Constructing a Hobby Animal
Before making any decisions about what beast to make you should assess your available ways, means and sources of supply. I shall expand this in detail because I have found most people to be open, honest and un-devious and they therefore often overlook possibilities for easing their paths and for saving money.
Ideally you would have access to:
Artistic and Designing skills.
Engineering, Mechanical and Technical skills to contrive and make structures and mechanical devices.
Skill in working materials - sculpting, modelling, fibreglass.
Skill in working fabrics - dressmaking, tailoring, etc.
You should find out what services you can command. e.g.
Woodworking machinery - band-saw, router, sander, plane, lathe.
Metal-working machinery for cutting, working and bending sheet and tube. Gas-, arc- and spot-welding. Thread-cutting. Turning.
Finishing - Sand-blasting, spray-painting, electroplating.
Fabric-working - Versatile sewing machine, industrial stitcher.
Discover what materials you can get on advantageous terms
Timber, including heavy dowel and special woods
Metal, tube, sheet, bar, non-ferrous, nuts, bolts, screws.
Other, Fibreglass, plaster, latex, glue, paint
Fabric, Cloth, tape, Velcro, zips, ribbon, rags.
At this point you should interrogate every member of your team, including yourself, to find what each can do, get done, or scrounge from their work, family, friends or neighbours. Do not accept a quick answer - get everyone to really THINK about it. If necessary, run through my lists with them.
Having acquired this information, do not be shy about using people for the maximum advantage of your team. (And ensure that, if their help was legal, they get public credit and thanks) Note-: You do not only thank people for this time, but for the next!
Ideally the design and production should be in the hands of as few people as possible. [Unless, that is, you really want a camel!] Overall control must he given to one person, and one person only.