Winker Mechanisms Can Be Fun?!?

Yeah, I know. You must think I'm crazy if I think winker mechanisms can be fun! Actually there is a real good reason for the title of this blog post. Long before I ever had my blog going, I had talked to many aspiring figure makers across the country and around the world, and found that there are many who are VERY interested in the subject of winker mechanics. The reason? They can be quite the challenge, both to beginning and experienced figure makes alike!

And since starting this blog, I have gotten a lot of private response about my posts on blinkers as well. Particularly I've found the most interest in shell winker mechanisms. They take the most precision, and it doesn't take much in the way of errors to have a poor or non-functioning winker mechanism, even after a lot of hard work! How does a professional figure maker handle these challenges? I know when I was first learning, I surely wanted to know.

How does one make a successful mechanism each and every time? Making a living full time as a figure maker for a number of years, and installing quality winker mechanism on a daily or weekly basis, I've had to learn how to do that or starve. (grin)  So over time I've developed some sure fire ways to consistently create precise winker mechanics. After giving it much thought, I've decided to share my techniques in a brand new 98 page book specifically on shell winker mechanics.

If you think 98 pages is a lot on just the subject of shell winker mechanics, it is! That's because this is really an in-depth book with numerous, full size, large, clear photos of all the different steps involved. I think you will be amazed at the detail. To keep the price affordable (an all color book full of quality photos can be expensive to publish), I've compiled it into a high-quality PDF E-Book and it is available for instant download.  I think you will be pleased with how much information is in this one volume.

So if you've ever struggled with shell winker mechanics before, or have put off trying it because you thought it was too difficult, or you just want more quality information to improve what you are currently doing, this new in-depth book on the subject should help a lot! You can find out more about it on our web site. . .

http://www.puppetsandprops.com/winker_book.html

A Fresh New Face. . . .

I've been working on a few new characters, but all has been on the back burner for awhile due to extenuating circumstances.  I've had this one close to being done for some time now, but he has had to be patient until I could get a few spare moments to finish him. He said he was now ready for his unveiling, so here's a sneak peek. . . .

His name is 'Sparky' and I sculpted this cute face based on a character concept drawn for me by LaFonstsee Character Design. Edit: We originally were going to make this part of a new line of characters that were greatly simplified, but have since decided to just make him part of our regular line of figures to keep things simple in the workshop.

Let me know what you think of this little guy!

Blast from the Past. . . .

What a lot of people don't know about me is that I was a top piano tuner-technician-rebuilder for some 30 years. I was considered one of the top 3 piano techs in Orange County California. What does this past experience as a piano tech have to do with being a quality figure maker? I'll explain in a moment.

Early on (1977) I became the piano tuning manager for Fullerton Music, Fullerton CA, then after about 4 years became the manager over at Kay Kalie Music in Anaheim CA, which was an authorized Yamaha piano dealer. Here's an old pic of me tuning a nice Yamaha upright piano at that store. . . .

I was a lot younger and had a lot more hair! (grin) During my time working for this fine music store I had the privilege of attending the Yamaha 'Little Red School House', which is an intensive, hands on, high level training program (there was a 3 year waiting list for techs to get in at the time) with some of the top piano technicians in the country as the instructors. I became an authorized Yamaha technician. Here I am with one of the instructors, LaRoy Edwards. . . .

That's me regulating (adjusting) the mechanism on a Yamaha grand piano (the whole mechanism slides out as one unit so you can work on it). Later, I also did an intensive training program at the 'American Institute of Piano Technology' in Los Angeles, where we took pianos apart (all brands, all sizes) as far as they come apart, and put them back together again! After only two years of being there, I was asked to be one of the instructors and to serve on the board of directors. What a grand honor that was!

I also learned a ton through years of constant education through the Piano Technicians Guild, which had some very strict testing of your tuning, regulating and repair skills in order for one to be considered a Craftsman Member of the Guild. . . .

In my 30 year piano tuning-tech-rebuilding career I serviced well over 10,000 instruments. Makes my ears tired just to think about it! (grin) I serviced or tuned everything from the smallest spinet piano or harpsichord all the way up to 9 foot concert grand pianos, player pianos, and reproducing pianos (automatic player grand piano that plays with full expression), etc. From Steinways to Bösendorfers with more than 88 keys, and everything in between!

So what does this experience have to do with becoming a quality figure maker. For me, a lot! As a top piano tech and rebuilder, I spent years working regularly on very complex mechanisms where a few thousandths of an inch can make a difference in how well the instrument performs. A lot of these instruments are far more complex than some of the most complicated ventriloquist figures out there. I learned what makes the difference between a quiet, smooth operating, quality mechanism and one that is noisy, binds, and will not hold up well over time. All of this experience has helped prepare me for building quality mechanisms that can stand the test of time.

So then, does one have to have been a piano tuner-technician to become a good figure maker? No. But it sure can help! (grin) This is just one aspect of my past that has helped me to do what I do now, and do quality work. And for me that is the only way of doing a job.