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[Chris]

No, I don't think so. Latex dries by evaporation whereas resins harden due to a chemical reaction, and I have been told that the Corden puppets are of resin. However that doesn't sound like "liquid plastic is washed around a mould until it reaches the appropriate thickness.", it sounds more like latex as you say. There used to be a form of latex which did dry pretty hard. It was called Revertex and was supplied at the time by Tiranti's. You did that in a plaster mold and then, when leather hard, I seem to remember you baked it. The result was very hard - but brittle enough to crack if you dropped it on a hard surface. Even so it was pretty tough. I have heads in it which have lasted over thirty years (not Punch heads though). It used to be a favourite of a puppeteer called Barry Smith who was, incidently, the voice coach for Laurence Olivier.

[Richard Coombs]

Ooooh I did not know that about Barry .

Not a surprise though with his wonderfully resonant tones. Sadly I only met him a handful of times.

One of many folk taken too early .


A plastic moulding compound called "Fastcast" can be swirled around a mould.
It sets very fast , but while still liquid the effect is somewhat similar to swirling warm wax around a candle mould .

Ive used fastcast only a couple of times for props. ( candle making is a distant childhood memory now - great fun though )

Fastcast is very brittle and cracks very easily.

However it was some years ago since I used it. I use resins almost never now, but I do know from friends who make props that new plastics and resins seem to come out almost monthly , and that keeping up is hard.

What was only available at very high cost to factories and big production houses in bulk , is now available cheaply in small quantities.

So there is probably a resin that works in the way you describe.

Like Les I would be interested to actually handle one of the resulting puppets to see if they are strong and resilient .

I have just replenished my supply of regular fibreglass resin and clear casting resin as I need to mould up some matching sets of crocodile eyes.

It has been years since I have made any puppet eyes for 'muppety' type puppets, and have exhausted my stock
So when I have made the "croc" eyes I will use up the rest of the tin of resin making other puppet eyes.
The resin only lasts a few months in the tin once you have opened it ...so I might as well use it up creatively ( the croc eyes will be expensive items otherwise )


A pic of eyes made years ago ..before the final clear resin layer
Best Richard

[lesclarke]

Thanks, interesting stuff from you both.

[Dan]

Here's some of the resin puppets made by Teddy Corden. He carves the heads from wood then takes a mould into which he pours the liquid resin. They are very durable and the costumes fit very well on the hand. As James rightly said they are under £50 a puppet, which for the amount of work it takes to make them they are certainly a bargain!

[lesclarke]

I have seen the images before, didn't realise they were the resin versions. They are very good value.