Na, I know this is an old topic but I've been digging around in the old forum this weekend.   Do you have a picture of the rod attachment for these shadow puppets?  I'm curious as to how it worked and if it was easy to maneuver.  Have you started doing something different or do you still do it this way?  Thanks!

I don't have an exact image of any of my puppets' rod attachments (I just realised this). It's also an invention of my own making. I use 'detachable' rods, whereas most shadow puppet makers permanently attach them.

Because I laminate the cardboard, it's fairly easy to cut a slit into the puppet where you want to add the rod. Then I push through the slit some elastic or plastic ribbon (what they use for invisible bra straps) and create a loop out of it. To this loop you can thread through my rods, which have a small loop at the end for attachment. (Oh, as explained above at bit)

The image here shows the loop:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66356835@N00/4092072107/in/set-72157622775076640

Image here shows the rods (note this puppet just has holes for attaching the rods):
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66356835@N00/3794574964/in/set-72157606882478812

I used about 80cm long rods, which are my standard, but I really should have provided longer ones as the puppets were quite heavy in comparison to the A4 puppets I normally make. I think that was the biggest problem really, as the weight of the puppets was difficult to account for in figuring out the best placement for the rods.

I can't speak to the ease of movement much: it turned out that the teacher ended up using the puppets without the rods, since it was also under blacklight. But with my normal puppets, the movement is pretty much what you'd get from traditional attachment methods (see my Youtube channels).

Now, have I started doing something different.... yes actually. It's explained in much more detail at my blog (puppets in melbourne), but basically I'm going to try to make things a bit more commercial, aka professional. I'm going to stop using the paper/cardboard/laminate system and try to use a different material that is more durable and less amateurish-looking. However, it's likely that if I find something suitable, I will retain my rod attachment method.

I'd show pictures of what I'm working on, but so far my experiments are not what I would call 'impressive'.

Those pictures help a lot!  Thank you!  I do much more simple shadow puppets on a rare basis (maybe 3 or 4 times I think) and I wanted to make some a bit different for a blacklight show we have in October.  So I was interested in the rod verses the sticks coming down like a popscicle stick that I had used before and I didn't know how to make them perpendicular like yours.  Thanks so much!

Rods at 90 degrees to the body is better: it allows for a wider range of movement and is much more comfortable to use. (This is what I learned from Richard Bradshaw, who also inspired Hobey Ford) Hobey has a more complicated version of rod attachments here:
http://www.hobeyford.com/downloads

I actually have (had, they are currently offline) some patterns for shadow puppets which uses the exact same rod attachment method that Richard uses. It's basically attaching the tip of the rod to the puppet using wire. I have a lower-tech version pictured here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66356835@N00/2933559607/in/photostream/
Masking tape is used instead of the wire.

The version that I show in the patterns however, is NOT the same as what I use for any puppets I make/sell.

Well, that is so simple!  I actually tend to make things harder than they need to be. LOL  Thank you very much!

Oh, and one more question, did you use piano wire to make the rods?

No, just coat-hanger wire. I'm not even sure where to get piano wire here in Aus, but I suspect if I found it, it would either be expensive or it would require me buying lots of tools just to cut the stuff.

Coat-hangers do fine for me at the moment.

Coat hangers!  I have tons of them, heavy duty ones too. My husband's work uniforms come on them so I have lots!

I know what you mean Every time I go to the supermarket I look at them. Good ones are actually hard to find here, most these days are plastic too.

I think that piano wire aka spring wire is great for shadow rods along with other things but Na is right that it can be hard to find now. It is hard to cut so you need a nice big pair of wire cutters.  It is also hard to bend which is one of the qualities I like about it. I can only find it here in KC in an old locally run hardware store. You can find it in stores that cater to model makers sometimes. The biggest advantage I would say over coat hangers would be that it does not bend easily and you can get it in a bit thinner gauge if needed yet it still stands up to use.  I thank coat hanger wire is a great substitution for the rods on shadow puppets actually, it is just that I prefer the piano wire.