# Talking Mask



## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

Hello All, I just received my official Evil Dead II Henrietta mask in the mail today, and my first instinct was to add a moving mouth mechanism so I can have her grunt, "I'll swallow your soul!".

I'll probably use an RC servo since I have a few extras and the means to drive them, but my real question is in regards to the physical jaw/hinge mechanism. I was wondering if anyone out there has any experience with adhering such a mechanism to the inside of a latex (I think) mask. I want to make sure I pick an adhesive that will stick things together, but not melt the mask or cause any accelerated breakdown. I was also thinking of using a few pop rivets then painting over them, still throwing ideas around at this point.

Any insights would be very appreciated!
Thanks, Mike


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## spinman1949 (Jun 29, 2009)

Do a search on the web for gluing to latex. Sounds like rubber contact cement and or super glue can work. 

But one thing I would advise. If you glue anything to the inside of the mask, just glue anchors for your jaw mechanism. You may need to remove the unit for repair or adjustment in the future, so gluing the unit to the mask directly is not a good idea. 

Even Velcro could be an option. You need to basically make an upper and lower jaw that is hinged. It could be made from piano wire or acrylic plastic. If the mask is heavy you may need to place a counter spring to assist the servo.


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## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

Thanks Spinman, that all sounds like great advice. I did quite a bit of looking on Google and I think my first attempt is going to involve "Shoe Goo" adhesive. I love the anchor idea. I often find myself changing designs on the fly, so that will be very helpful. I am thinking that a single solid anchor in the middle of the top and bottom will allow the mask's mouth to make more of a natural "o" at full open, as opposed to a less natural Pac-Man head effect if you know what I mean.

I may also play around with a few alternative motor/solenoid options. I considered using a bike brake mechanism & cable so that I could use a more powerful motor. The biggest motivator for that would probably be that I absolutely cannot stand the screech of a servo while an animatronic character is supposed to be talking. That, and if I use an air cylinder to shake the head up and down, I am going to want something pretty beefy.

I actually copied a portion of the Evil Dead II DVD to my PC last night so I can get to work isolating the classic quotes like, "someone's in my fruit cellar..."

Thanks again for the advice, I appreciate it.
Mike


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## mikkojay (Sep 15, 2014)

Well, I saw one of these on ebay for 13 bucks and could not resist. I ransacked the parts piles for over an hour and decided to "punt" by using an R/C servo for round 1. I have some 425BB's so they won't scream too loud. Anyway, here it is:









I am thinking of a 2/3 foam fill up to the hard palate level, then a separate filler in the chin/jaw, and leave the rubber "cheeks" to flex with the open/close. We'll see how long it takes to show up.
-Mike


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## spinman1949 (Jun 29, 2009)

*Jaw*

Mike,

That is a gripping claw for a robot. The thing about animation is you have to design for the purpose. Think of talking. How fast does your jaw move when you talk. Here is a link to my greeter. The jaw of the skull is mounted on a horizontal shaft that runs right at the jaw joint. The skull is one of those Kmart skulls but the jaw does have some mass. I used a coil spring on the shaft to counter weigh the jaw. Thus the servo only has to overcome momentum, which allows for the fast response of the jaw. It will be interesting to see if the robot claw mechanism will respond quick enough. Please keep us posted.






Tom


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