SOME TIPS & WRINKLES FROM
THE WORKBENCH OF BRIAN HILL

Most of these things work I'm still using them and lots more besides.

First a Plea: Please do a good job, no shoddy work, there's enough of that around already. It does nothing for the art of the puppet Too much time spent looking at the past won't leave any time for the present, and precious little time for the future.

Don't go out buying a lot of expensive tools if you are an absolute beginner, the chances are, you could mess them up. There are plenty of tools etc. available in markets these days, that will do to get you started without breaking the bank.

Good materials are what you need for a good result, in whatever mode you choose to work in. As you learn you'll know where to spend your money. For certain you'll find very little in cardboard boxes with coloured pictures on the front. Puppetry is not a precise Art, quite a lot of it will be to make do and mend. Often inspiration will come from using odds and ends and scraps of material. It's supposed to be good for your soul anyway. Some things from Art shops would be: paints, acrylic, gouache, brushes, glue, felt, leather, cloth, plaster, clay, latex, modelling tools. Hobby/model shops are good for plastic in sheets, tube, rods, piano wire, brass, springs, tubes, brass and alloy, paint, enamel, glass, some wood, glues : PVA, two part epoxy, wood, cement; and some very nice craft tools. You'll need them later when you become proficient.

TIPS : Clamp a length of timber 75x10x5 cm across one end of your bench, use a Stanley 702 Angle vice l6xl2cm table vice clamped out on the end will give you 90% clear working space which can also be used for sculpture.

MODELLING STANDS should be strong and steady a piece of wood 2x2 cm long enough to look your model in the eye. Screw and glued to a board 2Ox2Ox2cm. PLASTIC WOOD : In small tins is nice to work with, but doesn't keep very long once opened. Nail varnish remover, or acetone will keep it more workable. Forty-five years ago we used plastic wood for heads and hands and they're still good today. Plastic foam, and balsa wood will make shoulder blocks for rod puppets, but may need some reinforcement. PVA/layered brown paper or epoxy resin with hardener, brushed all over will be strong but light. WOOD : jelutong, Lime wood, Tulip wood. A length of Board lmx20cmx5cm will cost £20! £25 from the Craftwoods people (see sources) Watch out for bamboo leaf strikes in Jelutong, they
can easily be covered with wood filler but they do crop up in the wrong place sometime

LEATHER: needs to be very supple l-2mm thick is best for wrist elbow and knee joints. Beware of upholstery leather as this is already over stretched and won't last very long in use.

JOINTS : Make a Tenon Saw cut and open it up with a coarse jig saw blade. Glue both sides of a square of leather then pull it right down into saw cut.

GLUE : Weldbond is very good but needs some time to get hard, I have used a drop or two of superglue to hold things in their place. Araldite Rapide can be used in most jobs provided it doesn't move about while curing.

MICROWAVE COOKERS can be used to soften a large solid mass of plasticine on a cold day. It only takes 1.5-2 mins and then it's lovely to work with. PVA and resin can also be speeded up on a damp day when nothing else will dry, in 34 minutes. when using Vynal mould a half-litre ovenware jug, takes 4-5 mins to melt down, this will cover half a first sized head

Brian 'Lofty' Hill


USEFUL SOURCE:
Macintosh Craftwoods
Unit 7
Fort Fareham Industrial Estate
New Gate Lane
Fareham, Hants
Phone: 01329 221925