I have looked and can't seem to find an old thread on here showing how to make a mechanical hand. I am working on a puppet that has thin arms but needs one of its hands to have articulated fingers. I know I have seen one on here, but can't find it. Am I going crazy? 

When you say mechanical hands................. you just want bendable hands or fingers that will hold things. Most all the post before 2007 are gone 2008 are archived on the front page. I have attached a drawing where you sandwich wires between two pieces of foam. Another around the outside of a 1" foam.
Project Puppet has a good tutorial showing this method. http://www.projectpuppet.com/Page.bok?template=arm-rods-tutorial
This tutorial from Puppet Planet might help
http://puppet-planet.com/rodarmtutorial.html



Billy D.

I am afraid that this one exceeds what you want, but check the link. It is really amazing

http://www.jacques-monestier.com/en/index.html

open the video The Monestier-Lescoeur hand

The one in particular that I was looking for was a video tutorial that showed a hand that was made out of small black tubing, duck tape and cable line that connected to the puppeteer's actual fingers and could be moved to pick up lightweight items, etc.
These tutorials are pretty good though.

I could not find it either................. must have been in that batch of 2007 post that was deleted. I bet Shawn knows how it was made................ if not Dr. Puppet would. He sells some tutorial on the blinking eye and probably knows how to build this meanwhile I will keep checking.

Billy D.

I think I remember. Its a tutorial with mechanical wires hand, made with wood (fingers attached one with others). The puppet was like blue(I guess)

Here is one that you could adapt to to use whatever material to make it more durable.......I have also seen one made using milk jug plastic material for durability.........hope this helps.



Daryl H

there you go

There was a tutorial pics too!

I know what you are talking about Miguel when it comes to those pictures because I have print outs of the stuff but I have no easy way to get it back onto my computer....my rule of thumb.....print out anything that is special like that.....most times you will never find it again or when you need it the most.  I have spent a half an hour looking through images on google to see if I can find it......with no luck.  I may have also saved them to a disk.....but it may take a bit to get things together......very busy of late.

Daryl H