to find any big enough or thick enough. Any Suggestions.

Thanks
Bryan

 

[BorkBork]

Look for gasket rubber at the plumbing- or auto departement. It's often used as mouthplates. I tried to get some here in sweden, but it was really expensive.

Good Luck.

/Anders

 

[BryanS]

mouth plates

Bork Bork,
What Thickness of the gasket rubber is good for making mouth plates. I was thinking about 1/8" or 1/4" of an inch.

Bryan

 

[BorkBork]

actually, i don't know because i haven't used gasket rubber yet, due to the expensive price. I think this quetion should be passed over to someone else. Buck? As usuall, hehe...

 

[edible eye]

neoprene rubber is a liquid

Hi,

I don't know much about mouth plates or what would be good, but I do know a lot about neoprene, I've been using it for over two years to make masks. You have to order it from the Chicago latex corporation 1-800-435-5700. It comes in 1 gallon or 5 gallons, but they don't like to ship in winter because it freezes. You have to make a plaster mold of your part to use it and once it cures it becomes very rigid. You would not be able to move it much at all, it is not like a mouse pad in any way.(even the semi rigid formula). I suppose you could make an upper and lower mouth piece separately and attach them by glueing fabric on the back side.

Hope this helped in some sort of way.

 

[BorkBork]

Re: neoprene rubber is a liquid

Originally posted by edible eye
I suppose you could make an upper and lower mouth piece separately and attach them by glueing fabric on the back side.

This is sorta how you do the mouth. You do the upper and lower mouth as 2 seperate pieces. Then you put them soghether with duct tape and cover the visible parts with some fabric of your choise.

/Anders

 

[pierat]

neoprene

Hey,

Actually I have made many mouths with gasket rubber. However this is not the same as neoprene. I've never actually seen neoprene used as a mouth plate as it is too flexible. Usually it can often be found in mouth grips which are attatched to the mouthplates.

The good news is I've found a better and cheaper substitute for neoprene at the local hardware store. Home Depot carries a neoprene like material used to line the back of showers now prior to putting up tiling or panels. Sorry, can't remember the name of the stuff but it comes in large rolls they sell by the foot.

It's rubber on one side and fabric like on the back with the exact same flexability of neoprene which I also have compared side by side.

The Home Depot stuff sells for around a few dallors a foot much cheaper than neoprene and it works exactly the same in all the mouth mechanisms I've made.

Hope that helps,
De rat
http://logos.goodnews.net/~time/

 

[Phillip]

Great to see you on the forum George! You have a wealth of puppet knowledge to share with others.

Hope all is well with you and your family.

 

[BorkBork]

any good substitute for Gasket rubber?

 

[Fozzie Bear]

"any good substitute for Gasket rubber?"

Rubber Chickens??

For Muley's mouth, I just carved his muzzle out of 2 and 1 inch foam, the bottom part of his mouth is cardboard, the top part of his pallette is 1/4 inch foam which I lined with Duct Tape. I was thinking that, if I find my pattern for my puppets maybe I would use a mouse-pad for the upper pallette of his mouth.

Soon, I will have a full-body "DisneyWorld-type" costume of my cartoon character, Muley. I was considering how I might make him such that if I nod my head, his mouth will move, but it will end up costing quite a bit more money.

That's all for now,
FOZ