Lorelei's First Silicone Tail Attempt!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

(And my first tail ever!)

I've finally started working on putting together my first tail. I'm still in the beginning stages, but hopefully everything will continue to go smoothly and I'll have a tail soon!

I want to pay a huge shout-out to the members here on this site. I probably would have been able to figure out all of the necessary steps and the information on my own, but it would have taken FAR longer. Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to detail your adventures (and mis-adventures) and thank you for being diy-ers!

When I get the time, I will be posting progress photos and any sort of information that I find out on the way.

For starters, though, here's my current tail inspiration.

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Also, here is the design I have come up with and am hoping to create. (Minus the stripes on the body. I decided I didn't like them. And the body might end up being more purple and black.)

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[Spindrift]

I actually really love the stripes. It's a very unique design!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you! You like the stripes though? I might change them to yellow then and do the body in a dark purple... I don't know. O.o;

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Progress Photos!
I found two. The first is the clay for a heel fin.
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The second is the clay for a hip fin.
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[AniaR]

wow! cant wait to see how this turns out :D

[Mermaid Jewel]

Wow looking good! I love the design, gorgeous!!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Oh, thank you guys! I really just hope it comes out well.

[New York Mermaid]

you got to love bettas they are so unique and inspiring i cant wait to see your tail finished, i have 2 bettas which have inspired me to make 2 tails.

[koiboi]

im excited to see the results of this process, i'm taking notes!

[merboy78xy]

lookin great loreli!
I'm so excited to see more! nice job with the clay, and you're quite the artist!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Lanai - Bettas are wonderful little creatures. I have one of my own (little Kovu) who I will probably base a tail off of one day. :3

Koiboi - Haha, I'll try and get some more process photos up as I can for you.

Merboy - Well thank you! It's actually my second time ever working with clay, so I was hoping it came out alright. The first time was back in fifth grade and I made a pig. XD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I don't have anymore progress photos yet, but here are two videos of me practicing my monofin swimming. :P

http://www.facebook.com/v/10150515475789240


http://www.facebook.com/v/10150515528454240

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Some of you might recognize this. It's the same technique that Star is currently testing. I had had the same idea a while back and was excited to see someone else take it for a test ride. :3
These scales are just sitting on my table, not yet glued down. My boyfriend (I love him so) is making me a mold box to lay them in. I was impatient though and just had to play with them. XD
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[Odette]

oh wow. i love the design! its so cool! did you draw that?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you! Yes, I did draw it. :3

[aWittleNoob]

I honestly think you should keep the stripes.....
i think you might wannna do the stripes on both sides if it ends up you didnt like it with stripes on only one side

[Mermaid Lorelei]

The stripes were drawn on only one side as a comparison picture. I wanted to have plain vs. stripes where I could easily compare the two. The more I look at it though, I'm thinking of inverting the colors and possibly doing purple/blue for the main body and having gold highlights. It might not look as garish that way... I dun know.

What makes you like the stripes, if I might ask?

[mermaid.dreamer]

Ooh! That's beautiful! I really like the stripes I'm excited to see how it turns out :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks!

[aWittleNoob]

i really like the stripes because it makes it stand out and POP.... it also makes it alot different compared to other mermaid tails :)
I really like the current color pallete because it's unique, and self original...... I wonder if I made one of these could I enter it in the state art competition :O

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Haha, I'm curious to see what would happen if you did enter one!
Those are good reasons for stripes... I have some time at least before the coloring. :3

[Mermaid Marla]

I absolutely love the stripes! This is going to be wonderful following your progress!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Oh, thank you Marla! I might just end up keeping these stripes in the end afterall. XD

[jukumerboii]

ooh i like this design...can't wait for the finished tail!!!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Haha, thanks!

I promise I'm working away over here, I jst don't have much to show for it at the moment. That, and I'm starting my next semester of college, so things have been a little crazy around here. I'll try and have something new up soon though!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Just a quick update on everything. I've started my spring semester of college, so I won't have as much time on here as I did over the break, but I'm still working away on my tail.

Here's the first dorsal fin. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to make the second, lower dorsal fin, so I'm going to start on the fluke instead.
The shiny metal thing is a quarter for size reference. :P (I apologize for the bad picture quality. The site won't let me attach images over 19.5kb...)
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[Mermaid Star]

Holy crap! That thing is huge! Very nice! Can't wait to see your fluke!

If you want to get a better quality photo on here. Just post the photo externally on a server or facebook and then " insert image" from "url". Unclick the box that is cheked and it will just pull it from the website that you have it on.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you doubly Star! I'll see if I can't fix up those photos now. :3
And yes, it is huge! I'm going for a bit of a Betta Fish look though, so I thought I might as well go big. XD

[gypsymer]

I'm excited to see this! I love your concept image, with or without the stripes!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks Gypsy!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419889_231968696886056_165922290157364_498659_1936 46766_n.jpg

Here is the final color design for the ventral side of the tail. I've yet to color the final for the dorsal, but I'll get to that later tonight. :3 I realize the design has changed a good deal, but I just couldn't get comfortable with the last color scheme. And, in case you are interested, the blue in this picture was originally a lot more of a royal blue along the edges. I promise the whole picture is actually a lot darker and the yellow should be much more gold. Think jewel tones.

