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Bear Paws by RoxanneI was just wondering if anyone would have any ideas on how to make a "jointed jaw." So that an open mouth bear can open and close the mouth.
Any idea is appreciated :hug:
LuxembearsRoxane, I have not tried this myself but I have been thinking abut how to do it and what I would do is to insert a heavy weight wire attached to the back of the head, or neck.
That is my thought.
Wild Thyme OriginalsYou know what Roxanne... we are going to the park today... while I watch the wee ones I'll let my mind wonder a bit and see if I can come up with something .....
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
Canna Bear PaintGreat minds think alike, I've been pondering that question for a few months now 
Never did quite figure out how to go about it, but at one point I wrote down a bunch of weird ideas to try. I remember one was installing a hinge inside the mouth like a real jaw acts like. I even went to Home Depot and looked at cabinet hinges, but they all opened and closed too freely for what I wanted... in other words, the bear's mouth would fall open, whereas I wanted something where the mouth would stay wherever I put it (fully closed, open at any angle or open fully). Now a loose hinge would still work if all you wanted was to have it 100% closed or 100% open... the loose hinge would allow the mouth to fall open all the way, and then just install something within the mouth that when the jaw was pressed together would hold it closed (magnet, snap, velcro, whatever).
Are we having fun yet? 
Kelly
Kim-Bee BearsDoesn't Kassie make her bears with jointed jaws??
Cleathero CreationsI always thought you just wired the mouth so that it opens and closes. uses floral wire to do so.
Canna Bear PaintOh sure, do it the simple way, why don't you 
Cheers,
Kelly
Just Us BearsHi girls,
You can buy mechanisms to do this. I have not tried one myself so don't know how successful they are. They are not real cheap, about $30 AUD for one to fit a 12 inch bear up to $35 AUD for one to fit a 24 inch bear.
You can see from the pic basically how they work so it you have a handyman and plenty of patience you could probably have a go at your own. If not and you'd like to try one of the purchased ones, PM me and I'll order one for you.
Baird'sBearsGreat minds think alike, I've been pondering that question for a few months now
So have I, Kelly--such a clever group as we are should be able to work this out! 
In "A Bear of My Own", Rotraud Ilisch shows a lion with a mouth that opens and closes, but doesn't explain how!
She might be using wire. It's certainly worth a try--maybe with magnets embedded in the front ends of the upper and lower mouth?
I've been thinking of trying the kind of cabinet hinge that holds the door open at a 90 degree angle (so it doesn't swing too wide), and then pulls the door shut when the it's closed to about a 20 degree angle from the frame. It's done with springs. I think these are called 'self-closing' cabinet hinges, but I haven't had time yet to pursue the idea.
Bear Paws by RoxanneGreat ideas! :clap:
Keep them coming 
Jane Perala Designs Ltd.Wow, everyone is so clever. I have only made a few open mouthed bears, and have always thought that it would be great to be able to shut the mouth sometimes, so he/she isn't always looking like he/she is catching flies!
I have seen thise incredible dogs on ebay from Japan - I think her ebay id is "toy" - and they seem to be able to open and close their mouths. It would be great to figure out how.
Jane P.
ToadBriarWow, everyone is so clever. I have only made a few open mouthed bears, and have always thought that it would be great to be able to shut the mouth sometimes, so he/she isn't always looking like he/she is catching flies!
I have seen thise incredible dogs on ebay from Japan - I think her ebay id is "toy" - and they seem to be able to open and close their mouths. It would be great to figure out how.Jane P.
Yes I was dazzled by her baby panda recently!!! His mouth seems to open &
close also. I was wondering if anyone had tried emailing her to ask about her
mouths.
LOL @ catching flies
Bear Paws by RoxanneBoy, that is some excellent work that she does.... so realistic..... I would think about writing her, but sometimes when an artist has a good thing going it is hard for them to "share" their techniques 
CatS & F(u)riendsGreat minds think alike, I've been pondering that question for a few months now
So have I, Kelly--such a clever group as we are should be able to work this out!
