Home made wooden dummy?

[Gfreak]

Hey y'all, I searched around a bit on the forum for threads like this. But the posts that I could find had dead links.

So was curious if anyone here has had any success in making their own dummy for training? If so what kind of wood did you use? Is Oak solid enough for this kind of thing?

http://www.tigerclawfoundation.org/images/upload_images/woodendummy_plans.pdf

I found plans such as these online.

Also for those with experience with these. are the "arms" 2 seperate pieces of wood attached? Or is it 1 long log, lathed down to make it how it would be in that diagram.

any pointers/inputs would be awesome!
Thanks

 

[ShortBridge]

I have seen a few, one made by a very talented cabinet maker and they are never right. My understanding is that the body should be kiln dried and that requires a really big kiln. It's possible that age in a dry climate accomplishes the same thing, but I think it's important.

We've talked before about some sort of a insert to the arm holes that would enable you to use softer wood and have it up. They will experience a lot of stress, though and to keep it's form it has to very hard, very dry wood and cut perfectly, which is not easy to do, but obviously not impossible either.

It's a tough job. I plotted it for years, but ended up jumping in on an order from China when the opportunity came up.

 

[Gfreak]

I have seen a few, one made by a very talented cabinet maker and they are never right. My understanding is that the body should be kiln dried and that requires a really big kiln. It's possible that age in a dry climate accomplishes the same thing, but I think it's important.

We've talked before about some sort of a insert to the arm holes that would enable you to use softer wood and have it up. They will experience a lot of stress, though and to keep it's form it has to very hard, very dry wood and cut perfectly, which is not easy to do, but obviously not impossible either.

It's a tough job. I plotted it for years, but ended up jumping in on an order from China when the opportunity came up.

Yea i was afraid that'd be the case. I don't actually train Wing Chun currently, but wanted something to help practice my trapping from kuk sool/jkd (which is pretty similar from what i've seen). Just don't have the 600+ to spend on it right now as i'm transitioning between jobs, so figured i'd give it a go at a DiY project.

First i've heard of the kiln dried though...hmm

 

[yak sao]

Since you don't need the exactness of a wooden dummy to practice the form on maybe something like this would do the trick?

 

[jobo]

Yea i was afraid that'd be the case. I don't actually train Wing Chun currently, but wanted something to help practice my trapping from kuk sool/jkd (which is pretty similar from what i've seen). Just don't have the 600+ to spend on it right now as i'm transitioning between jobs, so figured i'd give it a go at a DiY project.

First i've heard of the kiln dried though...hmm

you maybe over thinking this, go to a salvage yard and buy an hefty piece of timber, an old telephone pole or similar, dill some holes, bang some industrial quality broom handles in it or even better some wooden coffee table legs, as an interference fit with some glue and your good to go, it may not be much of a piece of furniture but will do what you want, 30$ should do it

 

[jobo]

I have seen a few, one made by a very talented cabinet maker and they are never right. My understanding is that the body should be kiln dried and that requires a really big kiln. It's possible that age in a dry climate accomplishes the same thing, but I think it's important.

We've talked before about some sort of a insert to the arm holes that would enable you to use softer wood and have it up. They will experience a lot of stress, though and to keep it's form it has to very hard, very dry wood and cut perfectly, which is not easy to do, but obviously not impossible either.

It's a tough job. I plotted it for years, but ended up jumping in on an order from China when the opportunity came up.

it doesn't need to be perfectly cut, just slightly larger than the hole, which is accomplished by drilling holes slightly smaller than the wood you are inserting and then wacking it in with a mallet, you could spend the rest of your life trying and still not pull it out again

 

[ShortBridge]

Since you don't need the exactness of a wooden dummy to practice the form on maybe something like this would do the trick?

Yes, I agree. If you are a serious Wing Chun student, I think it make sense to have or have access to a proper wooden man that conforms to the spec that your lineage prefers, but there are a lot of simpler alternatives like the one pictured above that could work perfectly well for training, whether they last for years or not. I think it would be very traditional of you to make use of your environment and improvise something with either a wall mount like this or something strapped to a telephone pole or a tree.

 

[Gfreak]

That makes a lot of sense. I didn't think about strapping something to a tree, or using coffee table legs, which isn't a bad idea. Will definitely be thinking about this a lot more.

Would like something a little stiffer than the bamboo dummy yak sao showed, but that shouldn't be too hard to make.

Thanks for the help y'all! Any other tips/recommendations or guides to point my way would be awesome as well.

 

[wckf92]

PVC body...to save money and construction time? Just a thought....

Good luck dude!

 

[wooden man]

I am a joiner/carpenter and made my own dummy, setting out the mortices and cutting them level at the correct angle is the most difficult part of the process.
It's not difficult to find the drawings online, I made a ply box in which to place and fix the dummy body (section of old telegraph pole ) . This made the marking out and morticing much easier, having set out where I needed to make the initial cuts front and back on the outside of the box and the angle to follow.
The advice in a previous reply to make the hole smaller and hammer an arm in tight is misinformed since the tenon needs some slack, approx 1/8th inch all round to allow slight movement in the arm. The use of a peg in the back of the arms tenon ( i.e against back of the body ) allows for similar movement when pulled. A working knowledge off WC will help explain why these details are so important.

 

[jobo]

I am a joiner/carpenter and made my own dummy, setting out the mortices and cutting them level at the correct angle is the most difficult part of the process.
It's not difficult to find the drawings online, I made a ply box in which to place and fix the dummy body (section of old telegraph pole ) . This made the marking out and morticing much easier, having set out where I needed to make the initial cuts front and back on the outside of the box and the angle to follow.
The advice in a previous reply to make the hole smaller and hammer an arm in tight is misinformed since the tenon needs some slack, approx 1/8th inch all round to allow slight movement in the arm. The use of a peg in the back of the arms tenon ( i.e against back of the body ) allows for similar movement when pulled. A working knowledge off WC will help explain why these details are so important.View attachment 22396

that's because I didn't mention a tenon joint at all, it's effectively a Dowl, which are always tight, but then mortice and tenon shouldn't be sloppy either

 

[wooden man]

that's because I didn't mention a tenon joint at all, it's effectively a Dowl, which are always tight, but then mortice and tenon shouldn't be sloppy either

You have obviously never seen or used an actual wooden dummy, maybe stick to giving advice on something you have working knowledge of.

 

[jobo]

You have obviously never seen or used an actual wooden dummy, maybe stick to giving advice on something you have working knowledge of.

well no, I am not that much of a dummy,I do however build things for a living , and have a joinery qualification , and the op didn't ask for an " actually " wooden dummy, he asked for something with pegs in it to practise trapping, which mine will most certainly achieve , he also seems to lack the joinery skills to do as you suggest, so correct or not your advice is useless to him

 

[The Discerning Gentleman]

Just started making my own custom Mook jong a couple weeks ago. It's always been a dream of mine to try out, so why not? I'm working with a 9" diameter 6' tall hickory log. Finished chiseling all the holes and spun 2 of the arms out so far on the lathe. I want to make it a free standing one, but haven't decided on a final design yet.