Thread: Bendable Arms

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I'm in the process of modding a scarecrow armature I got from collectionsetc.com. Unfortunately they don't carry them any more. They work great but they have no arms. The shoulders are hollow. I was able to use a shirt hanger but it never kept its position. They need to be strong enough to hold gloves I got from Bump In The Night Productions (Pirate Zombie Hands - Bump in the Night Productions Inc.).

got a pic?
From your description, it sounds like a job for PVC pipe...it's strong, durable, cheap, and really easy to use.

I used pvc pipe for my armatures. I used 90 or 45 degree elbows for shoulder joints and elbows (they put the arms in different positions, so you just have to try and see what look you're going for.) I also covered the arm sections with those foam 'pool noodles' or you could also you pipe insulation. I'm attaching some pics, maybe they will give you some ideas.

You can also achieve a bend in the PVC by spot-heating it where you want it to bend. That will give you more latitude in how much you want it to bend, and you can fine tune it as well.

Lowes sells a heavy 9 gage utility wire Anchor Wire at Lowe's: Galvanized Utility Wire 9 Gauge Its thick enough to hold up a light pair of hands yet you can still bend it. You need to attach it in the middle or it will want to twist, cover it with a pool noodle or some foam pipe insulation and its very similar to what some of the store props use.

If I use pvc pipe for my armature, is there a joint that I could use that allows me to pose it in any way I want without limitations? I want a movable joint.

here are some examples others have tried

Death Lord Dummy -Creep Crafters .Com-

SplatterFX - Articulated Monster Frame

Mutant, not that I've found. I thought it would be great if they had a type of ball joint in pvc, but I haven't seen one. You might want to check www.haunterhangout.com. They have a tutorial that shows how to make a posable armature, but it's out of pvc with metal joints. Looks pretty cool!

correction - its www.hauntershangout.com, with an 's'. I left that out, sorry.

A metal ball joint is what I think would work best, but I don't know if it would keep the pose even when holding a Bump in the Night Productions zombie glove. They weigh more than one might expect.