The head was constructed as a wire framework to establish the shape. A layer of plastic canvas was then applied to finish to form. Foam shaping, fur, and facial features were then attached.
I used about five lengths of 3/16" brass wire and a baseball cap to form the shaped structure of the head. The construction began by trimming the bill from the baseball cap (which was selected for comfort). Wires running along the pronounced countour lines were then roughly shaped; once approximately the correct length and shape, they were attached to the hat at contact points. The wires were held down first by nylon thread, and the areas were then sealed down with generous amounts of hot glue; in order to get a decent glue joint, the surface of the wire was scored with sandpaper at all of these areas.
Joints between wires were covered in hot glue and then pressed between pieces of black felt. (That explains the black shapes seen in the first picture.) Since the wires were heavily scored in preparation, these joints are fairly strong. Since there are a number of joints at different angles, they reinforce each other, creating a decently strong frame.
The beginnings of the wire framework for the rat head
The wire down the front, which forms the vertical profile of the snout, rests on the bridge of my nose. To make wearing the mask more comfortable, small pieces of sheeted closed-cell foam, later used to make the ears, were sandwiched around the wire where it contacted my forehead and nose. (That explains the odd pink shape in the photos.)
The jaw was the last piece of the head structure to be created. The jaw is shaped like a real mandible, with eyelet rings as hinges. Around the front of the snout, black felt was glued around the wires; these pieces became the lips. Around the wire structure, plastic canvas was attached. This provided a continuous smooth surface to which fur could be easily applied. The plastic canvas is attached to the wire frame via sewing and gluing. Be careful when using hot glue on plastic canvas, as the high-temperature glue guns are hot enough to also melt the plastic canvas!
Plastic canvas was used to create a surface on the wire framework
The nose is made from a small piece of leather. I held it folded in the proper shape and applied hot glue to the inside, to hold it rigid in that position. I didn't use much glue, only at the corners.
The ears were made from sheeted close-cell foam. It's a product called "Fun Foam" (see sidebar). It is inexpensive and easy-to-use. Not only did I use it for the ears, but also for the incisors.
