Thread: Moving a head

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Hello, I am brand new to the forums.

I dont know if this question was asked before, but i did try a search and could not find it.

I have a bucky skeleton that I transformed the head with servos and a audio servo controller for mouth movement. What I would like to know is how do I get the head to move back and forth? I dont want the head to move back and forth like an occilation, but more random.

Right now the head is mounted just like the Bucky came, with it on the metal rod through the spinal cord and with the little screw on piece hook at the top. Im assuming I would need to make this more free moving if I want it to rotate.

If you can provide any information possible for making this head move, that would be great. Also, I know nothing about controllers or anything like that, so if there is an easy way to move it with a servo, or some motor thats pretty simple, that would be great.

I am familiar with pneumatics though, as I have made a lot of various pop up monsters

Thanks again, and im happy to be here!!!


PS, I will add some photos and a small clip of the thing in action

Hello Briwesk...

There are lots of threads on doing this very thing!

Here is one:

3 Axis ~ Simple Terms

and a very LOOOOONG one..

My 3 axis skull...in progress

Just do a search for 3 axis skull and you can find more!

Welcome to the Forum!

A lot of that info really helped, but it seems its only specific to a kit that you purchase or a different skull

I have a bucky skull right now with moving jaw, and everything works great, i just want simple back and forth, maybe some tilt movement.


The linkage that one of those sites was insane, $45.00 for parts that probably cost about 3 at home depot. Unfortunatly no site tells you exactly what parts are used for the stem for the head to sit on.

I guess I will just have the head not move, because this seems costly and confusing.

I have the servos, i have the skull, and i have it talking, i just need a little more movement, lol

also, the Paralax servo controller, if i was to buy that, does it need to be constantly connected to a PC for the servos to know what to do? Or does it remember what you set it as using the software?

Im confused about that.

Item I am looking at

Parallax Servo Controller (USB)

That controller uses the PC as a "HOST" so it needs to be connected to the PC.

Try an EFX-TEK PROP-1 or PROP-2 for stand alone use.

It sounds like you just need to rig one servo in to do a head abck and forth instead of the complicated 3-axis skulls in the thread that ate toyko.

My 3 axis skull...in progress

There is a lot of good info in that thread you just need to sort through it and throw away 2 of the 3 axis.

I would also recommend the prop1 or prop2 controllers if you don't want to be hooked up to a PC. Here is a link to a 2 axis Bucky skull that I did for a prop. http://spookineering.com/2axis.html

here is a pan and tilt unit i know someone on here has used but can't remember who. SPT100 Pan & Tilt System you could then use a servo controller like a prop 1 to control the servos without a computer connected.