Studio Secrets: Threaded Tie-Down Kit (M4 Rods, Wing Nuts, Foot Nuts, ProPoxy 20)

Ships in 1–2 weeks. We put each kit together by hand when you order.

What it's for: nailing a puppet's foot to the set so it can't tip, slide, or wobble during a walk cycle. It's the professional method. You drill a hole through the stage floor at each footstep and bolt the foot down from underneath. Then you loosen it, move the foot, and bolt the next step.

What's in the box

• 4 M4 threaded rods (the tie-downs)
• 8 M4 wing nuts, for tightening from under the table by hand without tools
• 8 M4 hex nuts to build into the puppet's feet
• ProPoxy 20 epoxy putty (4 oz): steel-reinforced putty that sets steel-hard in about 20 minutes
• A how-to card

How it works

1. Build the foot nut in. Mix a pea of ProPoxy, wrap it around an M4 nut on the bottom of your armature's foot (thread it onto a rod first so no putty gets in the threads), and let it set.
2. Plan the walk. Stand the puppet on the set and mark where each foot lands, step by step.
3. Drill the floor at each mark: a 5 mm hole through a plywood or foam-core stage floor raised on blocks so you can reach underneath.
4. Bolt it down. From under the table, feed the rod up through the hole into the foot nut and snug the wing nut. The puppet can lean into any pose and it won't fall.
5. Next frame: loosen, lift the foot to the next hole, and tighten again.

Studio tip: fill the unused holes with clay or cover them with a thin floor layer (felt, paper, flocking) before you shoot. Or use our Set-Holding Kit's magnets for shots where the feet slide instead of step.

Small parts. Not for children under 14.