But what is an armature, and why is it so important in stop-motion animation?

What Is an Armature?

An armature is the internal structure or framework of a stop-motion puppet. Think of it like a miniature skeleton, it's what gives the puppet stability, flexibility, and repeatable movement.

Armatures allow animators to:

• Pose characters with precision

• Hold positions between frames

• Animate complex actions (walking, talking, jumping) without falling apart

They’re typically made from metal, with articulated joints and replaceable components. High-end armatures like our Chimera or Raptor, are machined for professional use and designed to last through thousands of movements.

Types of Armatures

There are several styles of armature used in the stop-motion world:

1. Wire Armatures

   • Flexible and cheap

   • Great for students and one-off projects

   • Can break over time

2. Ball-and-Socket Armatures

   • Industry standard

   • Built from stainless steel and aluminium

   • Designed for high-precision animation and durability

   • Example: Cyclops Armature

3. Hybrid Armatures

   • Combine wire fingers with metal joints

   • Often used in character rigs for facial expressions or hand movement

Why Does It Matter?

Without a good armature, your puppet won’t hold its pose, and your animation becomes shaky or inconsistent. A quality armature brings:

• Control — You move the puppet exactly how you want

• Repeatability — The puppet holds positions frame to frame

• Durability — Survives long shoots or school projects

Want to Get Started?

Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, Animation Toolkit has a full range of armature kits, rigs, and accessories to help you bring characters to life.

Explore our armature kits here

Whether you're a parent, student, or aspiring animator, this guide will help you choose the right stop-motion kit — and avoid common beginner mistakes.

What to Look for in a Stop-Motion Kit

1. A Real Armature (Not a Toy)
A good stop-motion kit should include a poseable character skeleton, called an armature. This is the metal (or wire) structure that lets your puppet move frame by frame. Without it, you're basically just filming action figures.

 Look for:

• Durable build (metal or hybrid)

• Multiple joints (elbows, knees, neck)

• Replaceable parts

• Stable feet or base plate

2. Build-it-Yourself or Pre-Built?
Some kits are DIY and help you learn the internal structure of puppets by assembling it yourself. Others are ready to animate out of the box.

• Our Rookie Armature Kit is a build-it-yourself experience with all parts, tools, and instructions included.

• Prefer hands-off? We offer pre-assembled Chimera and Voodo options, too. These are cinematic quality armatures, made with precision. As you would expect for a cinematic production. 

3. Instructional Support
Look for kits that come with tutorials, guides, or digital content to help you get animating quickly.

4. Expandability
Can you add tools, rigs, or accessories later? A good beginner kit should grow with your skills, not limit them.

What to Avoid

Toy-like “animation kits” with plastic parts — they may say “stop-motion” on the box, but they’re often unstable and not built for real animation.

No foot rig or tie-downs — If your puppet can’t stand up properly, you’ll struggle to animate.

Complicated studio setups — You don’t need a full lighting rig or green screen at the start. Focus on movement first.

Our Top Pick: The Rookie Armature Kit

Built by real stop-motion professionals, the Rookie Kit includes:

• CNC-machined joints and rig parts

• Tools, fixings, and assembly instructions

• Access to animation cycles and tutorials

• Upgrade options for more advanced rigs

It’s everything you need to build, pose, and animate your first puppet — no guesswork, no wasted money.

Explore the Rookie Kit now

Final Tip: Start Simple. Stay Creative.

You don’t need to build the next Wallace & Gromit on day one. Just focus on moving a puppet across the screen — one frame at a time. With the right kit and a bit of patience, you’ll be animating in no time.

Thread lock - science and practice for successful polymerization.

Ok - did I make that title sound science enough? I mean really? I tried to because this blog is about the science of thread lock and once you get to grips with that you’ll be making permanent (semi-permanent) armatures until your heart is content.

So let's start with the boring bit - the science: Thread lock is a thixotropic liquid which will flow well but also resist shock and vibration. Its methacrylate formula - which means that it’s base substance is an acid - which is really important to us as armature makers. Threadlocking relies on an electrochemical process to polymerize the liquid. Do you follow?

Let me explain - the methacrylate formula (acid) reacts when it touches the metal parts in an electrochemical process. This causes the liquid to change into a resin (through polymerization) and bond the metal parts together.

If you are still reading then thank you for baring with me! In layman's terms - the liquid reacts when in contact with the metal to form a glue thus sticking the parts together.

There are various rules we must follow to make the most of the thread locking strength. We worked with Henkle (the manufacturers of Loctite) to identify that thread lock 2700 was the best formula to use in our case: It’s a super strong, permanent solution that penetrates metal well.

