The Making of a Mannequin

January 26, 2015

I've decided it's time I had a mannequin as part of my stall at the Wellington Underground Market. I've searched trade me and google and found a few but they don't come cheap so I decided to make one myself.

One of the joys of being a piano tuner is that we have collected up a few nice bits a machinery which come in handy for all sorts of things. For example how about a recycled rimu clothes rack?

So I got out my roll of brown paper. I asked Ella for her help but she was too busy making muffins with duplo in our half built porch. But as soon as Sammy had obliged she was in wanting her space on the paper. I drew around both of them.

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And then I fixed up the outline a little. I cut out one side and then folded it over and traced around for the other side. Then finished the cutting. Next I headed to the workshop to find myself some suitable timber. I returned to our kitchen table with a few 12mm plywood off cuts from a project in the past (maybe it was the outdoor chalkboard and easel). I placed my paper template on and drew around it.

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I then worked out my overlaps and headed to the workshop with my bits in hand to start cutting on our trusty 1950's bandsaw.

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With all the pieces cut it was time to clean them up and sand the edges smooth.

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Then I drilled the bolt holes and screwed in the inserts.

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After a quick and chaotic trip to Bunnings with both kids I returned with the bolts to put it all together.

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