Lflank
Well-Known Member
This is the full-face budget Predator mask I made by modifying the readily-available Rubies deluxe mask.
The original Rubies mask looks like this:
Some pics of the finished modifications:
By itself the Rubies mask is not very good-looking--the plastic dreads look absolutely awful. But with just a little work, it can be modified to look pretty good for people on a budget.
So here's what I added:
The plastic dreads that come with the mask look awful, so the first step is to pull them off and discard them. I made my dreads from foam backer rod, also known as caulking tube. It is found in the hardware store, where it is used to fill cracks in walls before spackling or caulking. I used most of two rolls. Cut the backer rod into the length you want for dreads, cut a pointed end to them, then put them on the mask by making a small slit where you want each dread to be and feeding the end of the backer rod through. If you don't make the slit too big, you won't need to glue it.
Next, the dread beads. I made mine by working up a model from a short peice of pvc pipe and gluing various pieces cut from craft foam, then casting lots of copies in resin. If you don't want to cast your beads, you can make what you need by putting three-dimensional fabric paint onto pvc pipe and painting. The beads slide over the end of each dread, and if sized right (use 1/2 inch pipe for 5/8 inch backer rod) they will stay right where you slide them.
Now, the teeth. I made the smaller teeth on the inner mouth by gluing two sets of Halloween "werewolf teeth" into place. I made the long fangs on the mandibles by modeling one fang in clay and casting four copies in resin. If you don't want to cast, you can mold your fangs in air-dry clay--I've also seen people carve some nice fangs from balsa wood. You'll need to cut small holes in your mask where the fangs go, just big enough, and glue your fangs in.
Finally, the quills. Some people cut their quills from small pieces of craft foam. I made mine by cutting the spines off a "sploosh" ball (pet stores usually have these as dog toys). Glue them where you want them.
And you're done.
Some people cut the eyes out of the mask for better vision. I left mine in because they look pretty good.
The bio mask that comes with the Rubies mask looks pretty good, but is very cheaply made from very thin plastic, so it warps easily, especially in the heat. It should be reinforced with a layer of fiberglass or PVA/cloth on the inside.
The original Rubies mask looks like this:
Some pics of the finished modifications:
By itself the Rubies mask is not very good-looking--the plastic dreads look absolutely awful. But with just a little work, it can be modified to look pretty good for people on a budget.
So here's what I added:
The plastic dreads that come with the mask look awful, so the first step is to pull them off and discard them. I made my dreads from foam backer rod, also known as caulking tube. It is found in the hardware store, where it is used to fill cracks in walls before spackling or caulking. I used most of two rolls. Cut the backer rod into the length you want for dreads, cut a pointed end to them, then put them on the mask by making a small slit where you want each dread to be and feeding the end of the backer rod through. If you don't make the slit too big, you won't need to glue it.
Next, the dread beads. I made mine by working up a model from a short peice of pvc pipe and gluing various pieces cut from craft foam, then casting lots of copies in resin. If you don't want to cast your beads, you can make what you need by putting three-dimensional fabric paint onto pvc pipe and painting. The beads slide over the end of each dread, and if sized right (use 1/2 inch pipe for 5/8 inch backer rod) they will stay right where you slide them.
Now, the teeth. I made the smaller teeth on the inner mouth by gluing two sets of Halloween "werewolf teeth" into place. I made the long fangs on the mandibles by modeling one fang in clay and casting four copies in resin. If you don't want to cast, you can mold your fangs in air-dry clay--I've also seen people carve some nice fangs from balsa wood. You'll need to cut small holes in your mask where the fangs go, just big enough, and glue your fangs in.
Finally, the quills. Some people cut their quills from small pieces of craft foam. I made mine by cutting the spines off a "sploosh" ball (pet stores usually have these as dog toys). Glue them where you want them.
And you're done.
Some people cut the eyes out of the mask for better vision. I left mine in because they look pretty good.
The bio mask that comes with the Rubies mask looks pretty good, but is very cheaply made from very thin plastic, so it warps easily, especially in the heat. It should be reinforced with a layer of fiberglass or PVA/cloth on the inside.
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