Halloween: Gluing things to facial hair

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges and creative solutions for attaching decorative items to a real beard for a Halloween costume. Participants share their experiences, techniques, and materials used in this experimental endeavor.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant describes initial attempts using pipe cleaners and spirit gum, noting that while it holds temporarily, the weight causes sagging.
  • Another suggests that spirit gum may not be suitable for the intended adornments and mentions alternatives like krazy glue, which is difficult to remove.
  • Concerns are raised about the weight of the decorations exceeding the adhesive strength of spirit gum, with a suggestion to balance the weight by attaching decorations symmetrically.
  • One participant proposes using adhesive bandages as a potential solution, highlighting the importance of a clean and dry surface for adhesion.
  • Another participant shares their experimentation with a more rigid base structure to support the decorations, indicating progress in their approach.
  • There is a humorous mention of the risks involved if someone attempts to remove the decorations forcefully.
  • A suggestion is made to creatively use rubber snakes by attaching them to a mouth guard or dentures for concealment.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express various techniques and materials, but there is no consensus on the best method for achieving a stable attachment of decorations to facial hair. Multiple competing ideas and approaches remain under discussion.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention limitations related to the effectiveness of different adhesives and the physical properties of the materials used, such as weight distribution and balance, without resolving these issues.

DaveC426913
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Googling the title will get you a million hits on how to glue a fake beard on. I have a real beard and want to glue stuff to it.

My first attempts are not viable. Need suggestions.

OK, here's the concept: "Mandusa"

1571782208325.png
My moustache is about 1" long and my beard is only about 3/4".

I started with pipe cleaners and spirit gum. I bent the attachment ends into a little platform to help resist torque, and giving me at least 1.5 linear inches of surface contact. I jam it up under my moustache/beard to get maximum grip on skin and hair. It holds for a while, but starts to sag quickly because the weight is off-balance and pulls at the gum.

Wife helpfully bought me a fake beard but, in my opinion, that kind of defeats the purpose.

(I do have tiny rubber snakes, which I may try, but the pip cleaners can be shaped better. The rubber snakes will just hang down, unless I prop them up with the pipe cleaners. But this is a secondary issue. It won't matter if I can't good adhesion.)

I am loathe to try cyanoacrylate.

Suggestions?
 
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DaveC426913 said:
Googling the title will get you a million hits on how to glue a fake beard on. I have a real beard and want to glue stuff to it.

My first attempts are not viable. Need suggestions.

OK, here's the concept: "Mandusa"

View attachment 251673My moustache is about 1" long and my beard is only about 3/4".

I started with pipe cleaners and spirit gum. I bent the attachment ends into a little platform to help resist torque, and giving me at least 1.5 linear inches of surface contact. I jam it up under my moustache/beard to get maximum grip on skin and hair. It holds for a while, but starts to sag quickly because the weight is off-balance and pulls at the gum.

Wife helpfully bought me a fake beard but, in my opinion, that kind of defeats the purpose.

(I do have tiny rubber snakes, which I may try, but the pip cleaners can be shaped better. The rubber snakes will just hang down, unless I prop them up with the pipe cleaners. But this is a secondary issue. It won't matter if I can't good adhesion.)

I am loathe to try cyanoacrylate.

Suggestions?
Spirit gum is fine for attaching more hair, but not for the adornments you're envisioning -- krazy glue would probably work, but it's hard to remove -- the normal solvent for releasing artificial fingernails is acetone, but it requires a few minutes to work -- the quick release mini dip jars contain MEK, a substance no sensible person would want near his face -- maybe, with wire to support the decorations, you could have a person who does eyebrow threading tie them on for you.
 
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DaveC426913 said:
It holds for a while, but starts to sag quickly because the weight is off-balance and pulls at the gum.
If that is really the cause of failure, balance the weight! Join two pipe cleaners end-to-end and attach symmetrically about the CG.

I suspect, however, that the weight is too much for the available adhesion/cohesion of the spirit gum. You may have better results by cutting up an adhesive bandage. Maybe even harvesting the adhesive on them. Some of them will remove the top layer of skin at attempted removal! IIRC, Ethyl Alcohol is a solvent.

And of course as in any glue project, clean & dry is a prerequisite.

Please update about your progress (or lack thereof).

Cheers,
Tom

Addendum: make some lightweight pipe cleaners from yarn and 30Ga. wire-wrap wire. Or just starch some yarn.
 
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Tom.G said:
If that is really the cause of failure, balance the weight! Join two pipe cleaners end-to-end and attach symmetrically about the CG.
Picture a handlebar mustache, but with the ends sticking forward farther than my nose.
The attachment line is laterally along my upper lip. But the torque is parallel to that line, so the whole thing tips forward. Only way to balance it around the CG is to have wires inside my skull. o0)
 
I'm experimenting with a more rigid base structure that goes across the upper lip, then down my "chops" to my chin in an upsidedown "U".

I'm using white and grey pipe cleaners, so it's practically invisible!
 
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OK. I think I got it.

I'm holding with my lip because I can't glue it on yet; the spirit gum will mangle it. But it seemed to work on my prototypes.

I hope no joker tries to rip it off, or I'll end up in the hospital for lipular reconstruction.

MANdusa.jpg
 
Nice snakes!

Stick them into a mouth guard or glue them to dentures (if you have them).
Their entrance into your month will be hidden by your mostash.