Eye Mechanisms

Here are a couple different methods and styles

The "E" bar

	The eyes are mounted to a bar shaped like an "E". One servo mounted on the bar controls the left to right movement of the eyes, while another  servo mounted inside the head controls the entire bar's movement up and down.   Typical RC type hardware can be used.  Shown in this picture are screwlock pushrod connectors (small cubes), ball socket connectors, and the push rod's themselves.
This picture shows the same "E" bar from the rear...notice the hollow eyes.  In the picture below everything is made clearer.
	The exploded view provides a clearer view of the individual parts.  The "E" bar can be shaped to fit into many head by varying the lengths of the "legs".  The section in the lower left shows a "U" shaped piece, this attaches to the underskull of your puppet/creature.  The ball and socket connectors can be seen right above the eye and at the upper right corner of the "E" bar, the socket can be threaded or glued onto the pushrod itself.
The same "e" bar seen from the rear.

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The Gimbal eye

Another type of eye mechanism, especially nice when the puppet's eyes can move  independently.   A plate added at the rear of the supporting tube to secure cables to simplify any headaches down the road.  The eye would have small holes drilled thought at the back side to attach the cables to.   Brass tubing is used to build the gimbal, the eye pivots freely left to right, and the vertical tube pivots up and down on the pin.  A screw can be used to hold the entire assembly onto the cable plate, or the end or the tube can be cut and folded outward, then screwed, welded, or soldered.

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Basic eye building tips

Both type of eyes can be built from small wooden 3/4 round spheres.  The back would be drilled out to accommodate the mechanical parts, then a hole could be drilled through the center to allow a tube to pass through and serve as a pivot point. At this point sanding could be done, followed by a (or a few) coats of spray paint to seal it and provide a slick surface.  If you need to reproduce them in any numbers or think you will need to down the road, make a silicone mold to save you work later.  At least a 2 piece mold is required, possibly with rods passed through.

Materials such as alumilite, por-a-kast or other resins can be used to mass produce them...lower viscosity work better as they allow bubbles to escape.  

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If you have any questions feel free to contact me.

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Hey, a little bonus idea here...this is the basic concept for a tongue, tail, trunk, or tentacle.

The left side is realistically colored, the right breaks it down by color.  The right side colors break down like this: Red is plastic Blue is cable housings White is the cable Yellow is wheel collar locks Green is the main cable housing

The operation is simple, one cable supports the whole assembly, the 4 outer cables are used to move the assembly.  When you pull one cable the mechanism moves in that direction. I'm a bit surprised that nobody has called me out on this.  The only cable housing that needs the lock collars on every segment is the center. In fact, you can just glue the cable in instead of using a housing.  The other cables should only have a collar on the top and bottom of the last segment to fix it in place.