It looks to me that some of the clear underbody structures are prefabricated for them on the show. I have noticed a few scattered in the background that looks like they may have been already in stock.
As Shawn has mentioned they can also make the base form in clay and seems some are vacuforming in plastic the underbody for the eye mechs. Geez i wish i had a vacuform machine!! I want one soo bad! So many things I do would be so much easier with one. Other forms used are basic taxidermy moulds I believe (again as shawn mentioned)

Ahh yes like Puppet Workshop said, I am pretty sure those are vacu-formed pieces. Many may well be pre-made and in stock for them but the beauty of a vacu-form machine is that you can pretty much put anything any it and get a plastic shell copy of it.

In one of the episodes i noticed a vacuum form machine. It was about 5ft long 2.3-3" wide. Don't need one that big, but I'd love to have one to make eyes. Each week I drool over the supplies and equiptment to which they have access. So much fun.

Julie

So thats what that was, interesting.  Will be some time before I go that route.  For puppets, is foam latex..uhm...strong enough to support itself simply with a mouthplate?

For puppets, is foam latex..uhm...strong enough to support itself simply with a mouthplate?

If made correctly I don't see why not. No different really then making a patterned puppet from sheet foam. If you used too thin of sheet foam it would not work but use the right thickness and it works.

In one of the episodes i noticed a vacuum form machine. It was about 5ft long 2.3-3" wide. Don't need one that big, but I'd love to have one to make eyes. Each week I drool over the supplies and equiptment to which they have access. So much fun.

Julie

I hear you BIG time Julie. Im so wishing that a decent machine didnt cost $6000+ I know you can make your own but its alot of stuffing around and all that.

So thats what that was, interesting.  Will be some time before I go that route.  For puppets, is foam latex..uhm...strong enough to support itself simply with a mouthplate?

Yes Foam latex can hold its shape pretty well. Latex also breaks down over time. If you remember back to the skexsis episode they spoke about it breaking down. I have also watched other videos about latex and the say that it moves more free and life like eg. for prostetics but doesnt last long. So for puppets I find that a liquid poly foam is better. There are literally hundreds of products to choose from. The one I use is awesome, but im yet to make a whole puppet from it. 1. I dont really want to make moulds that big right not due to space and 2. dont have a client who wants to pay the BIG $$ for it LOL

And just in case anyone is wondering where you buy the liquid poly foam mentioned... http://www.monstermakers.com/product/soft-expanding-polyurethane-foam.html

Shawn you make excellent points!

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Anyone have any idea what the blue hot glue they are using is? Looks sort of like a Surebonder HE-750. Perhaps a Steinel 33241?

I had not noticed the blue hot melt sticks on the show.  The only colored sticks I know of are by Infinity Melt, and simply for decorative purposes.  http://www.hotmelt.com/products/standard-colors-hot-melt-variety-pack