1. CLEAN - not your hands but your parts. As a rule, we (Animation Toolkit) supply all of our parts and kits with a light film of grease. This protects parts from any potential corrosion while in storage and transit to you. Remove this film by submerging your parts in acetone/alcohol based substance and wash rinse thoroughly with a brush. The thread lock is a type of acid and it needs to touch metal for this process to work. I can’t stress how important this stage is. We need to remove any barrier between the metal part and the thread lock liquid for the electrochemical (there’s that big word again) process to happen across as much of the thread as possible. Any grease residue will prevent the acid from touching the metal and the electrochemical process from starting.
2. Liberal - in your thoughts and use of thread lock - make sure that the thread on both parts (male and female) are completely covered in solution. Work the thread into and out of the parts - making sure that the threads on both sides are completely covered.
3. A nip and snug - once you have screwed both parts together, snug them tightly with your fingers and wipe away any access solution. Following that, nip both parts together with a pair of pliers, Allen key or small wrench (avoid clamping threads with the pliers). This little nip (tightening) of the parts will compress the solution within the threads and cause the electrochemical process to work more effectively in a concentrated space.
4. Bake - armatures not bread. Once you have nipped all of the parts up, set them on a radiator or other warm place to cure. A radiator/warm environment with cause the electrochemical process to intensify which in turn polymerizes the solution into a resin. Leave the parts to cure for at least 12 hours before assembly.

At the top, I mention this is a permanent (semi-permanent) process. When the parts have cured they are permanently fixed together. Manual disassembly is impossible (with tools or otherwise). That being said, it is possible to disassemble, however; heat parts gently with a small blow torch (even a lighter will do it) past 240 degrees. This will break the resin bond between the threads and disassembly may be achieved. This is good to know if you make a mistake or if your budget is tight and you need to recycle an old armature. Once the resin bond has been broken though heat you may still need to use tools to split the parts. Also, there can be considerable clean up of threads, a wire brush would be handy and of course a proper clean up in acetone ahead of re-fixing.

Boom! That's it - follow these simple rules and you will thread lock parts successfully in your armatures. I hope this information is useful, as always drop us a line on social and tag us in your projects, we’d love to see what you are creating. Until next time,

That’s all folks,

Wes  

Puppet Maintenance marathon.

It’s an undertaking before you have even started: writing, planning, designing and making your stop motion assets before you start shooting. No one said it was going to be easy. One of the most gratifying moments of any production is the realisation of your character as a puppet. If you have made the puppet, you will feel like a mother/father does to a child. This is your baby and under no circumstances will you let anyone hurt/damage/destroy or otherwise, anything to your baby.

The truth of the matter is this - a puppet is a puppet, an inanimate object designed and fabricated to be a star in your production. The rigours of animation look easy but are tough - and very tough on your puppets. Your puppets are the workhorse, the grafters and the pitheads of your production - they are the ones doing all of the work.

So it wouldn't surprise you if I told you puppets break, fade, rip, loose tension, loose paint, loose hair, balls fall off, eyes roll out, fingers break, silicone tears, costumes stain and many more. Your puppet could sucome to anyone or all of these during the lifetime of your production. And guess what? It’s normal.

The puppet maintenance marathon starts when shooting starts

Yes it’s normal to have a broken puppet. There are professionals in the stop-motion industry that specialise in puppet maintenance. I, for one, was one myself. When you make a puppet it’s almost guaranteed to fail in some way, there’s no golden fleece of a puppet that never needs some attention in some way shape or form. You have to look at this as a real film, not stop motion. Actors go to costume and makeup on a daily basis and are constantly getting ‘re-touched’ during any given take or sequence. It’s the same for your puppet - only they can be a little more delicate than a real actor.

The puppet maintenance marathon starts when shooting starts. Be ready - have your tools to hand, particularly Allen keys to adjust tension. Sometimes the tension for one pose/movement may require to be looser for the next, this is quite a personal thing. Some animators like their puppets to be as loose as possible and others the opposite. Have pre-mixed paints and a fine brush on hand to touch up any blemishes, a needle and thread to tie up loose ends in the costumes etc. It’s not rocket science.

When you have finished shooting the puppet maintenance marathon may still continue: remember to look after your puppet, you never know if you’ll need to re-shoot a scene. Additional to this - will you be showing your film at a degree show/festival etc. You may want to show your puppet(s) off. ‘Reset’ and ‘restore’ your puppets at the end of your shoot and you’ll be ready for any such occasion.

Puppet maintenance is a slog, sometimes faults/breakages catch you at the most inconvenient moment (mid shot on a small, subtle move for example). Have tools ready and ‘limp through’ the shot if it can’t be fixed in the current pose. I hope this information is useful, as always drop us a line on social and tag us in your projects, we’d love to see what you are creating. Until next time,

That’s all folks,

Wes  

Here at Animation Toolkit we fabricated some 273 armatures for Mike Mort's 'Night Of The Trampires' and we had some grizzly fun doing so! We'll be attending this years MAF festival where we hope to catch-up with Mike Mort and get a chance to watch the movie. More details can be found on the MAF website here.

We're very proud to be sponsoring the Manchester Animation Festival. We'll be there in person sharing our latest products and giving advice and support on building your own armatures for your films. For more information and to check out the full program, continue to the official website here.

ANIBILD WIRE ARMATURE KITS – WIRES IN DETAIL

Q: We we’re recently asked this

I have recently been looking for wire to make armature skeletons and found a cheap option on Amazon but after four twists the wire simply snapped I saw your site and I am interested in both 1mm and 1.5mm varieties. I was wondering if you could tell me if this wire is durable and withstand constant bending? Also is it solderable - could i solder this wire to other metal?