[ShyMer]

Lovely colors :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks. C:

[Mermaid Jewel]

Wow I'll bet those colors will look gorgeous

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks Jewel! I'm sure hoping they work.

Here is the other picture I promised for the night. You now have both ventral and dorsal views. :P

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The fins are hard to see in the next photo, so I gave the blank that I drew as a reference to fin shape.

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I apologize for the smudgy pencil look. My blue started acting really funny on me.
Enjoy!

[Azurin Luna]

Nice, good luck with it! :D

[Nate Walis]

The combination of shape, colour and complicated fins really makes this a unique design.

Done well, fins really add something special to a tail.

[Mermaid Marla]

Wow - if you can make that tail come to life that would so amazing! I really love the dorsal fins! Looking forward to seeing your creation emerge!

[Alveric]

That would look good on anyone.

Alveric2

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you all!

I've always been a huge fan of intricate (if not realistic) fins. They're sure taking their time getting clayed out, though. XD

Haha, thanks Alveric. It sure would.

I'm doing my best Marla! If all goes well, I should have my first tail in a few months. :3

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Last night my boyfriend was the most amazing person on the planet and put together my scale form box for me so that I can begin laying all of those silly little foam circles I've punched. If you've seen Star's wonderful tail progress, you'll notice that this looks eerily similar. Well, it is. XD I'd been planning on putting my scale sheet together this way from the start and I simply followed Star's lead on the actual materials. Thanks Star!

I should hopefully have progress photos up later tonight. :3

[Mermaid Saphira]

This design is beautiful! I can't wait to see it in action! Goodluck! :D

[merpirate]

wanted to say love the beta fish idea and keep us posted looking forward to your tail!!!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you both. :3

I wanted to let everyone know that yes, I am going to continue working on this tail and I'm not going to change the fluke, or any other part of it. I am not, however, going to be posting anymore progress photos until after I have finished the tail. I'm sorry, but with the Mertailor issue, I simply don't see it as being a good idea to put anymore of my process online until I have a finished product.

[merpirate]

That makes perfect sense. Just keep us updated. I am loving the fact that your tail and Star's will be done soon it seems. I can't wait for hers to finish so we can get in the water and film some action shots with it! Tell your boyfriend I said good on him helping you and I hope to see him on this site soon if he isn't already

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'll let him know merpirate. :3

As for updating you all, today's a sick day. Blegh. Gives me plenty of time to sit and work on scales though. XD Hopefully I'll have the last of the scale pattern put together sometime today or tomorrow.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ Aww feel better :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Well, I'm in the process of redesigning my fluke right now. Unfortunately it just looks too similar to another fluke coming onto the market soon and I don't want to deal with a 'is that a ________ tail?!?!' No, it's my design. So, I'm messing around a bit right now. I'm going to apologize now because I won't be posting this new design until I've actually produced a tail with it. Just thought I'd let you all know. :P

And yes, I know I said I wasn't going to change it, but I guess I lied. Sorry. :/ The more I change it, however, the more I like it. It might not appeal to everyone, but it's looking more my style anyways. I guess that's good, yeah?

By the way, I want to say thank you to everyone for looking out for me. It makes a little fish feel loved. :3

[lasserine]

Can you take pictures of the progress and post them after the tail is done?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'll see what I can do Lasserine. :3

[lasserine]

I'll see what I can do Lasserine. :3

It is what I plan on doing. Also will share with those close to me how it looks.

[merpirate]

Hope it is going well, looking forward to seeing your tail...................................... That doesn't seem right to say

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Hahaha, no problem merpirate. C:

[Mermaid Lorelei]

My first batch of silicone has officially been ordered! Hopefully I'll be able to put together some of the molds and start pouring this coming week! -dances-

[Sea Pearl]

Those drawings look fab Lorelei! Can't wait to see what it all looks like when it's finished.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Why thank you Pearl!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I figured while I was waiting for my silicone to come in, I'd start working on my monofin. Turns out it's not as easy as it sounds. XD

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419054_261003837315875_165922290157364_557824_5729 18333_n.jpg
First try. This happened on the very first cut. :P

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421875_261004127315846_165922290157364_557825_1350 534023_n.jpg
Second try, the blade is good for scoring, and the hacksaw works (sort of).

Suffice it to say I'm buying a jigsaw tonight. C:

[Mermaid Sirena]

You might want to use sand paper to remove rough edges and burs.

[lasserine]

Think you will get rough edges with the hacksaw. Just be careful.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm actually going to be using a jigsaw, those were just shots from me testing the corner of the material. And I have a dremel on hand with tons of sanding bits just for this job. :3

[malinghi]

I'm actually going to be using a jigsaw, those were just shots from me testing the corner of the material. And I have a dremel on hand with tons of sanding bits just for this job. :3

I've wondered if a dremel could be used to cut the polycarbonate. But your method of using a jigsaw to cut and a dremel to sand sounds like a better approach.

