How to Make a Mobile - #1 Thing You Need to Know | Mark Leary Designs
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- čas přidán 10. 09. 2024
- In today's 1-minute video mobile-making tip, you're going to learn the most important thing you need to know to make a mobile.
Yes, it really is THAT important.
With this single tip, you’ll find mobile-making success EVEN if you’re not good at mathing, don’t understand physics or engineering, or don’t have good spatial relationships.
Making a mobile does NOT have to be difficult, and this is the best first step you can take to making sure your mobile making experience is fun and enjoyable.
Cheers and keep on making art that moves!
Got a mobile-making question? Feel free to shoot me a message, then keep tuned to see your questions answered here.
/ marklearydesigns
www.marklearyde...
www.mobilosity.net
I feel like this was the way I learned to make mobiles in school as a little child. And then I forgot over the years. Thanks so much for the sensible reminder!
I love hearing this Alexandra. It seems so obvious, doesn't it? Like most people, however, I tried it from the top down for far too long! Happy making to you!
Your advice is excellent. However (you knew that was coming!), I built a large mobile "top down" by using sliding hooks on the arms. This allowed me to avoid putting the arms on, taking them off, etc. When I had the arms balanced where I wanted, I replaced the sliders with permanent hooks (eye bolts). The arms had an open end, so sliders worked well. The last arm did not have an open end, but I simply balanced it before mounting it. (Sliders could be designed to attach to the arms without sliding them on an end, of course).
Very cool, @superbear617! I love the ingenuity and cleverness of your process. And isn't that the beauty of art: if it works for you, it works. Plain and simple. Bravo!
I like this video best based on the captions added. Too funny.
Ok, every time I even think about making a mobile, it won't balance because of my top-down thinking. Thanks so much!
It's totally counterintuitive, isn't it? But, dang, it changes everything (in the best way possible)! Happy making!
That was rather fascinating and educational! The side commentary made it even better! Subscribed!
Awesome, J! Glad you found the video helpful. If you have any specific questions, feel free to send them my way and I'm happy to create a video(s) to respond. Cheers!
SUPER HELPFUL THANK YOU!!!
Omg thank you so much. I want to make a mobile but then I was imagining, top to bottom, then I was like how on earth do I balance the thing? And a lot of people on internet said that they would just try to hang the next one and adjust the weight of the object, and I was like that’s too hard! Thank you SO MUCH. ❤
Awwww, this makes me so happy to read! Starting from the bottom up changes everything, doesn't it? Like literally everything! Happy mobiling and - wow - your violin = amazing!
@@marklearydesigns Thank you! I will upload my mobile on my channel. Could I tag your channel in the description? By the way, it is not my violin if you can read my ID...;)
@@ireallyloveviola Ack! Darn autocorrect! VIOLA! LOL. Yes, please do tag me as I'd love to see what you create! Cheers and happy making!
Hey mark can you tell me what kind of metal do you use and what is the gauge of it
Hi, your videos are really fun to look at and you already gave more tips than I thought I would get. Thanks for taking the time to make the tutorials
So glad to hear you're enjoying -- and learning from -- my videos! I love that ... especially since it was my hope that these videos would help mobile makers create great stuff! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. Much appreciated!
Thank you for that!😊
Very helpful.
🙏🙏🙏
Thanks!!!
What a huge tip; thank you so much. Very clear and helpful instructions
Hey Mark, thank you so much for this super helpful video! Which kind of wire do you use? Best regards Katinka
Hi Katinka and thanks so much for your message! Feel free to poke around in the Comments of my various videos for answers to lots of commonly asked questions. For most of my smaller mobiles, I use OOK wire, in gauges ranging from 12 to 16. Happy making!
Thank you!
SUPER helpful
Awesome! So glad to hear this helped, Michael! Happy mobile making!
Thank you!🙂👍
Of course! Happy making!
Very helpful
So glad to hear it!
How would you proceed though in switching direction of the arms of the mobile? So you could have different sections of the mobile in free motion...I don't feel like I'm being clear with my question but hopefully that makes sense.
Hi Elena! Thanks so much for the question. I'm not 100% sure I'm clear (I can be obtuse at times - lol), so if you want to reach out via email, that'd be awesome.
I have a mobile, and one of the pieces or arms got disconnected. I cannot figure out where to reattach it so the whole thing balances. It's driving me crazy. Any ideas?
Hey Cecil! Feel free to drop me an email with a photo, and I'll see if I can help.
Thanks for the illustration!
Does the weight of the things that would be hang on it change the balance points? What if I want to hang shapes made with clay? Have you worked with music wire ? I’ve seen mobiles built by artist that use music wire. Do you know what difference does it make?
Great questions, Sofia! Yes, the weight of the clay would change the balance points ... if you add them after the fact. If you have them attached when you're finding the balance point, then those balance points won't change. Does that make sense?
RE: piano wire. I have see other mobile makers use piano wire, too. I haven't personally tried it, but - if you do - I'd love to hear how the experience is for you!
Happy making!
Interesting. When finding the balance point, do I put the items (not sure what to call them? Lol) on first? Thx 😊
Awesome question, Colleen!
