Godzilla Mask literally melting down! Help!!!

[gforever]

Well 8 years ago at G-FEST 2000, I picked up this awesome Burning Godzilla mask which is made out of rubber. Well, just like the rubber suits, the mask started decaying about 2 years ago. I did some online searching and asked some art stores and they said the best way to preserve the rubber would be to seal it with a sealant. Now I did the exterior of the mask but didn't think to do the insides.... But I did fill the mask with tissue paper preventing the rubber from contacting itself and kept the mask in an plastic bag to prevent it from oxidizing but the other day I saw it and it didn't look like it was doing that well. So I started to add some more sealant in the inside and not sure if it's helping or making it worse..... Here are some pics. The thing is melting away just like the movie.... I don't know if there's anyone/place out there that I can send the mask to have it repaired...... Kaijuzoo maybe?

[sachiel]

Wow. I'm at a loss for words after seeing those photos you took. I personally think even Kaijuzoo would have a hard time repairing that for you.

The rubber is literally cracking up in mutliple places. Not just in one or two locations but all over the mask. And those large gashes or rips seem pretty horrible.

Hope you didn't spend too much on this. This mask must have looked magnificient when you first bought it. I can see that transluscent orange layer on the face.

I think this is a lost cause though overall. Too much damage. You'd have to replace sections of the rubber and seal a lot of those tiny tiny cracks too.

[KaijuZoo]

[gforever]

[KaijuZoo]

Many different chemical products have a flexible property, these include natural and synthetic rubber, latex and types of vinyls. Many of these products can be affected by oxidization, just think of older tires on classic cars with all the highline cracks in them. Nowadays, antioxidants are added to stave off such deteriorization but of course that doesn't apply to everything. I remember a Halloween mask I had as a kid, ... and found it forgotten and melted in a storage cabinet many years later.

[Dragonstorm]

[Matango]

It's very unusual for latex to degrade this dramaticaly in such a short period of time. It appears to be very thinly poured, which may be part of the problem. Has the mask gone gooey ? or is it brittle ? Either way the only thing you might consider doing at this point is foam filling it. Not exactly the easiest thing to do and it will render the mask unwearable but you will at least be able to save what's left off it. There will need to be some extensive restoration work to fix the cracks, rips and holes.
It can be done but will be time consuming and labor intensive.

[gforever]

[Legion]

[Matango]

[gforever]

[Legion]

[Matango]