Am I asking in the right forum?

[fuzzylover]

Howdy,

I know there are PLENTY of places online to acquire a decent mannequin, whether it be poseable or not. What I'm really wondering is, does anyone know of a source to find highly poseable (AND highly realistic, maybe silicone covered armature-types?) HANDS you could use on a mannequin?

I want to build a couple lifesize displays and noticed in others that, while the display itself might be rather impressive, the posing is very 'static' (more often than not). In one display, the hands would be glove-covered, but in another, the character would have bare hands, so you can see the reason I'd need the hands to be realistic looking. Mostly I'm looking for my characters to have clenched fists.

I suppose eventually (someday...haha), I could learn silicon molding and find a guy friend of mine with manly hands, and then build a metal poseable armature to be molded over with his hand impressions, etc etc etc................

 

[darthwhitey]

i am interested in this too...

mainly for gloved hands for a stormtrooper mannequin...but super posable

 

[DL 44 Blaster]

I too have searched with no luck for poseable hands to add onto a mannequin.

 

[WarpedScale]

Well you can get some really nice hands that are realistic and poseable from art places like Dick Blick or Utrecht, but there is one problem. They only come in right hands.

Ryu

 

[NEKROFANATIC]

How about trying to make your own:

Cost me next to nothing and with a pair of gloves, no one can tell and it's uber poseable.

 

[fuzzylover]

<div class='quotetop'>(NEKROFANATIC @ Sep 26 2006, 09:09 PM) [snapback]1327050[/snapback]</div>

How about trying to make your own:

Cost me next to nothing and with a pair of gloves, no one can tell and it's uber poseable.
[/b]

Well, yeah, that'd be great for a character wearing gloves, but one of my displays (Supes) would be bare handed.

 

[Java]

I'd be willing to give this project a shot, depending on the the time frame.

 

[WarpedScale]

Ah-ha. Fouind the link but still only right hands.

http://www.dickblick.com/zz216/13/

Ryu

 

[fuzzylover]

Hmmm......you know...........

....would an easier solution be to have someone just cast a nice set of hands in the pose you need?

I'd be using Howard's Reeves and Keaton busts, and those are resin.........the hands could be well-painted resin too, I suppose.

Well, I'd have to personally do this two ways anyway, since I won't get gloves on resin cast fists for a Batman display. The cork armature above would be best for that.

Guess my main dilemma then is a good pair of bare hands cast in resin. I'd need a guy with good sized hands, well proportioned, not a 'total hand model', but manly and superhero lookin'...haha.........I'd love my Supes to either have his hands clenched.........OR, he'd look awesome too, standing resolute with his arms crossed......... how'd I do that.....

Just thinkin' out loud.

 

[b26354]

I'm putting together a mannequin for some trooper armour and need some poseable hands. I've moulded my hands for a couple of previous mannequins in alginate and hydrocal but that's messy and would require a 2 part silicone mould to be able to cast in a flexible material. So I decided to try an experiment using a latex glove as a mould.

I bent some aluminium armature wire into the shape of a hand and attached it to the mannequins fiberglass wrist. Stuck it in a latex glove, suspended it in water to stop the latex from "ballooning" out and filled it with silicone rubber.

not very pretty since I didn't mix enough silicone and had to pour some more - but inside a nomex flight glove who's going to know.

I had to cut a bit of silicone off one side to create a concave palm area and it's not strong enough to hold a blaster single handed but should be fine with the left hand holding the front of the blaster as well.

 

[fuzzylover]

That's a great solution to gloved hands. Thanks.

Now, to find a solution for the bare handed display...........

 

[Matsuo]

I saw this asked before, in the past I have heard concerns about non-gloved figures in regards to realism and ultimate posability. This is entirely possible in silicone.(silicone because latex will not give you long term longevity and durability) As set of hands can be made from life casts for non gloved figures as well as a set done with the skin texture removed and perhaps a little slimmer for gloved use.

