Help with a custom wooden mannequin?

Hello, I apologize if this isn't the right place for this question, I'm not really sure where is!

I bought a plastic 3D printed puppet kit (head and a neck mount with two small holes on either side) to make a replica mannequin. I'll be using a 20" wooden art mannequin as just the body, so I have to remove the wooden mannequin's head. However my problem is I'm at a loss on what part I need to super glue into the small neck mount holes to hold the heavy vertical spring inside of the mannequin in place. I was told a spring bar or a finishing nail will work, but I'm finding it a challenge to find anywhere that sells the size (3mm?) I need, I also am worried that because of the thinness of a finishing nail it will snap once I release the heavy spring onto it.

Does anyone familiar with using wooden art mannequins to build dolls have any suggestions? If you need pictures of the neck mount I will post them.

Thanks in advance to anyone with suggestions!

Submitted March 04, 2019 at 07:37PM by ILikeAliensAndJazz https://ift.tt/2HkYWEr