some good joint modeling? recent testing method

I’ve finished model i wan’t to animate.
before i commit anything to my main blend file, i’ve been trying different methods of making joints. i haven’t found a tut or something explaining what to assign bone vertex groups. here’s some of the things i’ve been experimenting with. here’s the vert to bone assignments.
http://members.cox.net/pdottz/assign.png

here’s the way it bends. i like the way everything bends, except to use this method for fingers, the knuckles would be to bulgy. anyone know a better way of making the joints, or a proper tut on the the three cut per joint method i see used so much.?
http://members.cox.net/pdottz/bend.png

no wire
http://members.cox.net/pdottz/nowire.png