Sanae and I are restoring our newly adopted girl named Cataleya (aka "Flopsie") from the top down and inside out. Her once beautiful hair was washed and treated with fabric softener, but her hair is so long and tangled it made it difficult to work with. We had been working on her wig for a while, using fingers only to remove as many of the tangles as possible, before using a brush. Sanae suggested that we make a wig stand tall enough to accommodate her long tresses, but short enough to comfortably work in a sitting position while we watched TV. Off to Hobby Lobby I went, and here is what we came up with. Ema wanted to help, too.
- Bott of Base.JPG (686.23 KiB) Viewed 1124 times
First I cut a triangle and a 2-1/2" square out of scrap 3/4" birch plywood, rounded the corners, and laid out for the square, the feet, and the hole in the center. The square was glued to the bottom of the base, and a 1" hole was drilled through both. The square adds extra support for the dowel which will be installed. My assistant Ema holds it for me while I take the photo.
- Top of Base.JPG (1.17 MiB) Viewed 1124 times
Here my ever helpful assistant shows the top of the base.
- Dowel and Feet.JPG (998.84 KiB) Viewed 1124 times
This pic shows the feet and dowel purchased from Hobby Lobby. The feet are wooden drawer pulls which will be screwed to the base. The dowel is 1" diameter x 36" long. The dowel fits perfectly in the bottom of a styrofoam wig head. Ema wanted to show her strength by holding the dowel. I knew those massive forearms could be more useful than to shoot laser beams!
- Base Assembled.JPG (900.13 KiB) Viewed 1124 times
The feet were assembled to the base, and is ready for the dowel to be glued in place. I had to do that, little Ema was unable to work the screwdriver.
- Wig Head and Base.JPG (846.26 KiB) Viewed 1124 times
Here is the assembled base and the $4 wig head that will perch atop the dowel.
- Completed Stand.JPG (1.51 MiB) Viewed 1124 times
The dowel was glued in, and the completed assembly was lightly sanded and sealed by applying a coat of Tru-oil gunstock finish. The wig head fits snugly on the dowel. The long wig can hang freely, and the stand can be rotated to access all sides of the wig, while remaining in a comfortable sitting position. My assistant stands by to hand me the wig spray or detangling brush as needed. Total cost was less than $10 and a little over an hour of labor.
- Emas Stripper Pole.JPG (1.11 MiB) Viewed 1124 times
Now Ema wants to use it as a stripper pole!
I think she's trying to take after our beloved Daria!
