Balancing Bipeds

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dinogami
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Balancing Bipeds

Post by dinogami »

Hi all! - Another question for all y'all because I expect many of you have had this same issue: are there any secrets to getting models of bipedal organisms (e.g., meat-eating dinosaurs) to balance and stand on their own? I have a devil of a time getting them to stand up. I know a lot of it has to do with whether or not the model's own center of gravity is over the legs, which is a function of their design, but I've seen online any number of photos of standing models that I can't get to stand. Part of the problem is getting the opposing limbs perfectly lined up so the feet are in the same plane, and that's another thing I seem to have difficulty achieving, and some is getting the "tilt" of the model adjusted properly, which I'm better at. But I'm just curious in general what strategies anyone's come up with to resolve such problems. Thanks so much for your thoughts!
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Re: Balancing Bipeds

Post by Brimstone »

This might come as a shock to some people, but many of the nice exhibited standing models you see on the internet and even at conventions are supported by wires inside of them.
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Re: Balancing Bipeds

Post by Baltorigamist »

My Bird of Prey model happens to stand fine without wires, but that's just a combination of the taloned feet and some careful shaping. (It also has a CoG pretty close to the legs.) But Brimstone is right--most of the bipedal models are held by wires.
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roodborst
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Re: Balancing Bipeds

Post by roodborst »

Never done this myself but:
Get a piece of wood. Drill a hole. Use a wire through the hole. It can now go into the folds of the leg all the way up too support the back. The wire should be thin enough to go between the layers of paper but thick enough to support the weight of the model. I used the binders of garbagebags once. They are a bit too thin.
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Re: Balancing Bipeds

Post by HankSimon »

For many of the older, simple models, similar to Yoshizawa's Allosaurus, etc., I adjust the tilt by changing the folds and the 'personality' of the tail until the balance is right.
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