Jumping Mechanism
Part 3 - The Latex Skeleton
September 2, 2002
Posted here are a few photos to give you an idea of the design and finish
of a latex skeleton (when compared to a 4th class Budget Bucky from
Anatomical Chart Company.)
Sadly, the degree of realism between the two models
is rather drastic.
I suppose this is a relatively small price to pay for
having a usable prop skeleton.
Bucky's arm and hand is made up of individual "bones" wired, bolted,
and/or hinged together. The joining process closely mimics the possible
movement of human bones.
The latex skeleton hand and forearm is a one-piece latex casting.
any sort of re-forming here will require some work.
A similar situation here.
The big difference... the latex foot is attached
to the leg with an adhesive.
These are two separate latex castings. The foot remains at
approximately 90 degrees to the leg.
Here's a funny one... Two right feet! (Good thing I ordered more than one.)
"Two heads are better than one."
Unfortunately, I have to settle on one. As you can see, the latex skull is
quite a bit smaller than Bucky's skull.
Perhaps this defect led to the development of two right feet... I don't know.
Actually, the skull looks pretty good. The jaw is a separate casting, so it may be
possible to animate the mouth (?)
One last photo of the two of 'em.
------- My thoughts -------
It all starts when we decide we need a life-size skeleton prop.
How might one come to this conclusion? Simply put, haunters
march to the beat of a different, scary drum.
Since you have taken the time to read this far, you are either
one of us, or you're a member of my family. Either way, you know
what I'm talking about.
Twenty-five bucks and a trip to the local department store will get you a
blow molded plastic skeleton that might resemble a skeleton in a very dark room.
Seventy (give or take) dollars will buy a very realistic 4th class Budget Bucky
skeleton from Anatomical Chart Company.
Sixty (more or less) dollars will buy a latex skeleton from numerous suppliers
(My suggestion is to avoid waiting for the "slow boat from China" and
check availability before placing your order.)
I believe it all depends on your application.
While Bucky is rather convincing in the "realism" sense,
he is not very sturdy. Slinging him around on the business end of
a prop moving mechanism seems reckless...
Latex skeletons are a bit lighter, and certainly better for flinging,
but you will probably need to rely on lighting tricks to hide the
anatomically-incorrect features. (two right feet - I still can't get over that...)
Dollar for dollar, they are very close, unless you find a volume discount
on the latex variety.
If you're interested, contact me and I'll
gladly refer you to a great source.
Both versions need "tweaking."
Bucky's joints are free-moving. Unless you simply want to hang him up,
you'll need some sort of mechanical (or adhesive) fastener to
guarantee a fixed pose. Mr. Latex may be worse off - you'll need to make
his arms, legs, etc, rigid before you can pose him. One nice thing about the
latex skeleton is the total lack of hardware and other mechanical fasteners.
No brackets, screws, or springs to (have to) hide.
Bucky needs a paint job, unless the milky-white look works for you.
The latex skeleton sports a decent paint job.
If it's any consolation,
I doubt the fine details will be scrutinized while
visitors scream down the hallway, fleeing the scene.
What's next?
I will need to strengthen the bones. I plan to force a heavy gauge wire through
the latex skin. This prop is supposedly foam-filled. It's either a very soft foam,
or the man in charge of attaching feet also fills the props.
If necessary, I plan to judiciously inject some expanding foam.
I believe the wire will allow me to position the skeleton as desired,
and the foam will secure the wire within the "bones."
I'll post the results of my "posing process" soon. Any suggestions
would be appreciated, but please keep the "poser" jokes to yourself.
Has anyone else done this before?
(wish me luck.)
September 5, 2002
The wire trick worked.
The wire is easy enough to start through the latex.
A little bit of twisting and pushing and it pops right through.
As you make your way down the arm, you'll come to the intersection
of the two bones. I clamped the end of the wire with Vise Grip - type
locking pliers, and this made the twisting/pushing technique easier.
(...Ouch...)
These photos show the quick fix I opted to use for the
"flat chested" problem. I bent a length of wire into a half - circle,
and forced the ends into the latex spine. The spine is flexible enough to
permit bending of the short piece of wire inside the spine. Almost like a big staple...
The photo (above right) shows a layer of liquid latex applied over the
wire. I scraped the paint off of the inside of the chest first. This should
create a good bond.
I may be in trouble with the hands.
The latex here is quite thick, and seems to have been poured solid.
I could not force any wire through the fingers, and I don't
think pre-drilling a hole is an option. Rubber is not a nice product
to drill. I am not fond of the position the hand was cast in, but
I may learn to like it.
Okay, I'll never like it, but I may eventually get over it.
Next I'll think up some clever way to attach the skeleton to the
jumping mechanism.