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Yes, indeed.
Longest answer: Yes, indeed. You'll absolutely want to have the items attached so that you are accurately finding the balance point of the full weight of the arm + the item. If the item is something that's not permanently attached to the arm, you can suspend it while locating the balance point, and then - before you start to make the loop - you can remove the item if it feels like it'll fall off. Then replace it after you've made your loop.
And, yes, knowing what to call the "items" is always a funny challenge. I call them "blades" - but if you didn't know what I was talking about that could get confusing really quickly (unless you were making a mobile out of knives, I guess)! I've heard them called "petals," "pieces," "parts," and "hanging thingies."
Can't wait to see what you create!
Mark this is awesome. How is it different to do one hanging from the ceiling? This one looks like it is on a stand?
Hi Shiloh! Great question! The principles all stay the same. You can think of where the base connects with the mobile (on this tabletop) as the ceiling. The one difference is that - with a ceiling hung mobile - you don't have the same constraints (e.g., taking into account the size, weight, shape of the base). Happy making!
Hi Mark. My granddaughter wanted a dolphin when we went away for our 42nd anniversary. I didn't want to get a throw away item. I had an idea about a mobile to hang from the ceiling and hopefully catch light. Not a safe place to sit one. I found a glass factory and they made me 5 glass dolphins with a circle, (is part of mold), on top of each dolphin to hang from. We just got home and she turns 6 on May 5th. I was hoping to create this by her birthday. Fact is, I'm not very creative. I have good ideas sometimes. Wish there was time to send them to you to create. I'm sure fishing line is not the way to go. I know I only have 5 dolphins and can't break any. I thought possibly one hanging from the middle and the other 4 hanging around. Do you have a video or great idea for me? Thank you Mark.
Hi Patty and thanks so much for your message! What a sweet and thoughtful gift idea for your granddaughter! If you want to send a photo of the dolphins to my email address (mark at marklearydesigns.com), I'd be happy to think through some ideas with you. Cheers!
Mobile Making is fun develop the kids to learned what mobile makings are
Thank you for this video. Very helpful. What kind of wire did you use? I need something like this. Thanks!
Hi Kim and thanks very much for your question. I primarily use OOK brand wire. It's a galvanized steel wire that comes in a variety of gauges. For my smaller mobiles, I typically use 14- and 16-gauge wire. You can find it online and in the big box home improvement and art stores. It runs under $10 for a 100-foot coil. One of the great things about it is - since it's galvanized - it's rust resistant. Feel free to let me know if you have any other questions and happy mobiling!
That made a lot of sense...I'm about to make a mobile out of fishing poles.
Oh my goodness, Tony! That sounds awesome! I'd love to see it when you're done. Happy Fishing :)
Omg!! I have always wanted to do that!! I wish I could see it! Good luck. You must have a great mind....
Where do you get that wire? It looks shiny. Is it stainless steel? Thanks very much.
Hi Jerbob1, this is OOK galvanized steel wire. I believe this was 16 gauge, but it comes in 12, 14, 16, and - maybe - 18 (with the wire getting thicker as gauge # gets smaller). You can find it online and in a number of big box home stores. Cheers!
@@marklearydesigns Thanks very much for your rapid reply, Mark! I will look for this galvanized wire. Did you polish it or does it come this shiny?
@@Jerbob1 great question! Yep, it's this shiny "out of the box." I believe it's the galvanization (to make rust resistant) that adds that extra shine. It'll "patina" over time and become less shiny.
@@marklearydesigns Thanks, Mark!
0:33
Thanks, Your videos have helped me. P E A C E
So glad to hear this! I'll be here if you have any question or extra needs. Cheers and happy creating ... and definitely peace!
Hi Mark, what kind of wire is it? Iron, copper, can it be soldered? Thnx!
Hi Gordan and thanks very much for your question! I use a galvanized steel wire (made by OOK). I don't solder my mobiles, so I don't want to offer misinformation around whether it can be soldered or not. I know you *can* solder galvanized steel, but any fumes created from heating galvanized metals are really toxic stuff, so I don't know if it's the best option? Thanks again and happy mobiling!
@@marklearydesigns Thanks Mark, I'll have more questions when I start working at my first mobile...
uhhhhhh Mark, if I am adding figures along the various wires going up, how do I balance these? I am going crazy. Did you show in one of your videos, a wire clamp spiral thing at the center balance points to prevent the rods from moving and losing balance. I cannot find those anywhere. And…… I have already figured out the 360* swivels, but I realized I need the ball bearing ones. I am fretting, fussing with my multi level spinning ice skaters and they fall all the time and the rods shift. wahhhhhhh. Please help!nthanks!
Hi Sheri! Ahhhh, it sounds like you're in the thick of good "fun" with your ice skaters! I can't completely picture what's making the ice so slippery, so if you want to message me directly via my site (www.marklearydesigns.com/contact) and/or email (you can find the email address on the contact page) with a photo or video of your "rink," I'll see if I can help :)
@@marklearydesigns see you then! thank you
How did you connect them together
Magic, of course! Um, not really. Feel free to check out my other videos to see how all the pieces and parts come together. Then, if you have questions, please do reach out! Cheers and happy mobile making!
