Thread: B.Y.O.B.: (updated) Make your own skeleton

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As Always Awsome
You are so smart! I love your work!
Spookywooky

I am going to give this a shot. I cant see spending so much for a bought skeleton right now so I want to see if the labor outways the price. I might try corpsing it if it turns out. gonna be good practice.

Good luck, and let us all see your progress! Don't hesitate to ask any questions.

I'm thinking of making another as well, if I can ever get finished with projects from my kids...

I've been debating whether to start a new tutorial or update this one.

Since a good 80% of the process is the same, I've decided to go with the easier to deal with update.

In this day and age of $30 wally skeletons, frankly, Bob was not worth it to spend $20 and a week or more to build. Something had to give. It had to be quicker, easier, cheaper, or some combination thereof.


So, we have a new shopping list:




Yep, that's it.

flroal wire and plaster wrap.

The Floral wire was $2 for a spool that is good for a dozen or more skeletons.

The plaster wrap (you want the 8" wide stuff), however, with a 40% michaels coupon is $6.50 per roll (maybe a little off depending on your state tax) It'll take 2-3 rolls to make a skeleton. (figure on 3 for your first one, but as you work with it, it's easy to get one done in 2 rolls.)


The recycled parts you are going to need have also been modified:

No more corrugated cardboard, 1 case of soda is what you need.



Measure out all templates at once, mark and cut. The soda cardboard is infinitely easier to manipulate than corrugated.

You'll also need some scrap paper/newspaper/plastic bags to form your bones.

Reasoning:

Cost improvement:

Cheaper wire and less construction adhesive being used provides a small cost benefit to the new procedures. If you wanted to do straight paper mache, this would be even bigger, and there's nothing stopping you from doing paper mache, but I've found the $13 cost of the plaster wrap more than makes up for it in time saving.

Time improvement:

Every aspect of this change was made to save time. Easier cardboard to cut, easier wire to manipulate, and the move to plaster wrap means any piece you make is dried in 20 minutes. Pieces can even be attached with more plaster wrap instead of waiting for construction adhesive to dry.

Procedural improvements:

Working much the same as outlined in the former Tutorial, noteable changes/improvements:

No more insulation on the spine, just form vertebrae out of plaster wrap. ($ saving, and better structural stability)

Cut your wires 4" longer, and just wire the ribs in place on the spine, no need to fight tape there.

Articulating joints can be done easier by simply running wire between the two pieces and securing in place with plaster wrap. Such a joint will eventually wear out, at which time you repeat.



Working with plaster wrap:

For those new to plaster wrap, the best means to working with it:

Cut the roll into ~1.5" strips. Dunk a strip in water.



Keeping hold of the ends, sqeeze the water out of the strip.



Wrap around your form.



Then, smooth the top layer to get the finish you want.




I'll get some more pictures when I finish assembling my project. (I've made all the bones, but need to wait before assembling for what I'm doing)

happy to answer any new questions as well.

Hiya UnOrthodOx,

I have read your post and am thrilled to give some of this a try (I only need the right and left arm (up to shoulder) and hands to give the illusion that the arms and hands are "holding up the casket lid"). I understand your post on the arms part however when I try to follow your link for the hand tutorial it shows and invalid page. Would you happen to have an updated link you could share or thoughts?

thank you very much for your tutorial.

-Tenman

Oh, hand tutorial went down, huh? Guess that's what I get for trying to give credit where credit is due.

Alright, let me look around if I can't find one I'll make one. Would very much like to see your work, have any pics?

We are in luck. Terra's wonderful Beloved tutorial uses a very similar hand method, and I'm pretty confident it won't be going anywhere soon. So, I will direct you to her hand tutorial here:

http://www.halloweenforum.com/member...-her-head.html

I would sculpt them in paper clay, and then seal them with mod podge or something similar. Without some sealing, I've found the bones have a tendency to work off the wire. Sealing it all together just keeps it whole.

Originally Posted by UnOrthodOx

Oh, hand tutorial went down, huh?

Alright, let me look around if I can't find one I'll make one. Would very much like to see your work, have any pics?

I am just going out in a bit to get the materials and will be starting first thing in the morning. I figure I'll have to do a couple to get them right but will be posting up pics as I go for feedback and thoughts. Thank you very much again for the tutorial.

-tenman

Just realize I forgot to mention over here. For my latest project utilizing this tutorial, you can follow along in it's project thread: The Recondite: UnOrthodOx's 2012 theme open discussion.

tyvm Unorthodox,

Last night I read Terra's post and some more of yours. I'll post up some pics soon. Thank you again.

-tenman