[Mermaid Photine]

I cut my monofin with a bandsaw. I made it a little bit less accurate than my pattern so that I could smooth out the edges by hand with a file.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Unfortunately I don't have a bandsaw, or the money to get one. Or access to one.

And I'll let you know how everything goes Malinghi. Hopefully it will work very well the first time and I won't have to redo it. XD

[SireniaSolaris]

They make grinding disks for the dremel, and that works AMAZINGLY at cutting through carbon fiber (what my monofin is made of). It was so much easier, and had a super smooth finish. I didn't even have to sand the edges. :)

[taom]

I scored my lexan with a utility knife. It had a very sharp edge after I snapped it along the score so I hand-sanded it down 100 grit sand paper. It wasn't hard and didnt take very long and produced a nice, rounded edge. I got the idea off of some handyman blog where they talked about smoothing polycarbonates.

This is the cheapest way to do it, I think. The only problem is that you can only make straight lines. A jigsaw would be waaay better because you could make curved shapes.

[lynsea]

You may want to be careful with the jigsaw. I tried it and it didn't go so well. The problem is that a jigsaw moves the blade up and down and moves whatever it is cutting with it (in this case the sheet of lexan). A bandsaw is SO much easier. Could you try a local hardware store or wood shop? They might be nice enough to cut it for you.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

My silicone came in the mail today! Woo!

In other news, yeah, unfortunately my monofin shape won't be entirely straight edged, so the jigsaw is a bit of a necessity. If not, I would try for the score and snap method.
My dad and I picked up a jigsaw yesterday and we should be able to get it working tomorrow. Mostly I've just been waiting for time when he wasn't busy. XD And I've heard reports on both jigsaws and bandsaws and though a bandsaw would be amazing, I'm going to try my hand at the jigsaw first.

[Toxotes]

Cutting polycarbonate with a jigsaw isn't that difficult.
Just fix the PC on a table or whatever, with enough space around the cutting line, and use a fine sawblade.
Between 10 and 15 teeth per inch should do it.

A bandsaw is a really nice thing. But a lot heavier. ;)
I use both to cut PC at work. It depends on how large the sheet is, etc.

How thick is the sheet of polycarbonate you chose for your monofin?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

My sheet is pretty thin because I'm looking for a good amount of movement in my fluke.
I did end up using a fine toothed blade and everything went perfect! Took only a few minutes to get the entire thing cut out. And, considering I've never used anything like a jigsaw before, I'd say it's something most people can do without any difficulty. :>

[lynsea]

More words of advice (sorry they're all negative by the way). You may want to go with a thicker sheet. If you look back on the old forum I had made a monofin out of lexan sheeting. The whole process went smoothly and it is a great material but I definitely should have gone with a thicker sheet because within 20 minutes of really swimming with it, the blade snapped. I know you are looking for movement, I was too. Testing the bend on land isn't as much as it will be in water. Honestly you could go with a pretty thick sheet and it would be flexible but you wouldn't run the risk of snapping the blade.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I take advice where I can get it. :> Don't worry.

I will be testing my monofin at the pool before hand. I have heard that it is better to use a thicker piece for that reason, but I'm trying a specific design to see if I can get around the snapping issue. If I can't, well, I'll be going with a thicker piece. :P

[Toxotes]

The best thing you can do is trying your monofin.

I usually work with 6mm (1/4") sheets, and to me it seems they are a little too hard. I sometimes work with 4mm (about 0.16") and I think i would choose that material to make a monofin.

If your sheet is that fine, a fine toothed sawblade is the right match.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Aaaaannndddd, I officially have a monofin now. :3

[lasserine]

Glad it is going well.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Okay, so, admittedly, it has been a little while since I last posted any progress. I apologize. I meant to be more up to date for you guys, but I'm afraid life tends to throw itself in my face sometimes. XP

So anyways, progress has been made! My monofin has been fully made. I haven't tried it out yet (I'm hoping to get to the pool tomorrow if I have time), but it works just fine on land. :'>

I have also learned that E6000 is not a fan of Dragonskin silicone. It doesn't fully cure if the E6000 comes in contact. Keep that in mind little fishies.

On another side, my scales are finally fully down! I haven't textured them to my liking yet, but I'm working on it. It should hopefully only take about an hour. Here's a picture though.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/549237_275505805865678_165922290157364_593128_1682 801607_n.jpg

I've also begun laying the clay for my fluke. (Yay more progress!)

...

And I bought new goggles. No more leaking or fogging. It's amazing how much nicer that makes swimming. XD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Well, my monofin has a couple of little problems, but nothing to bad. The pool was closed (grrrrrr) but I'll try it out soon, I promise. Other than that, my fluke is starting to look like a fluke finally. XD

[Kanti]

Damn Lorelei all those scales only took an hour or did I read that wrong? o_O
That's really awesome if it did xD

Also what sorta monofin didja buy? I think mine is too small xD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Hahaha, no no no, I'm adding extra texture to my scales. That's the part that should hopefully only take an hour. XD The scales themselves took quite a while to lay.

