Dinosaur Skull for less than $10 - Bringing a Dream to Life

I made a scale Allosaurus skull from scratch using cheap supplies from the hardware store and I'm attempting to show you the process. While this isn't the first upload to the channel, it was the project that inspired me to create one and I'm excited to finally show you the end result. I struggled with many aspects of the actual creation of the project, learning to edit a video, and learning audio. I have a ton of improvements I want to make for the next upload and I appreciate your feedback.
Here's the skull I actually used (I think the inaccuracy I mentioned is partially user error on my part after further review):
www.thingiverse.com/thing:296...
Here is another model that does seem a bit cleaner and has teeth:
sketchfab.com/3d-models/allos...

[@probablyaxenomorph5375]

All the materials were less than $10, but the real cost was this guy's sanity 😅 Seriously though, amazing work!

[@OspreyKnight]

Thats art for you :D

[@evahxh]

"dont let the perfect be the enemy of the good" life changing quote right there this turned out incredible! definitely considering doing this now :)

[@hellboy7424]

I'm not a paleontologist...but I'm a professional sculptor and I can say that you have done a great job. Also that the problems you have had are an absolutely normal part of the profession. Each project is totally different. Congratulations and cordial greetings from Spain.

[@makermeditations]

Thanks for lending some of your expertise! It's been really awesome to hear from all types of professions sharing some of their tips and tricks. Much appreciated!

[@nozyspy4967]

A few tips which I hope are helpful: You can use Gorilla glue to stick the foam together. I have used that for making wargames terrain with foam (at least the stuff you stick in the caulk gun), it has a super strong bond. You can also water down the wall filler, or at least I know you can do this with a product like Polyfilla. You could also try using a product like Sculptamold, which is plaster powder mixed with paper fibers. 14:06 You could try mixing paint with matte Modpodge and brushing it on, again another terrain making trick. That provides a hard surface which protects the foam underneath if you want to spray it afterwards! Also this is awesome and would love to try making one myself!

[@makermeditations]

These are very helpful tips. It seems this project has a lot of overlap with some tabletop and cosplay techniques that I never knew about and the tabletop community has run into a lot of these issues before. Thanks for taking the time to share some knowledge, it's always appreciated!

[@TrionAlpha]

The gorilla glue thing works really well but it can displace whatever you’re sticking together as it expands when it cures so you may need to weigh or clamp your piece down.

[@nozyspy4967]

@@TrionAlpha I think it depends what type you use. I used the stuff in the cartridge that goes in a caulk gun and didn't get any expansion from what I remember. Grabs extremely well too.

[@TrionAlpha]

@@nozyspy4967 that would make sense. I’ve only used the stuff in the bottle and that definitely expands similar to insulation foam spray.

[@damonroberts7372]

Plain old PVA glue for wood work will give an excellent bond on polystyrene or construction-grade foam - I like Weldbond, and have used it on many an art project. Dressmaker pins work well for temporarily "tacking" the pieces in place while the glue sets up.

[@dshbwlto1]

This is unironically one of the best foam prop tutorials on the platform. Great job! Also this process can definitely be used to make a whole skeleton... ideas

[@makermeditations]

Thanks! Seems like the full skeleton is definitely something people want to see. I'll have to make some efficiency gains but I'm piecing it together in the back of my mind so to speak. No promises :P

[@ElMoppo1]

I like how the topcoat actually added to the weathered effect by melting the foam.

[@Geeksmithing]

same!

[@doreenwatson-read]

me too, to think the holes it created were realistic against the bone fragment you showed on screen.

[@mistingwolf]

Honestly? I would pay you to make a utahraptor skull for me. I don't have the time to be crafty like this. Your allosaurus skull came out amazing!

[@cat_loving_g4mer841]

Exact same but for a baryonyx skull I love that dinosaur sm lol

[@tonyennis1787]

You can't afford to pay this guy by the hour.

[@mistingwolf]

@@tonyennis1787 Maybe, maybe not.

