Hardware/Off the shelf items to use for spider/bug legs?

[hydin]

Stumped on this.

I need some kind of hardware or off the shelf item I can use for a spider or bug leg. It needs to be something... you know, SHAPED like a bug leg, but still kinda tiny. Maybe 1/2" wide at the "connect to body" spot, and tapering down to about 1/4" wide at the joint. If it helps, the underside of the leg is what needs the detail, the top can be flat for all I care. I already have a carapace idea in mind.

Length needs to be probably about 6" long or so total.

I need to be able to cut it down to add the joints I want to it.

I'm drawing a blank on this.

(can't mold and cast things, otherwise this wouldn't be a challenging build :lol )

Any helps appreciated.
Chris

 

[Ray48]

Can't cast things, or just haven't tried it yet? I sincerely believe you would be better off giving it a try, sice finding what you seek may be a difficult challenge. By the way, if you really don't want to take that on, another way to do this is to make the leg or legs first out of plastic or metal, with movable joints, then smear acrylic caulk over the otside and wait for it to cure. Do it in thin layers until you get the thickness and shape you want. If you want really thick areas, you can wrap the armature in foam, first, tying it around the piece with thread, spiral wrapped. then coat it with the caulk. You can also use liquid latex to coat the piece. With successive layers, or the last layer, you can add hair or spines if desired. Due to the flexibility of the caulk or latex, your joints willnstill be movable but will want to return to the form they dried in. If you want to have it adjust at the joint, use soft copper wire or thick solder (lead) at the joints as your "hinge". This method does not offer a high degree of detail for a sculpt so another modification is to only do the joints with latex or caulk and do the remaining parts in epoxt putty or similar and paint everything to match. Obviously only you know wheather the methods I describe will work for your application. They will work for a crude facehugger.

 

[hydin]

Nah, can't cast or mold things. Part of the challenge of the build

The idea is to make, with just hardware stuff and paint, some kinda creepy spider bug crawly thingie.

Paint, sculpey, plaster, whatever can be used BUT no molding, no silicone, no resin, no fiberglass.

Might check and see if caulking would be against the rules though. I was planning on some liquid latex mold builder to give sort of a skin effect, so this might work.

Appreciate the help
Chris

 

[TylerHam]

I would just buy PVC pipe and the different angle connectors and make the base legs that way, then just cover them with something??


*** Sorry - I read the size you needed wrong! I would just go look in the yard and garden or plumbing sections of a Hardware store

 

[axman]

I made a giant spider for Halloween at my house and used standard items from the hardware store. Here is my build write up

Axmans Projects: Giant Spider

 

[DrewSmith007]

Maybe an art pen body with the interchanging tips, like this:

Standard Pen Holder - BLICK art materials