How to make a Steampunk Metallic arm?

[Viddick Rhade]

I probably won't make this anytime soon but I am wondering if any one has good ideas on materials that are somewhat durable but are light..ish. Also if someone has any ideas on how to make the fingers articulate. I've an idea that I'll explain below.

So there will be a bar that I can use to rest my palm on. Five lines connecting hopefully at the mid joint on the fingers. So I can flex them with some mobility.

Anyways good ideas welcome.

[JingleJoe]

Have you tried picking up a pen and paper? Or thinking about it for a day or two? That's what everyone else does who makes things.
I don't mean to sound confrontational but seriously, think about the design yourself a bit, maybe you'll come up with some inspired mechanisms instead of the same old generic joints everything has.

As for metal; Brass is good, if used in sheets it's not that heavy and it can be worked easily enough.
(To bash brass and copper into shape I used a large hammer as an anvil and a hammer I made myself from a stick and an old hammer head I found, untill this christmas when I got a cast iron coblers anvil from my grandparents because it had been sitting around in thier shed for years unused )

[Viddick Rhade]

Outside of the internal mechanism I haven't really thought much about the actual design. Though I want to build a framework of the arm and finger movement before I add the cool looking stuff.

[H. MacHinery]

Are you thinking of something you put your arm in, like armor, or an animatronic arm, that is "remotely controlled"?

If the former, google for armor for examples of the basic mechanics, and look around here for SteamPunk decoration on such arms.

If the latter, google animatronics for the mechanisms, and then here for the decorative ideas.

[Viddick Rhade]

Its a bit of both I guess if it pans out. It depends on your definition of remote controlled. What I want to do and I'd done a bit of brainstorming in the past for a TaoKaka for my friend.

Basically what I want to do is, if you follow this link and skip to 2:58 Starcraft 2 - Official Cinematic Trailer [High Quality]

If you examine the hand piece of the armor and the bar that is used to control the movement of the fingers that is a much more advanced but similar enough design to help me pass along my point. Sorry about the video, I don't know how to make it just a link.

Anyways. While it would be easier to have it just as a glove, what I intend is more difficult for someone with little experience in the matter. I want to have instead a ball and five claws. The ball design will hopefully allow for twisting motions, and I'll have five wires running to the mid joint of every finger so I can flex the fore fingers of the claws. The wires will run to where my hand sits inside the arm piece. At my end of each wire will be a place I can put my fingers into. When I flex my fingers into a fist and pull on the string so do the claws.

Sorry if no one understands that. Anyways that's what I'm thinking of. Though thinking now I might just make a glove. I don't know, do you guys think it can be pulled off?

[JingleJoe]

The ball design will hopefully allow for twisting motions, and I'll have five wires running to the mid joint of every finger so I can flex the fore fingers of the claws. The wires will run to where my hand sits inside the arm piece. At my end of each wire will be a place I can put my fingers into. When I flex my fingers into a fist and pull on the string so do the claws.

Sorry if no one understands that. Anyways that's what I'm thinking of. Though thinking now I might just make a glove. I don't know, do you guys think it can be pulled off?

Yes just do that You have thought about this more than I thought you had thought, in addition; springs to pull the metalic fingers back to thier open position.
To address a specific scentance;

I don't know, do you guys think it can be pulled off?

You do know, you just gave a pretty good basis to build from and add to, and yes! Of course it can be pulled off! Get some bloody ambition, you can do anything you put your mind to.

If you say "I can't" I will rivet you to a buffalo

[stockton_joans]

cant watch the vid (as i'm at work) but i think i get the idea from your discriptions.

first i would advise you to research armour making, this will help with joining plates together and articulating the joints.

secondly (if i'm correct in thinking you want a mechanical hand on the end of your arm, controled by your own hand movements, with your hand hidden inside the prosthetic arm) i would sugest buying a couple of those cheap kids grabing arm toys to study and take apart to get an idea of how to get the clwas to move

[Narsil]

If you want a lightweight, strong material for prop/costume armour then fibreglass is probably the best option for a one-off job.

If you add metal powder to the resin, with the right finishing, you can create a surface which is, visually, very close to metal plate.



