I recently bought some chrome kitchen towel/roll holders to display some masks and I read somewhere that many people use styrofoam pads or heads fitted onto them. Now I was under the impression that styrofoam long term was a big no no and if they are not safe for latex what would be a good alternative pad for the top of the holders?
I cover them with a plastic bag. A black one for Myers of course
Now thats an idea, thanks Kaizu. So I’m assuming as long as there is no direct contact between foam and latex then all is good.
Cheers-
I don’t use paper towel holders myself… I use plastic heads. But, with a paper towel holder you could do all kinds of things. Besides styro head with bag… you could poke a hole in a tennis ball and put it on top. Or duct tape a wad of paper towels to make a ball. Make a pad for top of pole with cloth. Stuff whole mask and put it on rod. All types of things could be used.
Thanks for the suggestions, some excellent ideas there. I got used to just using wooden mask stands…but they seem to be harder to get now and I don’t wanna pay like $40 each. Now the tennis ball idea is brilliant, I’ve seen these larger than average tennis balls for like $4 each so I mayn invest in some of them and then maybe place a black carrier bag over top.
So I guess at this point that styro foam uncovered is definitely bad for latex…?
I’ve used the styro heads before & I never had a problem. But, I’ve read others had problems… so I just figured… why even take the chance. Not worth the risk or even the possibility to me.
Yes…you’re 100% correct. Thanks for all the info my friend 
D ive seen some people just get dollar store plastic bowls flip em upside down put a wood screw in em and attach that onto a wooden closet rod 8" long and thats attached to a hobby lobby lamp stand for $3. I use the lamp stand, the rod, paint em black but I use plastic bags in no order. I just fill the mask up after I cornstarch it till its the desired shape, H1/2 and then take the whole lot of bags out and use some black felt cut in 8x8" pieces from hobby lobby, wrap it around the bags with a rubber band push a hole in the middle for the rod and put the mask on it. It takes a couple trial and error pushes and rearranging of bags but I can get a mask to do any shape I want. 
Cheers Don, yeah I was considering plastic pudding bowels blu tacked to the top of the kitchen roll holders 
But I got a lot of good suggestions now…cheers guys 
I just use a paper towel roll with a black garbage bag thrown over the top. Sometimes, if I want stuffing, I’ll stuff it with some more paper towel wads and tape the bottom to avoid it falling out, but that’s what I use.
I just read this thread and immediately covered all my foam heads with bags lol. I guess you learn something everyday.
You can get wooden dowels and baseplates from Lowes for next to nothing and just make them into nice wooden stands yourself.
Well I wasn’t sure to be honest Ish, but I’m sure I read somewhere that some of the deterioration of the hero mask might have been down to foam heads???Also that others had said their masks had gradually melted down overtime when left on foam…something about fumes???
Again…I’m not saying this is what I believe but I’m 90% sure I read stuff like this somewhere.
D
I use a paper towel stand and styro heads too, but I cover the head with black cotton material just to protect the mask from the styrofoam.
Never heard that it damages latex. Just an idea for people who are scared
I’ve heard it does and I’ve heard it doesn’t, who knows? The fact the hero was displayed on a Styrofoam head (and we know how it ended up) may be the source of the fear, whether the head was the cause or merely coincidence. So, like K, I do the “safety” thing and put something over the Styrofoam head just for good measure.
Its safe to place a plastic bag over the Styrofoam head which I do so no contact no problems there. I’ve seen first hand of how contact w/ a raw Styrofoam head can melt a mask by the DP Leatherface mask I used to own which also left a brownish dye on the Styrofoam head 
That’s a safe way to do it, but I’d use a couple of plastic bags for good measure or something stronger like a garbage bag of some sort.
Thought I had heard that it deteriorates latex somewhere. Well it looks like chrome kitchen roll holders, styrofoam heads and lots of black bags for me then…jesus I need to get out a little more 
Most latex today is a much stronger grade and foam heads aren’t going to hurt your masks unless moisture builds up. Just keep the inside powdered and your good to go. Keep those older thinner masks off them though. I know the 80s DP’S were notorious for melting on foam heads but that was usually due to a combination of age, heat, moisture and wear.