New guy here?

I'm new to puppets and made a Marinette puppet out of a 3' plastic skeleton from Walmart.
I Happy with how it came out but I'm having problems with making the mouth work right. I've looked all over Utube and can't find much on how to make the mechanism to have it work right
I made my own, but it's very hard to pull the string to get it to open up.
Stays good closed and it's really easy to move if I just do it with my hand but the string just is way to had to pull.
I've got it strung thru the head at the top and the thru the Tophat with 1/4 in holes drilled for each are they to big or to small
I use a hand built airplane controller
I made it from " Puppets by Arline"
[I think that's her name]
Any help in finding a video on how to make the mechanism for the mouth would be a great help to me
Thanks in advance
THE BUZ

Comments

By Shawn on Jan 12, 2024, 2:20 PM

Welcome to Puppets and Stuff!

So what did you use to keep the mouth shut? Counter weight or spring?

The diameter of the hole through the hat and head shouldn't really matter much as long as there is no resistance applied to the string.

Can you upload an image of the jaw so we can see what you have done? That might help us figure out what is going on.

By Buz on Jan 12, 2024, 7:02 PM

By Buz on Jan 12, 2024, 6:37 PM

By Shawn on Jan 13, 2024, 7:41 AM

If I am understanding correctly the images and details, I think it may be because there is too much resistance on the fishing line. From the point where the line is attached inside the head does it have to angel to the point where it comes out of the head? Also then when it goes through the hat is there any angle? For a marionette you really want the string to come straight up and out of the head and hat without it having to rug against any surface.

With mouth movement it can be done two ways you can have the string open the mouth when pulled (how you have it rigged now) or you can reverse that and have the mouth open when you release the string. From your first image it looks like you may be able to change and use the second method. The weight of the jaw would make it naturally stay open. You would attach the fishing line to the lower jaw where I am seeing what looks like a piece of string elastic. That might give you a straighter shot up through the head. Part of the issue is that with a skeleton the hinge point of the mouth is so far back on the head. In a regular set up this hinge point is more centered in the head which can allow for less resistance on the path the line must take.

By Buz on Jan 15, 2024, 11:40 AM

Thanks for your information
And I think I got it now.
What it was after looking at it for the angle of the string I found that the head strings was not tight enough and when you pulled the mouth stringbit was pulling the head up.
It wasn't but about a 1/2in or less but enough that the mouth wasn't moving
I tighted the head string and now it works like it should
Thanks again not sure I would have figured it out with out your help
John

By Shawn on Jan 13, 2024, 7:45 AM