Nodding My Way

Since I had to use a dremel to get the vacuum formed head off of the plaster copies, essentially cutting off the excess back part of the skull of the bird, I realised that I needed to find something to extend the back of the head again in order to have a cap for the end of the neck pipe to sit in, I sculpted a quick form using basic studio clay, in a similar way that I had done for the rest of the head except ensuring it didn't have any undercuts so would come off in one piece this time, and then vacuum formed it with the same 3mm plastic as the head. I then cut the piece into shape, sanded the edges and used the drill and some M4 machine bolts and washers to secure it to the head.

I then drilled two holes in the head with a 9mm drill bit that would allow the rope to fit through it, and two further holes in the PVC neck pipe. This allows the head to move around freely whilst keeping it securely attached to the neck, and is removable and replaceable if needed in time. As you can see below I also used the pipe bender to start forming the rigid aluminium tube 'reins', which will control the movement of the head and hopefully house the controls for the moving lower jaw - however they are very narrow and I'm worried about making holes in them - the head is quite heavy and they might buckle under the weight if used too rigorously when puppeteering the head. I plan to make right angles in the end of the aluminium tube and drill appropriate holes in the face so the tube can be slotted inside and secured whilst still being able to pivot when the head is moved.

I have also taken this short video showing how the head will be positioned on the wearer. The counter balance is really quite considerable at this point even though the head doesn't feel that heavy when held - it's the distance between the base and the head that makes it feel so heavy when carried in this position without being attached to the frame.I look forwards to seeing how it feels in the harness - I'm just hoping that the frame is strong enough to cope with the weight without the pipe buckling.