[@Britonmarie]

……. Utahraptor costume

[@Appophust]

​@@tonyennis1787you've obviously never seen the amount of money furries spend on fursuits. It would curdle your soul. 🤑

[@whatslucasup2]

This was great, I am inspired.

[@Pufferfish-1]

That's pretty impressive even compared to museum quality replicas. It would be cool to see a lower jaw or a fully articulated skeleton! Great video though! I look forward to seeing what comes next

[@makermeditations]

Thank you, that's very kind

[@Mr.Smidge]

i love how honest this video is

[@BillyBob-sm3ku]

Underrated work! Keep up the work man!

[@makermeditations]

Your comment is doing some heavy lifting. Thanks, brother

[@BillyBob-sm3ku]

@@makermeditations gotta show love for an awesome creator

[@farthead4817]

you just awakened my inner child

[@jakemarcus9999]

I absolutely love this video. It’s so inspiring to see a total amateur doing something like this and actually showing how painful and complicated things can get but still just keep doing and learning and eventually achieving something amazing 😍

[@craftcastproductions]

barge cement is made for shoe construction and repair, but cosplayers use it for foam armor all of the time. it sands pretty well, but no adhesive will be perfect.

[@Kodiak-pn7dm]

This popped into my feed randomly, and I'm subscribing! I love your voice // voiceovers and the way you take all the downsides in stride, a true "trust the process"

[@makermeditations]

Thanks! I actually really struggled with the audio so the next ones should be better. Welcome!

[@BenjamintheTortoise]

Same here!!

[@FunbobbyJ]

In some cases it's actually the solvent mediums in aerosol spray products that is melting the foam, so you can try spraying from much farther away which gives the solvents time to evaporate before landing. I've done it with spray paint before and it worked pretty well.

[@DustyQatun]

Perfect, came down to the comments to say this

[@troublewithweebles]

My favorite "glue" is Great Stuff expanding foam. Pin your pieces together so the foam doesnt expand and push your parts apart, but you can also re-fill holes and gaps with the great stuff, and razor off any flashing.

[@markkane3739]

I did similar with a CNC machine and a T-Rex skull. It took nearly a year to do and required a massive amount of hand finishing - I ended up only doing half the skull and mounting it on a mirror on the wall so that the mirror would give it a "depth" feeling. Great job dude - sometimes we can only get the things we love by doing the long yards!

[@sabaqumurasaki7513]

It’s been such a long time since the last time I just sat down and watched a video, start to finish focused on only doing that. I take that as an indicator that I really like watching you do whatever you do. So please keep doing stuff!

[@chloesibilla8199]

It only took 10$.....and a week of labor.... and a ton of specialized expertise honed to perfection!

[@Sheevlord]

In my experience normal PVA glue can hold foam sheets together just fine. It does take a while to dry, so there's that. There's also a special glue (which smells like chalk, and looks like drywall filler paste) for attaching foam decorative elements to the ceiling (forgot what it's called), which should work even better

[@xINVISIGOTHx]

when i used to use an airbrush, sometimes i'd turn up the PSI on purpose, like 60 or even 75. Sometimes it just looks better or works better for your project

[@makermeditations]

I mean it kinda makes sense to aerosolize the paint a little more in theory but it's good to hear from someone with experience. Often the best way to do things is just the way that works. Thanks for chiming in on that

[@paulmarsh9663]

A top tip for getting rid of the stringy hot glue strands. Use a heat gun and they’ll evaporate into thin air

[@RossieKgan]

Oh man - thats a lot of work. Thank you for finishing and bringing the video to us!

[@KitsuneShika]

You're amazing!! I'm so glad you started filming this, it was an absolute joy to watch. Thank you!

[@CIONAODMcGRATH]

I really LOVE the use of an existing 3D file without a printer and the fact that it works for larger 3D objects is actually a bonus. Great project with a hack that I will use on puppet builds for sure. Thanks!

[@JZStudiosonline]

It's important to note that there's different weights of this foam with different density and strengths. A higher weight foam will sand smoother.

