Working arms for a very large puppet

[Macavite]

I've built a pretty good body for a puppet, but am having trouble getting the arms to work (and not look terrible). I was wondering if you could point me at some resources for arms that can move. At a minimum I'd like to be able to wave. Important to note, the 'puppet' I'm talking about here is less of an Elmo and more of a Big Bird. So in terms of arms, I'm looking more at springs, skeletons, lines, and counterweights, and not simple rods.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/epbot/7975100881/

To get an idea of the build process and existing internal structure, the build diary is here:

http://imgur.com/a/yJHcF#7nLY8

Thanks!

 

[Melonpool]

Wow! That's great! Are you planning on having your real arm inside only one of the arms and then have the other one move via a piece of monfilament or something? That's the way Big Bird works. Not sure how that'd work on your build, though. Right now, how are your operating him? One of your arms is in the left flipper and the other one does what?

 

[Melonpool]

Is there enough room inside there for you to have two PVC pipes threaded up through the arms inside the body cavity? If so, couldn't you operate the arms sort of like oars in there? Maybe cardboard mailing tubes?

 

[Macavite]

Wow! That's great! Are you planning on having your real arm inside only one of the arms and then have the other one move via a piece of monfilament or something? That's the way Big Bird works. Not sure how that'd work on your build, though. Right now, how are your operating him? One of your arms is in the left flipper and the other one does what?

Right now neither arm does a darn thing. Currently they're just basically pillowcases sewn to the outside body, there isn't even a pass-through. When we were doing the initial build, we toyed with putting a stick in each arm that I could manipulate from the inside, but it looked pretty awful and we were pressed for time, so we just put the arms on (empty) and packed him up. Now that we have time, we're investigating how to make him more of a puppet and less of an egg-on-legs.

I read about big bird, and think it's an interesting idea, but I don't think I'll be able to get my arm completely into his, as it is the body is wide enough that if there were some sort of pass-through, I still wouldn't even get the tips of my fingers to the 'elbow'. So i'd need to be able to make something that is an extension of my arm. Having the opposing arm mirror the primary arm is something I'd like to do, but the issue of getting the primary arm working is my first concern (then the secondary arm, then eyes, then a working mouth, and then and then and then).

 

[Macavite]

Is there enough room inside there for you to have two PVC pipes threaded up through the arms inside the body cavity? If so, couldn't you operate the arms sort of like oars in there? Maybe cardboard mailing tubes?

I have a TON of room in the body. The body is basically a giant hoop skirt, so it's pretty much entirely hollow.

Ideally, I'd like to be able to wave. But that involves a working elbow and possibly the ability to rotate a wrist. So I was pondering some sort of a two-part 'skeleton' with a bent elbow where I could rotate the arm 'up' and then pull and release the elbow to wave. I'm just not sure where to start when it comes to parts.

Also ideally I don't want it to weigh too much. Currently the whole suit is only 30 pounds. So a secondary concern for me in this is making a structure that isn't too heavy.

 

[scandell]

Love it! My kids and I are huge Totoro fans...at least i thought we were until I saw your level of devotion. lol

I think you should go with a fishing line approach. Keep the arms pretty light...but with a basic foam structure...and have a fishing line feed from the wrist to the top of the head...you can simply pull on the line...to make his arm go up and down. I am making this up as I go....so it may be a dumb idea...at least it is a light idea.

 

[Melonpool]

What about incorporating this into it?

http://www.crestock.com/image/3280039-Toy-Robot-Hand.aspx

Your own wrist would become the elbow and this extension should span about another 18 inches to the hand. Id I recall correctly, the thumb is fixed, but the other fingers are more or less independent and cable activated.

 

[Macavite]

Love it! My kids and I are huge Totoro fans...at least i thought we were until I saw your level of devotion. lol

I think you should go with a fishing line approach. Keep the arms pretty light...but with a basic foam structure...and have a fishing line feed from the wrist to the top of the head...you can simply pull on the line...to make his arm go up and down. I am making this up as I go....so it may be a dumb idea...at least it is a light idea.

Yeah, I ran across a thread here that talked a little about that. Build a basic curved arm structure, then see-saw the arms back and forth. It's certainly be light!

 

[Macavite]

What about incorporating this into it?

http://www.crestock.com/image/3280039-Toy-Robot-Hand.aspx

Your own wrist would become the elbow and this extension should span about another 18 inches to the hand. Id I recall correctly, the thumb is fixed, but the other fingers are more or less independent and cable activated.

At the least I could take it apart and see how it works. It'd be awesome if I could do something with the claws on the hand. Here's a decent picture with the hand in it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/heathervesta/7959380596/in/faves-macavitecas/

 

[Slackbot]

I saw you at Dragoncon, and I thought your Totoro looked wonderful. (If you saw a woman with a purple Fraggle, that was me.)

Making the arms movable wound be nice, but would you be able to see what they were doing? I'm guessing that the teeth are a scrim so you can see forward. The hands are on the sides, and it doesn't look like they could ever come into your field of vision. Not saying you shouldn't try to make his arms work, but if it was mine I wouldn't, as I can't see how I'd use 'em.

Whatever you do, I hope you'll post here and show us!