Depth can be added to any silhouette cut from cardboard or thin wood by laminating it, that is, gluing or nailing together identical cutouts until the desired thickness is obtained. In the absence of a power bandsaw this is a less laborious procedure than cutting out f-in. or 1-in. stock with a compass saw. Most of the jointed figures which will be described make use of laminations, not only to give body to the figures, but to cover the skeletons or mechanics of the moving parts.

Ease of motion in the figure can only be assured when care has been exercised that the moving parts do not bind after the figure has been assembled. This can be insured in three ways: (1) by sanding the enclosed end of the moving part on both sides so that it is thinner than the outside "skin"; (2) by drilling the hole slightly larger than its axle, and (3) by taking care that the outside layer or lamination is not forced inward so that it tends to bind the rotating end of the moving part.

Whenever holes are being drilled or bored in wood, the drill should be removed as soon as the tip of the bit penetrates the under side; the piece is then turned over and the drilling completed from the former under side in order to prevent jagged edges or splitting. All holes should be drilled before the outer sawing commences, to protect narrow portions of the pattern from splitting or breaking off. When the time comes to cut these narrow parts, such as legs, tails, or long ears, the safest method is to begin at the tip and saw toward a wider portion. Then with the narrow portion clamped or held flat on the table, the other side can be sawed out, again commencing at the tip end.

In all planing, filing, or sanding operations the motion should be exerted with the grain. Working across the grain will produce unsightly ridges, and often some roughness.

The Joints

Cardboard figures can be articulated by punching holes through the joints with a knitting needle or ice pick and knotting a strong thread or string axle on both sides of the hole. Heavy button thread is satisfactory for small figures, with carpet thread or fishline for larger cutouts. A drop of shellac on the knots will keep them from unraveling. Gummed circular patches or reinforcement rings from the stationery store make excellent washers for the inside of the joint. A shoelace eyelet cut from an old shoe and riveted through the joint will insure free movement between thin layers. By cutting the holes large enough, split paper fasteners can be used to speed up the production of jointed cardboard or thin wooden silhouettes.

Wooden joints can be pivoted on pieces of wire of a gauge suitable to the weight or thickness of the figure. Both ends can be looped close to the sides of the joint to serve as nuts or cotter pins, as was the case with the knots in the thread joints. If preferred, one end can be bent up and in, so that it can be embedded in the same manner as is done with a fixed wire axle and its wheel. A more sightly method is to use a light nail and bend and embed its point, cutting it shorter and resharpening it if necessary. To pivot the joints of heavier figures, cotter pins can be used, or better yet, small rivets, provided care is exercised during the peening or flattening process.