Tweet
Ok so following TrueDave's custom WIP post and my own awkward attempt to describe titled process, here are a few pictures (which should be worth at least 4k words)
Note: Many T2's died to bring us this information (ok don't get all emo depressed about it... it was actually just a pelvis, the torso top was already split). Go save a whale, you'll feel better. It's ok - we'll wait.
Back now? Yay! (My scone was delicious).
Items needed:
Resin head cast, with rounded base (natch)
A Dremel, because the toy gods help those that help themselves.
1/8" drill bit
1/8" Router bit
Corded elastic (the fabric sheathed stuff)
Super Glue ... if you buy yours at the Hobby shop, you're looking for Medium or High Viscosity. If like many, you do all your custom supply shpopping at Walgreens on the way home from work, then you're looking for Super Glue Gel (i like the Duro brand in the silver and blue hard bottles)
Steps are easy - sand the ball joint, drill a hole, router it out, fill liberally with glue, drop both loose ends of elastic half-loop in there. Viola. Why is that good you ask?
Hokay.
In this pic we see a cut-away of the final assembly, and the 1/8" diameter bit, along side the router bit...
We haven't sanded anything here because this is a quick-and-dirty while I wait to pull the first casts in my (finally set-up) new sculpting area after my Big Move (c). In fact since I don't do them anymore, the only reason there's a head cast with rounded base to use for demo is because I found one while moving. Nice.
Fig. 2:
Here we see how sinking the elastic into the head aids in keeping the assembly 'stretch neutral' ... the axis (red dot) is higher in the head, but not so high that it causes the head to pull, or over-pose.
(I drilled this extra high to get some bite since I was cutting so much away... Usually you'd only drill about as deep as the notch on the left, so just about the jawline.)
When you put an eye or metal loop into the resin, the extra distance from the center of axis creates a lever effect, which pulls the elastic up when you pose the head forward or back.
Fig 3.
Because we used a router bit, there's a conical hollow at the base of the opening inside the cast. This allows the elastic space to bend (obviously the deeper the cone is drilled, the higher up that the axis will rest)
You can also see that it's a fairly stable joint. The head can rest back, looking up at the stars, or forward chin-to-chest with half of the torso missing.
Another cool thing about placing the articulation axis just so is that you can put the cross pin that it's tied off on anywhere in the body. It can go in the chest as many like to place it, which allows you to do some nice odd body shapes *(Todd Browning's Freaks customs anyone?) and you can even use a slush-cast custom torso with double neck openings to string two heads on the same elastic looped under the pelvis post. (It was a double-headed Cave-Troll. Sadly I have no idea who's collection it's currently in).
Fig. 4
This is a closer look at what you'd want the base of the opening in the cast to look like after it's been drilled and routered:
In closing, you might think, why do all that? Why not just knot off a loop of elastic and drop it in the hole hanging by some wire when I cast it?
By experience I can say that it gets really fussy. You have to cut/trim away the excess resin, it gets coated on and impregnates the elastic, making it stiff and defeating the purpose... Also you don't have that nice widened base opening to allow the right axis point. Plus, you're wasting elastic on every bad cast when they come up bubbly (like our friend above did).
The other great thing is if something happens - say the cord gets cut accidentally, or stretches out, or your giant squid eats it... what have you... You can just take your 1/8" drill bit and drill right into that hole to remove the material, elastic and all, for a new fresh start.
Couldn't we all use that once in a while?
Six Easy Pieces.
Note: Many T2's died to bring us this information (ok don't get all emo depressed about it... it was actually just a pelvis, the torso top was already split). Go save a whale, you'll feel better. It's ok - we'll wait.
Back now? Yay! (My scone was delicious).
Items needed:
Resin head cast, with rounded base (natch)
A Dremel, because the toy gods help those that help themselves.
1/8" drill bit
1/8" Router bit
Corded elastic (the fabric sheathed stuff)
Super Glue ... if you buy yours at the Hobby shop, you're looking for Medium or High Viscosity. If like many, you do all your custom supply shpopping at Walgreens on the way home from work, then you're looking for Super Glue Gel (i like the Duro brand in the silver and blue hard bottles)
Steps are easy - sand the ball joint, drill a hole, router it out, fill liberally with glue, drop both loose ends of elastic half-loop in there. Viola. Why is that good you ask?
Hokay.
In this pic we see a cut-away of the final assembly, and the 1/8" diameter bit, along side the router bit...
We haven't sanded anything here because this is a quick-and-dirty while I wait to pull the first casts in my (finally set-up) new sculpting area after my Big Move (c). In fact since I don't do them anymore, the only reason there's a head cast with rounded base to use for demo is because I found one while moving. Nice.
Fig. 2:
Here we see how sinking the elastic into the head aids in keeping the assembly 'stretch neutral' ... the axis (red dot) is higher in the head, but not so high that it causes the head to pull, or over-pose.
(I drilled this extra high to get some bite since I was cutting so much away... Usually you'd only drill about as deep as the notch on the left, so just about the jawline.)
When you put an eye or metal loop into the resin, the extra distance from the center of axis creates a lever effect, which pulls the elastic up when you pose the head forward or back.
Fig 3.
Because we used a router bit, there's a conical hollow at the base of the opening inside the cast. This allows the elastic space to bend (obviously the deeper the cone is drilled, the higher up that the axis will rest)
You can also see that it's a fairly stable joint. The head can rest back, looking up at the stars, or forward chin-to-chest with half of the torso missing.
Another cool thing about placing the articulation axis just so is that you can put the cross pin that it's tied off on anywhere in the body. It can go in the chest as many like to place it, which allows you to do some nice odd body shapes *(Todd Browning's Freaks customs anyone?) and you can even use a slush-cast custom torso with double neck openings to string two heads on the same elastic looped under the pelvis post. (It was a double-headed Cave-Troll. Sadly I have no idea who's collection it's currently in).
Fig. 4
This is a closer look at what you'd want the base of the opening in the cast to look like after it's been drilled and routered:
In closing, you might think, why do all that? Why not just knot off a loop of elastic and drop it in the hole hanging by some wire when I cast it?
By experience I can say that it gets really fussy. You have to cut/trim away the excess resin, it gets coated on and impregnates the elastic, making it stiff and defeating the purpose... Also you don't have that nice widened base opening to allow the right axis point. Plus, you're wasting elastic on every bad cast when they come up bubbly (like our friend above did).
The other great thing is if something happens - say the cord gets cut accidentally, or stretches out, or your giant squid eats it... what have you... You can just take your 1/8" drill bit and drill right into that hole to remove the material, elastic and all, for a new fresh start.
Couldn't we all use that once in a while?
Six Easy Pieces.
I just remember the rubber headed army scuba and secret agent from ten years back?
Comment