Set Fabrication in Wood and Paint Tests

I braved it and went to wood work to do my set box. The technician cut the sides as they had to be cut on an angle for the hexagon shape to fit together. I measured and cut out the openings for the doors and then on separate pieces of ply I cut out the double doors. I used a fret saw to cut the openings and a ban saw to cut the doors.

The 45 degree angle for the joints

Measuring out the doorways

Cleaning up my terrible cutting

The double doors cut out

I've sanded the doors and rounded the hinge edges so they don't rub and opens smoothly. 

I've been doing some paint tests on the veneer scraps that I'll be using to put on the doors and on the ply wood for the main body of the box.

Wood Veneer 

Still on the Monkey...

Leggies! I have legs! Oh I'm so excited by this. They are so cute! I love the feeling that creating something that works gives me. Ahhhh bliss!

Trendy B & W

Good stance

I also had to cut his body at the waist and add some foam as he looked a wee bit out of proportion.

 

And added some plaited leather chord to make his flexible neck...

Hole in da head

Covered with the suedette

Monkey fabrication continued

More makings....

I added another bit of foam to make his head rounder

right hand side I used upholstery foam
better to use the hard foam though.

Retro-fitting the suedette fabric to the legs.

Sandwiching foam either side of the feet ready to be cut out

the feet cut out and roughly shaped.

I brought some great fabric via the leggings section in Primarni (Primark), the leggings in there are disgusting as clothing but the fabric is great for puppets. I found some suedette leggings and thought they'd be perfect for the Monkey....which they are.

I stitched the toes individually by retrofitting- i did it quite tightly, usually you measure the fabric to 3x the width but I did it slightly less so it would shape around the wire. It took absolutely ages but its definitely improved my fine hand stitching.

Retro-fitting and stitching the toes.

One down... 9 more to go...

Almost there...

So one foot down just the other to go and then the two hands when they're made.... 

Monkey fabrication

So after the lovely Paul Spooner kindly gave me a block of insulation foam I started making the Monkey...

I made a scale drawing so I could then cut out blocks from foam and carve away the form.

Scale drawing

Blocks measured from drawing and drawn onto foam

The head

Body parts

Hinging the leg joints- calico, latex and pins

I papier mached the torso to give it more strength

Little wire monkey feet

I love the feet armatures I made! I want to make lots and sell them as earrings...

Advice form Paul Spooner

I went to see Mechanical Cabaret genius Paul Spooner while back in Cornwall for some advice on making a moving eye mechanism and a moveable jaw for Pip. 

Paul Spooner's drawings for eye and mouth levers

Mouth

Eye gimbal

I went home and tried to make my own rough ones out of wire, beads and split pins....

....Its fiddley at a small scale and I would have to make a more accurate gimbal- Paul suggested making then his way by cutting the gimbal out of brass on a ban saw but I have seen simpler ones by Pickled Image that is made from a wooden frame and wire and that are more like the drawings above in design.

Just thought I'd see what makes a good eye....
Glass mermaid tears infront of a light....