I am in the process of relocating my studio over the next month or two. I plan to hold off on further filming of the Vitruvius project until I have the studio and lighting re-assembled. I have some compositing elements that I can work on in the mean time and I’m also exploring a new armature setup for future projects.

My new armature development utilizes aluminum wire, plastic tubing, super glue, and 6-32 socket screws. I wanted an armature that is inexpensive, easy to build without a lot of equipment, and modular so I could easily replace arms or legs of the puppets without have to re-costume. I also wanted to move away from the epoxy stuff with all the potential toxicity issues it brings…not to mention its permanence which doesn’t allow for removable puppet limbs.

The photo above is of the first armature. I just got some plastic tubes (square and round) and my cordless drill and a tap to make threads in the holes.

• Figure (a) shows the blocks of plastic tubing super glued together and the threaded holes for the screws which are clamping the wire in place.
• Figure (b) shows the front with a horizontal strip of plastic glued across the blogs for reinforcement.
• Figure (c) shows the plastic block with a slot drilled through for the T shaped tie down. The 2 lengths of leg wire go through the heel hole and are held in place via a screw in the back of the foot block.
• Figure (d) is the whole armature view from the back.

The socket screws clamp down on the wire running through the tubes and holds it in place. The “bones” of the arms and legs are just plastic tubing that is like a drinking straw but much thicker. The joints between the bones are strips of craft foam tied in a knot to keep bones in place but allow flexibility. So far, the armature it is light weight and stronger than I anticipated which is good.