Books

Finally, a book that covers the basics of amateur animatronics! Electronic hobbyists and Home Haunters, take note! This hands-on, project-oriented book on animated holiday display covers simple, classic projects and advanced motion animation used in professional mechatronic systems. It includes tips and tricks for sculpting and decorating all of your self-operated mechanisms along the way. Author Edwin Wise takes the reader inside his world of robotics in an innovative guide to designing, developing, and building animated displays centered around the holidays of Halloween and Christmas. Covers four broad categories including: electrical animations, pneumatic animations, servo animations, and control systems. Also covered are "background" projects that include stationary systems such as fog chillers and how to make water glow under black light. This book guides you through the project of building and shows how to control it with AC motors and pneumatics systems inside your animated props. This does overlap a little with his other volume, "Applied Robotics" (see below).

A hands-on introduction to the field of robotics, this book will guide the hobbyist through the issues and challenges of building a working robot. Each chapter builds upon the previous one, extending a core robot project throughout the book. Examples of chapters include: mechanical platforms, power supplies, adding sense, microcontrollers, insect robots, pneumatics, more behavior and intelligence, programming projects, robot behaviors, and much more.

Highly Recommended

The most complete book on makeup prosthetics available. Contents include:

This is the only book that covers all the basics of low-cost vacuum forming, including molds, materials, heat sources, vacuum sources and suppliers. It offers many excellent ideas for people who want to get set up on a limited budget. This book is well worth the investment. We consider it one of our Top Ten Books available for purchase.

The Moldmaking Guide is 63 pages. The Casting Guide is 77 pages. The Source Guide for Modelmaking, Moldmaking, and Casting Materials is 28 pages, and contains 279 sources for 219 materials! There is also a Bonus Guide with charts and other valuable information. The covers are plain paper and are stapled together, but they contain the best collection of practical information ever seen in an easy-to-read format. They cover procedures used extensively in special effects and other industries.

Castcraft Co.

Set includes the following four books:

• MOLDMAKING GUIDE
• CASTING GUIDE
• SOURCE GUIDE
• BONUS GUIDE

Moldmaking Guide is 63 pages. Casting Guide is 77 pages. Source Guide for 186 sources of 210 materials is 28 pages. There is also a Bonus Guide with charts and other valuable information. The covers are plain and are stapled together, but they contain the best collection of practical information ever seen in an easy-to-read format. Covers procedures used extensively in special effects and other industries.

Learn how the experts create fun and frightening horror make-ups. From simple to state of the art techniques for Hobbyists, Haunted Attractions and the Film Industry. Over 26 terrifying make-ups and hundreds of pro techniques, (with Zombies and Vampires Galore!) The single most illustrated step-by-step guide on monster make-up...Ever!

Professional Techniques include easy step-by-step instructions for: Foam Latex Appliances, Pros-Aide Transfers, Encapsulated Silicone Appliances, Airbrushing, Mold Making, Sculpting, 3D Out of the Kit techniques, Making Dentures, Face Casting Plus: Simple Paint and Powder Make-ups Too!

This book will become the college text book for makeup special effects. It is huge! 384 jam packed color pages, 1200 step-by-step photos and instructions for: Foam Latex Appliances, Pros-aide Transfers, Encapsulated Silicone Appliances, Gelatin Appliance, Airbrushing, Mold Making, Sculpting, Making Dentures, Face Casting and much more. If you have a haunted house or simply a desire to do great makeup, this is the book for you!