Thread: Bob

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Yeah, I've been mostly quiet for quite a while. My main project is on hold due to weather (Extremely large), and I've just been tinkering away in the Garage.

Bob began as a desire to animate a static prop from the laboratory last year.

YouTube - Lab Test

Which, amounted to Fred being placed under a sheet with a flicker cirtuit to cast the shadows of the skeleton onto the blacklight lit sheet.

The kids loved it. BUT, I wanted it to sit up and scream.

The problems amounted to:

Nowhere in the setup to have/hide a compressor. This was going to need to be mechanical.

Fred needs to be up in the yard days after the lab goes, so it either needed to be easily removed, or a new skelly.

I really didn't have the cash to be buying another bucky, and I was worried about moving that much weight with bungies (Knowing what I know now, that wouldn't have been a problem)

So...I decided to create Bob.

I really don't know where I've read on all these things.

Started with some simple EMT conduit to serve as the lever to raise/lower Bob, and his backbone.

I read somewhere on here about the pipe insulation and zippy ties making a backbone. I traced out Fred's ribcage as close as I could, and made a little template out of cardboard.



A hole for the pipe was drilled into some PVC, and the conduit threaded through that. This PVC was set into larger PVC for the swivel, easily enough, and the bungies were strapped to the legs of the table. 1 side to raise, the other to stop Bob from slamming all the way down.

Adding a gate latch, and Bob sat up on command. Much to the pleasure of my daughter.



With the basic mechanics worked out (though we need to adjust some lengths and minor things on those bungies), it was time to proceed with constructing Bob.

Mache...

I've had some experience with mache, but this is, by far, the most ambitious we've gotten with it. Standard newspaper foundation. Paperclay topcoat...



I had to add the head, because it just didn't feel right talking to a headless torso (yes, I talk to it...mostly cussing when things aren't going well). And, the smiley face just makes me laugh. Knowing that will be underneath when I skulpt the skull over top...

It's been a long, slow process. Doing things in stages. I have no doubt I could do a second better, but we're learning quite a bit, and I'm enjoying the challenge so far. I might just be making my own skellies from now on, since all the little mistakes will be covered up when we corpse it anyway.

Last night, we added the shoulders. Did not want these hinged, but that would have been easily possible. He's starting to turn out.





Since the weather calls for rain all week, good chance I'll be working on Bob instead of my other projects this week. So, hope to have progress soon.

That is lookin sweet! The anatomy looks great!

Got the forearms done, and laid the groundwork for the skull and hand sculpting.

Got to tweak the paperclay recipe a tad, then we'll be ready to go.

Hope to have the torso completed next weekend.

My little helper.



Thankfully the glue I use is easy cleanup with water...



Hand groundwork.


Elbow hinges.



Elbow/forearm

Bob, getting a base coat of white before corpsing. (and fully upright for the first time in photos)



Audience-side view.



I got about half way done corpsing, but we ran out of latex. Got a couple days before my shipment gets in.

That's turning out great! I remember your mad scientist prop last year and I love this new addition to it

Great idea ! Cant wait to see more progress!!!

Bob looks great! Are the lifting mechanics just a bunge? No air or motor? How is it released? How is it reset? Can you post more information on your lifting configuration and maybe a video of it in action? Thanks! Can't wait to see the finished prop.

Originally Posted by The Pod

Bob looks great! Are the lifting mechanics just a bunge? No air or motor? How is it released? How is it reset? Can you post more information on your lifting configuration and maybe a video of it in action? Thanks! Can't wait to see the finished prop.

Video after he's corpsed and dries, for sure. I'll see if I can do it earlier, but I need to adjust some of the bungie lengths, and etc. (I got a nifty 'build your own bungie' set that lets you swap connectors and lengths)

I can get more pics tonight.

Just bungie, because the classroom where he's going to be has nowhere to hide an air compressor, and didn't want the tripping hazard of the air lines running around the walking path. Theoretically could have hung them overhead and ran them through the fire exit, but there was issues with leaving said exit open and disabling the alarm...(no windows)

In all simplicity, Bob is a catapult.

Bob is armed manually, pushing him back/down into a gate latch under the table. From there, there are 2 bungies. The first pops him up, the second acts as a stop preventing the inevitable face plant. This second also helps keep him straight, thanks to how the pole bends. This gives the action a bit of bounce, which will hopefully help shake off the cloth that's going to be covering him.

The trigger is going to be a foot switch for the mad scientist/igor to activate. It pulls a small block and tackle rig that pulls open the gate latch. I have the foot switch on order. (it will also turn on a set of speakers, which will have a mp3 player attached to them playing a scream track on loop, so you get the sound as well, and when released, the screaming stops)

Wow that's awesome. Did you make the rib template freehand? I'd like to see a tut on that...it beats rolling newspaper for hours on end lol.

Originally Posted by Pennywise

Wow that's awesome. Did you make the rib template freehand? I'd like to see a tut on that...it beats rolling newspaper for hours on end lol.

Yes....a nice Template would be appreciated. I can't seem to make a template that looks decent.

also, what role did the gas can play in the paper mache part of this build?

OH BTW. If my skelly turned out like yours...I would be building them myself too. that looks great !