Talking Puppet - How to simple Make Mechanism?

[Devils Chariot]

Hey everyone, I want to make a simple talking puppet prop. I am thinking a simple mechanism like you'd see in those little toys of sharks or dinosaurs on a stick with a little squeeze handle on one end that articulates a spring loaded jaw on the other end.

I am looking to make a similar mechanism that can be articulated with one hand which would also be holding the broomstick the prop is built on. I was thinking like a bicycle brake would work, but I think my mechanism is clunky. I want to use very light materials on this, since it has to be held with one hand.


http://www.hauntforum.com/picture.php?albumid=86&pictureid=863


Maybe someone can help me figure out a mechanism I could build onto just the pole, so i could just use string or wire to move the mouth and not have to have a solid skull but use even a mache or foam skull.

Any thoughts?

[The_Caretaker]

All you would need is axle trough the jaw at the pivot point and an arm attahed to the axle such that when pulled down the jaw would open and the spring would close it

[sharpobject]

Holy crap - you can sketch really good. hate you.

[Devils Chariot]

I think I got it now. Thanks caretaker. I came up with this. It should keep all the force one the broomstick, and just attach to the jaw simply. All the spring force stays on the cam which is attached to the broom, so it wont tear or pull the jaw. Now that I look at it, I think it's the shark toy, just upside down and backwards, and now you jiggle the toy's handle by pulling on the mouth open.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3093/2689486617_6b604a0723_o.jpg

[slimy]

Sickie Ickie has a pretty good tutorial on this. I can't get his site to pull up.


Sickie, you out there?

[Devils Chariot]

I just went to look at Sickie's page. Looks like my v1 design. But I realized having the linkages in the skull's mouth exerts forces on the skull, and mine is going to be urethane foam (crumbley) and probably just have a wire in the jaw to make a hinge and an attachment point. I don't want to have much linkage in the mouth area either as I had the idea of putting some UV leds in the roof of the mouth, and having those glow in the dark maggots in there on his tounge. Oh yeah I need room for his tounge!

[Sickie Ickie]

Thanks for looking at my page on it. :)

If you are nervous about crumbling, why not screw in a long screw or bolt into the stick just under the roof of the skull. This would keep the force again off the styro if you attach the rubberband or spring to that instead of the roof of the mouth. You could even paint it black, or camouflage it with felt. Ie. No force on the upper skull.

If needed, you could also undo a paperclip, and glue it to the inside line of the lower jaw. Lightweight and can be used as an attachment point. Plus, it will keep the force directly off the styro of the jaw, and reinforce the styro as well. Hot glue works well. (Shameless plug)

The challenge with attaching the spring or band to the stick and then the jaw, is that it pulls the jaw backwards toward the stick and not as much upwards toward the roof of the mouth. (That was one of my earlier versions and I learned from it.)