Saturday, September 10, 2011

Animal X-ray wings (A tutorial of sorts)

Our school concert is a mammoth affair and it takes over our performing and visual arts programme for a whole term. Each child works on his or her own costume and props. Part of my role is to help the art teachers design costumes or props that the kids can recreate. One act this year required wings - no problem ! However the wings had to be able to be hidden for part of the act and then we wanted a bit of a POW ! moment as the wings unfolded...so far so good until we were told the wings had to close again.
We played around with a huge variety of materials for this and spent ages working with dismembered umbrellas, the umbrella idea was great but we could get the wings to retract...
Eventually the laced X-ray wing was born. This wing is based on a fan design and I have to let you know that the genius of the X-rays was the art teachers idea.

Obviously I am not going to post the kids from school here, so here is Mr baggy-pants standing in. He is considerably larger than the kids these were made for but they are a kind of one-size-fits-all thing.


We started by joining X-rays together (sourced from the local vet and hospital) into a long rectangle which we cut diagonally. Each wing needs four but you could do more. The X-rays here are taped together but the kids used a hot glue gun.


We then framed each triangle back and front with bamboo strips (from an old window blind). Again this was done with hot glue.


Once dry we drilled a small through the bamboo at the pint of each triangle (actually I did this bit , we don't let the kids loose with the power tools)

We then put the four triangles together by placing a button between each one and wiring them. We used buttons because we had them but the effect here is really one of a washer. We need to separate the bamboo triangles enough so the don't catch on each other when they open and close. You could use cardboard or metal washers here instead.

Close off the loop and repeat for the other wing.



Into each wing, about halfway along, we drilled three holes. When laced up this creates the opening and closing mechanism. if you want your wings to close completely (as in only be as wide as one section , completely folding over each other) then you need your holes close together. The problem with that is , when open the triangles will tend to turn and you will get a "windmill' effect as each of the triangles angles open.

We then laced the wings together, tying off the plastic string at the beginning and end. We overlapped the wings, only the width of the bamboo.



To finish we simply wired the two loops together and added some elastic which is worn around the shoulders. The kids also covered the wire in black fabric so it didn't show against their black costumes. They also cut a design into the end of their wings. To open and close the kids simply grab them and raise their arms.

Back-lit on the stage we think they are going to look spectacular.

You know there would be a thousand ways to vary this. I think they would look good with the bamboo painted black as well and black string .



The kids have LOVED working on this project. For a start they loved the X-rays and had a ball trying to figure out what all the bones were, especially on the animal X-rays, they got to use hot glue guns and wire cutters - always a blast and they made something that actually works. We loved it because for the most part the kids could all the work , the only cost was glue gun sticks and the kids really enjoyed themselves.

Just for the record I wasted so many hours trying to figure out the configuration of that lacing method- I knew in theory that it would work but I just couldn't make it happen for the longest time so I decided I would make a tutorial and save the next librarian-come-concert-helper from the headache.

34 comments:

  1. Genius! Now, how do I get tickets to that school concert?

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  2. Outstanding! What a great idea. I have been waiting for a photo, and as an added bonus got the whole tutorial.
    It must have looked fantastic when the kids opened them on stage.

    Well done to all involved. (very loud applause follows)

    Rebecca

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  3. Love , love , love this ! Very clever !

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  4. Wow, they are sooooo cooool.... We don´t do Halloween that much here, the Kids go on the 11.11. for St.martin- singing and all you need is a lantern... But ... HEY I´m actually invited to haloweenparty and when it is workig for kids ....And we have looooots of x-rays.... I would be a very cool bat..maybe a overweigthed bat , but black makes thin...LOL ...
    I hope you get loooots of photos with people with x-ray wings...Thank you very much for charing this cool tutorial
    Melanie

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  5. OMG you know what I'm going to HAVE to do when I get some new lungs???? Massive pile of chest x-rays begone!

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  6. Your school is EXTREMELY lucky to have you.
    xx

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  7. well done!! I was roped into making fred flinstone type outfits many years ago for the school concert.
    Thats a very good use of old xrays

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  8. Fantastic. I wish my kids went to your school!

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  9. FYI have had phone calls from both Cameron Mackintosh and Lord Lloyd-Webber asking for your phone number. Should I share?


    (hahahaha wv is 'imifi'!)

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  10. Fabulous job Jodie! I love the photos and especially the one of the opened wings with the light behind showing all the xrays. I am a veterinary nurse so I laughed to see them displayed like this....would have made work a lot more fun after processing hundreds of xrays if we could have displayed them this way! :-)

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  11. I have to say I'm a bit jealous of your job... What fun (yes, hard work, but fun)! These are fantastic, very clever, and will look stunning visually. Well done.

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  12. If we don't get invited to the show will the video be out soon?
    Congrats ona great effort.

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  13. This is the most random tutorial I have ever seen..but still..one day I'll be in need of expanding wings and what will I do but come here and re-read this post! I recently described someone as delightfully eccentric..hmmm..I may have to patent the phrase!!! :-D

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  14. You have reminded me of my awesome primary school librarian...as Andi said, your school is lucky to have you!

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  15. Clever, and very cool! Love the bones. Are we allowed to ask what the story line is that requires wings that unfurl and furl?

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  16. Next time my kids want costumes I'm sending them to you....wicked grin. Well done. I'm sure the concert will be a huge success.

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  17. Very clever indeed! And so nice of you to create a resource for the next librarian (are you thinking of retiring? LOL)

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  18. FANtastic that the kids got to do most of the work--once the adults did the hard part, LOL! This definitely will be a unique and exciting bit during the stage act. Excellent!

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  19. Oh wow! What a great use for all those old xrays we have hanging around here!

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  20. This is amazing & will look spectacular. I do hope the local vets are invited so they can do a pop quizz of which dog's hip displasea is up there for all to see. Brilliant, as always, love Posie

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  21. Now all you need is the lurex bodysuit and you could be... Batwoman!

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  22. Completely batty but ingenious Love it! Thanks for sharing, How much longer do you have until your play Jodie?

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  23. As a radiographer, I absolutely adore this way of using old xray films. Hope it looks stunning on stage.

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  24. Great work Jodi, You have worked so hard on the costumes this year. Ahh hot glue guns and kids... Brings back memories of the craft classes I did with Annie's grade one year, the screeches and squeals from the kids when they got hot glue on their fingers!

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  25. Very cool. Not showing the schoolboy though, because then I'd have to make him some this afternoon!

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  26. Ingenious!!! How funny to think someone could be watching theirs (or their pet's) bones on stage!!!

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  27. Those are just NEAT! I can imagine what my little guys, who spent an hour jumping off of the couch with handfuls of turkey feathers, would do with those.

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  28. My 2 1/2 year old grandson has asked his Bebba (me) to make him a dragon costume for Halloween. No problem, right? But then he decided he also wanted wings! I was just going to give him little (fake) furry wings on his back, but his Poppie (my husband) said he should have REAL wings that unfolded! What to do...hallelujah! I run across this tutorial! His Mimi (other grandmother) runs a vet clinic so I have access to x-rays! Eureka! Think we will give this a try so Max can be the dragon of his dreams!
    Thanks so much!
    Bev

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Hellloooooo !!!!