I actually made a monofin. :>

[Mermaid Momo]

I figured while I was waiting for my silicone to come in, I'd start working on my monofin. Turns out it's not as easy as it sounds. XD

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/419054_261003837315875_165922290157364_557824_5729 18333_n.jpg
First try. This happened on the very first cut. :P

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421875_261004127315846_165922290157364_557825_1350 534023_n.jpg
Second try, the blade is good for scoring, and the hacksaw works (sort of).

Suffice it to say I'm buying a jigsaw tonight. C:
i know that you finished your monofin already, but did you know that they make special knives for this? in my home depot they sell them right next to the lexan sheets.
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and your scale sheet is HUGE! i'm looking forward to seeing them casted. ^^
oh, and are you willing to post a picture of your monofin? im making mine from lexan this summer and i want an idea on how it should be put together( like what other people's foot pockets look like and how they attach them and if they have stiffeners or not)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I saw the knives, but forgot to actually buy it at the store, so I was trying to make do. X'D The jigsaw made everything soooo much easier though.

And sure thing! Once I get it fixed and working, I'll put up a picture or too. If I can find someone to film, I'll film it too.

[Kanti]

I hate those plastic cutting knives >8(
They never work for me at all, especially not making something like a mermaid tail that needs
curved cuts. Either way, how did your monofin come out? Or are you still working on it xD

[Mermaid Momo]

if the plastic knives don't work for you then maybe a glass knife will? i've heard that they're very nice but i have yet to actually see one so perhaps you have to buy them online somewhere

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I went ahead and went with the jigsaw because of the need for curved cuts. Then I sanded it down with my dremel.
My monofin came out very well. I have to fix a problem with the foot pockets, but other than that, it's done. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I has pictures of my silicone color tests.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/554186_278177985598460_165922290157364_599948_2176 92246_n.jpg
and,
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/541781_278177822265143_165922290157364_599947_1522 548640_n.jpg
The gold, purple, and blue also have a sparkle to them, but it's kind of hard to see in this light and this size.

[Kanti]

How did you paint them! They look super cute :'D

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I mixed the color into the dragonskin part B. Once I had the color I wanted, I mixed the part A into it and poured them into the molds. :> I tested four different mediums (none of which are the technically correct methods) but unfortunately I'm not going to be giving out that little secret. :'P

[Kanti]

Haha everyone's so secretive around here :'P
That's understandable~ I appreciate that you've shown
so much of your progress anyway!

Also how do you find you're fairing on the amount of silicone you have?
How many gallons did you get and how many do you think you'll need
to finish the whole tail?

Sorry about all the questions xD I'm just super curious

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Don't be sorry! I made this thread to ask and answer questions. :>

I ordered one gallon and so far it's gone a pretty good ways. It's also incredibly easy to work with once you know what you're doing. XD I'm definitely going to have to order another gallon though. Probably two, just to be safe. I'll let you know as I start pouring scale sheets and such.

[Kanti]

Cool :'D
And cause yea, I've never worked with it before so I'll probably need a little bit for testing xD
And umm can you make molds from the same silicone you cast with?
I assume so, you'd need a release agent but I'm not entirely sure either. Seems like
dragonskin makes awesome molds too but I dunno if I want to shell out the extra for
more of it unless I'm 100% positive it won't stick to itself

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I haven't actually tried making molds out of it yet, but I've heard that you can cast with it and cast into it as long as you use a release agent. I cast these shells in a premade silicone mold, though I don't think it was dragonskin.
I just used a touch of release agent to be sure the shells came out and didn't have a problem at all.

[Mermaid Rillia]

That drawing looks absolutely amazing! I love the intricate fins. Very creative. This will be an absolute work of art when you are done with it. If you dont mind me asking....What clay did you use and how much did you get?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I use Monster Makers clay. http://www.monstermakers.com/product/monster-clay-premium-grade-html

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I've started the process of mold making finally. Hopefully I'll have a process photo or two soon. I think I'm getting to a turning point with this whole thing.

[Kanti]

!!!! Awesome Lorelei :'D
Can't wait to see what you come up with~

Also whatre you making the actual mold with?
Mold Max, Dragonskin, etc?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Actually I'm trying Shell Shock at the moment. So far it seems to be working well. I'm testing it on a small side fin, so I should be able to have some pictures soon.

[Kanti]

Bahh! sweet jesus that stuff sounds really useful @_@ I wish I had known about it like 2 days earlier xD
I just ordered some other product and this sounds a lot better xD

But either way, isn't it plastic? Won't the mold be hard to store?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It should be easier to store than a heavy stone mold. Shell Shock is light weight and stron, so as long as I store it flat (like under a bed) it should be just fine. I'll know more once my test molded side fin is done. I've gotten the base layer down, now I just need to get the rest of the backing bulked out. And I believe it is a type of urethane actually.

