Thread: "Great Stuff" question

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I have recently purchased a new mask to go on top of my stalkabout costume. The mask I have on it now is just too small in proportion to the rest of the costume. Right now I am using one of those styrofoam wig heads to fill out the mask. My new mask being bigger than the average head and the wig heads being smaller than the average head just doesn't work at filling out the rubber mask. My thought was I could fill the mask with "Great Stuff". I was wondering if this would get the results I'm looking for. I need something that will be firm enough to drill into for a 1" diameter peg to attach it to the shoulders without it being too heavy. I was also concerned about it filling out the entire mask and not leaving air pockets giving it a lumpy, distorted look. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated. Thanks.

Great Stuff takes a long time to dry when filling large areas and will try to gooze out of the mask as it does. I would use it just to fill in the gaps between the styrofoam form head and the larger mask.

Ive tried a couple this way:

Put a strong garbage bag in the mask, start adding the foam ( go very slowly ) and it will be forced out of the neck as opposed to the eyes/nose. It also prevents a permanent bond to the mask so you could separate it again if it looked goofy. Yeah, as stated above, it takes a long time to dry fully too, so be patient.

My experience has been they(Masks w/ great stuff) want to oval out ( distort ) rather than hold their shape. I had to coax them back into shape while the foam was still pliable, but not wet. Its not the best way to do it but possible. Ive seen the pros keep masks in their original plaster molds when they foam fill to keep the shape as it should be.

Also, Theres a member named Allen H who's been posting the last couple of days. He's an experienced mask guy who would surely give you some tips .

Thanks, the distortion was my main concern. I'll have to keep thinking on this.

I have to agree it distorts too much and takes forever to properly dry. Stuffing around the foam head has worked for me.

I have used old pillow stuffing/filler to fill any voids in past years. It is great way to recycle them old stinky and stained pillow after some use/abuse. You can also use some of the stuffing with monster mud to corpse something while your'e at it! It very versatile uses are endless! Ah the great old cheap pillow... Lol! Hope it works out for ya!

Is the mask airly thick already or is it a thin pull?
You can use duct or masking tape inside of the mask to strengthen it. Run strips both ways and do a few layers maybe three around the inside of the whole mask.
Then get a spray bottle of water (with a mist setting) and some gorilla glue, paint a layer of glue (thin is fine) then spray water with the bottle over the glue and wait a half an hour, It will harden into a hard foam. Do another layer of the glue then water and it should be well supported but not filled. To fill it mix half gorilla glue and water, stir them up really good then pour it in. The already dry foam will force it out of the neck and will keep it from distorting the mask. Because its a chemical reaction as opposed to air dry like great stuff it dries much faster, Whole head about 4 hours.
Or...the easier way is to buy this.
http://www.shop.brickintheyard.com/P...2-Lbs-R5U2.htm
Its the same type of foam as great stuff but a bit more ridgid. and you mix it so its a fast chemical reaction as opposed to air dry. using this just tape over the eyes from the inside and mix and pour in small batches untill its full (it expands alot, and fast so be careful).
I highly urge you to buy the A/B foam, you will have a bit left over for other projects and its a good intro into A/B effect liquids.

Get a bag of sand ($3.99) take your wig head and press it into the damp sand and twist it around to make the impression larger than the wig head. Pack the sand around the head right past where the ears should be. Don't pack it tight just build it up and also do the same around the neck of the wighead.

Take the head out and now you have a mold that should be larger than the wighead. Spray your greatstuff into the mold and as it rises pack the sand around the back of the head and neck to keep it from deforming....but since you need it to be larger let it grow. Give it a hour or so to cure and take it out. Since you only need a shape you can trim it down if it's too large. Maybe this will give you a ideal of what I'm talking about. I used a head I already had and made cast of it using greatstuff in a sand mold and how i use the sand to contain the greatstuff to keep the shape I need.

Im not getting how its bigger than a wig head, and is there a back or do you do both sides then attach them?
this way seems as convoluted as mine and as time intensive.

I dont quite see either, the sand method has to be cast in 2 pieces?

I like the sound of the Gorilla glue and water trick...that could come in handy.