5mm Heat Shrink Tubing

Our 5mm heat shrink tubing is a great way of protecting and reinforcing aluminium animation wire. Perfectly suited to the rigors of stop-motion, this tubing increases the durability and lifespan of your puppet armatures by providing a protective barrier against metal fatigue. We use 5mm heat shrink on the legs of our ready-made aluminium armatures.

Even tiny nicks or scratches on aluminium wire will weaken it. This tubing shields individual wires from surface damage and when applied to twisted wire armatures, it helps keep the strands together. This distributes mechanical stress across the entire bundle, significantly increasing the longevity of high-motion joints (like knees, hips, and ankles). 5mm heat shrink works well with our 5 strand twisted wire.

The added layer of protection heat shrink provides, dampens the stress of repeated, frame-by-frame adjustments, ensuring your wire armature characters stay viable for longer during your shoot.

The heat shrink has a 2:1 shrink ratio, meaning it shrinks to approximately half its original diameter when heat is applied. You can achieve a tight, professional fit using a heat gun, boiling water, or even a low-temperature oven.

Includes: 1 x Metre of 5mm Heat Shrink Tubing.

Also available in 10mm and 2.5mm sizes, heat shrink is an essential part of any animation toolkit.