11/25/09

Pull ring controls (fumble, fumble)

Question: I recently bought a small vent dummy, it has a pull ring to control the moving mouth and 2 pull rings to control moving eyes left to right and right to left.
However, I have difficulty controlling pull ring mouth with pull ring eye movement. Do you have any reference where I can read about controlling such pull ring figures ?

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Answer: I've never seen a reference as to how a person should use the multiple pull rings. It's whatever works, I suppose. Rings are difficult to slip fingertips into, and difficult (if not impossible), to keep in place through an entire performance. They're really not a practical control for the serious performer, which is why I've replaced many of those pull rings with levers.

3 comments:

  1. At a point just above top of eye rings put large screweye in control post, which will keep at least those two rings from swinging around, hard to grasp or getting in the way.

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  2. A screw eye as described will keep the ring at selected spot, but does not keep the ring from turning. It's still next to impossible to insert fingers into two or more rings using just one hand. Fumble, fumble!

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  3. Anonymous11/25/2009

    Sounds like maybe a Jerry Mahoney figure to me. I have one in my collection I won off ebay. Has moving mouth only, but this is controled by the ring & string method. I know they also were made with moving eyes. Sounds like a job for Mr. D!

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