[@rickredmanwallart1766]

Love this - mostly because this clearly makes you happy and you managed to put in the hours to complete it. We should all prioritise this sort of productivity. Looks so good as well.

[@niaasbill511]

man this was awesome! can't believe its your first big video, the editing felt so natural. hope to see more vids from you!!

[@Brakzillaa]

End results speak for itself! One thing i would have done, as some cosplayers do, would have been to print the templates of your cut outs in the scale that you wanted, cut, and then just transfer that onto the foam; opposed to the printed screen shots and grid lining. lol as far as glueing foam goes, its best to glue foam with foam. Spray foam, and lay your part over. That way there will be no hinder in sanding. Halloween industry for large prop making and car custom bodies do this way.

[@xingcat]

This is a great project! Foam clay (cosplayers use it a lot) is great for detail work like the teeth, because it air dries, and with something light like your foam skull, it might match the weight and feel a bit better. Plus, you can stick it to many surfaces before it dries, and it stays in place really well.

[@hellinahandbaschetwith4cats]

This looks amazing, the sheer dedication is incredible

[@todheath1]

Your sense of humor gives me hope for humanity. Well done, sir. Great project.

[@beluandi]

This is incredible work! The amount of trial and error and just problem solving made the piece even more worthwhile in the end. It was great to see the process and the final result is literally jaw dropping. Allo's are my favorite dinosaur so I may also be biased. The whole video is so well done, thanks for taking us along for the journey!

[@fifis101]

What a painful process but good on you for persevering because the final product looks amazing! Well done!!

[@aquadragondavanin6745]

as someone who loves these kinds of projects but has no idea where to get started, this is really cool to see. (also i love dinosaurs) So thanks for filming and for showing us it's okay to make mistakes!

[@FirstStrikeJAS]

dude i hope you keep making videos, you have a great personality for youtube and this was a great video

[@yotamgosh]

I think you're doing a great job filming, editing, and DIYing your way here. I love the honest representation of the windy and error full way to creating something truly cool and wonderful. If you enjoy it - I hope you keep making videos. I'm always looking for more imperfect creators. Either way, I'm subscribing

[@godshounds]

this was great, i hope you share more of your work!

[@kerstin4516]

Absolutely love it. Thank you for sharing the fails. You must be a very patient person

[@lickthismiff]

"When your only tool is a hammer, every problem is a nail" - I didn't think I'd ever take life advice from a youtube video but I'm gonna live by that from now on. Great work on the skull! The wonderful about organic, especially old organic materials is they can be wobbly and bumpy and weird, because that's what nature looks like. Anything that goes wrong is just character!

[@CrimsonMerchant155]

You can seal the foam before gluing it can help to stop the foam from dissolving while gluing and painting you can use pva glue or plasti dip as it is a spray

[@bryonstump8115]

I did a vaguely similar project a few years back. I do fairly elaborate Halloween displays and one year I did Jurassic Yard. One of my features was a 13 ft. Tyrannosaurus skeleton. I spent most of the winter before carving that thing out of insulation foam in my garage. Not anywhere as detailed as your skull. I bought a T-Rex model and used the individual pieces for reference. Your video brought back memories, some good some bad! Great job!

[@makermeditations]

Man, this sounds amazing! Having kids and parents comment on the props is the best. Halloween is such a fun time

[@G33X]

Part of why the spray adhesives and clearcoats eat into the foam could be because acetone melts polystyrene, which this foam seems to be made of. A Polyurethane foam doesn't have the same problem, and comes in different densities for holding details. As for the spongy stippling surface in bones, those often occupy areas where more muscle attachments occur. Normally when we paint casts of Allosaurus skulls, we use a black base coat (fossils in the morrison formation tend to be this color) and build up a bit of color with browns. Teeth also fossilize a bit differently and have a glossy sheen compared to the rest of the skull (enamel doesn't fossilize the same way, but it turns black)

[@makermeditations]

There is a lot of useful info in you comment and it's clear you have some real experience. If I do this again I'll probably upgrade to higher density urethane foam and something like bondo for the outside, though the budget for that would be considerably higher. Thanks for lending some expertise, it's much appreciated.

