Starpery standing frame (and attachment point on body)

bnf · Post by **bnf** » Fri Oct 21, 2022 8:55 am

Hello

My 156E will soon go into production at Starpery.

I expect that after receiving her, I will quickly order another doll too.

Many of the professional photos I have seen clearly use a stand/frame to support and pose the dolls. (The Zelex/Game Lady Lara Croft photos even show the frame).

Where can I order the frame for dolls?
Do the manufacturers have options for attachment points for the dolls? (I've never seen that option listed on store websites)

Thank you!

Luiskjr · Post by **Luiskjr** » Fri Oct 21, 2022 9:05 am

I believe those frames (or some) use a hole made on her back where they attach a wire cable to the central skeleton.

After they usually fill that hole with TPE and sell

RevJack · Post by **RevJack** » Fri Oct 21, 2022 9:08 am

Coeros sells a doll stand that photographers use. They didn't develop it, but are underselling the doll vendor that did.
It does not require any holes in the doll. The only doll I know of that has a skeleton frame attachment for standing and posing is RealDoll, and that's because they cannot stand on their own.

narasinha · Post by **narasinha** » Fri Oct 21, 2022 10:20 am

Several brands, including Zelex, Sino, Tayu or Gynoid are offering a back hole option to fix a hook. But most manufacturer can add one if you ask them, including Starpery. Check my post here: viewtopic.php?p=2235547#p2235547

Note that a back hook is to help the doll stand. I wouldn't put too much weight on it because that could tear off the nut that is soldered to the skeleton. It can also damage the doll silicone/tpe.

Most of the time, people just stand the doll against something. You can use a prop/strut/pole dance bar if you don't want to sit her on a bar stool for example. Prop/strut are easy to find in hadrware store. They are cheap (compared to other options) and you don't need to drill hole in your ceiling or anything. It's also easy to edit it away from the photos.

: strut.jpg (174.89 KiB) Viewed 526 times

Some shops are selling some kind of "doll stand" (like for toys) to sit the doll over it. But they are pretty ugly if you can't hide it under the doll's clothes and they are way too expensive for what they are: they are just cheap metal lamp base with a weird saddle on top.
Here is my attempt to make one from a metal plate, a table leg, a bicycle seatpost and a bicycle saddle. It's way cheaper, much less visible and you can adjust the height with the pneumatic seatpost:

: stand2.jpg (111.35 KiB) Viewed 526 times

narasinha · Post by **narasinha** » Fri Oct 21, 2022 10:37 am

If you want to hang the doll from the neck or from the back (again, puting her full weight on a back hook is pretty risky) and don't want to drill a hole in your ceiling, the cheapest way is to use a pull up bar.

You can also use a big clothes rack or build a frame yourself using modular metal rails (someone posted about the one he made recently). Another cheap option is to use the frame of a "egg chair" like this:

: 2500517_image_insitu_4s.jpg (59.62 KiB) Viewed 516 times

Personally, I started using this one, from Amazonas, because it has a pretty big base and you can disasemble it to store it.

: amazonas_luna.jpg (34.89 KiB) Viewed 516 times

If you don't mind drilling a hole in a wall, this could be pretty cool:

: amazonas-hanging-chair-stand-wegklappbar-palmera-haengesessel-staender-platzsparend.jpg (92.18 KiB) Viewed 516 times

manfredixon · Post by **manfredixon** » Fri Oct 21, 2022 10:50 am

I use a pull-up bar myself and it's been working great during the years I've used it. Downside is you can't have the head attached while she's hanging, but it's really easy to dress her that way. Highly recommended!

For keeping my dolls standing upright for photography I use some of my filmmaking grip gear; namely a "vari-pole": https://www.thomann.de/gb/gravity_ls_vari_pole_01_b.htm

narasinha · Post by **narasinha** » Fri Oct 21, 2022 10:59 am

I made a setup using the Amazonas Luna stand with a lifting tackle and a heavy duty spring. The tackle has a factor of 7 so when pulling the rope, it's like if a 35Kg doll was weighting only 5Kg. In fact, because of the friction, you can nearly drop the rope and the doll won't fall.

The heavy duty spring let adjust the tension on the rope and the weight that is lifted from the doll. The one I took is fully compressed if there is less than 6Kg on it. The more weight you put on it, the more it will extend. It will reach full length if you put 45Kg or more on it.

Even if not using a back hook, it's very usefull to place the doll into position before leaning her on a strut: If you adjust the tension on the rope to remove most of the weight from the doll, you can easly lift her a little by pushing her up with one hand.