Building Bob Albano

The holidays have kept me in overtime. We've visited, been visited,and have been working busily in the shop to keep up with holiday demands. I was supposed to start last week showing how i make a tribute figure. Best laid plans of mice and men....

Anyway! I will start this week.

The first thing I will show you is how i make the body cavity. Bob is of medium builld with a slim waste so we have to tapere the body. I have cut out a bottom and a top that will fit the head I am making. You ask, what is the size? I don't make a standard size. I choose the head shape I will use (later in detail) and from that, I plan my body.

After cutting out the pieces, I use a 3" hole saw to cut out the neck hole. I then drill two 1/2 inch holes in the top and the bottom of the pieces. These holes will hold 1/2 inch dowels which will give the body contour. Then I cut the dowels to the height of 13 inches. That will be the height of the body.

I cut two pieces of 1/2 by 2" #2 grade furring strips 12 inches long for the sides and nail them on either side of the top and then connect it to the bottom by doing the same. I run a bead of glue in the holes where the dowels will go and do the same for the top and bottom of the furring strips to give it added strength. and the result is the body cavity.

Giving tributes to the tributors

Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all we have. Along with family and friends and everything God has given me, I want to thank a couple of people who have done alot for the vent community. I have created and am in the middle of creating tribute figures for two people who deserve alot of recognition. Bob Albano for his hard work and effort putting together the tribute to ventriloquism website http://mercurye.com/ventriloquism

and Dan Willinger for his website http://www.ventriloquistcentral.com/

I am almost finished with Dans and I am starting Bobs. I will show each step as I make Bobs figure. I want to thank Bob foremost for considering me when he put together his tribute and listing me as a figure maker in it. Thank you and God bless.

I will start this weekend showing how I sculpt out a head using a photo of the person, then add mechanics and a little pixie dust to finish them up. Have a great week.

These are pictures of Dans figure. I made it to look like him. What better way than to honor these men who have done so much for us than to imortalize them as vent figures! P.S: I made the heads larger than life so there is no question of them being conversion figures ( ;

Happy Holloween!

This was one of my favorite holidays! Every year, Darlene and I get set up on the porch, bundle up and give out treats as the children and their costumes parade on through.

You get alot of ideas for vent figures from some of these costumes! The best part is when the holiday is over, the costumes and wigs go up for sale and they are great to use on vent figures!

The holiday season is upon us and things will be getting busy in Gepetto's Workshop.

But as always, anyone needing help in figure making, ventriloquism, or you have an idea for a vent figure you are welcome to email me and I will help you in anyway I can! www.gepettosworkshop@yahoo.com