Shawn I'm not sure if it was in the Foam Book or David Pannabakers videos where they used this method. The main reason was to add support to the opening but I think they stated that it allowed the puppet to stand up when sitting on a flat surface. I know I reccomended it in a earlier post but am not sure why Jon chose this for this puppet build. What gauge wire do you use Shawn?

Billy D.

I could have probably just used the wire but I wasn't thinking along those lines at the time.  I was wanting to use the tubing but wanted a way to hold the ends together without making the joint rigid.  I had the wire and figured that would work.  I also realized that if I made the wire long enough it would make the tubing hold the shape I wanted it to.  So I used the wire and tubing together.  If my thought process had begun with the wire I probably would have never used the tubing.  At any rate it does what I want it to do and I guess thats the most important thing.

ps I've wanted to use that headbanging smiley ever since I first saw it.

I think the tube idea with the wire insert is a great way to reduce the chance that the wire wears it's way through the foam.  Maybe instead of fridge tubing you could use aquarium tubing which is more flexible, so that you still have the wire doing the work and also protect the wire from damaging and wearing through the foam.

Just my thoughts......

Daryl H

@Billy
I use what ever gauge happens to be around that seems heavy enough to work.

Great work Jon...I like seeing the pics during the construction phase.
I wish I could get in the habit of taking pics during a build.
I can't wait to see this one finished!!

Yeah, I was going to take pictures of my first three puppets so that people could see the major steps of the build and was lucky to actually remember to take pictures after I had finished.  When I started building puppet #4, joshua junebug, I sort of committed myself by announcing a step by step tutorial.  After working and taking pictures for a few weeks I guess I've kind of gotten in the habit.  Though I will admit all the picture taking and posting did add almost 24 hours to the build.  That being said it gave me a great chance to really learn somemore about the fine points of puppet building.

I don't know, I guess I think its good for the puppet building community to see how other people appraoch the art of puppet building.  I don't think there's anyone way to build a puppet but there are some good ways and some bad ways.  Posting is one way to learn the good ways and have someone tell me when I could use a better way.

Well, I've finally been able to get some work done on Prof. Inch.  So I thought I would post a couple of pictures of what he looks like so far.

Now I need to fabricate the head, and decide if I want to give him little feet.

LOoooKing Good!.............. Can't wait to see how he turns out.

Billy D.

Wow, great covering so far.  As Billy.....I can't wait to see it finished.

Daryl H

Over night I was attacked by a cold. Went to bed feeling fine and woke up with draining sinuses, sore throat the works.  Feel too bad to really do any work but at the same time I hate to just lie around bored so I got some more work done on Prof Inch.

Covered the head, attached it through the body, set the ping-pong balls in place for the eyes, and put on the eye lids.

All that's left are the tongue, arms and antenna.