Date: Sat, 31 Jan 2009 18:32:30 -0800
To: puptcrit-AT-puptcrit.org
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] Puppet Spine


Mathieu,

The Japanese use thin baleen strips for armatures and flexible springs.


Baleen or whalebone is the means by which baleen whales feed. These  
whales do not have teeth, but instead have rows of
baleen plates in the upper jaw =96 flat, flexible plates with frayed  
edges, arranged in two parallel rows, looking like combs of
thick hair. Baleen is not bone, but is composed of keratin, the same  
substance as hair, horn, claws and nails. Whales use
these combs for filter feeding. Whales are the only vertebrate group  
to use this method of feeding in great abundance
(flamingos and crabeater seals use similar methods, but do not have  
baleen), and it has allowed them to grow to immense sizes.
  The blue whale, the largest animal alive, is a baleen whale.  
Depending on the species of whale, a baleen plate can be
  0.5 to 3.5 m (2 to 12 ft) long, and weigh up to 90 kg (200 lb). Its  
hairy fringes are called baleen hair or whalebone-hair.
  Baleen plates are broader at the gumline (base). The plates have  
been compared to sieves or Venetian blinds.

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Bruce

On Jan 31, 2009, at 6:23 PM, Mathieu René wrote:



> One thing I rarely see in puppet design is the inclusion of a  
> functionning
> spine.
> Either we rely on gravity and balance (marionettes), or on the  
> puppeteer's
> control of the various body parts (tabletop and a few other types),  
> or we
> just make a stiff torso.
>
> What's amazing is that we don't really need a spine, a lot of the  
> time!
>
>
> A possible upcoming contract (not confirmed) would have me build a
> realistic-moving humanoid puppet, which might benefit from a spine  
> to make
> the puppet's back spring back into position. I can certainly do it  
> without,
> and it would move very well, but why not try a notch higher, just  
> for fun?
> I've been thinking of using a thick strip of higher density polyfoam
> combined with elastics, or a link of big wooden beads over an  
> elastic,  or
> even a lenght of some kind of memory wire, or a plastic bar that  
> springs
> back to shape.
>
> I'm at a bit of a loss as to where to find memory-wire type things  
> around
> here.
> Every time I check leftover pallets in shipping areas, they either  
> have the
> cheap palstic straps, or the non-memory metal straps.
> I wouldn't evne know how to attach a spine made of it to my puppet.
> Any pointers?
>
> I'm curious about any type of puppet spine you would know how to  
> build.
>
>
>
>
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