Building advice

Got a question for any experienced builders out on the forums this morning:

Prim hands.

And now for the specifics. I'm making a prim based avatar but am one part away from completion: the hands. The avi is supposed to be robotic, so the default ones (even if textured right) won't fit the bill. My question is if anyone can lend some advice on how to go about creating/torturing the prims to get a decent looking hand - the palm in specific is giving me the most trouble.

And yes, I know about the invisible prim and tiny avi hand tricks to hid the skin, my troubles are with making the actual object.

Hands are harrrrd. I look forward to seeing the advice you are given.