Bone Advice Please

[Rahnefan]

I have a concept for a pirate-y relief thing, for which I plan to use a life-size skull and 2 crossed femurs. A few questions please:

1. Has anyone tried this? Run into any problems? How'd you cross 'em? Skull in front of bones (like this: :xbones: ) or skull higher than bones?
2. What type of material would be best? 1st quality Bucky or other? I'd like to gold some of the teeth, remove others, and put scrimshaw on the femurs. If you are a seller please say so, else I'll look in online stores I guess.
3. If you happen to know that scrimshaw would not work on human bones, please let me know why (they are not ivory, it would only splinter, etc).

Yarg

[Uruk-Hai]

Although not a skull and crossbones per say I did a skull and crossed axes on poles for my haunt sign last year. I was trying to figure out how to cross them and get them to lay flat on the sign and in the end just cut a gap in one to avoid the overlap. They cross under the skull so you can't see it. Here's some pics, hope this helps.

http://www.hectorturner.com/halloween/images/projects/sign-14.jpg

http://www.hectorturner.com/halloween/images/projects/sign-20.jpg

[joker]

Don't have a pic, but I'll get one this evening, I did basicaly the same as Uruk-Hai. I used a femur from a bag-o-bones. I split it into 2 halves and then had a flat surface to work with. After getting the alignment I wanted I notched one of the halves like Uruk-Hai's example. I then used some liquid nail to fill in any gaps and then painted over the LN.

[Rahnefan]

Spanks, amigos. That's one of the issues I was thinking of.

[MotelSixx]

I dont have a pic either, but made a skull and crossed swords display for my living room (year round) using a skull mounted above the blades, but facing slghtly down so jaw covers where blades cross. I'll try to get a pic posted soon

[Rahnefan]

This project stalled out as October drew nearer, but when I saw this post (http://www.hauntforum.com/showthread.php?t=18501) I had to return to it. Here's the skull so far -- a work in progress, and only a small part of the project:
http://www.mkdavis.net/images/props/2009/skull-1.jpg
http://www.mkdavis.net/images/props/2009/skull-2.jpg
http://www.mkdavis.net/images/props/2009/skull-3.jpg
http://www.mkdavis.net/images/props/2009/skull-4.jpg

Obviously it's not stained yet. What I did was draw with pencil, trace over with wood burning tool, apply india ink, wipe off india ink, sand (a lot), and repeat as needed. Tell you what...plastic does not like to be carved or burned...this is a real PITA.

[alteridiom]

Cool stuff. Uruk-Hai, please share how you did the wood for your sign. I am wanting to make one for my haunt and love the way you have done yours. Any tips greatly appreciated.

[Uruk-Hai]

Cool stuff. Uruk-Hai, please share how you did the wood for your sign. I am wanting to make one for my haunt and love the way you have done yours. Any tips greatly appreciated.

Thanks! Not wanting to hijack the thread you can take a look at my website. I've got some step-by-step photos and description under Projects-Haunt Sign.

http://www.hectorturner.com/halloween/sign.html

[alteridiom]

Awesome stuff. Thanks. Sorry, now back on topic fellas.