[@G33X]

@@makermeditations for sure! We use a lot of bondo in our fossil restoration process, too. I think some other shops use plaster for sculpting every now and then, but bondo cures faster and tends to be a lot more durable

[@crisrose9707]

As an actual fossil technician whose main job it was to clean and repair dinosaur teeth, yours are surprisingly accurate but for all the wrong reasons XD A lot of dino teeth have breaks in them as they can be pretty fragile and where the outer layer of the tooth cracks you get chips and scratches like your "dino battle damage". Actual wear of the teeth would come in the form of very smooth flat spots just where one tooth was rubbing against the other and the general surface texture is a lot like our fingernails - smooth but with ridges!

[@makermeditations]

This is so insightful, thanks for leaning in. I'm so surprised by the amount of people that are able to lend knowledge from actual experience in the field. The number of people that handled real fossils commenting here embarrasses me frankly but I'm so happy to have the advice.

[@crisrose9707]

@@makermeditations No problem at all! It's really interesting stuff and yours are impressively accurate to real teeth you might dig up or buy :D A lot of times they break in half and are poorly glued together on the dig site leading to big cracks and misalignments or they break in your hands while cleaning, almost like popping the cap off a sharpie - so the break line is much less noticeable as you're able to glue it gently and properly. The only dino damage I saw teeth wise was the occasional big tooth mark in a bone somewhere where something chomped down on something else!

[@kzookid2051]

Great video. I like how at the end you give some suggestions on personalizing the skull. How-to videos are always better when they show the maker's mistakes and how they got fixed. I've watched your entire channel now, and really looking forward to seeing your feature content. Keep up the momentum!

[@makermeditations]

Thanks! It's good to know that people appreciate the process and not just the end result. More to come soon and I appreciate the feedback!

[@iwaswondering447]

Heck yeah!!! That’s super cool!!!!! Loved seeing your process!!!!!!

[@kenallison9119]

Looks pretty good to me! I love some of your humorous descriptions.

[@bad_blood_studios]

This is awesome. Would love to see more of these videos in the future. Keep them coming bro!

[@ExpelledMystery]

That's impressive, dedication is incredible

[@ZazaZiIIa]

if im honest, i love dinosaurs. my favorite dinosaur is a spinodaurus, and seeing a skull of it would be awesome

[@timothyking8650]

That looks fantastic, well done.

[@fratersanguinous9243]

Brother I've got three words for you Foam Safe Superglue. Also is you add the smallest amount of dish soap to your washes it helps break the surface tension of the water and the wash flows into the details a lot better. Awesome build man, the end product is stellar.

[@makermeditations]

Hey, that's a good tip. Thanks!

[@thomilo44]

I feel lucky to have been recommended this. Good video!

[@Wendetta]

Please make more of these videos! I love your idea of making fossils by your self

[@ThePepsiCrusader]

Great video man.super suprised its your first!

[@discoj7112]

This is so cool! And I love your sense of humor and approach to the happy little accidents.

[@bluemantisvapes211]

Realy entertaining en well made video loving the final project id love too see more!

[@ejmg1528]

through watching this video i was so surprised when it got to the bit you said it was your first video! the editing, narration, and touches of humor gave the impression that this was made by a long time creator who already had their audience. i came here from the kitty chair video and got the same impression!

[@makermeditations]

Thanks! I still have so many things that I want to improve but the I really appreciate the feedback! See you soon

[@tamagothchic]

Love this! I was terrified when you didn't mention sealing the foam when so many products can melt and evaporate it, but glad it all worked out. It looks good, especially for a first try!

[@70tdc12s]

Plus, absolutely amazing

[@Thegirl1281]

Damn you are so charming and inspiring!! Thank you for sharing not only the ups but also the downs of such a project! Definetly keep putting out videos, you're such a precious add-on for the whole crafty community on youtube 😊

[@makermeditations]

That's too kind, thank you!