[Kanti]

Yea it says brushable plastic o:
Either way, can't wait to see progress photos
I'm so excited to see your finished tail! I know it's going to be so awesome @-@

[Mermaid Lorelei]

:P 'Tanks. I'm doing my best to make it awesome. XD My faraway hope is to rival Raven. Her awesomeness is inspiring.

[Mermaid Dottie]

:P 'Tanks. I'm doing my best to make it awesome. XD My faraway hope is to rival Raven. Her awesomeness is inspiring.I hear ya. So sad that my silicone experiments are failing... but maybe I can simulate scales with the material somehow....

[Kanti]

It seems you have everything down pretty well!
I also love your fluke and overall tail design. It's very original looking and nice :')

I'm sure you'll make it look awesome! And who knows? Raven's tails are amazing
but they're also very different from the designs you've made. Yours may be great in
their own way and it'll be hard to compare them to Raven's in that sense.

But in the end that's what'll make it great~ we can see some variety in the silicone
tail department :')

[Kanti]

I hear ya. So sad that my silicone experiments are failing... but maybe I can simulate scales with the material somehow....

Failing? D:
Why whats wrong?? Maybe you need some help!
What materials are you using?

[Sitre Seer Moroaica]

Your design looks absolutely amazing O.O And I agree the stripes look great! I think you should keep them :P But I do want you to be happy with your tail so choose what you like :3

[Ilonka]

I wanted to buy shell shock but i was having problems with the company getting it shipped here plus they wanted to charge me allot for it T__T
I also couldent find it on ebay nor amazon meh, so im going with alginate. Its used allot for body casting cuz its non toxic and soft but the downside is that 1: It dries SUPER fast 2: Its desposable
I dont mind the disposable part + biodegradeable but it dries way too fast so its a challenge to work with.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It seems you have everything down pretty well!
I also love your fluke and overall tail design. It's very original looking and nice :')

I'm sure you'll make it look awesome! And who knows? Raven's tails are amazing
but they're also very different from the designs you've made. Yours may be great in
their own way and it'll be hard to compare them to Raven's in that sense.

But in the end that's what'll make it great~ we can see some variety in the silicone
tail department :')

My design is a bit different these days, especially the shape of the fluke. The mertailor has a fluke that is basically an exact replica of my design, so I switched mine up. I actually like it better, so all is good.
As for Raven, I'm not trying to copy her. XD I just look up to her as inspiration. Most of my design ideas are vastly different from hers.
Haha, yay variety! I'm trying to inject a bit of variety into the world. XD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Your design looks absolutely amazing O.O And I agree the stripes look great! I think you should keep them :P But I do want you to be happy with your tail so choose what you like :3

Well, as it turns out, I made a 360 in design ideas and ended up with stripes again. X'> They're not the same, but they're stripes none the less.


I wanted to buy shell shock but i was having problems with the company getting it shipped here plus they wanted to charge me allot for it T__T
I also couldent find it on ebay nor amazon meh, so im going with alginate. Its used allot for body casting cuz its non toxic and soft but the downside is that 1: It dries SUPER fast 2: Its desposable
I dont mind the disposable part + biodegradeable but it dries way too fast so its a challenge to work with.

I've heard good things from aliginate, and I was tempted to try it, but I'm planning on making multiple tails from my molds, so I needed something that wouldn't degrade quickly. Hence, the shell shock. I'm sorry you couldn't get it though. That's annoying.

[Kanti]

My design is a bit different these days, especially the shape of the fluke. The mertailor has a fluke that is basically an exact replica of my design, so I switched mine up. I actually like it better, so all is good.
As for Raven, I'm not trying to copy her. XD I just look up to her as inspiration. Most of my design ideas are vastly different from hers.
Haha, yay variety! I'm trying to inject a bit of variety into the world. XD
Yea, I agree variety is fun. If everyone made the same style of tail it'd be boring!
And yea that whole fiasco. I suppose we'll see it once it's finished :') don't
want anyone stealing it a second time xD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Yuppers. If not for that incident, I probably would have still redesigned the tail. It's just what I do. XD

In other news, my mold worked. I'm going to make up the other fin molds tomorrow and (if my scheduling allows) pour silicone into the mold that I have finished. All of this sudden progress is really refreshing.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

New stuff!
Alrighty, I've added a thin coat of silicone to my finished mold (to get out any clay that I couldn't finish scraping out) and learned that you have to be picky about what brushes you use. Don't go too cheap (though cheap is good) or you'll end up with very annoying hairs in your casting. -.-;
I've also started three new molds, but so far I've only laid the detail layer. They still need more shell shock in order to be strong enough to use. I'm planning on pouring those later tonight.
Lastly, I have interesting news on frozen silicone. :>
I suppose I should explain a little. Freezing silicone doesn't make for a bust. First, the two parts (A and B) were never seperately frozen. However, once you have mixed a batch and it begins to cure, you can put it in the freezer for a couple days, pull it out, stir, and pour and it will work just fine. However, it will still cure in the freezer. I left some in there for over a week and now I have little silicone hockey pucks. XD

So yeah, there's your daily update. :>

Oh, almost forgot. I made some progress on the fluke tonight. I've started the detail work on it now that the base shape is done.

