I would like to know where to find unusual hard to find tools used in puppetry. While most of the time tools can be found in your own home, Wallmart, or your local Hardware store. They are times that other materials are used in the different stages of puppet building that are not so easy to find. Could you list some of your great finds?
Billy

Handheld (cordless) rotary tool that I use to cut, shape, sand, etc. Purchased it used from a local pawn shop for $20. Came with rechargeable battery, and all of the accessories needed to do the aboved mentioned tasks.   

I was also elated one day to come across a local store that sells those HUGE sppols of monofilament thread.... so big that it requires it's own stand. Gone are those days frequent refills and re-threading the machine. Gone is the stress of forgetting to check my thread supply only to run out at 2am on the "evening" before an early morning deadline! 

-Michele

I would think that a cordless dremel tool would be useful for shaping foam and cleaning up edges.

www.dremelstore.us/index.html

Also something I am going to purchase in the future is a hot knife. Talk about leaving a clean edge on foam this thing does the trick.

www.demandproducts.com/hotknife.html

Later
Chris

Chris,
Where you thinking of using the HotKnife on poly foam?  I only use them on styro foam.  Not sure how well they would work on poly if at all... but then I have never tried it.

may i also remind to wear a face mask,,,so not to inhale that stuff (health nut here). hack hack hack...
someday when i save for it i plan to order the Proxxon Micro Bandsaw...
here is a nifty little book you can order with tons of gadget pieces!

website is: www.smallparts.com
the book is Engineering Findings

Chris,
Where you thinking of using the HotKnife on poly foam?  I only use them on styro foam.  Not sure how well they would work on poly if at all... but then I have never tried it.

I was planning on trying it on both. Not to sure myself if it will work the poly foam is a lot softer and may burn, but if not I would just use it on stryo foam.
see ya Chris

Question for dremmel tool experts: I have it, but I can't figure out which attachment is good for shaping poly foam - if any. Any suggestions?

may i also remind to wear a face mask,,,so not to inhale that stuff (health nut here). hack hack hack...

AH the smell of Contact Cement in the morning

Question for dremmel tool experts: I have it, but I can't figure out which attachment is good for shaping poly foam - if any. Any suggestions?

I have not tried this yet, but I would say it would need to be one of the sander or cutting attachments.

hey now,,,,you MUST (yes i yelled) wear your mask.
love the new AV chris....who might that be?

Question for dremmel tool experts: I have it, but I can't figure out which attachment is good for shaping poly foam - if any. Any suggestions?

I use the sanding attachments when I am working with poly foam.  I haven't really found any of the cutting attachments that work that well.  You do have to be very careful when working with a dremel.  That head is turning very fast and it can get caught in the foam.  This will either tear apart your work or throw it across the room.

love the new AV chris....who might that be?

I have wanted to change my av for some time now, but I just can not seem to find anything I like. So for now I have the pets.com dog puppet. I am jealous of Shawn’s picture so I might try one like his for awhile.  The Mysterious C. P.
Good by and Good luck
CP

love the photos chris(smile) ....and i thought that dog puppet looked familiar.
you know, after seeing you put up pics of you in some posts,,, it might be fun for us all to have a ***this is me*** photo av day. we can all use our real pics avs, like every friday. just a thought. put a face with the post. we know you chris, and shawn ,,all the rest of us,,,not sure we'd know us at a festival,,,without knowing us here first. does that even make sense? anyone game? i will take a new pic tomorrow. what to wear? what to wear? this should probably be under a new topic eh? sorry shawn i got off topic 

UMmmmmm.... I'll have to think about this and get back with you.
Billy

There's a reason I stay behind the curtain... 

 
we are SO off topic
 

Tools think tools  What tools are helpful to each of you in puppetry.....
Billy
Keep Em in line AB

Shawn,
further on on dremmel tool: you mentioned sanding attachments - which type of sand paper and grade do you use?

PS Notice the pic  - I wanted it to be like Shawn's, but it just wouldn't come out right! It's the smile, I could not keep it so mysterious!

Miryana

is that Miryana i see? yea! nice to meet your beautiful smile 
i am going to find a pic of me here pretty quick. my batteries are out on my camera but i do have some silly dance studio pics i bet. back later

here's a few more places i order from,,,gotta keep to the original post 
http://www.glitzonline.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc
http://www.uvgear.co.uk/product/
http://www.syfabrics.com/index.cfm

i also use my scroll saw so much, for cutting mouthplates, dowel sticks, etc.. cant be with out at all!

Maybe it's just me ..... but I'm super curious ... the first day I was here, if you guys posted a website or a link or anything ... I've already checked it out page by page!  Doesn't anyone else do that?  I love to find out what makes people tick.  I've already seen Patti and Miryana on their web pages, Michele, too -I know Ben doesn't have a photo ANYWHERE!  Neither does Billy (or Ron, .....)  I put up a REAL picture of myself the first time I was here - but it sure seemed that puppets were the norm .. so I found my puppet alter ego- Prairie Dawn.  Chris - love your attempt at Shawn's pose - - Miryana ... just don't think we can copy that look ... but I've enjoyed your attempts! 

I loved Chris's attempts too! Perhaps we should have a contest - who can take a pic to look most like Shawn's...
Shawn, I hope you don't mind our teasing. WE DO LOVE your picture , never change it.

Miryana,
You know I never looked at the grade on the sanding. It is just the ones that came with the Dremel.  I do think it is a medium grit though.

Thanks, Shaw,
I remember trying once, and it worked, but it was very tricky - you can easily cut into the foam and you can't control those cuts easily. An exacto knife worked better, but I had to change the blades frequently.
Other tools I can think of are hand needles, the very, very long ones for soft sculpting, and a curved needle from the upholstery kits - they are perfect for hard to reach spots. My puppets are one of a kind, and it takes hand stitching to get them done. 

I go to thrift stores. That thing no one can figure out what it is is sometimes the perfect tool (I.E. Garlic pres- Think clay marionette hair)