Hi Jonny,
Another mechanical marvel; you never cease to amaze. I can’t wait to see some video especially if you can get the tail to coil around necks.
Perhaps you should add a warning label that Facehuggers are for external use only and never let one probe you! 
BTW: Happy New Year to you!
Thanks,
Well iv not had much thought about making the tail ‘active’.
It would be a very simple task but I think 'as id like to make this as “a fully walking, active” prop, I feel its best to conceal the 48 cables needed for the project 'within the length of the tail.
Just placed an order for a test print of one leg to see how well it works. At nearly £25 per leg I need to do small tests.
Another small test iv done is a latex rubber skin graft from an old plaster mold I had laying about from when I wanted to start this project a few years ago.
Ill document the full sculpting/molding/casting/airbrushing part as and when I start the real thing.
The closeup shot looks like you don’t even need to color / paint it. Creepy.
What do you use for casting latex? SLip or foam latex?
I am looking forward to your description of the full sculpting/molding/casting/airbrushing part!
The coloring you see is due to reminance of some old acrylic paint. Lol
Only a test to see how well it cures.
Foam latex generally needs to be passed through a vacuum chamber to remove any bubbles that may trap or form on the inside of the mold…
I dont have a vacuum pump so im using a standard casting liquid rubber molding latex built up in layers.
Thanks for the quick reply. I must be using too many layers, as my experience has been my castings are too stiff for the animatronic movements. I will experiment with fewer layers. How many layers do you use? My castings are with 4-6 layers and about 1 mm thick (At work and I don’t have access to a casting nor my calipers)
There are many ways to cast latex.
These all have slightly different results.
One can brush on the latex, allowing each layer to dry before adding the next one. This way you get a nice build up. Thats how I did it in these photos.
The other way is to soak the mold, but this only works with a porous mold like plaster.
(Ill be using this method and so ill explain it here.)
Once you have your mold ready for casting, one can simply pore the latex into it. All the way. Fill it.
Then leave it for about an hour.
The plaster will suck out the water from the latex causing it to dry against the surface of the mould. After an hour pore out all the excess latex and then leave the mold to dry completely. The latex should dry to about 1-3mm and be a complete glove cast that can be stretch over the mechanical form
Also the type of latex you use will play the biggest part in how stretchy it is.
A standard bottle of liquid body latex will end up ripping if too thin, and will also be quite hard to stretch anywhere over 6-8 layers.
Liquid rubber latex is better. Up to about 3 layers will allow for a very stretchy material that shouldnt rip, enless extream over exaggerated stretching it induced.
Liquid foam latex is the best form of latex for making skins. Its what all the sfx houses use. But needs vacuuming and baking.
There is no limit on the thinkness of your latex. You just have to see what works best.
Ok, earlier today I received the test print for one of the legs.
I have assembled it and also done a few tests with it.
While assembling it I realised there are a few changes that need to made.
I have already redrawn the changes but I still have a few other bits to change. Anyway here is the leg.
Also I may keep it at 3dof by making the end joint ‘Tar’ part of the ‘Tibia’.
Looking good Jonny! I can’t stop being amazed by the printed parts. Yeah, a fixed tibia might be a lot easier to deal with.
You’ll likely be one of the first to try to 3D print using some sort of living, biological material… 
Humm. Now there’s a thought. Bone marrow printing. Lol
Nice work Jonny, Would be cool to really get it to work with those thin legs! I’m digging your design!
Thank xan. I know iv not updated this much but I just have other things in the pipeline first. Maybe even another film job. 
Ssh!
I do have plans to continue getting this built but just to fund it. Maybe end of Feb, or March.
ok so its been some time since an update but all i have is a leg…lol …but its working.
Been busy with other things, plus i have no funding aside for this project yet.
But…
sorry for the poor ‘unedited’ video. My Windows OS is …Well dying.
There are a few improvements i need to make before i’m 100% happy but thats why i test things first.
but…
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd355/innerbreed/20130311_172225-2.jpg
http://i531.photobucket.com/albums/dd355/innerbreed/20130311_172240-2.jpg
I do hope to get this project “running” but the summer but as i said i have some other things to do first.
J
Very…very cool.
Innerbreed, do you mind if i make my own facehugger also?
and great progress.