[Mermaid Star]

Go Lorelei! Very interesting stuff about the freezing of the silicone. I guess because you are dropping the temp that it just cures slower? Very neat! I can't wait to see more from you. I know it will be grand!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Yep! Dragonskin is pretty hardy stuff. Admittedly, some of the silicone was a little tacky, but I think it didn't finish curing. After a week!
And thanks!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Jeeze, I'm really bad about updating this, aren't I. XD

Anyways, for those of you who still check this, thanks for hanging in there! Now that I'm out of school for the semester, this should finally get back on a roll.

First up, I finished my fin molds and they look fintastic (eh, I made a funny). The amount of detail that the Shell Shock Plastic picks up is far beyond what I could have hoped for. Tip when working with Shell Shock - Work freaking fast!! It sets up very quickly, so keep that in mind. Also make sure you absolutely, positively, always wear gloves! The stuff is painful to get off of skin and it heats up like a miniature sun while it is curing. It could seriously burn your skin.

Moving on from the scary warning, (though honestly the stuff isn't nearly as scary as that last sentence made it out to be. Just be careful.) I have finished the casting and coloring of my first fin! I'll try to take a decent photo of it if I can get a hold of the camera. It's a tiny fin, but I'm so happy with it that I think I might be annoying my folks a bit. X'D
I've started the process of casting my dorsal fin (excitement!) and hopefully I'll have it done quickly. I'm coloring as I cast (also known as intrinsically coloring) so that even if the silicone gets scratched or beaten up, the color will be mixed all the way through the fin.

In other news, I've started production of a mermaid top and I'm liking how it is turning out. I'm going for a bit of a tribal, wild look instead of your regular lions paw shell bra (not that those are bad. I simply couldn't find any that were the same size and covered my girls well. :'P And I have a ton of other shells to use up.) I've also made a mermaid belt which I will be putting up for sale soon. It was originally going to be for my costume, but then I changed my color scheme, so now I shall be making a new belt. I have also finished a major piece of mermaid jewelry (a huge necklace ensemble) and I'm working on earrings and a few hair thingies. I might also have some other costume surprises for you guys soon. Keep an eye out for those. I'm starting to get creative these days. X3

I'll update again tomorrow if I forgot anything, but I think that's all for now. I should have much more news soon as everything starts coming together. :> Thanks again to those of you who read this!

[Kanti]

My god Lorelei, your whole mermaid outfit sounds like it's going to be majorly kickass.
I love love looove tribal stuff so I can't wait to see what the top will look like!

Also what type of Dragonskin are you using, if you don't mind me asking?
I recently asked a nearby Smooth-on distributor to send me a couple samples of Dragonskin
both 10 and FX and they both feel pretty good. I think in the end I might go with FX Pro since it's
so damn stretchy and soft. I think that'll produce a very nice movement to the tail.

Either way! Can't wait to see more photos! :'D

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Alrighty, here's the photo like I promised. I'm not finished with this piece, but other than cleaning and shining it up, I'm pretty much done with it. And yes, my color scheme changed a lot from the beginning. XD

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/577734_307494262666832_165922290157364_666460_1791 022530_n.jpg


My god Lorelei, your whole mermaid outfit sounds like it's going to be majorly kickass.
I love love looove tribal stuff so I can't wait to see what the top will look like!
I'll be sure to put up some serious photos of the whole thing for yah. :'>


Also what type of Dragonskin are you using, if you don't mind me asking?
If I remember correctly, I'm using 10 - SLOW.

[lasserine]

Wow it looks great.

[Spindrift]

Nice!

[Mermaid Saphira]

Wow! Great job! :D

[AniaR]

SO PROUD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks guys. You all make me so happy. :'>

[MermaidRaegan]

Lookin' good! :D And I can't wait to see some of the other stuff you're putting together.

[Ilonka]

Looks really awesome!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Here's a sneak peak of my jewelry and such for those of you who haven't seen it yet. (Sorry for the huge picture...)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546499_285651748184417_394338067_n.jpg

[Spindrift]

That looks really awesome! I think the gold chains would be phenomenal as a stand alone piece!

[Mermaid Dottie]

Sexy necklace!

[Kanti]

Holy cow Lorelei everything looks awesome!
I remember seeing the necklace already I love it :')
As for the fin it looks great!
You did a really awesome job painting it!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks everyone, and I agree Spindrift, the gold chains are awesome. :P

To be honest, I think the painting portion is my favorite part. XD Which is good, because I'll be doing a buttload of it.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm going to try and make a daily update now, just to make sure I actually get something done. XD

Today's big update: I made a crap load of progress on my fluke. It's just about ready for molding. (FINALLY) After this comes the finishing touches on my scales, and then putting everything together! (And the pouring of silicone, and pouring of scale mold, and painting of everything, and finishing of bra, and finishing of jewelry, and yeah...)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Woo! I tested my homemade monofin yesterday and, though I really need a different heel attachment to keep my feet from slipping out, it works beautifully! I'm so excited to start building my tail around the dang thing finally. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Well, I'm not sure this is so much a forum thread as a private blog at this point, but hey, it keeps me on track. XD

Today's progress: Finished half of the fluke detail. Now to get the other half completely detailed. Ugh...

