Last of the Rats

I've taken orders for 7 puppets and only 3 kits. The last few rats will be sent out before the end of Sept. Thank you everyone whos been interested in the puppet. The last date ill take any orders is tomorrow on 17th Sept.
The rat puppet will then be retired for good. I need to move onto different puppets.

Orders for Rat puppets

If anyone wants a puppet or a kit the closing date is 31st Aug. I dont ask for any money up front, I will ask for payment once the puppet is made and I have sent pics of the customers actual puppet for approval. After all the puppets/kits are made I will not be making them EVER again at this price.

I need to move onto different puppets

Still busy with rat puppets, i hope to meet all orders by the end of aug. Alo trying to work on a pepe protype so watch this space

Thanks Everyone

I have had a lot of interest my puppet and I am currently putting the final touches to my kits and by the end of next week anyone who has contacted me about the kits will have been contacted my me to finalise the deals.
Anyone who has ordered a full puppet will be contacted next week with an update and a couple pics of the puppet they will be buying.

Thanks again for everyones interest.

Puppet Mouth Plates

I was asked how to make a puppet mouth plate, I could spend time doing my own video but there is already a video online that explains how to do it. The rat puppet uses the same mouth plate just in a much smaller form. I would always recommend that instead of using card to use a peice of styrene or stiff rubber, I find the card eventually goes limp with overuse.

The video link is
 http://www.youtube.com/user/stewart1973#p/u/8/QDwds7ASeIU

It has taken a lot of time and money to get the puppet working correctly. The first puppet had a fibreglass head and a pull string mouth mech but was found to be too hard to move the mouth about and it was unreliable. The new design is light and strong and takes almost no effort to open and close the mouth.

I would like everyone to have puppet like this so was thinking of 3 options to get it out there.

1. Can buy a fully built puppet. I have enough material to make 3 fully built puppets. I takes me almost a week to build it from start to finish including the jacket and dying the fabric etc. Shipping to USA from UK is almost $60 dollars, so estimate that price would be $360 including shipping. I know this prices out most people but some dont want to build their own.

2. Puppet Kit form - You would get a fully built control mechanism to work the puppet, with a foam head already attached. Pair of white resin cast hands and nose (all need painting). Full instructions how to build the rest of the puppet including patterns for the puppet and the jacket. If I get 10 people interested to purchase this option I can do this for $160.00 each including shipping to USA. If not then then they would be $190.00 each kit.

3. I will eventually post a basic build diary but this will not for a while and will skip over how to build the mechanism. As it isnt a straight forward hand puppet I cannot do what project puppet does either and charge $20 for the pattern etc.

BUT....
I will say if I happen to sell 3 full puppets and 10 kits. I will give the full patterns and how to build the mechanisim and puppet away for free to all members of MuppetCentral.

What the puppet is made from.

Easy parts to make
The whole puppet is made from a brown fur that I have to hand dye to darkern.
The body is made up of a 1/2" foam 5 peice pattern.
The legs are made of 1/2" foam with a metal wire running through the legs to the feet so they can be put in different positions.
Arms are 2 peice foam covered in fur.
Eyes are 18mm beads, painted and covered in grey felt.
Ears are yellow felt covered in pva glue allowed to dry then using dye to colour.

Hard parts to make
Head is made from foam, which is then glued onto my mechanism to operate the mouth. This is basically a 20mm plastic tube, the mouth plate is made from 2mm aluminium plate which is operated by a lever further down the body. Instead of a spring to close the mouth I have used fishing pole elastic and all this is located in the small head section. The lever is operated within the body. the head and mech is only attached to the body by the sewing in the head.

Please note that i have tried and tested the ring pull mech and found it to break under high pressure or friction against the metal parts, my mechanism is made from aluminium sheet, steel trigger mech, metal bolts. the design of the mechanism is 80% of the build.

The hands and nose were made from resin. I made the hands 1st from car body filler then made a mould and cast them before painting.