Rocker Ankle Tutorial

Obi-Shinobi

Obi-Shinobi

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Ok guys, here we go! I'll be demonstrating with the coveted ST , but this can be applied to any figure.

Start by removing the stock feet -



Using a blade, carefully cut the joint from the foot -



Now use your dremel to define the new slot -



Which should leave you with something like this -



Now, locate a pair of articulated hands for the new ankles. I'm using 2 Ren Duke left hands because they're a darker color and most importantly, the POA run in the same direction. Meaning, there's symmetry to the joint shapes. Cut the hand from the joint -



Sand around the edge of your new cuts. This will aid it fitting to the lower leg -



Ok, once you've test fitted everything and you're happy with it, glue them in place -



EDIT
Oops! Forgot to add - drill the corresponding holes in the foot, for the ankle pegs.

Here's a comparison with the stock lowers -



Painting the new ankles is optional depending on what fig and what hands you use.

Other than that, he's ready for action!



Any questions, lmk.
 
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Dropshipbob

Dropshipbob

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When you add the new articulation to the ankle, the articulation doesn't break off under stress? I mean, there's nothing pinning the new articulation to the ankle.

Also, when gluing this together, how did you keep the glue from seeping into the new joint?
 
Obi-Shinobi

Obi-Shinobi

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Dropshipbob said:
When you add the new articulation to the ankle, the articulation doesn't break off under stress? I mean, there's nothing pinning the new articulation to the ankle.

Also, when gluing this together, how did you keep the glue from seeping into the new joint?
Click to expand...

From my experience so far, since I've done several this way... no pinning is required. It really comes down to how you shape the new ankle to fit whatever lower you're using. As long as the new ankle part will fit into the lower "lip" just enough, it should hold.

As for gluing - I placed a drop of glue into the stock boot bottom, so it basically covers around the entire ring of the cavity. When you attach the ankle, the glue should only adhere to the very outer edge on the top of the ankle. You can always add very small amounts of glue to the outside of the new seams. Common sense applies when doing this, of course.
 
Giga Bread

Giga Bread

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Whatever, joint nazi. Stop pushing your culture of self improvement on us.


As for pinning, I think its more of an issue for areas using a larger joint that has more surface contact with its movement as well as a joint that gets more use (arms, lower knees, etc.). As long as the wrist joint isn't real tight, there shouldn't as much pressure
 
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XOC2008

XOC2008

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ARE THESE IN SCALE OR WHAT??

Kidding. Very informative. I might think about doing this to some figs that need rocker ankles.
 
Giga Bread

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I was trying to figure out a way to make a similar joint using 3d parts that use the laser cut flexible material. I'm not going to because I get too much of a kick when you scold people for wanting free keys to your mind and are unwilling to try a method themselves knowing they may or may not fail. Every time you put up a tutorial, I think about how many you've done and yet there are plenty of "mysteries" to your methods that others wished they knew

I'm sure Lewis and Clark felt the same way.
 
G.I.*EDDIE

G.I.*EDDIE

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I'm thinking if what other pieces of a figure could be used to do this so as not to destroy perfectly good articulated wrists...maybe small pegged elbows?

Also, if you double pegged it at both ends, wouldn't you get extra articulation out of keeping the stock ankle side to side movement?
 
XOC2008

XOC2008

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G.I.*EDDIE said:
I'm thinking if what other pieces of a figure could be used to do this so as not to destroy perfectly good articulated wrists...maybe small pegged elbows?

Also, if you double pegged it at both ends, wouldn't you get extra articulation out of keeping the stock ankle side to side movement?
Click to expand...

I was wondering that myself, Eddie.. what about revoltech joints? Would there be any small enough that would work for giving it both the rocker and side to side movement?
 
Mandingo Rex

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G.I.*EDDIE said:
I'm thinking if what other pieces of a figure could be used to do this so as not to destroy perfectly good articulated wrists...maybe small pegged elbows?

Also, if you double pegged it at both ends, wouldn't you get extra articulation out of keeping the stock ankle side to side movement?
Click to expand...

Oh, Eddie and his infamous "double-pegging" requests.

I felt the same way though. Good fix for ankles, but then you waste perfectly articulated good wrists, which to me are more critical (or "crucial"? Can I say "crucial"!?) to a good figure than the rocker ankles.
 
Obi-Shinobi

Obi-Shinobi

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Keep in mind that this is only one method, obviously. You can use factory rockers, or smaller elbows from Joe and MU. and of course, go the route of using a revoltech style joint.

The only reason I used the hands, is because I picked sets that I didn't like to begin with. I'll never use them on a custom as hands, so they're fair game.
 
Mandingo Rex

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True. Sadly, there haven't been enough "new" parts from the POC-forward guys available in enough quantity for me to do much chopping up of them. I can only bear to take a knife to 25th and ROC molds for the time being. :(
 
K-Tiger

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Mandingo Rex said:
True. Sadly, there haven't been enough "new" parts from the POC-forward guys available in enough quantity for me to do much chopping up of them. I can only bear to take a knife to 25th and ROC molds for the time being. :(
Click to expand...

Those wrists should come on every figure going forward.


Anyone that says otherwise hasn't done much gun-fondling.
 
K-Tiger

K-Tiger

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I tried it on my Irish Lady Jaye, and while my incompetence means it's not as good as it could be I fully believe the theory is sound.
 
Giga Bread

Giga Bread

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Since many gloves cover the wrist, I really think a ball joint instead of the hand peg, with a hollowed out glove sleeve "floating" between the forearm and hand would be ideal. I really wish I had more RoC RIA hands as that's the only thing they were good at creating.
 
starwarsgeek

starwarsgeek

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This is a cool idea... never thought of that. But... couldn't you use the ball joint ankle that you cut from the foot instead of 'wasting' a good pair of hands to use the joint? Or is the ankle joint too big?
 
Obi-Shinobi

Obi-Shinobi

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Yes, you could. All of this depends on what you're willing to use, and what you have to use for it.

Any standard hinge joint should work, depending on it's size, etc. Revoltech will obvously work, as I've shown in the other thread. And with different sizes of feet/lower legs, different sized revoltech joints will work for damn near every application - imo.

I would suggest Revoltech joints first and formost, followed by existing joints as optional parts.
 
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