Went to a con in Portland and saw a foam Worgen head that blew my mind

I was at Rose City Comic Con last weekend and this one cosplayer had a full Worgen mask made from EVA foam. It had fur texture carved right into the foam and the jaw could actually open and close with a hidden hinge inside. The maker told me he used a heat gun on low for over 20 minutes just to get the muzzle shape right. I have been trying to figure out how to do moving parts on my own builds for months. Does anyone have a good tutorial for adding a hinge mechanism like that without making the whole thing too heavy to wear?

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karenhenderson20d ago

Actually used to think hinges like that would just make a mask flop around or pull on your face wrong, but seeing one in person changed my mind completely. The guy who made it used a lightweight aluminum hinge and some strong magnets to keep it closed when you werent moving your jaw. He said the trick was to anchor the hinge into a thicker foam core on the back of the head so the weight is spread out. Took a lot of trial and error to get it balanced right, but the end result moved super smooth and didnt sag at all. Your mileage may vary depending on your materials, but if you can find a local foam smith to show you their setup in person it helps a ton.