yea see I do get those bulges.  but I also get weird things like that in the elbows, wrists and shoulder joints.    does it make a difference if you scale the hands when they are straight versus when they are posed?  the reason I ask is because when they are posed it doesn't matter how I scale them they become distorted.

I'll try your last trick but that seems very over my head.  I have no clue how to use magnets. I've seen them but I don't know how to use them.  I do know how to use symetry though!  :)