materials for joint Options

[*mona lisa*]

Hi. Well, I have to construct a hip joint. It's really hard, and I'm all out of ideas of what materials to use. We have to use our imagination and come up with these things. Life would be so easy if your teacher told you all of these things.

Ok. Well, I need to know what I can use for bursae, ligaments, tendons, and muscles.

Ligaments: something that is rigid, but still have a tiny bit of stretch
Tendons: very strong, can be stretchy
muscles, obviously something that can stretch
bursae: it's a small sac used for cushioning

Any ideas?

[sadolakced acid]

well, the best way to end a piece of nylon string is with a melt/burn.

if you cut and tie, the end will be frayed.

if you burn it (blow it out if it catches fire) the ends are all melted together.


if you wish to join lots of nylon string (for tendons, for example), you can melt all the ends together. you'd probably have to leave a few extra inches that will melt off.

i suggest, before you start melting anything, get a lighter and some string and play around with it to get a feel of how to melt or burn it the way you want.

what you'd probbaly want to do is to have three pieces of nylon string roughly the same length.
thread each through three thin rubber bands, and hold all the ends together.

melt the ends together. this is the insertion end.

on the other end, do the same, except use more strings (this is the origin end of the muscle), and don't use the same rubber band groupings.

shorten the nylon appropriately (easiest way is to set the end on fire and blow out when it's the right length).

if you feel up to it, you can melt the nylon onto/ arround the bone. would only work if the bone is porous.

then you have a muscle/tendon set.

(oh, you might want to interweave the nylon string the further you get from the rubber bands, and end in one large braid that you melt the end on.)

( you want the rubber bands intact- muscle fibers, and i've never melted a rubber band so i can't tell you if there are any toxic fumes (would probbaly smell like sulfer tho), or if it wouldwork)


how big is your model, and what material is are the bones made from?