Date: Tue, 7 Jul 1998 08:26:41 -0400
From: David Shaw <dshaw-AT-jabberwocky.com>
Subject: Re: PUPT: Looking for Help


On Tue, Jul 07, 1998 at 12:20:53AM -0400, Larsetto-AT-aol.com wrote:
> Hey, all
> 
>  I've gotten a lot of good input from this list, and now I have a question I'm
> hoping for a solution to (and with you guys, I know its out there!)
> 
>  Working with marionettes, how do you handle the passing off of an item from
> one to another, without creating a separate 'prop-pet'?  We tried running a
> string across the puppet's fingers, and putting fishhooks on the prop, and it
> works well in rehearsals, but not in performance.

Two things that pop into mind are velcro and electromagnets.

If you put a small piece of velcro hidden on both the hand and the prop
you could achieve what you want.  The trick is to use enough velcro to
make it stay there, but not so much that it stays there too long :)

An electromagnet (if you can conceal the controlling wires - and they make
some pretty darn thin wires) is even better.  Just hit the button to turn
on the magnet.  When you cut the current, the prop will fall right off the
hand.  Making an electromagnet is pretty easy - just turn many coils of
wire around a metal core (a small nail, for instance).  When you put
current through those wires, the core will become magnetized.

David

-- 
    David Shaw  |  dshaw-AT-cs.jhu.edu  |  WWW http://www.cs.jhu.edu/~dshaw/
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      We don't believe this to be a coincidence." - Jeremy S. Anderson


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