posted 05-30-2000 08:00 PM
There are moving hands, but they are simply a motor with a wavy bar attached to the shaft running down the center - pretty cheesey.Cable controls don't have to be expensive to make, but are pretty involved. There were some toy robot hands onthe market a few years ago that were a simple cable control type of mechanism - you could build an arm over one of these but it would probably be put of proportion.
Quickest & easiest is to use the "Third Hand Puppet" Principle. The person holding a puppet has their hand hidden inside of it, operting the puppet.
Their hand is duplicated by placing a dummy gloved hand on the prop where it is visible. Thus, it looks like you are holding whatever, but your hand is actually going inside of the puppet and operating it - whether the puppet is a bright cartoony character or a severed hand.
Magician Kevin James released a variation on this to the toy market many years back withan item called "It's Alive". His item was promptly knocked off like crazy (standard in the toy industry) when it began to sell.
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Jeff F - Magic and FX
Amazing the Masses
posted 05-30-2000 07:23 PM