DIY Halloween Skeleton Droid / Dummy
Introduction: DIY Halloween Skeleton Droid / Dummy
<PERSON> shows you how to build a skeleton or dummy, not only for Halloween. If you need a cheap and simple to make dummy for your next movie, theater piece or reenactment, this instructable is for you! In this particular instructable we will build a lost in time Cyber Skeleton Droid from outer space.
Our intention is not to build an anatomic precise replica of a skeleton but to replicate something that replicates the same outer shape of a human or animal and articulates in a same maner. It can be decorated or dressed with clothes, gloves or filled with rockwool, it has articulating joints and is quite sturdy to handle.
Supplies
Almost everything we use you will find somewhere in your house or apartment. No specialized tools or paints are required. However a lot of the cyber themed stuff are recuperations <PERSON> has made over the years as a Prop builder. Old computer Parts, cables, pcb boards etc. You can always check the electric dumpster or simply buy a scrap crt tv from your local Goodwill for parts.
What do we need for the Skeleton:
Scrap Wood (broom sticks, 1by1´s,twigs, pvc pipe, copper pipe, Bamboo what looks a bit like bone, everything works )
some sheet-, chip- or ply- wood
Wood Screws
Washers
Screw Gun
Jigsaw
Pieces of thick cloth or an old jeans
Hot Glue
Spray Paint (all dark colors will do, we use black, gold and silver)
Thick Wire (electrical wire works best)
What do we need for the Cyber Skeleton Droid:
A whole bunch of cables and wires (to be found at a electric dump site or contruction site dumpster) (of course do not trespass!)
Hoses, tubing of differend sizes
Pcb´s from old computers, tv´s or industrial machines
Cheap plastic Skeleton
Blinking LED´s of differend colors
Cling wrap
Green light wire found at a Dollar Store
Small kitchen torch
Cable Ties
Step 1: Where to Start
To start we need the dimensions of a skeleton. Before you go and google those, hey we all have an original inside us so lets grab a ruler and lets measure. <PERSON> starts with his upper arm.
Taking the measure and cutting two pieces of branch he cut earlier in his garden. We will always go a little bit shorter as the joints will take up some space aswell, so we keep every part a finger width short.
He repeats this step for every bone he needs. 401
In this first step we need the following pieces:
2 Upper arm bone
2 ell and spoke of the under arm
1 shoulder (simply measure the width of your shoulders and cut a piece of branch)
1 hip bone (yes thats not a bone but measure the width of your hips and cut a piece of branch. This also defines if your skeleton will be female or male)
2 thigh bone
1 shinbone
Step 2: The Spine
We measure from the mid of the head down to the upper butt and again keep it a bit shorter because there will be multiple joints later on. Speaking of joints, we want the spine to become flexible so whe cut that piece up into 5 same size segments, One of the segments <PERSON> replaces with a piece of counter-batten as this will become part of the head and it is easier to screw things into it.
Next each segment gets two screws and washers as seen in the picture. Notice how on the last one what will become the lower back, <PERSON> lets some overhang and puts one screw in the middle of the segment. Now we connect them with a long piece of wire. We loop it around each screw before tightening them. Our spine if finished
Step 3: The Head
Again we measure the width of our upper head, then use this measurement to draw an oval or a head shape onto a piece of multiplex wood.
<PERSON> cuts the shape out with his jig saw, then sands down the edges before screwing it into the to of the spine using a single screw.
Step 4: Assembely of the Bones
At the lower end of the head segment we now screw in the shoulder piece. Don´t overtighten the screws as we want these joints to move later on. <PERSON> does the same thing with the "hip bone", screwing it into the last spine segment. Notice how he puts it on the first third of this spine segment.
Now we do the joints! Everywhere our skeleton has a joint we drill a simple hole the diameter of your wire. Make sure the holes are in the right spot for each axis of movement. 220