Best way to make a dummy?

[Eric Striffler]

I'm making some dummies later.
I was thinking I'll just take some old clothes I have yet to have given to our church and stuff them with newspapers.
I know this is very cheap, so does anyone have any better ideas?

Thanks!

[Dr Morbius]

Make a PVC frame first..Then you can pad it out before dressing it, and you can pose it.

[Eric Striffler]

I have a few of those, but I mostly need to know what's best to use for padding?
Is newspaper good enough?

[trishaanne]

I make duct tape doubles then fill with great stuff foam insulation. When it's time to stand them I shove rebar into the legs so they stand. The only problem with doing it that way is that they are not very flexible or posable and they are not made to me taken apart so once you have the body form, that's it. You can change the clothes every year but not their pose. PVC is a great way to go but I have to work with what I have here and so far that's worked for me.

[Eric Striffler]

These dummies don't need to be standing.
I forgot to mention that.
They'll be attached to things or hanging from trees.
That's why I don't know if the PVC body frame matters then.

[HibLaGrande]

back in the day, I just stuffed old clothes with leaves.

[Hellrazor]

Best way to make a dummy... ya marry your boyfriend... lol just kidding

[ScareFX]

I like to use chicken wire to give my dummies bulk. It's cheap and easy to mold to whatever clothes you have. It also holds it shape very well.

[NickG]

I use bubble wrap... the kind with the big 1" bubbles... swing by the shipping and receiving dept of some car dealerships and ask if they have any to spare. (usually they have too much and throw a bit of it out) same for the 1-2 quart airbags companies ship with...

also scaps of carpet padding work well, don't dig old stuff out of dumpsters though, you never know what has been spilt on it. (or growing in it)

[Lilly]

i use newspapers in mine for on the front porch they work just fine. i sometimes have to add paper but iv'e had thses for over 10 yrs.
they have gotten wet also.
ps cheap (as far as price on materials) is good.

[madmax]

You don't have to use the pvc that's in the pictures this was for a moving prop

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/wkuyoungguns/chicken%20wire%20how%20to/onframe008.jpg

Legs

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/wkuyoungguns/chicken%20wire%20how%20to/stepsonchickenwirebody012.jpg

Arm
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/wkuyoungguns/chicken%20wire%20how%20to/stepsonchickenwirebody005.jpg

Torso
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/wkuyoungguns/chicken%20wire%20how%20to/stepsonchickenwirebody006.jpg

finsh body
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f117/wkuyoungguns/wolf%20tunnel/dressedmovingvictim.gif

[morgan8586]

I stuff old clothes with newspaper and walmart bags. I can't seem to get rid of them fast enough.......

[Lilly]

yup morgan you are right, the plastics bags also..

[THeme ssaGE]

Chicken wire. Its really light, and easy to pose. Use zip ties to attach the chicken wire body form to the tree, or watever. These are all chicken wire forms with clothes on them. There is one real person dressed up as one of the dummys though. Guess witch one!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y294/killkings/IMG_0972.jpg

[Eric Striffler]

Hey Madmax, could you send me a how to on that prop if you have one?
Or at least let me know what you attached the PVC pipe to to make it move like that.
That looks wicked! :D

And I ended up making my dummy out of newspapers inside trashbags. Good idea so the rain won't ruin it. We used some old clothes, they look pretty good. I attached a milk carton to a PVC pipe and stick it into the dummy like a spine. The sixe of the carton is almost perfect to the size of a head.
A little square, but who will notice. :)

Thanks for the help guys.

[madmax]

ERICK later today (or tonight) I will get the pictures.

BTW if anyone is thinking how much does a chicken wire body cost......I use the one inch wire and I can get 6 to 8 bodies out of a 50 foot roll. I use the 24"x50' chicken wire and it cost right at $13 at Lowe's.

It takes me 30 Min's to cut and put the body together....probably around 2 hours when I first started making them.