[Mermaid Saphira]

Here's a sneak peak of my jewelry and such for those of you who haven't seen it yet. (Sorry for the huge picture...)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546499_285651748184417_394338067_n.jpg

LOVELOVELOVELOVELOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 MUST HAVE!!! :drool:

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Haha, I make necklaces like them as custom orders Aqua. :> Feel free to message me on my Etsy if you are interested. I would be more than happy to make you something.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Darn, I'm failing at the daily updates. X'D Sorry guys. Anyways, I've been dealing with college work this week and last week and haven't had much time to get anything done, but my homework load will be a LOT less next week, so expect something then. I should also be getting in a new monofin on the 18th, so there will be an update then for sure. I've also started a new idea with my guy, Orion, and I can't thank him enough for the fabulous design! (Love you!) News of his idea will be up eventually, but that idea is staying hush hush for a while. ;P

Let's see, anything else? Uhm, oh yeah. New color scheme. X3 At this point, I'm just not even going to say what my color scheme is. It may end up changing again and I'm getting tired of having to constantly update on my inability to choose colors. :/

Yup. Goodnight.

[Ilonka]

I'm having the same problem, working allot this week + moving again! Ugh, d I'm also having issues with the colors, I know which ones to usr, just can't deside how to arrange them.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Where are you moving too? And I feel your pain on the colors. I always think I have them just how I want them, and then something catches my eye (like a new fish species) and suddenly everything goes out the window and I'm stuck desiging all over again.

[Ilonka]

I'm moving a town over, to my mother in laws house for a month and then I'm going home to Florida. I'll get inspired once I start painting, I'm gonna start from the fluke up, so far its gonna be light blue, white and gold. I'll probably add green too.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Ooooh, nice colors and man, I would just love to live somewhere tropical. Gah. I'm stuck in Oklahoma for at least two more years... -dies-
I'm kind of thinking of doing something with yellows, blues, oranges, and maybe some other fun colors. But who knows. It might change again.

[Ilonka]

I hear Oklahoma if freezing! Iv lived between Florida and Puerto Rico all my life so iv never seen snow and have zero cold tolerance! The fin u made looks awesome, will it be a splash kind of tail?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Actually, Oklahoma has every kind of weather. We are known for having record lows one day and three days later having record highs. We just never know what our weather is going to be like. XD

Thanks! I'm actually going with a completely unique design. The colors on my test fin were different types of paint that I was testing out. I wanted to make sure that my ideas were working, and they did! However, those aren't the colors I'm actually going to be using. I just happened to have them on hand. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Alright, time for an update. And guess what... I have pictures! Here we go.







https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/471768_320270954722496_1953529599_o.jpg
(Sorry it is so big. :/ I can't figure out how to make it smaller.) This is my new monofin. It's a competitor style, but it has none of the annoying ridges of the finis brand. I just finished attaching the foot pockets this evening, so I haven't gotten to test it out yet. I plan on swim testing either tomorrow night or Saturday.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/471768_320270958055829_627467821_o.jpg
Here's a size comparison between my new fin and the finis rapid.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/471797_320272504722341_625693853_o.jpg
Here are some fin molds in the process of setting up. For those curious, I used Shell Shock Liquid Plastic for my molds.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/170490_320272618055663_1097208054_o.jpg
If you guys remember those little silicone shells, these are what they looked like before I poured them. Just a preliminary color test, but it came out really well.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/471729_320272588055666_1516063523_o.jpg
My first mermaid belt. Unfortunately I won't be using this belt (I'm switching my netting color to black) but I will be selling this on Etsy when it is completed. If people are interested, I will consider making these regularly. :>

So yeah, there you go. I'll be done with school this week, so the updates should start getting more interesting. YAY!

[Kanti]

Yay! That new fin looks great~ Very big :'D Also will probably last you a lot longer than the
rapid xD those foot pockets just seem very weak to me.

Either way finally you give us an update! >8( lol
Can't wait to see what else you bring up~

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I've already had to fix the foot pockets on the rapid twice now. Each pocket has had problems, but I just keep gluing them back together. XD I'm hoping the new fin has stronger pockets. They seem stronger at first glance though.

Hahaha, yeah, I know. I keep promising stuff. I've just been dealing with a bunch of health stuff (since early september actually) and they're finally getting better. That, and I've been dealing with a lot of college issues too. This week should finish off all of the madness. (FINALLY) So yeah, it should start getting exciting around here pretty quick.

[Mermaid Karin]

It's coming along nicely! :D I cant wait to see the rest.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Update time!

My fluke mold has finally reached the last stages. I have an hour or so left of work on it and then I'm finally done with the thing. X'P (Detail work takes a long freaking time.) Hopefully it will be worth the wait and you guys will be able to enjoy it as much as I am.

