MAKING AN AEROPLANE CONTROL
Marionette manipulation is easier than most people think although, as with all puppets, you need to practise to achieve convincing movement. Most of the strings support the puppet, so you can make the puppet move in all sorts of ways just by tilting and turning the main control. It is therefore a mistake to make the control too simple as this will
make manipulation more difficult - you will have to pull individual strings for the same effect.
The standard aeroplane control consists of a main bar of 20 x 2.5 x 2.5cm wood from which are suspended dowel head and shoulder bars and a removable hand bar: a leg bar is secured to the control, forming a T-shape.
All dowels are 9mm in diameter.
Normally holes are drilled through the control in order to attach the strings. This is preferable to attaching screw-eyes which tend to catch in the strings of other puppets
1: Drill three holes down through the main bar: one small hole near the back to take
the back string, two slightly larger holes for cords – one for the shoulder bar a little in front of the first hole, the other for the head bar, forward of the midpoint of the
main control bar.
2: Cut two dowels to use as the head and shoulder bars. Make them a little wider than the parts to which their strings are to be attached. Carefully drill a hole down through the mid-point of each bar for the cord to join it to the main control. Drill small holes for the head and shoulder strings near the ends of each bar.
3: Cut a dowel leg bar about 20cm long. About 2.5cm from the front of the main control bar drill a horizontal hole to accommodate the leg bar (it should be a secure fit). Drill holes for the leg strings through the ends of the leg bar, and then glue it in place.
4: Attach the head bar to the main control by threading a cord down through both pieces and knotting each end of the cord. Seal the knots with clear contact glue. Attach the shoulder bar to the main control in the same way.
5: Drill holes for the strings through the ends of a dowel for the hand bar. Attach a screw- eye to the centre of the hand bar and a. hook into the front end of the control. Suspend the hand bar from this hook
6: With the edge of a file, make a groove around each bar where the thread is to be attached. These will help you when you are securing the threads.
7: Sand the whole control smooth as any roughness will fray the strings.
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STRINGING THE MARIONETTE
Use strong black or green thread - for example, Dacron
braided nylon fishing line, strength 10lb. Wax the thread with beeswax before using it and periodically afterwards to strengthen it and prevent it from fraying and tangling. Use a needle to stitch the thread through the costume and the screw-eyes inside (do not attach the strings to the costume alone).
1 Attach the head strings so
2 Attach the shoulder strings
that the puppet will stand
and adjust the tension so that
on the stage when the control
the head sits at the required
is held at elbow height.
angle to the body.
3 Attach the back string,
4 To attach the hand strings, drill a small
keeping it slightly slack so
hole through the hand to pass the thread
that it does not impede the
through and knot the end(attach the thread
puppet's movements.
to the part of the hand that will enable it
to be held in the required position). The thread
should be just long enough to allow you to
unhook the hand bar without moving the hands.
5 Attach the leg strings to the leg bar and to the knees by threading a needle
and pushing it through the balsa legs, back through a new hole and kno
tting
it at the front of the knee. Seal all the knots with clear glue and trim
the loose ends.
OPERATING THE AEROPLANE CONTROL
Hold the main control in one hand and tilt it forwards to make the puppet nod (with your free hand you can raise the shoulder bar).
To turn the head, tilt the main control very slightly to take the weight on the shoulder bar, then turn the head with your free hand.
To make the puppet bow, lower the control forwards, at the same time taking the weight on the back string.
To make the puppet walk, rock or paddle the main control.
To lower the puppet on to one knee, lower the control while also lifting one leg string forwards with your free hand.
To manipulate the hands, unhook and move the hand control rod. Often, though, you will find that it is best to operate the strings themselves with your free hand.
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