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Push the play button above to see the kid's first show!
Something a bit different for the kids at Christmas.
I thought I would do something different for my youngest two this year. Along side the brightly coloured plastic, battery powered 5 minute wonders, I thought that I would give them something built to last and that will (hopefully) give them many hours of fun - with each other and their friends....
Virtually all of the wood came from an old bunk bed that we finished using in the summer. It measures 55 inches wide, 36 inches tall & 30 inches deep. The opening for the stage is 32 inches wide and 19 inches tall. None of the measurements were very deliberate - I just tried to use the wood I had - so did it by eye, avoiding too much sawing.
Special features will be the lighting and the electrically operated curtains.
It honestly only took a few evenings to make.
Eight Pelham Puppets have been 'won' on e-bay. These are the best marionettes - but have not been made for a few years. They are going to be given to the kids by various members.
Luckily the kids don't go on my Piczo site - they think that boats & planes are really boring (!) - so the surprise won't be spoilt!
Finished - at last!
The back of the front - again mainly using slats to reinforce 9mm ply that I had left over from the train set. Two bolts hold these to the base.
The base - using slats from the bed I took apart in the summer.
The back made and reinforced in a similar way to the front. I have kept this quite low, so that little people can see and reach over the top.
Again held in place with two bolts. The struts across the top keep everything rigid & are held in place with two wood screws. That's it for the assembly, so it should all come apart easily for moving - or storage.
The stage floor has been teak-oiled to bring out the natural beauty of the wood (inch thick left over ply) and protect it. This should make the feet of puppets quite noisy!
Four bits of pine will hold the 'wings' in place.
The back was sprayed with two cans of paint to give an impression of hills & sky - not sure if I am happy with the finish - I might re-do if there is time.
Got the bulb holders & 12v bulbs from Maplin. The holders were £1.25 each and the bulbs 69p I think. I have put them on a (re)movable base.
Bulb strip in place.
The wings - two pieces of MDF - which came from the end of the dismantled bed. Sprayed the same as the back of the stage.
Wings in place.
Starting to take shape.
The lights work OK.
The wings really make a difference - puppets can stroll-on rather than fly-down!
Geppetto gives it a go.
With the room lights out - looks more effective than the picture shows.
I think that the strips of wood used for panels make quite a difference.
The same sort of motor/gearbox that I used in the Crash Tender boat (for the winch) £8 from Maplins. Used a 12v motor this time to save having to wire up a voltage regulator. Bit noisy - but it works and the cutains open & shut. The toothed pulley is a Robbe item, left over from the boat.
An old Meccano pulley secures the other end.
Puppet storage / tangling is a real potential problem. I have put a number of hooks under the horizontal supports to solve this.
Switches from Maplins to control the curtains & lights.
Micro switch stops the cord travelling too far.
Micro switch at the other end of the travel.
Switches from Maplins to control the curtains & lights.
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