[@Ryuusei924]

such a great construction method! this also seems super helpful for intricate cosplay armor. thank you for sharing cost-effective alternatives like this

[@SumNumber]

So you physically did what an MRI scan does . Cool idea ! The result looks great. Thanks for the share. :O)

[@znzp250]

Man this video rocks! Hilarious narration i loved the ups and downs and super informative, the project turned out amazing man 👌

[@skinksalinger2306]

so glad to have found your channel! You're entertaining to watch andthe video was incredibly informative. Can't wait to see your channel grow with time. Keep up the great work

[@spork861]

What you can use to glue the foam together is gorilla glue, you just need to take extra care to weigh the 2 layers together, like place heavy flat things on top of the 2 foam layers so that they're pressed together as the gorilla glue cures. The gorilla glue expands, so it'll force the pieces apart if not pressed together. And I recommend duct taping the pieces together on the sides as well to decrease risk of it shifting sideways. Because if there's weight on top, but it tries to expand, it'll possibly push the pieces sideways, because it's similar to air hockey where the only way the forces can move to cause sideways movement. It takes like 40 minutes to cure for the most part, but you can also just leave it like an hour and a half to be extra sure. That glue doesn't destroy foam, I had to use it for one of the most sensitive foams there is for a project. And it'll sort of sand off since it becomes hard and not rubbery. I would advise to scuff up the surfaces first though, maybe add some mini slices/scratches into the 2 surfaces before gluing, just to ensure it has EVEN BETTER grip than just on flat.

[@makermeditations]

Good tips, thank you! A couple of other people have suggested gorilla glue but no one mentioned the sideways movement when you constrict the vertical. Seems like experience speaking

[@spork861]

@@makermeditations Yup, I tried gorilla gluing 2 big foam pieces together once, and I had them pre-cut to the shape I wanted. I put some books on top to make sure they'd stay together. Then I come back after an hour just to see that it shifted to the side and were permanently bonded, and I had to start from scratch. I found out that duct tape helps quite a lot, so on top of stacking heavy things on top of the gluing objects I also tightly duct tape the sides, but if you can somehow add more restrictions that's even better, like heavy objects on the sides (obviously it depends on the foam you use since you're going to want to avoid the tape ripping away foam layers/chunks after removing).

[@ashcartoa6143]

That is so damn cool, and I love how realistic it looks. That is so easily recognizable as an Allosaurus skull, and if I ever get the chance, I am 100% making one of these. Very very well done. Also with the first time video, I would never have guessed that if you hadn't told me that.

[@Bamamarama]

Nice work the finished product looks great.

[@tonyennis1787]

10:00 get you some gloves. Then hold the teeth by the sockets, and paint them individually. An airbrush is not a rattlecan. But after 66m years in the ground, you can brush-paint the teeth.

[@philipsab.mp4]

broooo a kintsugi style would be dope. you know, the japanese concept of adding gold to the cracks to fix an item. anyways amazing job and would love to see a spinosaur next time

[@makermeditations]

Right? Kintsugi would be near the top of the list of other finishes to try. Thanks and noted on the Spinosaurus!

[@funeralgothatoo5814]

Thanks so much for this video. So inspirational. Such a perfect mix of computer technology and hands on creativity!

[@TomTasker]

looks really good dude! great job!

[@gabrielezelli6129]

Dude, when I clicked I could've sworn you had at least 100k subs, super video, super interesting, can't wait for more! Great job!!

[@levijatan]

A little tip use some more colours than tan and browns to give it that extra depth. I made a sheep horn replica and used alot of deep purples, bright yellows and some reds underneath the browns and tans to create more depth and variance. But yeah great work it looks realy nice.

[@NotOnLand]

So you effectively did manually what a 3D printer does on a larger scale, interesting. For adhesive I would suggest foam-safe super glue (normal super glue will melt the foam). It's a bit pricey but from what I've heard it doesn't inhibit carving much.

