I agree 10 pounds yikes.....anyways I have used it off and on and it is something that will never wear out when you use it for puppetry....I beleive the rest of the puppet will be gone before the rubber gasket goes.....so it will be great and hold way more than a 10 pound puppet.

Daryl H

ok maybe it will just feel like 10 pounds but what my idea is is either a puppet of Oogie Boogie cuz hes one of my favorite charachters in one of my favorite musicals OR some kind of live arm monster puppet, Thats going to require finding alot of fur though...

I just got back from joanns and i found this!!!!

It is preforated plastic and i got one disk and two sheets of it for 3 bucks! it has the potential to be a lightweight and very durable substitute for rubber. the sheet is a bit flimsier which is great because the strong one is already shaped like a mouth. The positives are that the graph look makes it possible to make the top and bottom of the mouth perfectly symmetrical. It is PREFORATED so your head can breathe and it will be cooler inside and it will filter. It will also allow the foam and glue to dig into it which will result in great adhesion. im still gonna give it a hinge, felt and whatnot, and im gonna bend the center, its obvious in the pic that its too rounded at the moment

Looks like the plastic used in canvas crafts ..... it comes in different sizes meaning the holes can be closer or further apart. Let us know how it works.

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog.jsp?CATID=cat2887&PRODID=prd32529

Billy D.

oh wow Billy you actually found the plastic sheet that i bought, it is a bit too soft so if i use it ill put a piece of leather on the back for support. the disk is great though, i cant see it breaking unless i really try to do so. im thinking that my mouth will also be more wide and less long than i originally concieved, so the fingertubes will be a normal size anyway.

Thought you might like to know that the plastic canvas has a tendency to crack and break into pieces with use. I've tried to use it in various applications and it has consistently broken down. I even tried reinforcing with fabric and that did not help.

You could do as intended and use yarn to reinforce the plastic. 

Billy D.

I totally agree with jomama and you said that the glue and foam would attach well to the screen plastic....I beg to differ on that you need a solid piece of material to get a good adhesion.....I understand and appreciate trying to be creative and experiment but sometimes I say why re-invent the wheel since you have many readily available materials that have stood the test of time and suggested when it comes to the mouth plate....why not choose one and get going on the project....just my 2 cents.

This is the one area that I think takes the most beating of the puppet and needs to be well made and thought out....it is really hard to go back and fix or try to redo the area once the puppet is done.

All the best.....

Daryl H

BTW I thought Oogie Boogie was more like the material of a Potato sack fabric and not fur?....are we talking about the same type of critter from the Nightmare before Xmas Movie?.....anyways just another small thought....maybe to many for today....lol.

Daryl H

so stiq, if plastic is a really bad idea then what can i use if i cant find gasket rubber in time? and im sorry that ive confused you. I plan on buying fur in case i make a monster puppet, otherwise im gonna make oogie boogie and YES im going to use burlap, and if i do i will need to find green blacklight dye or paint. that would look cool.