{"product_id":"studio-secrets-diy-ball-joint-kit-steel-balls-brass-plates-screws-wing-nuts","title":"Studio Secrets: DIY Ball Joint Kit (Steel Balls, Brass Plates, Screws, Wing Nuts)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShips in 1–2 weeks.\u003c\/strong\u003e We put each kit together by hand when you order.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhy we made this:\u003c\/strong\u003e back in animation school, our founder spent about $120 on a store-bought armature that turned out way too big for his puppet. This is the kit he wishes he'd had: build your joints to exactly the size your character needs, for a fraction of the price.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat it's for:\u003c\/strong\u003e making your own ball-and-socket joints, the kind pro armatures use, without paying kit prices. A ball-and-socket joint holds a pose better than wire and never fatigues. You can tighten it as it wears, so a puppet built with these lasts through a whole film. This is the double-plate \"sandwich\" joint animators have hand-built for decades.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eWhat's in the box\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e20 hardened 1\/4\" steel balls\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eK\u0026amp;S brass strip\u003c\/strong\u003e (.032\" x 1\/4\"), for cutting into joint plates\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMachine screws and wing nuts\u003c\/strong\u003e, one set per joint\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eA build card with drilling measurements\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eHow the sandwich joint works\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCut two matching brass plates. Clamp them together and drill a hole near each end that's a little \u003cem\u003esmaller\u003c\/em\u003e than the ball, so each ball seats in the hole like an eye in a socket.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDrill a screw hole in the middle, between the two ball holes.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSandwich a ball in each end between the plates, run the screw through the middle, and snug the wing nut. Tighten for a stiff joint, and loosen for a free one.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBond each ball to its \"bone\" (brass tube, wire, or threaded rod) with J-B Weld or epoxy putty.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ol\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003eStudio secrets\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDon't drill the balls.\u003c\/strong\u003e Bearing balls are hardened steel and will destroy a drill bit. The plates do the gripping, and the bones get bonded on.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize it to the puppet.\u003c\/strong\u003e Cut the plates shorter for a small puppet's fingers and neck, and longer for the hips. That's the whole advantage over a one-size kit.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStiffness is adjustable.\u003c\/strong\u003e Hips and knees need to hold the puppet's weight, so run them tight. Wrists and the neck can run looser for fine moves.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAdd a drop of blue thread-locker\u003c\/strong\u003e (Loctite 242) once the tension is right, so joints don't creep loose mid-shot.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWant them ready-made instead? See our CineSpark ball-and-socket armature kits.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNeeds a drill and a small file. Not for children under 14: small parts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gainesphere","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67602614419822,"sku":"GS-SECRET-BALLJOINT","price":44.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1009\/3972\/7214\/files\/100-14-inch-diameter-chrome-steel-bearing-balls-g25-vxb-ball-bearings-1.jpg?v=1790799408","url":"https:\/\/gainesphere.com\/products\/studio-secrets-diy-ball-joint-kit-steel-balls-brass-plates-screws-wing-nuts","provider":"Gainesphere","version":"1.0","type":"link"}