From: "Robert Napoli" <run2-AT-psu.edu>
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 21:55:09 -0400
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Springs



Have you tried McMaster-Carr? They have a large inventory of springs:
http://www.mcmaster.com/ 

Message: 3
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 08:03:13 -0400
From: Mathieu Ren? <creaturiste-AT-magma.ca>
Subject: [Puptcrit] Eye Mechanics update
To: <puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org>
Message-ID: <002601c69918$81780870$0534f3c7-AT-critter1>

Hi all. i want to thank everybody who provided advice for eye mechanics not
too long ago.
The plans and ideas helped me realise I was much less advanced than I
thought in mechanics.
No problem, I still managed to figure somthing out that works 90%.
The rest of the problem is to find a way to self-center the eyes.

The mechanic I made up is a simple up and down system, activated by a
see-saw with a displaced pivot point (inside the thickness of the back of
the head, away from the eye). The see-saw is the trigger, made of stiff
wire. it comes out only a little bit from the back of the head. This will be
hidden by the puppets' hair.
A long stiff wire with a loop at the end will be able to grab onto the
switch and activate it without the camera picking up on it.
 

I have no access to small subtle springs, so I am wondering how to make the
eyes stay at middle position. Right now, the default position is when the
eyes look up, because of the weight of the eyepiece(which is two eyes
attached to a thin board).
 I tried using a small square of sponge around the trigger, to act as a 360
degree spring, but it was not firm enough, and anyway, it would get damaged
pretty quick and be too bulky. The other way was to make the eyes tigher
against the orbits, but friction will eventually make them loose again.

An elastic cord? but where would I attach it? The obvious spot would be
between the eyes, but I need to make it relatively easy to replace. Right
now, the system has to be separated for me to modify each part (trigger made
of stiff wire, nail as a pivot, the eye piece, and the eye's axis (which
will be glued to the head's thickness).
I wish I knew how to install the self-centering system around the area of
the trigger, so that I can fiddle with it when I want to.


 
 Any suggestions, please?
Thanks!

And yes, I will post a few pictures (on my blog) when I have one of the
current version of the mechanic. The one picture I have is from several
hours ago, a different approach.







Mathieu Ren? Cr?aturiste
Marionnettes, Masques, Etcetera...
Puppets, Masks, Etcetera...
www.creaturiste.com
creaturiste-AT-magma.ca
(514) 274-8027



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