How many have built their own dummy from scratch?

[gnugear]

I'm not talking about buying limbs and cutting PVC pipe.

I'm talking about tracking down a log, hauling it home, carving a leg .... the whole 9 yards.

I made one a couple years ago and it almost killed me LOL!

I took me about 3 months to complete, but I know every single curve in that log!

Word of advice ... attempting such a feat by hand (no lathe etc.) will probably set your training back a year. Constructing that thing made me so tense it's not even funny!:D

[IronFist]

I don't have the time or the equipment to make one out of wood. I can't imagine chiseling holes out of a wooden log. ****. And cutting/lathing <sp> (lathe-ing?)/polishing/finishing my own arms? Dude, I don't think so :)

I like my dummy the way it is.

My dummy could beat up your dummy :D

IronFist

[sunkuen]

And cutting/lathing <sp> (lathe-ing?)


FYI it's called "turning".

Nice stand btw.

[gnugear]

My dummy could beat up your dummy :D

No doubt ... mine cracked after a year.

[WCJoe]

I'm starting to build my wing chun dummy this saturday... It's good to have a step-dad that's a carpenter :D

[IronFist]

Originally posted by sunkuen
And cutting/lathing <sp> (lathe-ing?)


FYI it's called "turning".


Turning something on a lathe is called "turning?"

Cool :)




Nice stand btw.

Thanks :)

IronFist

[gnugear]

Although my body cracked, you'd be amazed a what a bottle of Elmer's carpenter glue can accomplish.

Squirted the whole thing into the crack and now it's good as new:)

I'll take a pic and post it.

[edward]

as soon as i train my beaver to build a dummy.... i'm all over it

[black and blue]

It's because I'm all over beaver that I had to get my Father to build my dummy for me instead.

Beaver or Dummy... the beaver won.

Hang on, are we talking about the same thing?:D

[curtis]

Hello Guys
I build dummies, out of wood (mostly oak,walnut, and ash,) it dose take some pratice,but if you takke your time and use some old timers tools (like a drawknife,and spokeshaven) it isnt so hard.
the armes can be made on a lathe,or by your table saw or jointer, (all depending on what you have and the amount of work you want to put into it.) juat take off the corners and keep going until you have a roundish shape,then use your hand planes or drawknife.to finish.
the holes for the arms should be big enough to withstand the shock ( I use a 40mm forstener bit.) (thats just a bit over a 1 1/2 ")
I takes time, but its worth your effert. Ive been building them for 12 or 13 yrs one at a time. (appx. one a month. give or take.)
I have many little tricks ive lurned over the years, if you ask,ide be glad to share them with you!
see ya latter.
C.A.G.

[Mokujin]

I'll leave the professional wooden dummies to the pros.

I did some initial research. I could only 2 methods (within in my price range and means) to make a dummy with a wooden body. Either use a fence post, which wasn't large enough in diameter OR use a telephone pole. However, the guy at Great Lion Co. informed me that those suckers are coated in creosole / creosote (sp?) to weather and bug proof it. Apparently this is poisonous to humans as well.

I guess I could chop down a mighty oak or something, but then I don't have the means to dry it out to lower the moisture content or lathe it. Whoops! I mean turn it.

Which is why I'm going with the 8" OD PVC pipe for the body with traditional wooden arms and leg. I'm on my second PVC wing chun dummy and hope to have it done before I die.

My Question for Curtis-

If the ends of the pipe / body are not factory cut, how do you keep the arms parallel to the ground?

IronFist- you never answered my question... Bum! :D

[kungfu cowboy]

To anyone: Would gluing enough whateversXwhatevers into a large rectangle, then planing, sanding or using some other esoteric woodworking tool to round be a viable option to make the body?
(But not a lathe, unless most woodworking shops have them and would do it for a price.)

[Mr Punch]

Yup, creosote is pure evil. You wouldn't want that ingrained in your hands.

