Darkwing Sculpt Help

Hey guys. So I'm almost done sculpting my Darkwing head in prep for a silicone mold. Ran in to a bit of a snag though...

The armature I built isn't holding up, so the duck bill keeps sagging farther than I'd like it to. Anyone know how I could keep it propped up in position without it ruining the molding process? I was thinking about using a 1/2" wooden dowel cut to the correct length and putting it under his chin and applying the silicone around it. Then once it's starting to set, I can lay the bust down on its back and patch up the hole with more silicone. Will that work you think? Or will the circular patch not stick to the cured/curing silicone...

Before : After gravity took hold :

I dunno. I would probably hack the beak off now, try to reinforce it better and put it back on. You'd probably have to get inside the main part of the head to make it really sturdy though. Your idea sounds easier, but if it sags anyway you'll have wasted a lot of money in silicone.

Oh man! That's a really cool sculpt! Sorry to see it sagging like that! Best way is probably to build a proper armature seing you probably have to resculpt much of it anyways?