[@makermeditations]

Haha, you're not wrong. A CNC machine could crank these things out much better as well. I haven't seen foam-safe super glue before so I'll have to look into that. Thanks for the heads up!

[@Charja02]

I want to do this so badly now! Thank you so much for making this video.

[@animated387]

omg, this makes me so excited! I need a hobby that isn't drawing this year and almost all modelling vids I've seen require so much equipment and cash, this is so innovative and encouraging, thank you! If I do get to try this I think I will use pine wood instead to give it a cool look and be a little sturdier (plus I already have enough wood)

[@makermeditations]

Love to hear it, you got this!

[@Dimetropteryx]

Fantastic work. Seriously.

[@Midir__Cutie]

I saw the "rocking around" joke coming from a mile away but it still got a chuckle out of me 😅

[@jellyforjelly4609]

Your video was so good I created an account on KZbin to let you know. I found it very wholesome to watch someone work on something they are passionate it about. Looking forward to more videos!

[@makermeditations]

That's so kind of you! I really appreciate the gesture and the feedback. Welcome aboard and I'll see you soon!

[@PabloLopez-yb4qq]

Mark my words, if my man keeps it up, he's gonna go places 🙏

[@Isuna_arts]

Just amazing! Can't wait to see more videos from you :D

[@gexenterthegecko252]

dude i vcant believe youre not like a professional youtuber this is great keep at it

[@SquiddyKy]

Found your channel through the video for your cat, and subscribed because I love watching a guy go out of his way to make problems for himself! Keep up the great work😄

[@makermeditations]

Thanks! More is on the way!

[@Atrobro]

I learned a lot of new techniques from this!! and I appreciate seeing the mistakes you made along the way so I can hopefully avoid them myself

[@hiboularue]

I am so glad to stumble across this video. Your dedication to this project was palpable, as I could name countless moments where I would have just thrown in the towel. A shocking end result from such simple materials ! I hope I can see more such cool things from you in the future. I am not sure what sort of project I could suggest for you to apply your expertise to. Bravo, bien joué !

[@gbbaker3820]

I really enjoyed the narration I’ve done a fair amount of the processes in this for tabletop terrain for gaming but the fusion 360 slicing was something I would have never thought of before.

[@makermeditations]

I could see this working for tabletop terrain for sure. Horizontal or vertical slices could be cool (vertical easier for overhangs or tall terrain). Its just a sketch of a bunch of lines that get negatively extruded through the model. Good thinking, also thanks!

[@Kyle_Spivis]

Wow first video what a banger, you are a natural please make more!

[@foxliasgriffinYT]

wait only 144 subs?? THIS IS AMAZING, your editing and all is great, i love it!!! hope your channel grows fast

[@awogbob]

Great first video you nailed it man

[@piinjja5802]

I really should thank the KZbin algorithm for bestowing upon me this great channel haha 😆 I saw the cat counter video you made and enjoyed it so much I clicked on your channel to see more, and I was honestly so surprised when there was only three videos! I was convinced that you would have a channel full of great videos like that one. I really like the easy going feel of your videos, the subtle humor and the fact that you really show the trial and error process that goes into making this stuff. I really hope to see more of your videos in the future!

[@VagabondTE]

You know what you should have done.. Exactly what you did, good job

[@jacobmamiye]

I’d recognize that skull ANYWHERE! FANTASTIC JOB! 😊

[@javierandres6152]

This looks amazing, realy looking forward to see what you do next!!!

[@laurareutter6928]

Great fossilized surface look!

[@christiandarkin]

brilliant work

[@paperbackstories]

I love this project. I have always wanted to make a foam dinosaur skull, this method seems so much easier than anything I have considered. To eliminate the hot glue spider webs, hit it with a hair dryer.

[@laurawells3142]

Awesome video. I would definitely watch more. ❤ Great script and your editing pacing turned out really great. I enjoyed hearing about all your failures (that sounds meaner than I meant it.) I think all those happy accidents turned out great.

[@KHKH-os6kt]

Having dug up dino bones, you have done a marvelous job.