A: The short answer to this is that the wire will always snap - it's just aluminium snaps a lot less than other harder metals (steel and copper) due to its softness! Aluminium my it’s very nature is soft and malleable, some grades more than others. The wire we stock is soft. If you want it to be softer then you can heat it up and let it cool slowly in a process of annealing. The reverse if you want it harder.

Our simple wire armature kits come with 1mm and 1.5mm wire in the pack. Sometimes twisting strands together to form thicker joints such as legs and torso will help them last a lot longer. Some armature/puppet makers experiment and use strands with different thicknesses. Adding a 1mm with 2 lengths of 1.5mm give that little bit of extra support in the legs.

Spools of wire can be bought if you plan to make more than one or know if you may need to replace. Having a supply of extra wire is always recommended as you have spare at hand should something go wrong. The bonus of the basic kits is that you can replace the wires easy and quickly and not have to discard the whole puppet for a new one.

Lastly – Aluminium wire is not solderable to the average enthusiast. It’s quite a specialised brazing technique you would need to bond two parts of wire together. We’d recommend using a 2 part epoxy glue such as Z-Poxy. It’s important that you don’t scrimp on a cheap glue here – sometimes the products stocked in bargain basement stores are not the solution. Generally speaking, the more expensive, the harder, quicker and tougher the product is. If you purchase cheap glue then you’ll end up fixing it twice.

We hope this helps. 

If nothing else, I suppose it's become a piece of fan art and looks amazing on our mantelpiece!. 

Anyway, pictures here for you to view. Take a look, feel free to make a comment on Facebook. We’d be interested in your thoughts.

Be ready for animation school and rock your box with these armature makers 10 top tools

1. The toolbox - it’s obvious but where are you going to put everything? Do you need to cart it around. Think about size and weight (and of course the tools you need to put in it!).
2. Ruler, pencil and marker pen - take time to design your armature to scale. Plan your joints (as they’re costly) and make copies of your plan to use as a building guide. Marker pens are good for marking metal. A variety of colours and sizes will give you options plus make you look like an armature nerd. Indulge in stationary!
3. Digital calipers - measuring at a new level. Measure twice, cut once. Calipers are an armature maker's best friend. From measuring lengths on bar for limbs to checking ball sizes and threads.
4. Piercing saw - the jewellers choice of saw. It cuts stainless steel with ease and saves you hours of sweat and blisters using anything else.
5. Set of pliers - for cutting aluminium wire, tightening, adjusting and for pinching your skin (ouch). A small engineers set are perfect for the job and don’t bite (as much).
6. Knifes - a simple stanley knife is good for the grunt of work but buy a Swan and Moreton and save it for the precision jobs.
7. A cutting mat. Don’t cut through your sketchbook and into your halls of residence kitchen (or mums) work top. Seriously - save yourself the costly repair bill and your precious sketches (plus save a few blades too!).
8. A set of needle files - when you are cutting metals bare edges need to be filled away to avoid harm to you and or clothes, silicone, latex finishes.
9. A vice - buy a good vice (with weight) that you can lock onto a table. It’s always good to have a piece of steel gripping your armature parts securely. It will save time, frustration and your hands.
10. A medical kit - yep this should be number one, but it’s down at number 10 so it’s the last thing you read - not the last thing on your mind. You’d be surprised at how beautifully quick a swan an moreton can slice through your finger. And believe me (yes it’s happened loads of times) - accidents like this can be quite serious, sore and messy! There’s nothing more a Swan and Moreton loves to do than pretend your thumb is a cutting matt (it’s a surgeon's favourite). Be prepared for the moment. Make sure you have a good kit to patch things up when you see red. And if not for you, then be quick to help a college dude out who was too stupid to think of this.

So there you have it. 10 top tools for you to rule animation school. Get kitted up and get ready for season 1 of your education in stop motion!

http://www.animationtoolkit.co.uk/tools/

Remember Danger Mouse? Or perhaps you were a Chorlton & The Wheelies fan? Or avid viewer of Wind in The Willows?

If so then The Sale Waterside Arts centre needs your help!

All these beloved animated TV characters born out of Cosgrove Hall animation studio in Chorlton have enriched the lives of families throughout the UK and the world. In 2005, managing director of Animation Toolkit, Westley Wood, managed to secure the archive from ITV with the sole intention of sharing the contents of the archive with the public.  

Westley, now working with The Waterside Arts Centre, would like to keep the Cosgrove Hall family together and create a Cosgrove Hall archive. This is an exciting opportunity to save this precious part of North West heritage for generations to come.

We’re applying for funding, so please show your support of this project by retweeting, sharing, or completing this VERY quick survey.

And watch this space for information on Animation City - a special exhibition of puppets, artwork, costumes and props from the archive of Cosgrove Hall.

Please click the link below and please SHARE! Let's save a precious British institution!

https://form.jotformeu.com/71293032065348