I suspect the same of some of those wood glues and resins; if it is possible to make one this way kfcowboy, be careful in your selection.

[Mokujin]

KungFu Cowboy-

That's pretty much how half the companies do it. First, they take the planks, dry'em out, then glue'em and lathe'em.

Then they put a few clear-coats on to seal the dummy. I don't think the wood glue is extremely toxic or anything (hell- ya gotta call Poison Control if you swallow more than a dab of toothpaste).

Some folks will tell ya that after repeated use, laminated wooden dummies will split at the seams. Can anybody credit or discount this??

Peace!
Mokujin
:D

[gnugear]

laminated logs seem to be the strongest to me.

My log split in the rear where the arm hole are. Again, a bottle of wood glue and wood putty stopped the splitting and plugged her up real good.

I used a evergreen log which can be light, but I put a marine varnish on it and it soaked up so much of the stuff that it's at least as heavy as oak. It does feel softer than my arms though.

[kungfu cowboy]

Can it be rounded without a lathe? Maybe saw the corners of the rectangle off from top to bottom, then sand it or something until round? Or would it be too hard to get an even diameter the entire length?

Also, what would be proper wood dimensions to use, 2x2's, 2x4's or something else? Would there be a bunch of lines on it?

Oh yeah, what is a good wood? Oak, Ash, Cherry, Balsa?

[curtis]

Hi guys
yes all wood cracks as it dries.
There are a few ways to stop this from happening. One way as was suggested earlier was to glue up individual pieces to make your dummy. (2x4s would do.) And then around them into shape. Although I prefer to use a higher grade of wood. Go or call a tree servers. They do not always grind up the larger sections of wood. And you can buy it from them relatively cheap.
To help stop the cracking you must seal the endgrain. (buy endgrain sealer can be bought from local hardware store, or you can make your own.) As a general rule it takes one year for every inch of wood to dry. So if your dummy is 14 inches in diameter and 6 feet long. (You do the math. It will take a verry long time to dry.) You could also go to an old barn which they are tearing down and get an beam that is already dryed.
I made a beautiful dummy out of glued up boards. I used walnut,cherry, and ash to make a very interesting body. (Of course I could have use exotic woods. But that would give rather pricey.)
be careful, I find most mistakes come from the drilling of the arms. So take your time.
Good luck.
sincerely C.A.G.
P.S. Mokujin
there are many ways to make a stand, you could make a wall mounted base,or a concreat floor base, Ive even used a 4x8 sheet of ply wood.(it didnt work as well as I thought it should, The idea was to make a light base that could be moved easly,and my weight on the plywood would keep the dummie in place,as I used it. it worked OK, but...) the sky is the limit, use your imagination.
Again good luck. C.A.G.

[kungfu cowboy]

Hi Curtis,

So, you are saying you used 2x4s? What do you think about 2x2s? I was thinking of gluing 25 of them into a 10x10X5' rectangular, then drawing a 9" circumference circle, and cutting away the excess, then sanding and finishing. (Is 9" the usual dimension?)

Does anyone know which would be structurally and visually better, 2x2 or 2x4?

[IronFist]

Originally posted by Mokujin

If the ends of the pipe / body are not factory cut, how do you keep the arms parallel to the ground?

IronFist- you never answered my question... Bum! :D

This question? I thought I answered it already. You gotta use a level and a plum line.

Or, assuming your walls are vertical, you can place the level on the wall and then the dummy against the level, tilting it up on its base so that its side is even with the level, and then you have a perfectly vertical pipe.

Hey I just made that last one up on the spot. I guess if your wall was level you wouldn't even need to use the level, just get the dummy's edge flush against the wall.

IronFist

[Mokujin]

I wanted to know if I could post the picture of your wooden dummy in my Yahoo Photo Album. You never said yes or no...

Anyway, thanks for the advice. Laters.

