Date: Fri, 1 Jun 2001 15:58:28 -0700
Subject: Re: PUPT: Building design question
From: Mary R Harrison <maryrh-AT-juno.com>


Dear Liz,

I built two rod puppets robins for a production of Secret Garden.  I
eventually found that I had to do double rods, one to the head and one to
the feet in order to get that distinctive movement you are talking about.
 

The head rod took most of the weight and controlled the direction the
bird looked.  The feet were mounted on a square of spring steel that went
up one leg, through the body (providing a pivot point at the "hips"),
continued down the other leg and across to the first leg.  That little
bar between the feet is where I attached the second rod with a simple
round loop of wire.

I put spring steel in the wings so that their natural position was up,
and used string running down the leg rod to control downward movement.

I hope this helps, reading back over it I'm not sure if the descriptions
will do any good without being able to see the puppet.

Mary Robinette


Mary Robinette Harrison
Other Hand Productions
maryrh-AT-juno.com
http://www.otherhandproductions.com


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