Make a Buildup Puppet

This shows the process of making a generic stop motion puppet body to use with interchangeable heads. You will probably have to watch it at least twice – once to read the captions, once to just watch the process – I try to keep these short and not too boring, but they can end up flicking by too fast. This uses armature wire, so no metal machining required. It is all directly built up on the armature with epoxy putty, upholstery foam, spray glue and liquid latex, so there is no mouldmaking and casting involved. It could be fitted with a head cast in foam latex or silicone, a rigid material like Sculpey, or something like the direct build-up head shown which is made from wire, epoxy, cut foam and latex. I’ll do a tutorial on making heads later. See my Tiedowns tutorial if you want to see how the foot blocks were made. I used a bandsaw to cut the aluminium, but you could go with a simpler option like a loop in the wire for a foot, with a nut epoxied into place. If you can’t get 3M #74, 76, or 90 spray glue, use contact cement. Do NOT use 3M #77, or spray glues made for lightly tacking paper, they don’t work. If you can’t cut or drill a block of wood, go with a block of putty for the chest. You could embed a bit of tube if you want to fit removable heads to it. There is always another way if you are working with limited tools – this is just how I do it. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at www.Incompetech.com for sharing his music!
Video Rating: 4 / 5

Remember you are working with REALLY hot sugar so be sure to have a bowl of cold water ready in case you get any of it on your skin. You can get severe burns if you spill the hot sugar on your skin. THIS IS FOR A FULL RECIPE — THE VIDEO SHOWS HALF A RECIPE **the half recipe makes LOTS*** This recipe is taken from the Food Network website. Ingredients 5 cups granulated sugar 1 1/3 cups light corn syrup 1 cup plus 2 tbsp. water Flavoring (vanilla extract or other like peppermint extract) Food color paste (or liquid) Vegetable baking spray Directions To make this recipe at home, you will need a pair of wire cutters and an old inexpensive whisk. Cut the round ends off an inexpensive whisk. Arrange the tines so they are evenly spaced. You will also need an open space to make the cotton candy. At home, slit open a garbage bag and cover the floor area or use newspaper. Wedge 2 long wooden spoons under something heavy so they extend off the edge of the counter. Place the sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Insert a candy thermometer and cook the sugar mixture until it reaches 320 degrees F, what is known as the hard crack stage (the sugar becomes brittle when it comes in contact with a cooler surface). Remove from the heat and carefully pour into a medium-size microwaveable glass bowl. If you leave the sugar in the pan, the sugar will continue to cook and turn dark brown. A glass bowl will hold the temperature of the sugar. I …
Video Rating: 4 / 5