Anyone who studies Wing Chun would like to have their own wooden mannequin in order to be able to conduct classes not only in the gym, but also at home. But, the cost of quality Wing Chun made of wood is very high. Therefore, there is a good opportunity to cook a wooden mannequin at home.
Next, consider: how to make a wooden Wing Chun mannequin using the minimum number of materials and the most common tool.
Material preparation
In addition to a significant number of advantages, this material has several disadvantages: it can dry out over time, warp, and crack. Therefore, when wood is used to make Wing-Chun, the mechanical characteristics of this material must be fully taken into account. These parameters mainly depend on the type of wood used.
The main physical characteristics of wood that must be considered are gloss, thermal conductivity, color, as well as shrinkage and moisture characteristics.
Important mechanical parameters of wood that need to be considered are elasticity, as well as fragility and strength.
Wood drying
General drying method. In order to make Wing Chun as high-quality as possible, it will be necessary to dry the material used for these works in a quality manner. If you get an already dried log, then there may be some problems and difficulties with this material, so you need to know exactly how to dry a certain type of wood.
The simplest commonly used method of drying wood is atmospheric drying, which is quite simple and effective. Outdoors, the tree can dry up to 16-19% humidity. After that, the material has the opportunity to dry out at some distance from the heating equipment.
Another way to dry wood is to bury the workpiece in shavings, sand or dry ground. This will result in more even drying, reducing the risk of cracking.
Listening on the cemented floor helps to dry the product, the concrete surface is able to draw moisture into it. Put the workpiece on the cement floor, turning it so that the main part is firmly in contact with the floor with all sides. The better you dry the workpiece, the better the mannequin.
Scheme
The Wing-Chun mannequin is a cylindrical pillar that is made of a specific wood species, usually between 140 and 195 cm high and 25 to 30 cm in diameter. The main details of this product are: two "arms" that are located at the top and the so-called torso, the next "arm" is called the middle and is located under the upper "arms".
These details create the “body” of the mannequin. It is recommended to securely fix it on the floor or on special bars. They are installed on two reliable poles, which are called stubborn. In the presented photo there is an opportunity to visually see how a completely finished wooden Wing Chun will look like.
Creating a foundation will require a lot of strength from you. The most important of the tasks is the manufacture of the desired shape of the log (cylindrical shape). Step-by-step instruction:
Get rid of the bark and chop off the branches. Visibly protruding surface retracts.
With a suitable tool (planer, jointer), build a log in the shape of a cylinder. Make no mistake with the measurements, use the strongest pattern. Preferably plastic or cardboard. Remove the back of the product if your idea is to be wall mounted.
A rough skin (grain 40-60), the trunk is carefully skinned. If possible, sand with a vibrating or tape device.
With a thinner skin (grain 100 and less), completely clear the log. Having done the work, wet the workpiece and wait for it to dry. Dry the surface of the log, polish with a cloth.
A common mistake is a large horizontal angle between higher hands. At the ends of the upper arms, one height is required. In this arrangement, they certainly intersect within the body of the mannequin. Holes need to be drilled one above the other, but not horizontally, but at an angle. The hand on the left side is attached above the right, with an inclination down, and its opposite side, on the contrary, up. The lower part must be fixed to the horizontal position. Make holes with a thin drill, then insert the wire into them. So you check the correct angles.
Having made all parts of the mannequin, having processed and polished, cover them with varnish and stain. Having dried, it is processed with felt, assembled and installed.