Peace!
:D
Mokujin

[IronFist]

Oh, I thought I said yes to that, too. Oops. Yeah, go ahead :)

IronFist

[curtis]

Good morning all!
Kungfu cowboy, I preferr to use solid stock. but Ive used 2x4s.
Ive done it two different ways, the first time a made staves and made a wooden barrle ( hollow ,but fully round, It was for kids to use.I put 9 arms on it so 3 kids could use it a one time.) the second time I made one solid, and only half round (I left the back square.) this worked out OK,you must square up the wood before glueing them up. (hand plane,or jointer.)to get a nice tight fit.
if you find a tree and or a saw mill, have them cut the tree in half. this dose two things, first It gives you two halfs to work with,second the weight is cut in half too.( come on you realy dont use the back side,so why do all the work to clean it up to have a full tree in your workout eara? a smi round dummy is easer to make and more effent. it takes up less space, is quicker to dry.)
"O"Well thats how I like to do it!
C.A.G.

[kungfu cowboy]

Thanks, curtis!

[Mokujin]

IronFist-

You dog- you put your stuff on eBay? If not, then someone's using your pic!

10 Bucks - Looks a lot better than that Super Man dummy... (http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1819903631)

Do forum members get a better deal- say 5 bucks? You should include a low-res scan from the book- a decent page or even the cover. Good luck.

Peace!
:D
Mokujin

[IronFist]

Heh, yeah that's me. Sorry guys, a college student's gotta eat!

Sure, $5 for KFO members :) Still gotta pay shipping though :)

IronFist

[Alpha Dog]

What, no Wing Chun teachers in Chicago??

[IronFist]

I'm an hour+ away from chicago. Plus, being busy with school, it's very, very inconvienent for me to go there.

IronFist

[IronFist]

Originally posted by kungfu cowboy

Oh yeah, what is a good wood? Oak, Ash, Cherry, Balsa?

Don't use balsa. Balsa is what they make those airplane gliders out of (the small kind that you build and r/c versions as well) because it's very, very light. It would bend and break if you tried to use it as a dummy, not to mention the fact that the whole thing would probably only weigh 5 or 10lbs :)

IronFist

[gnugear]

Originally posted by IronFist


Don't use balsa. Balsa is what they make those airplane gliders out of (the small kind that you build and r/c versions as well) because it's very, very light. It would bend and break if you tried to use it as a dummy, not to mention the fact that the whole thing would probably only weigh 5 or 10lbs :)

IronFist

Yeah, but you could probably punch right through it ... that would be cool for a movie!

[kungfu cowboy]

****! And I was thinking about installing a giant twisted rubberband in the middle to have a real live dummy! RELEASE! BAP! BAP! BAP! OOooF!:p

[IronFist]

Originally posted by gnugear


Yeah, but you could probably punch right through it ... that would be cool for a movie!

Ever see the movie Wing Chun (the one with Michelle Yeoh)? Either she or the guy she's fighting kicks a dummy in half. Hehe.

IronFist

[sunkuen]

LMFAO@ K.F.C.:D

[gnugear]

Curtis,

Could you please email me or leave me a private message?

I have too many cracks in my dummy and have some questions about building a new one (glueing etc.)

thanks!

[fantom]

I found an old telephone pole $40, used a sander to smooth it
got a chisel for the three arm holes, a couple of weekends to chisel out the holes
brought a piece of 3" Vic Ash $5, gave all the dimensions for the arms to a woodturner to make the arms $50,
as there are only three kicks to the leg in the whole wooden dummy sequence, I did not bother finding the bent piece of wood for this, just got some 3" steel pipe and got a steel guy to bend it into shape and add some fittings $20, so I could fix it to the pole (not really perfect - but it does an alright job)
got mum to help make some pads so I wouldn't smash my hands as I learnt the moves $20
fixed the pole to a frame (yes it is free standing - some say this is not good, but I found it had some downside/ some benefits $20

$150 - I was forced to make my own, the only decent dummies were nearly $2,000, went on a holiday with the money I saved.

good luck macking yours

[IronFist]

$20 for a frame? What's the frame made out of, PVC?

