My puppet heads are always made from seasoned English lime as it is light in weight but tough and durable. It is close grained giving a lovely finish to the puppet. Although it is more expensive to buy and difficult to source I wouldn’t use anything else. The picture shows the contrast between the lime on the right and some softwood used by most makers shown to the left.
The puppet noses can take a great deal of punishment over their lifetime so I fit them into a square mortice hole in the face to avoid them turning. Not many makers to go to this trouble nowadays, instead relying on nails, screws or round pegs.
Costuming was another of Bob’s specialities and from him I learnt how to secure the costume to the head without nails to catch your finger on, how to make the costume fit the shape of the hand and how to conceal the seam of the lining to give a neat finish whether you look from the outside or the inside. Have a look at the picture to see what I mean.
Thanks to Bob’s advice and my subsequent years of experience I believe I am now making some of the best collector’s items of the future and that my customers will be investing in puppets that will last a lifetime and more.
Cheers Bob!