Wow that is really amazing! How do you come up with these ideas?

Shawn- Coming up with solutions to problems ...sounds a bit preachy, but this is what I live by...first recognise there is a God. That immediately means there is order in the universe, which can be understood. All knowledge comes from God, then understanding of that knowlege comes also from God, and finally wisdom, which is application of that knowlege  ... comes from God (proverbs). Then in the practice: identify your problem, like in this case, I need some eyeballs, I have no fancy lathe, except the one I built. It is hard to get even lathed balls spherical. Understand the concepts which are producing the problem. In this case wood rotates in one direction spinning around an axis on a lathe, the cutter moves in 2 directions only in reference to the axis (in-out and sideways) but the connection to the axis is not coordinated strongly enough to make a good sphere unless it were mechanical, which in a wood lathe it is not.  Think of other concepts ... a sphere is a circle in all directions. Then look around for what interesting things God is going to show you... I watched a bunch of tutorials, none with what I eventually made... many confirmed concepts. But one test for sphericalness of a ball by a japanese guy caught my attention...a jar. The mouth of a jar is a circle, and anywhere on a sphere a circle of any size will sit flat, as a sphere is made up of infinite circles of infinite sizes, in all directions, so you put the ball in the mouth of the jar, rotate it around and it will show how spherical things are.  This japanese guy put some mesh in the mouth of the jar to grind the high spots off a lathed ball... concept...'grind'+ 'circle'. then concept...'teeth' on a saw, or a rasp.. but they must now go on a circle...can  you put teeth on a jar? yes, but not easily... so what is like a jar that can take teeth  easier.. a pipe. and so I made the tool, and the sandpaper is the same concept. circle + grind + all directions. Do some trials, refine the process to correct any deficiencies.. and hey presto you have it.  I also discovered a way to make the  eyelids.. that  tutorial is yet to come... blessings.philip

Okay, Philip after watching that tutorial and reading your post I have to say that God gave some people more knowledge than others.   I'm so glad you share it with us!

Your'e entirely welcome , I am glad we have internet and the ability to share what we have learned. It's cool.

Thanks for sharing the thought processes as well as the mechanical ones. I know inventors who can't explain their process or teach others. You do both well. So cool.

I have good results locating diagrams for puppet mechanism searching the US Patent website http://patft.uspto.gov.

The Cable head mechanism is illustrated under Patent Number: US004986791   
http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=04986791&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-adv.htm%2526r%3D5%2526p%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526d%3DPTXT%2526S1%3D((bicycle%252BAND%252Bcable)%252BAND%252Bpuppet)%2526OS%3Dbicycle%252BAND%252Bcable%252BAND%252Bpuppet%2526RS%3D((bicycle%252BAND%252Bcable)%252BAND%252Bpuppet)&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page

I have good results locating diagrams for puppet mechanism searching the US Patent website http://patft.uspto.gov.

The Cable head mechanism is illustrated under Patent Number: US004986791  
http://patimg2.uspto.gov/.piw?Docid=04986791&homeurl=http%3A%2F%2Fpatft.uspto.gov%2Fnetacgi%2Fnph-Parser%3FSect1%3DPTO2%2526Sect2%3DHITOFF%2526u%3D%25252Fnetahtml%25252FPTO%25252Fsearch-adv.htm%2526r%3D5%2526p%3D1%2526f%3DG%2526l%3D50%2526d%3DPTXT%2526S1%3D((bicycle%252BAND%252Bcable)%252BAND%252Bpuppet)%2526OS%3Dbicycle%252BAND%252Bcable%252BAND%252Bpuppet%2526RS%3D((bicycle%252BAND%252Bcable)%252BAND%252Bpuppet)&PageNum=&Rtype=&SectionNum=&idkey=NONE&Input=View+first+page

Yeah, but no one would be able to use it... because it's under patent.

PS. Welcome!

Agreed Na.
By the way, I thought I posted an update on a slightly  more mechanised ball making thingy... maybe I did it to another thread. Can't remember, so I repost it here.
   I  have  figured out how to mold PVC to eyelids, but am still experimenting a little to see what  possibilities  can be developed more, and I would like to have a whole mechanism into a head before posting, unless anyone wants to see how far I have gotten so far. The PVC method has application for molding different shaped eyes, although it is limited a little by the  color of PVC pipes you have available.
   The link to the patent site , I did not have a plugin installed to see what the link was about...any clue what  plugin plays it?

http://youtu.be/jM2JqJw_9TI

I am having the same issue with the USPatent site.   It is Apples Quicktime that it is wanting and I have it installed but the issue is that they are using it to show an tiff image not a movie. One site suggested that I need to go in and set up Quicktime to display tiff image which I did but that does not seem to have fixed things. The issue there could be that Quicktime is on the restricted addons list for Firefox browser which I use and thus not available. Another site said that they would display in Safari browser but I've not tried that yet.  I am going to see if maybe now that I've changed the mime setting in Quicktime for tiff and tif if I can get it to display in one of my other browsers.

The link to the patent site , I did not have a plugin installed to see what the link was about...any clue what  plugin plays it?

It's a Quicktime plugin, I too tried and it wouldn't open. I use Firefox, but also tried Opera and there is no plugin for them. I used the free Safari browser and it has built in support and opened the diagram easily. Of course both Quicktime and Safari are from Apple.com.

If you know how a hand brake on a bicycle works, you can use the brake lever and cable to control the mouth, but you'll need a spring to either close it, or open it. More action will require more brake setups, much like a keyboard, where each lever controls a different movement, or function. More advanced way would be to use radio control servos and a remote control for model airplanes and such.

Yep looks like the only option for some of us is going to be to download Safari and install it. I could not get it to open in any other browsers. Leave it to the US government to choose such a proprietory way to do something.

Yes  Ron, Bike cables...the last one I did, I made up a wooden leaver thingy like a big clothspeg for the  handpiece.

Hi Guys, not sure which thread to post this in, but since I mentioned it just above...I have done a video on how I made the clothspeg handpiece thingy and cable setup, using PVC pipe as a spring, to operate a mouth by cable. I am working on eyes now , but that will take some time to get right, however, there should be some similar principles.

http://youtu.be/H6pCzY-N-HE

Very nice! Again I am simply amazed at your mind and what it comes up with.   Have you used this for a while or is it a new design.  The reason I ask is because I am wondering how much wear the pvc pipe will get and if it would eventually fail. It may not since you are not really creating a bend in the pipe that could snap but was one thing that crossed my mind.  I love that you also showed that it could be done with a simple cord and pull method. I can see that being handy if you wanted to add a smaller trigger on the bottom of the rod so that it would not take two hands to manipulate.

Thanks for posting this.... sorry I did not respond the other day. Sometimes with video's I come back and watch them when I have more time on my hands.