$2000 for a decent one? Do you means US$2000? I've never seen one over $1200... which was actually the same one you can get for $800-$1000 (i think) at other places.

I'm gald yours worked out for you. Can you post some pics?

PS. I read somewhere (this thread maybe, I don't remember) that telephone poles are coated with something poisonous. Be careful!

IronFist

[Alpha Dog]

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts85.html

[Majic Sam]

Sure enough.It has me wanting to give away my dummy stand made from treated cedar fence posts.Of course I painted and boat varathaned it 6-7 times to seal the goodies.Speaking of which,parents,if you have children that frequent playground equiptment made of preserved woods,you may want to consider the results.AND,I'm happy to say that I quit a job yesterday making furniture with particle board and veneers which is slow formaldihide glue (sp.?) mummification.

[Alpha Dog]

Some countries in Southeast Asia, like Taiwan, use formaldihide to sterilize recycled beer bottles. Unless you enjoy the thought of brain cells retreating from the chemical like plastic wrap from a flame and the prospects of a truly unique hangover, stick to drinking beer outa cans on your next voyage to the Mysterious Orient.

Gan1 Bei1!

[stonecrusher69]

made my frist and only dummy from an old telephone pole and the arms from old table legs.

[Slo Mo]

So you're saying that you live in the Chicago suburbs, and can't find a wing chun school? What college do you go to? What suburb do you live in?

I'll tell you what would be inconvenient - you practiced what you think is wing chun for days/months/years and find out that you practicing nothing but useless motions!

:confused:

Come on, now! If you were half as dedicated to learning wing chun as you say you are, then you would make that 1+ hour trip to Chicago... at least once a month! My club(in Chicago) has practice on Saturdays, surely you give up one Sat. to at least see what wing chun is.

We are also holding a Seminar the weekend of May 18-19th. A highly respected "master" will be there to give talks and instruction. I'm not trying to sell my club, I'm just showing you that you have plenty opportunities available for you to learn wing chun.

PM me if you are at all interested:

[IronFist]

Whoa dude, I got these things called classes...

IronFist

[Slo Mo]

What I suggested wouldn't interfere with your classes unless you have it on Saturday and Sunday too (which is highly unlikely). Also aren't classes done already / ending soon?

From my understanding, and I assume most others on this board thought this also was that you were out in the middle of no bum f#%ck no-where without any options available to you. But now that I see that you do have options it seems trivial to me why you don't seek some instruction...

Others on this board have suggested that you perhaps go and attend some seminars...I've informed you that there is one close to you soon. If you were serious at all with wing chun would would think about going to it. There are also several other schools in the Chicago area, you should check around and see if any of their times can fit you schedule.

I don't know where you are located, but chances are, there is a wing chun school closer to you...how good there are remains to be seen>

[IronFist]

Where is your school located?

IronFist

[sunkuen]

With over 2000 posts now, it seems you got all kinds of time!!!:D

[IronFist]

lots of my posts are short :)

+1

IronFist

[IronFist]

Also, I've been here since Jan 1970, see? I've had plenty of time to post :D

IronFist

[dfedorko@mindspring.com]

I went to my local telephone company and picked out a telephone pole(free). Took it home, dug about a three foot hole, put the pole in the ground, threw in concrete (ready mixed), covered up the hole and there it was - a dummy with no arms. From many pictures and diagrams I figured out where the arms and leg should be placed according to my height. A friend of mine is wonderful with wood and made three three arms for nothing. I haven't put the leg on because I'm having too much fun without it. I made it and it didn't cost me a penny.

Damian

[Slo Mo]

My school is located in north Chicago in Wrigleyville...about 3 blocks from Wrigley Field.

I know that there is another member here that also teaches in Chicago, Edward I think. I'm a sure he has more connections than me to Chicago wing chun.