If someone were to cast hands in silicone with wire armatures inside, what we need to agree upon is by what method we will attach the hand to the rest of the figure be it a mannequin or a news paper-duct tape-stick figure.


M

 

[Stormtrooper]

Has anyone contemplated doing these as a project?

The right-hand in the link by Ryu Kumon look to be exactly what I'm after... if only a left-hand version was available?

As for attaching methods to your mannequin... I'd epoxy-resin (or fibreglass) some wire coathanger wire into the stump of the hand(s) and attach it to the mannequin's wrist... then fill the void with bubble-wrap and duct-tape. Still allows flexibility at the wrist and a roughly natural shape. If no flexibility was required, then Bondo would fill the gap between the poseable hands and the rigid wrist.

If anyone has the time or talent to offer a pair of sillicone hands with wire armature... count me in.

Cheers,
John

 

[TK9120]

I just saw a show called "How It's Made". They showed mannequins made of foam. They have the top and bottom halves of the hands. In between were wires. They glued the pieces together and you have a hand. Then they painted it and used some kind of stuff to "flock" it with to give it a skin color.

So all you need it some 1/4" foam, trace your hand, get some wire and glue it up. Shouldn't be too hard.

 

[SaberFreak]

Expensive, very gory, but totally realistic: Order a pair of plastinated hands from Professor Gunther von Hagens.

 

[Dark Shadow]

Ive been planning that very project. I have the materials and was going to cast my brothers hand for emperor hands which will also work for other purposes as well. The hands (bot hleft and right) will be completely posable with a metal wire inside, a silicone skin on the outside and a foam interior. I just got into my new house so my supplies are everywhere. Once I get settled in, I plan on getting this project moving. Perhaps this could serve as an interest list.
-Scott

 

[poormansjb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ryu Kumon @ Sep 26 2006, 01:38 PM) [snapback]1326929[/snapback]</div>

Well you can get some really nice hands that are realistic and poseable from art places like Dick Blick or Utrecht, but there is one problem. They only come in right hands.[/b]

Those companies might distribute only "rights" but the manufacturer does make "lefts." I doubt either of those dealers would make a special order but I used to work in a family-owned art supply store which specialized in, er, special orders so you might try a local retailer.

 

[poormansjb]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TK9120 @ Nov 20 2006, 06:29 PM) [snapback]1362385[/snapback]</div>

I just saw a show called "How It's Made". They showed mannequins made of foam. They have the top and bottom halves of the hands. In between were wires. They glued the pieces together and you have a hand. Then they painted it and used some kind of stuff to "flock" it with to give it a skin color.[/b]

I didn't see the segment you're describing but that sounds effectivley like Bendies, a line of mannequins from Canada. I have had several of these and they're basically like giant Gumbies: Foam over a whole-body wire armature.

The biggest advantages are they are completely poseable and extremely lightweight (I originally bought one in order to display a Rocketeer costume hung from the ceiling).

The disadvantages are they are much more expensive than traditional mannquins and quite fragile (they don't stand-up well to repeated bending, though not a huge issue when creating a static exhibit as opposed to a continually changing retail display)(on the other hand--no pun intended--I have cut them open and made repairs which lasted another few years in most cases).

Relative to the original poster wanting something realistic: These don't resemble flesh in any respect beyond a color option.

Two other points: You can buy headless versions so if the goal is a body for a bust, this is an option. Also, while fragile, the arms/hands--which, naturally, are subjedt to the most bending--are actually separate units which attach to the shoulders with brass, snap fit ball joints. So when the fingers do finally go (or the wrists, which seem to be the weakest point), you can order replacements. (In fact, nothing to stop you buying just arms alone I wouldn't think.)

I've bought several of these over the years--including spare parts--and the costs (i.e., mark-up) fluctuate pretty dramatically from dealer to dealer. THE best pricing I've found to date is from Nothwest Mannquin (www.nwmanikin.com).