Mannequin hands...

[mandalore697]

I'm currently in the process of putting together a mannequin, thannks to some of the ideas posted in one of the other threads.

What I really want is some poseable hands that can hold the blaster or do just about anything. I have come up with this idea, so let me know what you think.....

First I mix together something called Alginate, its like a rubbery/jelly kind of goop that hardens. I then put it in a bowl/bucket and drive a hand into it with fingers all spread out.

Once it dries (you can either use quick drying stuff that takes 5mins or slow drying) I remove my hands and am left with a cavity in the shape of my hand.

Next I get some wire coat hangers or thinnish wire rods and suspend them in the mould with one down each finger and thumb.

Next I mix up some silicone rubber and pour it into the mould.

Leave it to set and them remove a rubber cast hand from the mould.

Because the fingers have the wire in them it should be possible to bend them into shape, and the rubber allows them to move...such as a grip on an EE-3 for example!

I haven't yet tried it out in practice, but the theory sounds good. Let me know what you guys think.

Dan

 

[slave1pilot]

That sounds better than what I did.
I used coat hangers & Duct tape (yeah, I'm White Trash)
I made a wire skeleton ,Then taped the crud out of it.
It works for the TK $20 mannequin.

 

[mandalore697]

I'm just using the $20 mannequin method too. I'm planning on adding the hands and using some of that expanding foam to bulk out the chest area.


Dan

 

[Rednave]

These hands are more than the entire mannequin but I'm planning on using these. Saves the time of making them.

 

[mandalore697]

Making them is all part of the fun! But those sure look nice...

 

[Too Much Garlic]

What is a TK mannequin and where can I get one?

 

[Boba Swede]

Instead of molding of your own hands why not just use dishwashing gloves? Instert wire into all of the fingers and fill 'er up with silicone... save you a buck or two on the molding agent.

and usually dishwashing gloves go halfway up your arm to so there is plenty of space/material to fasten the hand to the mannequin..

 

[mandalore697]

I had considered using those kinds of gloves but I've had a problem with the main part of the hand between the fingers and the wrist tends to bulge quite a lot when you pour anything in it.


Luckily I have some moulding agent around!

 

[judz dwedd]

Alginate is water based, and must stay wet in order to be used. Many of the flexible casting compounds may not properly cure in an alginate mold.

 

[mandalore697]

I know of it being tried before with success. I bought a kit that included the alginate and silicone for casting hands and feet. Hopefully it will work!

 

[judz dwedd]

Good luck on your project then. Let us know how it turns out. If silicone will cure properly in a water based mold, is of extreme interest to me, as well.

One thing you may want to consider instead of wire for the inside, though, is 1/4" copper tubing. It will bend better, and it's diameter will give you better displacement inside the rubber.

 

[mandalore697]

Cool thanks Judz, I was considering insulating the wire somehow, so I may try that instead

 

[clonesix]

The quickest way to make a set of posable hands is a wooden block with 5 twist curlers attached. I don't have a link, but they are a finger sized foam cylinders that ladies wrap thei hair around and twist for staying. They are cheap and bendable. I think they come in bags of 20. They make great posable fingers.

 

[mandalore697]

I had considered using these curler things but they aren't really strong enough to withstand the weight of Fett's rifle. I think they wouldn't be able to withstand the weight and the rifle would fall out of the hand

But, it may be possible to place the curlers into a position then layer them with plaster or something to strengthen the pose. The only problem there would be that you could only have the one position

 

[RBF]

The quickest way to make a set of posable hands is a wooden block with 5 twist curlers attached. I don't have a link, but they are a finger sized foam cylinders that ladies wrap thei hair around and twist for staying. They are cheap and bendable. I think they come in bags of 20. They make great posable fingers.

thats not the quickest... quickest is braiding iron wiring and taping them in and then put them in the gloves... you can even scrap the tape if you really want to be done in about 10 minutes...