LuAnne and the hand job :)

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 7:29 pm

It seems a few weeks ago LuLu got 3 fingers broken on her right hand. I really did not notice right away until her fingers looked sort of off center. When going to straighten them they felt weird. That's when I noticed when feeling her palm, I felt a bit of sharpness in the middle of it. WIRES!! BUSTED

They were not sticking through, it's why I never really noticed. And of course, the floppy wavy fingers

Anyway.... I've been brainstorming this. Have been reading posts here. From Cinnamonlover and Crazy Cajun. Well done gentlemen!!
I have a couple ideas myself. Nothing much different from their fixes. But just a new "Twist" on it. You'll see in my pics to follow.
She has 3 wires broken in the middle of her palm. The palm plate from what I can tell by touch, feel, is in the wrist. Not in palm.
I've yet to cut open anything. But just passing along my ideas, and get some feedback from the community. I've always told myself "I can fix anything" True most of the time. But I've brought it down a notch to "I can fix ALMOST anything"

Here is what I am working with on this....

lulu-01.jpg

lulu-02.jpg

lulu-03.jpg

This wire is not very thick (phone wire). Her fingers are quite slender. If I put this in the way it is, she will have thick, fat fingers. I'm figuring anyway

If I remove the outer sheathing and twist the 4 individual wires well. it'll be stronger, yet more flexible than original.

lulu-04.jpg

Of course I have to go in there and see how it is exactly made. And take it from there. Really, the floppy fingers do not bother me all that much, but would be nice to fix without destroying her hand all up. I'd have to cut at the wrist. It feels like the wire "hub" / palm plate is there.

I have another "quick" fix.....

lulu-05.jpg

Adding something to bring the wires together would work. But the wires may break where the fix is made. Since I'm going to be cutting into the hand, might as well fix it proper and more permanent.
More will be revealed

Any input or encouragement is greatly appreciated. I will probably get at this next week. will post my progress/damage report

Action comes before motivation

Oh!! and all the white flakes that are around her mouth? I painted her teeth earlier this week with some acrylic paint. I'd not recommend doing that. Esp. if you like kissing your girl

It works. It sticks. I had removed it with baby oil. just some remnants leftover... messy!

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Sun Mar 18, 2018 9:36 pm

LuLu-Tired.jpg

LuLu and her hand are very sore and tired.... poor girl does not care that she is not wearing any pants

Looking forward to getting her little fingers all fixed!

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:00 pm

Successful first half of hand surgery performed.
Surgeon (me) had performed very professional.

It's not that bad of a job.
Found the quality of material used in these fingers very very cheap and thin!!

It is basically a tube with shielded wire crimped into the tube. The shield is an ok idea for the palms, but the wires are a 2 strand, very thin wire.
This setup was not with the removal plate.

Crimped-wire-hub.jpg

I pried open the crimp. and pulled all the wires out. Had to remove the broken wires from the top half of fingers. So I can begin to rebuild her hand. I've not settled yet on what I am going to replace them with. But I think the original phone wire twist is maybe out...

hollowtube.jpg

Not the most durable. The finger wires are not much tougher that 1 strand of telephone wire. This is why I'm re-thinking my replacement.

factory-finger-wires-RIFRANO.jpg

LuAnne was fantastic during the whole surgery today. she came to from the sedative, and is resting her hand. She is in great spirits LOL

out-of-surgery1.jpg

Will continue on....

Mr Franz · Post by **Mr Franz** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 8:17 pm

Poor girl. Get well soon dear.

Metricnut · Post by **Metricnut** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:14 pm

Get well soon LuAnne.

: Flowers.jpeg (8.64 KiB) Viewed 3197 times

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:22 pm

Mr Franz wrote:Poor girl. Get well soon dear.

Thank you. Her new hand has begun to take shape! It's gonna work!

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:25 pm

Metricnut wrote:Get well soon LuAnne.
Flowers.jpeg

Hugs and kisses!! I am so tired, and it takes me so long to type with one hand

Rick has so much patience when it comes to this stuff. I'm happy!!

good night!!
Love!!
LuAnne!!

Post by **Mitchy** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:31 pm

Gawd damn! Lu Anne, Sorry ya hand to go thru that!

Bears real dad has had multiple hand surgeries. Hope you are upgraded and uplifted too!

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:37 pm

Crude as it may look right now... here is what it gonna shape up to...

newfingers.jpg

I will solder several pieces like the one going across the bottom (Oh I better strip some plastic off "em first)

There is room to play. Epoxy it all in. where the sheathing comes out of the tube, I'll wrap some rubber across the sheathing at the wrist.
This is a plan anyway.
Design as we go.
Instructions??? what instructions? (At least the instructions that came with LuAnne were in English)

女孩是值得的

(I hope you took the time to go translate that if you cannot speak/understand Chinese)

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 9:47 pm

Mitchy wrote:Gawd damn! Lu Anne, Sorry ya hand to go thru that! Bears real dad has had multiple hand surgeries. Hope you are upgraded and uplifted too!

Bears Dad many surgeries? Arthritis? Carpal tunnel? Our wrists and hands take a beating all our lives. Mine have. I get sore wrists, carpal tunnel some. Jobs I've had. repetition

LuAnne is gonna do great!!
I'm not sure how good of a plastic surgeon I'll be when it comes time to pretty up the incision.

Post by **Quinn42099** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 11:32 pm

Oh My!!! Get Better!!!

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:30 am

Quinn42099 wrote:Oh My!!! Get Better!!!

It's all gonna be ok. Rick is a slow worker.

He always says, Haste makes waste.
Thank you very much!!
Hugs and kisses!!
LuAnne!!

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:00 pm

Hot Damn.... Maybe I was told about this, but did not understand until seeing it for myself. Funny what you can see when digging a bit deeper.
LuAnne's hand tubing does remove. Her bad hands wrist rotates to thumbs up!!

Her good one does not. This is why I thought maybe something was broken in there. looked deeper..... Her left hand/wrist probably does rotate. Clockwise! or counter which ever way you are facing her

That wrist is very tight and I'm not into forcing. Nothing is broken in there yet.

The tubing is attached to forearm and unscrews....

New-Hand.jpg

Suddenly the job has become easier...

Soldered all the wires at the bottom to help from twisting around.
Used 2oz heavy copper foil and soldered wire to it...

soldered.jpg

Covered the wire with construction adhesive. I like this stuff. It is quite tough!
Inserted into tubing ( I put a mark on the wires so I knew how far to insert) It does go to the bottom of the tubing. I basically sized the new fingers up by the old fingers. when making them (Ballpark)
Crimped it back down. The factory did not put any adhesive on the originals.. no wonder they could get twisted so easily.

PL-Con-adhesive.jpg

Boom!! Just let adhesive set, put her hand back together!! Will have to bend the wires a bit and shape them into finger molds. It'll be a test to see how durable it all is before getting sealed up....

Good job to winterwarbo on his replacement hand!!! cool stuff!!

teddykan1 · Post by **teddykan1** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 5:13 pm

Great job let us know how her hand heals up

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:12 pm

teddykan1 wrote:Great job let us know how her hand heals up

my TPE surgery skills are non existent

More uncharted areas to explore. Must get busy reading how to seal it all up to look clean. Reading is one thing...doing is another. Remaining positive

Thanks!!