Mod-ing a fabric tail?

[just_d]

Hello hello-

Forgive me if this has already been discussed somewhere. I did go through the tailmaking thread and did several searches before posting, but I'm sure I could have missed something. If there is already a thread, please feel free to just point me to it. :p

I purchased a Mertailor Eco-Tail just to get myself started, and a good friend of mine is a seamster, so he's going to help me pimp it out a bit.
We're going to add some varous fins and whatnot.

The biggest challenge, I think, is that I'd like to make the fluke bigger - as it seems to be one thing that sets most purchased fabric tails apart from more custom ones. I was trying to think of a good way to go about it that wouldn't necessarily add a bunch of extra stress onto the spandex of the tail.

I was thinking of making a zip-on fluke cover out of neoprene, or some other fabric if someone had a better idea, that I would paint. So like it would cover the whole feet/fluke part by covering it sort of like a bag or "coat". I was concerned that maybe when I started swimming too much water would enter in the top by the ankles, but I thought perhaps if it was tight enough, and there was some flow-through openings it would be ok?

If there's a better way to go about it, I am more than happy to hear it. I'd prefer it to be a fabric that has a little bit more stiffness to it so the fluke will look nice outside the water as well as in, as opposed to like a chiffon or something that is formless when not in the water.

Another friend of mine produces a Halloween ball here each year, and he's already hired me to do an appearance there for that evening, and is working out tank details (we're looking at dunk tanks mostly, though he has some friends in the pool industry and we're going to see if they have any other ideas). If that doesn't work out, I'll just sit pretty and dry.

Thanks for any ideas!

EDIT: I've been digging around more and I found the technique using zip ties to create boned fins. I'm thinking this will be a likely option for both side-fins, and enlarging the fluke. I would use either a irredescent spandex-type fabric, or perhaps since the boning will help it hold it's shape, something more diaphanous like chiffon could be used. Then any additional details that I may wish once it's complete could be painted on - a la Joie's Fabric Tail, which had those breathtaking painted fins!

Does this seem feasible?

[mermaidopal]

The thing I'd be concerned about if you were to sew neoprene to spandex is that it'll put mechanical stress on the spandex since the neoprene is much heavier. I have a feeling the stitches would start to pull, and especially if you did it at an area like the ankles where there's already a lot of movement/stress. Also, the neoprene and spandex would likely be two really different levels of stretchiness, so you would have to be careful when you were sewing it on so that the spandex didn't lose its stretch (which could cause stitches to break under stress later). Also, if you were to just put a "bag" of the new fabric over the existing fluke, I feel like it might create drag.
Unfortunately, the downside to fabric tails is that they really don't have that stiffness you're looking for unless you have a monofin or something stiff underneath (like the zip ties you mentioned, although I am not familiar with that process of making fins).
I'm not sure how well chiffon would take paint, but maybe someone on here has tried it. Spandex does take paint but it soaks a lot of it up. I use Lumiere fabric paint on my fluke when the airbrushed paint starts to wear off, and it takes a decent amount of time to paint the spandex since it sucks it all up.

[just_d]

Since the mertailor Eco tail is already falling apart after one swim in a pool (the waistband is coming unstitched and there are already small holes at the fluke tips), I decided to not bother trying to do anything else with it. I'm just going to put the money I would have into the mod, towards making a neoprene tail.

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I was hoping the Aquarius monofin would at least be useable in some other fabric tails that I could make skins for, but it's too flexible and I get virtually no propulsion from it.

So I ordered a mahina, and hopefully that will make a better mid-range tail base - I really love the size and shape, and the fact that it's made from recycled materials. Hopefully it will be a bit more functional.

Oh well! Live and learn. I'll just use this one for the one appearance I have, and get on building a new one that can hold up to more than one swim!!

[Mermaid Alea]

That is too bad, but it sounds like you would be happiest with making your own custom tail anyways. :)

The material does look like it got picked though, so be extra careful when you swim in a pool that is concrete without a liner (especially in the shallow end). Also, when putting your tail on by the pool put a towel down and then put your tail on over the towel to keep from picking it. Spandex is great for tails, but it can be easily picked if you are not careful.

The neoprene should withstand more. :)

[MermaidBrandie]

Yes spandex tails get that way very quickly. I don't even notice them anymore

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