Here is some of the story.
Smaug was constructed from 3" PVC plumbing pipe for the main structure. Bolted together and glued at every joint if memory serves me right. It turned out to be VERY strong. The sub frame had a metal rod and eye hooks at the top two side corners of the head, which a 1/4" cable was hooked and strung to a marionette like 3" square tubing pivot structure at the Baton in the Performing arts center. (The final head was mounted to a rolling wheel later that same year and used in a Haunted House. It withstood pounding up and down and slamming in and out of a door way. The head still hangs in a local motorcycle shop in the area. Except now it is green, kind of killed the power of it.
After the PVC sub frame was built we covered it with "chicken wire" and glued newspaper to the wire after forming the rough structure. Then insulation foam was sprayed onto the newspaper. This is the kind of foam that sprays out hot (and I do mean hot. I still have some burn scars from that.) The foam would run while still hot and then would expand as it cooled. This made for some really cool "warty" effects, but was a little hard to control. Once the rough foam was sprayed on and cooled we would start carving and sculpting. I really began to hate the smell of hot foam and foam shavings :-)
When the head was completed it weighted in at about 400 lbs. We had to chop most of the horns so it would fit into the performing arts center. And at 400 lbs they were a little freaked about hoisting it in and out of scenes.
But it all worked great and became one of the hits of the play. We performed 6 sold out shows with the SMAUG head. It could be rotated left and right and up and down. The jaw was also articulated and able to move, so when SMAUG had lines we moved the jaw and spoke them. Overall it took four people to operate SMAUG. One for jaw control. One for head swing. And one on Eye lids and Laser and Nostril smoke.
Sorry if this story or recollection seems disjointed and or sporadic. I just wrote along as I thought of things. It has been a while now (seems like so long ago now. Back before even meeting my wife now of 6+ years.) Oh well. Someday maybe I will get the pages actually completed. I also have some good video some where of the head. From small scale prototype, starting to build to first movement tests and I think even the actual performance (but I am not sure about that one)
I think we spent a total of about $700 in raw materials. The foam was donated. And 6+ months of my life every night from 5pm till 10pm or 1am was donated to the SMAUG project. It was fun though.
Click Here to see actual pictures.
Click Here to see some Quick Time Movies of the construction Process and the actual production Play.