Wall Mounted Monster Hand With Talons
Introduction: Wall Mounted Monster Hand With Talons
Spooky and a great conversation starter. I have two normal looking mannequin hands mounted in my house, but I wanted something more gore, so here we are- gross monster hand. Looks amazing, can hold you keys, small fruits and soap. Not terribly useful, but oh so fabulous.
This project is totally customisable. Instead of gray, use green paint for a witch hand. Use red paint to splatter fake blood for Halloween. I have one hand in the bathroom and I use its fingers to collect my hair bands. Another one is by the entrance door, holding my umbrella. I also made one hand for a friend who runs a B&B and it had an NFC tag in the palm, so guests had to touch their phones to the hand in order to get a WiFi password.
If you are missing a few supplies, don't fret, you can always improvise. Instead of modelling epoxy putty, use plasticine and use a disposable brush to cover it with a layer of regular epoxy (gorilla two part epoxy) to harden it. You can get Styrofoam hands in some craft stores, so use that if you can't find a mannequin hand. If you don't have dry pigments, use old make up (eyeshadows and eyebrow powders) but remember to seal it with a good coat of varnish, so it doesn't smudge.
Supplies
Mannequin hand
Sanding paper, craft knife, nail file, scissors
Epoxy glue, epoxy resin, super glue, disposable
Modelling putty, spray filler, modelling tools
False press on nails (long and pointy)
PVA glue (for paper mache) and tissue paper
Acrylic paints, selection of brushes and sponges, spray varnish
3D printer, 50mm screw
Step 1: First Sanding and Scrubbing
My mannequin hand was used, but in a good condition, not too many chips, no parts falling away. For a used, kept in the yard mannequin hand, I scored a jackpot.
I began by sanding over the chips with a 60 and 80 grit sandpaper.
I paid special attention to fingernail area, I sanded all the way through to the bottom layer. It will be easier to glue fake nails later.
Once that was done, I scrubbed it with a hand brush, soap and wire brush in stubborn areas.
Picture 1-3
Dirty plastic, visible chips
Picture 5&6
After sanding and thorough washing with soap
Step 2: False Nails
I played around with a bunch of fake nails to figure which size went with which finger. 644
Once that was established I used clippers and a nail file to modify the nail and shape the tips.
I used super glue to glue them to the nail beds. Make sure to glue them straight. Once dry, I flipped the hand over and applied a few drops of epoxy behind the finger nails. It will secure the nails further.
NOTE: I didn’t have proper press on nails at home, I had the type that are used for extensions and have to be used with gel or acrylic. I don’t recommend using them, it took me a long time to get them smooth and filled out with epoxy. I recommend you get regular press on nails, something like this product https://www.amazon.co.uk/600Pcs-Artificial-Stilett...
Step 3: Talons
Next step is to create talons. You could leave those nails as they are, but I wanted them to be really thick and gross.
I used epoxy putty for modelling, it’s mixed 1:1 and is a bit like plasticine, but stickier. Dries within 2 hours, so you have some time to play around with it. I mixed a small amount of putty and filled the finger nails. You can use your fingers to do it or whatever tool you have at hand, I used fondant modelling tools. Let that dry for 2 hours and then mix more putty and apply some more to the talons. We want them really thick. Epoxy putty can be sculpted and sanded once it’s dry, so whatever mistake you make, don’t worry, you will be able to sand it later.
Step 4: Adding Tendons and Veins
I wanted really visible, thick tendons. In the end I free-handed it to the point that I wasn’t sure if I was sculpting veins, scars or tendons. It looked creepy in the end, so either way-it worked. 981