Stopmotion Puppet

Create your own stop-motion puppet by adding these components to a stop-motion armature. The design centres around stop-motion components available from Cinespark https://cinespark.shop/ and the Rebecca Head scaled to 70%. Refer to Rebecca, a shorter 1/3 scale BJD (Ball Joint Doll) by noiseguy https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5924355. For clothing, use my templates https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6411711. Clothes for 1/6 scale (12") BJD are suitable.

PRINTING:
Print at 100% scale, preferably using a resin printer. I have also printed these in PLA. Use supports whilst avoiding supports inside components. When auto-generating supports, use the “floor” option (or equivalent). If required scale only the length of the limbs to suit your puppet requirements.
You will need a mirror pair of the leg upper. The other limbs are symmetrical.
Clean up the prints, sand, prime, paint and assemble, as described below.

HEAD:
Flatten the inner raised portion around the neck hole - this makes attachment to the neck a bit easier.
Use a 16mm diameter hand-held burr to gently clean out the eye sockets in the head and the eye retainer. Do not use a power tool for the burr. You could use some sandpaper instead o burr.
Paint the outer surface of the eye white and then the iris in the desired colour. Apply a gloss clear coat to the entire eyeball. Allow to dry before assembly.
Place a piece of paper towel into the eye retainer.
Position both eye balls and the eye retainer in the head. Check that the eyes are fully in their sockets and have rotational resistance (adjust fit if required).
Use UV resin to attach the retainer inside the head.

HEAD CAP and HAIR:
Use a 1.3mm drill bit to drill or clean out the holes in the head cap.
Use 0.8mm diameter hair-rooting needles to insert hair into the head cap.
Apply glue (PVA or equivalent) to the inside of the head to retain hair in place.

CHEST;
Insert a 10x10x10mxM3 cube into the chest. Check that holes for shoulder screws are in middle of arm hole.
Retain the cube inside the chest using an M3x8 countersunk screw.
Assemble an M3x45mm grubscrew into the shoulder sockets. Centralise.
Assemble an M3x20 grubscrew to the base of the chest.
Assemble 6mmxM3 balls to both shoulders and base of chest.
Attach an M3x13mm M/F standoff inside the neck.

HIPS:
Insert a 10x10x10mmxM3 cube into the hips.
Retain the cube inside the hips using an M3x10 countersunk screw.
Assemble an M3x25 grubscrew into the hip socket. Centralise.
Assemble an M3x16 grubscrew for the spine joint.
Assemble 6mmxM3 balls to both hip sockets and spine joint.

UPPER ARM:
Tap the upper part of the arm using an M3 tap (or drill out to 3.0mm).
Assemble an M3x30 grubscrew to the upper arm. Centralise.
Assemble 6mmxM3 balls to both ends of the limb..

UPPER LEG and LOWER LEG:
Tap the upper part of each limd using an M3 tap (or drill out to 3.0mm).
Assemble an M3x30 grubscrew to the limb. Centralise.
Assemble 6mmxM3 balls to both ends of the limb.

ASSEMBLY:
Use an M3x10 button head screw and pair of socket plates for each limb joint.
Attach the head to the chest using an M3x16 button head screw, an M3 waster, rubber spacer, M3 panel washer.
I found that the head cap stays in place without fasteners.
Attach each hand using a 6mmxM3 ball, socket plates and M3x10 button head screw.
Attach each foot using socket plates and an M3x10 button head screw.

CLOTHING:
Add clothing to your stop-motion puppet.
For clothing designs, refer to my clothing templates https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6411711
You may need to remove the head to place clothes on the torso.
Style the hair.
Add a headband to hide the join between the head and the head cap.
Use 3.5cm shoes.

NOTE:
You may substitute M3 threaded rod for grubscrews.

2025/08/24: Added three head cap models with holes.
2025/09/26: Added eye retainer with increased wall thickness. Update procedure and photos.
2025/10/12: Update procedure and photos.
2025/10/31: Update procedure.
2025/11/01: Update procedure.
2025/11/03: Add redhead photo.