Braq the dragon puppet

thingiverse

See video at https://youtu.be/Bti2-rvxHR0 Braq, the articulated poseable dragon, https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:854575, is truly a remarkable creation on this site. When I first saw it, I knew I had to bring it to life! But as I studied it more closely, I realized that with some minor modifications, it would make an excellent puppet. Initially, I planned to add numerous loops to the various parts, but as I worked with it, I discovered that drilling small holes with a Dremel tool achieved the desired effect most of the time. Here are the instructions for transforming Braq into a puppet: 1) The HEAD works best when equipped with a loop. A slightly modified file is provided here. 2) Print all the parts for Braq normally, without any modifications. 3) Follow the assembly instructions, but instead of using elastic, employ nylon thread (or fishing line) and avoid pulling it too tight. A little slack is sufficient. 3A) To facilitate easier manipulation, I shortened the TAIL by about 5 joints. 4) Gluing the three BODY parts together ensures they remain straight. Additionally, gluing the FEET to the lower legs keeps them pointing forward. 5) An extra joint was added to join the upper and middle WINGS on their trailing edge. This left me with a floppy dragon that needed some serious flying skills! Now it was time to make Braq soar. I printed the four parts of the controller and the two loops. There are extra holes in the controller to allow the legs to be hooked up, but this creates a complicated puppet. You can try it if you like. Glue the controller together, adjusting it slightly to fit your hand comfortably. String the HEAD and drill holes in the two BODY parts, then string them. Be cautious when setting these three strings, as they determine the length of all the other strings. I attached two strings to the TAIL and tied them into a triangle on a single string. The tail was the most challenging part for me to make move realistically. Now let's tackle the WINGS! We want Braq to fly realistically. I found that creating a "pyramid" of three things attached to the upper wing kept it level and produced a good flapping action. Note how the wings connect to the controller and loop, allowing one pull to control both. Willie-O, our cat, adores the puppet!