Bargain Basement Barney upgrades and corpsing

**OpenTrackRacer** · 09-07-2009,10:45 PM

My wife got to work on our Bargain Basement Barney skeletons today. She's upgrading them to be more poseable (as well as making one a groundbreaker) and then they'll be corpsed.

She cut the fingers apart, drilled them out and installed wire (like Bucky) so they can be posed...

She also installed flex connectors (made from machine shop adjustable coolant lines) to some of the joints (you can see them in blue). The groundbreaker got a nice big rod stuck up his spine.

I'll post corpsing pictures when she gets that done.

**Lurks in the shadows** · 09-08-2009,01:37 AM

Hey, I like the ball and socket coolant line joints! I think I have some 1/2" ones in the bottom of a toolbox. What have you used to adhere them in place?

I make most of my skeletons in fixed positions, but I like the flex-joints. Barney is light enough, I might have to try it on a couple.

I found some styrofoam skulls at Micheals that are much closer in proportion to the rest of Barney. You might check them out if you aren't happy with Barneys melon.

Looks like you have a keeper! My girlfriend (The Dogman) is into Halloween as much as I am, it's great! (and a big change from the ex!)

**OpenTrackRacer** · 09-08-2009,07:48 AM

I think you're right about Barney being light enough. It opens up possibilities that you just don't have with Bucky. She was originally using two part liquid epoxy for the joints but she might have switched to Bondo. I'll have to ask her. Barney does have a big melon but I don't think it'll stand out once he's posed and corpsed.

She's a keeper but I had to drag her kicking and screaming into more major Halloween productions. I sprung a ton of last minute stuff last year and she was less than pleased. This year we started early and she's getting into it and having a good time making things.

**OpenTrackRacer** · 09-17-2009,02:22 PM

My wife covered them in pantyhose the other day and is adding latex right now. She just sent me a picture...

Looking pretty good! As long as the latex dries (we're using liquid prop latex, not carpet latex) she'll be putting on the stain tomorrow.

**rebelxwing** · 09-28-2009,12:03 PM

I have my first BBB and want to fix that so I can pose him turning my motorized pirate ship's wheel. I'd like to do what you did to give his arms range of motion, but I am not sure what sort of coolant lines you guys are using.
Where can I get some and how did you insert them into the bones?
I found something that looks similar thru Google (DirectIndustry - The Virtual Industrial Exhibition), is this the same thing?
Should I try looking for local machine shops in the yellow pages or is this something I might find at Home Depot or Orchard Supply Hardware?

**OpenTrackRacer** · 09-30-2009,08:38 AM

The Barneys are done!

Quite a handsome group! The coolant connectors didn't work out. They don't have enough friction to hold the joint. I'm going to try and rough them up and see what happens. If that doesn't work, I'll try a set screw.