@@marklearydesigns does the type of wire matter? I have both heavy and light wire
@@degantefam1949 another great question, and - yep - the thickness (gauge) of wire definitely matters. You'll want to be able to hold the weight of whatever you have on the end of it (e.g., a painted piece). For my smaller mobiles, I typically use 16-gauge OOK galvanized wire. It's easy to work with and bend how you need. For my slightly larger mobiles, I use 14- or 12-gauge wire (the wire gets bigger as the number gets smaller - odd, I know). But, really, as long as the wire will hold its shape and support whatever you have on the end of it, then you'll be all good!
I create mobiles also. I also have hairy arms. I figured this out in High school back in 1977. Do all humans that create mobiles have hairy arms?
Gordon! For some reason, I'm just seeing your comment ... and it made me - literally - laugh out loud! I think you're on to something with your theory! I'd love to see your mobiles!
I believe they do
It bends so easily. It must be 16 gauge? I have been watching your videos again, again and again. I am in the middle of my first project and will post a picture when I have finished.
How exciting, MD! I can't wait to see what you create. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to reach out. And, yes, you're absolutely correct: this is 16-gauge wire. It's perfect for most smaller mobiles, and bends so easily indeed! Cheers and happy creating!
@@marklearydesigns I was wondering if you could give me any advice. I want to make one as a present so this is a prototype. Here are 2 pics of my first attempt. One in the morning and one from late afternoon because of the light. I used 14 gauge wire because of my inability to easily bend the 12 but now that I have some practice I may take a stab at the 12. The bottom "arm" is approximately 18" after the bends and the other "arms" are about 14" or so. The circles are 3.5" in diameter and the other shapes, which my son says looks like fly swatters, are about 5.5". I tried to make the "U" shaped bends small but I had too much wobble so I made them bigger and then put them in a vice. It solved the problem. I made the jump rings, which was very cool, and attached the top with a fishing swivel as per someone else's comment. I don't hate it and it looks better when it is moving. I am going to post a link to the pics and video from my Google Drive account. You should be able to open them since I put them as shared files.
Thanks in Advance!
drive.google.com/file/d/1_vACWWCrhgY6yeUQd5xJigx_AEDMViUr/view?usp=sharing
drive.google.com/file/d/1icSZbcphlDVvUJDtBnpR65393YlmsOZd/view?usp=sharing
drive.google.com/file/d/1lbT510-xsy8UkQxcJECoHLvKKL8dBLky/view?usp=sharing
@@mdarbor Wow! Wow! And wow! This is fantastic! You did an amazing job! The colors are superb. The shapes are really unique. The jump rings are excellent, and all your attachment points are really great. It sounds like the 14-gauge wire was still a bit unruly to work with - it's thick stuff, isn't it? You might try experimenting with 16-guage. I think you'll find it far easier to move around ... and you will likely not need a vice and can get rid of the wobblies, too. That said, I think this is an incredible first mobile. It looks professional and moves really nicely. If you want to "encourage" extra movement, you can add more than one jump ring between arms. So, for example, see what happens if you add an extra jump ring to your bottom connection. Pretty cool, right? That extra ring will allow that arm to move closer to 180 degrees in rotation. Add a third jump ring and whoa! But, if you did the same between the green and yellow arms - they'd clang into one another. Fun to play around with! I'll look forward to seeing what comes next! So good!
@@marklearydesigns Thank you for all of the videos and helpful correspondence!! The biggest problem I have now is that all of my friends want me to make one for them! LOL
@@mdarbor Now *that* is an awesome "problem" to have! Congratulations!
Is there a specific way you create that freestanding base? Or do you just wing it every time ?
Great question, Katie! I use the very scientific process of, um, winging it every time! Yep, you guessed correctly. Given that every mobile is handmade and unique, the balance is always slightly different ... meaning the base needs to accommodate the variance. I'm working on standardizing and will let you know if I come up with any helpful "hacks."
Oops, just realized I actually did respond to your question previously, Katie. Well, here's a more detailed answer.
Hi Katie! Wow, sorry for the l-o-n-g delay in getting to this comment. I'm just seeing it now ... but it's a great question. Short answer: I wing it :) Longer answer: I really wing it :) In addition to - yes you guessed it "winging it" - you'll want to factor in the weight of the mobile, the height and width of the mobile, any arms that are higher than the top of the base, etc. Here are links to a few pages on my blog with a bunch of stabiles, so you can pick up some ideas for the basic base "themes":
www.marklearydesigns.com/2014/12/new-mark-leary-tabletop-mobiles-acme.html
www.marklearydesigns.com/2014/11/new-tabletop-stabiles-by-mark-leary.html
www.marklearydesigns.com/2015/03/zots-piglets-and-popparodapi-oh-my-new.html
www.marklearydesigns.com/2015/03/mark-leary-mobiles-kemper-museum-of.html
I like your common sense. Common sense is very uncommon.