To make something convincing there is certainly a lot of work involved, but technically its a lot easier than trying to make it in metal plate. Proper armour-smithing requires a lot of highly technical skills which will take time to develop to even an intermediate standard.

The best way to get a good fit would be to take a cast of your own arm, then sculpt each plate onto the arm individually and take  casts to act as molds for the fibreglass, In all probability you will need to use a flexible muolding material like latex or silicone with a rigid mother mold. It would also be a good idea to make an allowance for a padded garment under the armour, this will both add authenticity and make the finished article more comfortable to wear.

It's also likely that you will need to go through a few prototyping stages to get the fit and articulation right.

You'll also need to think about joints, straps etc. There are quite a few different types of fixed, rotating and floating joints used in plate armour so you'd need to research which is the most appropriate for each joint.

Making an armoured hand is probably the most difficult part since there are so many small articulated parts, but if you want an obviously artificial hand that gives you a bit more artistic license.

[theDapperDocent]

Steampunk power armor?   Oh I have GOT to see this.

[Viddick Rhade]

I'm a newbie at building things so any ideas on where I can buy the fiberglass, metal powder, and what tools I will need. I doubt I can acquire much at this point but having this list for later reference would be excellent.

Also notes, links, or how tos on the process of actually making, shaping, using the fibreglass would be nice as I said earlier, I've no experience in building things.

[JingleJoe]

I've no experience in building things.

If that is the case I'd like to give you two peices of advice:
Design and prototype.

[Viddick Rhade]

Think it is possible for me to take two of the long claw things that they sell to help you grab things from high places smack em together for starters?

Something like, have the claw pieces at the top, bottom and sides, take the two wires and hook them up to either one of the handles that come with the claw, or my own. Then make a framework for it. Make an outer casing of fiberglass, paint, and then.. well something like that, I can't really explain.

Don't rivet me to a buffalo! -.-

[Hallward]

Have you seen
http://aternox.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-Hand-in-Walkthrough-110401534
Sounds like it could be along the lines you were thinking. There are various other hands, claws etc. out there along similar lines.

[JingleJoe]

Have you seen
http://aternox.deviantart.com/art/Steampunk-Hand-in-Walkthrough-110401534
Sounds like it could be along the lines you were thinking. There are various other hands, claws etc. out there along similar lines.

Oh yes! That is what one would call brilliant

[Hallward]

I have to admit I have wanted to make my own version of that hand for a while now. I'll get around to it one of these days... in the far off future.

[theDapperDocent]

That is an amazing little tutorial while keeping it relatively simple.   It reminds me of the one Adam Savage showed off on one episode of Mythbusters that he had built when he was just starting out in the industry.   I believe he made his out of copper.

[JingleJoe]

It reminds me of the one Adam Savage showed off on one episode of Mythbusters that he had built when he was just starting out in the industry.   I believe he made his out of copper.

I had that one in mind from the start Hmm ... google-fu activate!

Damn google-fu has failed me

[sebastian Inkerman]

[dubbing mode]

Hahhah.... My google fu is stronger than yours.... Try this... for size... I reject your reality... and substitute my own

[/dubbing mode]
It's at about 13:00

Spoiler: ShowHide

http://www.watchxonline.com/media/6507-mythbusters-207-exploding-jawbreaker-static-cannon-killer-playing-card.php

[JingleJoe]

Not quite old chap, for your google fu leads only to a "video not found" error!

[sebastian Inkerman]

Not quite old chap, for your google fu leads only to a "video not found" error!

That is indeed strange as I watched the entire episode from beginning to end. I'll have another look.

--Edit--

Yep, it's working for me clicking from the link I gave. Maybe my google fu is so strong, the video played out of fear at my awesomeness.

[theDapperDocent]

The first video on that page gives me the "video not found" error but the alt below it works fine.   I knew the one with the hand was the static cannon, forgot that was also the one about the exploding jawbreaker though.

[Lt. Thomas Corvidae]

Someone mentioned finding armor patterns. Thanks to a small amount of time hanging out with the folks in The Society for Creative Anachronisms, I have been able to find a ton of good resources for such things. Here is probably the best place for armor patterns. Enjoy!

http://www.armourarchive.org/

[josecou]

I believe there was an indymogul episode about this