So you're a HUGE Deadmau5 fan and have been aching to get your hands on one of those sweet Mau5 heads - but NOT one like some of those epic fail's you've seen some people wear... you want a legit head that will be envied by all. Well, I'm here to help. The process is long, it takes a huge amount of determination and patience, but I promise you, in the end, you will have the sikkest Mau5head of any you've ever seen!
Alright, LET'S GO!!!!
Materials:
14” acrylic lamp post globe with 5.5” neckless opening – any color www.superiorlighting.com
6” acrylic lamp globe – white www.superiorlighting.com
4’x8’ Dow blue extruded polystyrene Styrofoam sheet 1/2” thickness
12” fully threaded rods 8/32” diameter (4pcs)
1 ¼” fender washers (4pcs)
8/32” wing nuts
Professional grade ratcheting hard hat
Lighting for eyes, can use LED’s – I use EL wire from www.coolneon.com
2yds fabric – 4 way stretch is best
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Liquid Nails for foam adhesive and applicator gun
Stitch witchery
Clothes steamer
Ball end sewing pins
Dremel with bits for cutting, sanding, and drilling
Jigsaw or open ended hacksaw
Fabric measuring tape
Scissors
Single-edge razor blades
Small jaw clamps
Metal Mesh Food Cover Dome
Nylon tights or sheer chiffon for mouth
Electrical or duct tape
Poster board
Sharpie marker
Safety Glasses
Protective Gloves
Wire cutters
Rubbing Alcohol
Black Spray Paint
Getting Started:
Before you begin building your own Mau5head, there is one thing I cannot stress enough, take a great deal of time in the beginning to PLAN. Not only are the collective materials needed an investment, but to create your head properly, it will also take a lot of time – you want your final product to be worthy of all the blood, sweat, and tears that go into its creation! Find a few reference pictures to work from for inspiration and keep those at your work desk, it will help you to visualize along the way, as the head won’t look like much until it all comes together in the end.
For the most accurate replica, a 14” acrylic globe should be used, however if you are very petite a 13” could be used, or if you’re of a larger build you may consider a 16” globe, but in most cases the 14” will be ideal. My measurements are based off of a 14” diameter globe, if you should use a different size, please keep this in mind and adjust your measurements accordingly.
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Signing UpStep 1: Marking Your Globe
The first step is to mark grid lines on your sphere dividing it into quadrants. DO NOT rely on the little “nipple” opposite the neck opening to determine center, these are often off by a half an inch or more and can throw off your entire layout if used as the midline. Measure 19.25” from the edge of the opening at several places to find the center opposite the neck. Divide your globe into vertical quadrants intersecting at this point. Make a ring of poster board 44” in circumference that will fit perfectly around the globe at its widest point, and use this ring as your guide in drawing the lines. It will help you create a very accurate, crisp line easily. After both lines are drawn completely around the globe, measure from the center point down 11” on all 4 lines to locate the equator midline of your globe. The old phrase, “measure twice, cut once,” applies here as much as it ever could! Before proceeding to the next step, recheck your measurements one last time to make sure they are all equal.
The neck opening should be angled toward the back to both look the best and have the most natural angle when worn. The easiest way to map out the circle for the opening is to create a ring out of your poster board that measures 9” in diameter and place it on the existing opening front. The remainder of the circle will extend slightly up the back of the globe – be sure to check that the ring is equal on either side so that your opening will not be lopsided. Secure with tape, trace around ring with a sharpie, and remove poster board ring.
The mouth opening will rise slightly above the equator line in the center. Mark a dot 5/8” above the equator on the front center line to determine the high point on the mouth. Measure 6 ½” down from this dot to find the lowest point of the bottom lip and mark this point. Now place a dot on the equator line ½” in front of the side line on each side, this will be the outer edges of the mouth. Again, strips of poster board will be incredibly helpful to create even, straight lines. Use tape strips to secure the poster board across the globe starting with the center top point to outer edge points, draw your line with a sharpie. Then, using the same poster board strip, repeat this on the bottom edge from the lower point up to the outer edges. This will create a perfectly curved lower lip, and perfectly straight upper lip.
Don’t worry about marking the ear position yet, we will do that once the ears are built.
The neck opening should be angled toward the back to both look the best and have the most natural angle when worn. The easiest way to map out the circle for the opening is to create a ring out of your poster board that measures 9” in diameter and place it on the existing opening front. The remainder of the circle will extend slightly up the back of the globe – be sure to check that the ring is equal on either side so that your opening will not be lopsided. Secure with tape, trace around ring with a sharpie, and remove poster board ring.
The mouth opening will rise slightly above the equator line in the center. Mark a dot 5/8” above the equator on the front center line to determine the high point on the mouth. Measure 6 ½” down from this dot to find the lowest point of the bottom lip and mark this point. Now place a dot on the equator line ½” in front of the side line on each side, this will be the outer edges of the mouth. Again, strips of poster board will be incredibly helpful to create even, straight lines. Use tape strips to secure the poster board across the globe starting with the center top point to outer edge points, draw your line with a sharpie. Then, using the same poster board strip, repeat this on the bottom edge from the lower point up to the outer edges. This will create a perfectly curved lower lip, and perfectly straight upper lip.
Don’t worry about marking the ear position yet, we will do that once the ears are built.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUqjMk3I_x8
Saw you during Deadmau5's set at Ultra - bling bling bling was clearly visible from the stage, great work man! =D
Been a while since I've posted but I changed the ear template... now it's more accurate and has where the all-thread rods go marked out. When you print this make sure your printer setting aren't set to stretch to printable area... set them to none or no change. Also once this is printed you must take scissors or a straight edge cutter and trim down the inner edges where the four pages meet all the way to the black line so that where the pages meet there is no white beetween the lines. Good Luck Everybody!!!
the new one is the black one. the eyes still light up and there are speakers on the inside
Attached some images, but these albums show them off a lot better in higher res.
http://imgur.com/a/PmuQM
http://imgur.com/a/QG0EV
Go to Print and choose Custom Scale in the scaling options. Set it to 106% and the inside edge of line should be 13" across when you print it out.
Deadmau5 was doing a Halloween show at Petco Park this year, so my plan was to make a halloween inspired mau5head. I love to carve pumpkins every Halloween, but this Halloween would be different. I would be carving a Pumpkinmau5.
You wouldn't believe the "celebrity status" I had that night. I was taking pictures non-stop the whole night with mau5 fans. To really build the Pumpkinmau5 brand, I also created a website and facebook page to promote.
Check out Pumpkinmau5 at http://pumpkinmau5.com or http://facebook.com/pumpkinmau5
It took me a whole month to plan and create this design. And following in your guiding footsteps, I plan to publish some helpful instructions on my blog for other mau5 fans that want to create their own Pumpkinmau5 in the future.
Thanks for helping me create one of the most amazing and unforgettable nights of my life. Major kudos to you!!!
I've posted a public FB gallery of the progress of the costume if anyone is interested. (I don't know how to make a video of the photos for youTube). Please PM me here if you have questions.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100815450841796.2991338.2524468&type=1
I, (like alot of people below) Made a Mau5head for Halloween and got so many looks! and "What is that?" and "Where did you get it??"
Thanks a bunch! Here's mine :D Complete with EL wire lighting around the head!
Also I'm currently working on another and will take pictures soon~!