Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 08:21:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Gregory Ballora <gregballora-AT-sbcglobal.net> To: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Marionette Stringing advice? --- Jimsan777-AT-aol.com wrote: > In "Strings", the actual strings were metaphors, as > you know. To get a > clean look, drill a 1/32 inch hole in the wood (or > celastic or plastic > wood...whatever) insert the string with a bit of > glue, drive a toothpick to hold it, > and break off the excess. The string will hold for > years..and years. jim > Gamble So, do you attach a metaphorical string any differently? By the way, I think Jim had a typo. My memory of building with him is that he seet his strings in 5/64" holes, but he may have moved to 3/32". Is that so Jim? Pretty hard to get a 1/32" drill bit. While Jim's technique works great for live shows, I would not recommend it for film. Re-Stringing would often mean re-drilling, and then re-gluing, and finally re-painting to cover up the cut off end of the tooth pick. I think it would be great to find out what they used for Strings", but in the mean time, I will pass on what was done on Team America. On the head strings, they used 3 screw eyes for side of head, and back of head, hidden in the hair. The front of head string was always right at the hairline, so a screw eye would have shown, so they put a thin brass tube into the forehead, that bent around to the side of the head, where there was another screw eye mounted for the tie off. On the body, where screw eyes would have shown through the costumes, they devised an interesting method. they took very fine music wire, bent it with needlenose pliers into a small staple shape. Then they counter-sunk it into the appropriate part of the body by drilling 2 parallel holes for the legs of the staple, and then making a slot with a cut off wheel on a dremel; this allows the staple to sit flush. Before gluing the staple in, they took another smaller cutter and cut a small trough for the string to go under the staple. Then the staple was set in with Krazy Glue. I was amazed that in the months of shooting, only one of these fell out, across the 60 or so marionettes, and daily re-costuming and stringing. I don't think we ever glued the knot on the strings, just learn to tie good knots and leave enough tail. Greg Ballora _______________________________________________ List address: puptcrit-AT-lists.driftline.org Admin interface: http://lists.driftline.org/listinfo.cgi/puptcrit-driftline.org Archives: http://www.driftline.org
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