In "A Bear of My Own", Rotraud Ilisch shows a lion with a mouth that opens and closes, but doesn't explain how!
She might be using wire. It's certainly worth a try--maybe with magnets embedded in the front ends of the upper and lower mouth?
I've been thinking of trying the kind of cabinet hinge that holds the door open at a 90 degree angle (so it doesn't swing too wide), and then pulls the door shut when the it's closed to about a 20 degree angle from the frame. It's done with springs. I think these are called 'self-closing' cabinet hinges, but I haven't had time yet to pursue the idea.
Rotraud Ilisch has an online bear school in Germany, but actually only in German. At this school there is an open workshop for everyone how to create an open mouth that can be closed and re-opened (this is explained in chapter 4). And yes, she uses wire for that.
Here's the link:
http://teddyschule.nixfrei.com/board.ph … 5178874698
If your are interested, I could translate the workshop... Would take a little time, I think, but that would be no problem.
Baird'sBears Ack, Dani--
I checked the link, and it looks great, but all the pictures are gone 
Then I tried translating with my store of college German, and flopped miserably.
I think we're definitely going to need your help!
I tried Babelfish, and this is what I got--German first, then the ???English??? in bold:
Natürlich muss die Schnauze, vor allem auch der Unterkiefer, sehr sorgfältig gestopft werden.Damit das Maul nicht zu weit aufklafft, können Sie die Maulwinkel nach dem Stopfen mit einigen Stichen ein paar Millimeter zunähen. Das ist auch eine einfache "Schönheitsoperation" für alte Teddies, denen oft der Unterkiefer nach unten hängt.
Nat?ich must be plugged the lip, above all also the lower jaw, very sorgf?ig.
So that the muzzle gapes not too far, k?en the muzzle angles after the plug also
unite passes a few millimeter zun?n. That is also a simple "Sch?eitsoperation" f?
old teddies, those often the lower jaw h?t downward. :crackup:
Wenn der Bär wie mein Aswail auch Lippen bekommen soll , wird das obere Innenmaul durch ein Innenfutter - das obere Schnauzenteil wird aus möglichst dünnem Stoff noch einmal zugeschnitten und an den Oberkiefer genäht . Wenn keine dicken Lippen erwünscht sind, sollten die Lippen mit möglichst unsichtbaren Stichen abgenäht werden (Foto rechts). Das Abnähen von Lippen im Unterkiefer haben Sie auf der vorhergehenden Seite schon bei Grobi gesehen.
Even if the B?wie my Aswail is to get lips, the upper interior muzzle becomes through
an interior fodder - the upper lip part out m?ichst d?em material again cut and at the Oberkiefer towards? . If no thick lips are erw?cht, should the lips with m?ichst invisible passes to abgen? become (photo right). You already saw the Abn?n of lips in the lower jaw on the preceding side with Grobi. :crackup:
Diese Bären haben dünne Drahteinlagen in den abgenähten Lippen, so dass sie ihr Maul öffnen und schließen können. Unten seht ihr, wie ich das bei dem Eisbär gemacht habe.
This B?n has d?e wire inserts in the abgen?en lips, so that they k?en its muzzle?nen and schlie?n. Down see you, how I have with the Eisb?gemacht. :crackup:
Unten seht ihr das Schnittteil für das Innenmaul. Nach diesem Muster habe ich ein Stück Draht gebogen und dann mit Pflaster umwickelt.
Down see to her the cut part f?das interior muzzle. After this sample I have a St? Wire curved and then with plaster tapes. :crackup:
Dieser Draht wird nun in das offene Maul praktiziert - eine etwas fummelige Arbeit - und durch Abnähen fixiert. Am Anfang habe ich das Ding mit einer Klemme an der richtigen Stelle gehalten. Hinterher werden Unter- und Oberkiefer ganz normal gestopft. Da Eisbären schwarze Lippen haben, wurden die passend bemalt.
