Changing an ugly animated thing to a nice one

[theedwin]

Hi guys,

I decided to make a TUT for everyone's enjoyment of how to take an ugly animated thing, and give it a new form that will fit your needs a bit better.

I started off with these pretty "ugly" bears. I have 4 of them.
http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture239.jpg

I am going to cut out the mechanical part of these lovely ladies and put them into these penguins.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture238.jpg

This particular bear volunteered to go under the knife first. (you may recognize her from such great hits as "Anyone got a Quarter?") LOL

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture240.jpg

Start by cutting around the bottom. Different animals etc may need different cutting. Some I cut from the back rather than the bottom.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture241.jpg

This is what it will look like when you are about ready to take the body completely off the mechanism.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture242.jpg

On this particular animal, the animal's mouth is glued completely to the jaw mechanism. Just cut out the lower jaw as such. (don't make this too hard on yourself, no one will ever see it anyways!)

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture243.jpg

Next we want to cut out the "push here" mechanism, or any other mechanism that turns the animal on. (sound sensor, motion sensor etc). Be careful not to cut the wires! Usually these are either glued on to the animal or sewn on.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture244.jpg

Once the body is not connected to the mechanism anymore, you can carefully remove it. Basically it is like taking a shirt off of a mannequin, or off of a PVC skeleton that you may or may not have made before..... Or if you have kids, it's like getting them dressed for bed when they are being combative. Be careful not to break any plastic or wiring! Here is what you have.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture245.jpg

And a video.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/th_VID00206.jpg

SEE NEXT POST

[theedwin]

Now, on to our stuffed animal Penguin! (Or whatever you may want to put it in that may work.)

Make sure that your "Penguin" will fit the "ugly" thing, otherwise it won't work. It will have to be flexible enough to give you the movement that you desire. In this case, these penguins are about the right size and shape to fit this mechanism.

Find the SEAM of the penguin (or whatever) and cut down the seam. Sometimes it is difficult to find the seam especially if the animal has long hair or fur. Once you cut 1 string at the seam, you can pull the seam apart enough to cut the others. Try not to cut the cloth, just the strings.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture247.jpg


Notice that I am cutting the thread holding together the 2 pieces sewn together at the bottom of the penguin. NOTE! Sometimes, depending on what type of animal or animation you are going for, you may want to cut the back instead of the bottom.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture248.jpg


When you get an opening big enough for the mechanism to fit into the animal, you will have to pull out the stuffing.

Pull out enough, but not too much. This one had stuffing in the legs of the penguin, I didn't want to remove that. This mechanism has enough size that it should fill the penguin full enough that it shouldn't need much padding. I did not pull the stuffing out of the head either, just the body. The mechanism needs something to "latch onto".

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture249.jpg

Now simply place the "NEW" over the "OLD" and situate it. This may take some manipulation, and may take a while to get it to where you want it.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture251.jpg

When you are done manipulating, test it, if you like it, leave it alone! Here is a pic of it while it was "dancing" so that is why it is blurry.

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/Picture252.jpg

And a video of it dancing!

http://i443.photobucket.com/albums/qq158/theedwin/penguins/th_VID00208.jpg

I plan on doing this with the other 3 ugly things and the other 3 penguins. I still have to cut the wires to the speaker, and hard wire it to a wall wart. Beings it will be hard wired, I won't have to worry about batteries, so I could sew it shut, or just glue gun it back together. I plan to have these on all the time, so it will only have to be wired to the motor rather than the "software" of the toy.

I may add a bit of stuffing here and there, but I will have to see what the others look like.

Hope you enjoyed it! Questions, comments, let me know!

Edwin

[chris]

Doctor Theedwin to the emergency room please!!!!:) Edwin have you thought about doing plastic surgery? The penguin looks great:happyfatsanta:

[Just Whisper]

Oogily Googily, I love it edwin. Great how to.

[Sickie Ickie]

That really is a nice how-to, edwin. Care to write it up for the SP site? :)

[theedwin]

Thanks everyone, hope it helps someday.

I will do my best to get it on SP as soon as I can Sickie (or you could just steal it since I still don't have a website...)

[chris]

I think what is said is that there is not enough stores to buy supplies for his hobby?

[Sickie Ickie]

That really is a nice how-to, edwin. Care to write it up for the SP site? :)

I'm waiting... :D

[Sickie Ickie]

Moderator note: Every once in a while we have a cross-over post. I think they are actually replying to another forum entirely. That and responses were deleted to keep flow of the thread. Thanks for your understanding, folks!

[theedwin]

Thanks Sickie, I was wondering about that, and almost hit the little button up there!

[chris]

Thanks Sickie, I was wondering about that, and almost hit the little button up there!


Lol im glad you said that I just learned something new on this thread ( top right botton ) I didn't know?idea: cool!

[EnlightenedGrinch]

Thanks Sickie, I was wondering about that, and almost hit the little button up there!

DON'T DO IT !! No one knows what really happens when you click on that exclamation point!
BEWARE !!

Great tutorial and video, Edwin!! I'm anxious to try this, but on a larger scale---like taking Chuck E. Cheese apart and turning him into a penguin!! Then he won't be so creepy. YES !!

[Sickie Ickie]

I like rats. :D Long live Chuckie!