Seems I can never find a mannikin to match my ABC measurements exactly. Do you guys normally alter your mannikins to match your measurements, and if so what methods do you use?
Thanks for your help!
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You didn't say what type of mannikins you were having problems with lifesize mammels, whitetail, african, or other game heads. Once in a great while you run across a whitetail form that is an odd size. I mount alot of deer and run into it once every couple years. Most large and small mammel forms don't have the selection of sizes to pick from. That means you have to know how to cut and alter a form to make it larger or smaller, and to cut it to change the position and resculpt it the way you want. The same goes the same for african and other game heads. I'm sure there are videos on the how to do it.
Some will not agree with this but I know it works. Measure the form, I will bet its bigger than you were told. I order deer forms by the Atlas measurment The bone on the neck, NOT THE FLEXIBLE AREA UNDER THE CHIN. Face can be plus or minus 1/2 inch.
For small mammals length minus 2 inchs and the true girth measurment.
These simple step will help you for years to come
Dean,
The current situation I have is for a small yearling whitetail deer. I got as close as possible to my measurements when ordering the mannikin, and I could probably stretch the skin to fit, but I like to have a little room to play with.
What equipment or instruments do you use to alter the mannikins/
if u are talkign white tail forms find the form that matches the closest without going over your measurments this gives u a good fit and allows u extra hide to get extra detail with
Claude,
You can cut the mannikin body with a bandsaw or a carpenters saw and take out a section and then reattach with bondo or foam. A mannikin as small as a fawn should be able to be reattached with hot melt glue. Make sure that you apply some alignment marks on the form before you cut it so that when you reattach the pieces they go together properly.
You can do this with the face also if the eye to nose measurement is off a little. You might have to rasp or sand the form a little to get a smooth transition and replace any muscle detail that was lost.
If you cut enough forms apart it becomes old hat to put them back together.