This wire now into the open muzzle one practices - a somewhat fummelige work - and fixed by Abn?n.
At the beginning I held the thing with a clamp at the correct place. Afterwards under and Oberkiefer are completely normally plugged. Since Eisb?n have black lips, those were suitably painted. :crackup:
Diese Bilder zeigen, wie das Maul zu öffnen ist, ein weites Aufsperren wie rechts vermeide ich lieber - sonst sieht man, dass der Bär keine Zähne hat.
These pictures show, like the muzzle to?nen are, a far Aufsperren as right rather avoid I - otherwise one sees that the B?keine Z?e has. :crackup:
Kim-Bee BearsAHHHH!!! 
Wild Thyme OriginalsOh Yes... thanks Eileen... It's all so clear now!!!!! :crackup:
It's so funny sometimes how things translate or DON'T translate from language! I have several collectors in other countries who use the translator type programs to decipher my eBay listings. Once I commented in my description of a fairy bear that "she is even pretty when displayed from the rear, as her lovely wings seem to sprout from her back quite naturally."
My Korean friend told me that on the Korean listing it essentially translated to something like, "her anus is very beautiful with wings planted inside that grow out for you to show people." :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: Now... THAT's a strange bear!
Kim Basta
Wild Thyme Originals
Baird'sBearsMy Korean friend told me that on the Korean listing it essentially translated to something like, "her anus is very beautiful with wings planted inside that grow out for you to show people."
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
:crackup: :crackup: Talk about exhibitionism!! :crackup: :crackup:
Bear Paws by Roxanne:crackup: :crackup: WOW! This blonde head is really spinning!! :crackup: :crackup:
Excellent effort :clap:
Baird'sBears
CatS & F(u)riends:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: Ok, I see, no good idea to translate with Babelfish...
I don't know, why the pics have gone... 
Anyway, I will do my best to translate this workshop. As said, will take some time, but I will do as fast as I can. Promised! :pray:
Just one question: Is there a way to upload a text-file or something at the forum? 
Dani
This thread cracks me up. Love the butt-sprouting wing thing, Kim. Hysterical.
But on a more serious note...
What about using a hinge, like Kelly was referencing... but somehow attaching magnets to it?
What I mean is to use the hinge part as the open/close mechanism, at the back of the mouth where the lower jaw meets the rest of the head... but then, attach two magnets, one on the lower jaw at the tip, and one on the upper jaw right above it. They would have to be powerful enough to hold the jaw closed when the magnets are placed within a certain proximity of one another... but not SO powerful that they would attract and close the mouth when you want it to stay OPEN.
This would allow only two positions -- fully open, fully closed.
I'm stumped as to how to do this with a full range of motion, such as with LocLine.
Is there anyone who has done an open mouth, and used LocLine, who can come up with an idea here?
Would it be possible to run the LocLine not just from the body and up through the neck, into the head... but then, into the lower jaw as well? That might allow the lower jaw to be "poseable," right?
I've never done either an open mouth or used LocLine, so I'm not sure how possible this might be.
Just some thoughts from a big dumdum on this, experientially speaking.
Great topic, by the way!
Apple Dumpling DesignsKim,
That put an entirely different visual to "flying by the seat of your pants." I almost wet myself laughing.
:crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
LuxembearsI'm stumped as to how to do this with a full range of motion, such as with LocLine.
Is there anyone who has done an open mouth, and used LocLine, who can come up with an idea here?
Shelli, I have been brainstorming about using loc-line, along what you are saying but a bit different. Armature comes in various sizes and I would use the smallest available and run it double in the jaw. I think it would work.
I am going to play with this idea AFTER I get all my show bears done. If it works for me I will share...if it fails..I'll still share.
Luxembears(...still thinking here.... )
Although I really think a wired lower jaw would work if it were attached to the neck joint. It would need an anchor point. OH I DO want to play!