As for the monofin, it works wonderfully! I have to tweak it a little bit to make it more comfortable (and easier to put on), but it swims like a dream! I was going to get some video of me swimming in it yesterday, but I completely forgot. I had the camera with me and everything. Oh well. I'll get video of it all eventually. :P

In silicone news, I've poured two new fins. I have yet to paint them, but I'll put up pictures once they're colored. If you're curious, they are two parts of my dorsal fin. (I'm trying a different look for the dorsal ridge than I usually see). Hopefully it will work out well.

I've also come up with a new belt design that I hope goes over well. It's definitely different than your standard netting belt (though I have one of those too.) I'm going for something of a fabric and metal look.

I think that's it for the moment, other than some scattered clothing news. Wish me well as I keep this up! (Lord knows I need the help.)



Oh! I almost forgot. My guy (Orion as some of you know him) and I will hopefully be making the final mold of the scales this weekend! Let's hope everything goes as planned. O.O

[Mermaid Karin]

Photos plox! =D

[Mermaid Narina]

what your doing sounds amazing! and i love the designs for the tail, the stripes and fins are so original compared to most mermaids tails!!!! :D
im a newbie so i came onto this thread pretty late, but keep up the great work!!!!!! :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Progress photos, because you've asked for them. :>

http://i50.tinypic.com/necm1k.jpg
This is an example of raw, uncolored silicone. As you can see, it's not entirely clear, but it is definitely translucent.

http://i45.tinypic.com/28tc0b7.jpg
My main dorsal fin. I'm not done painting it yet, but you can kind of get an idea as to where my color scheme is going. ;P This is how it appears in the sun.

http://i46.tinypic.com/mahxqx.jpg
And here it is in the shade. You can see that even when it is colored, it is still somewhat transparent.

http://i48.tinypic.com/33w9y4h.jpg
Just for fun. :P Meet my dog Dominoe.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

And thank you so very much Natasha!

[Mermaid Karin]

Omg! :D it looks great!
Do you paint the silicone then put more silicone over it? or.. ?

[Tiffany J Michie]

Wow loving this forum! May I ask, What are the scales made out of? :)

[Spindrift]

puppypuppypuppypuppy~!

Loving the progress photos. How long do you think it will take to make the entire tail?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Omg! :D it looks great!
Do you paint the silicone then put more silicone over it? or.. ?

Thanks! The color is actually mixed into the silicone. It is known as intrinsic painting. :>


Wow loving this forum! May I ask, What are the scales made out of? :)

I'm glad you like it! And the scales are made out of foam. They are the model for the scales that will eventually be made of silicone.


puppypuppypuppypuppy~!

Loving the progress photos. How long do you think it will take to make the entire tail?

Haha, she's a silly dog. She was crawling up my leg to try and get my attention. She doesn't like it when I'm on the laptop for too long. XD

The time is mostly dependent on my school work right now. If I had absolutely nothing else demanding my time, I'd probably have it all done in a week.

[Mermaid Star]

It is looking wonderful!!! Keep it up girl!!! I believe in you! It is going to look great!

[Ilonka]

My next tail will definitely be silicone, many more possibilities with it than latex. I want a white/trancelucent tail.

Can't wait to see yours, its going to be beautiful!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It is looking wonderful!!! Keep it up girl!!! I believe in you! It is going to look great!

My next tail will definitely be silicone, many more possibilities with it than latex. I want a white/translucent tail.

Can't wait to see yours, its going to be beautiful!

Ah, thank you both. Considering that you two have already made stunning tails, your words mean a lot. :>

[Winged Mermaid]

Looking great! Can't wait to see more!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks Winged!

Update of the day! I cut my monofin to shape! It's all ready to go in the tail now.
https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/458558_327619523987639_712773111_o.jpg

In related news, I added a new necklace to my Etsy. For those who don't know, my Etsy was established as a tail fund. Every little bit helps! Please feel free to buy something! :'O

[Blondie]

Love the shape of the monofin :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thank you. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

IT'S DONE! My fluke is FINALLY completely clayed out. I feel like my fingers are going to fall off, and I'm so tired that I'm not really thinking straight (its been a long day) but IT'S DONE! Now I just have to mold it in Shell Shock and pour silicone! I'm so freaking excited! And yes. I will post pictures eventually. For now, I'm going to finally go to bed.

[Ilonka]

Awesome! Ur almost there!

[AniaR]

you tail making people blow my mind. I am way too lazy for that. (well honestly, just busy and not very good with fine-motor control lol)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

[sup]Haha, silly Raina. But thank you both.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

(Weird post above...)Haha, silly Raina. But thank you both. Today Orion and I poured the first layers of mold on the fluke. We almost had enough to finish it, but not quite. I have ordered more, but I'll have to wait a few days. Poo. Anyways, after the mold is done, I get to pour my silicone! Woot! And after that comes the scale mold and the silicone scale sheets! I almost can't believe everything's moving so fast finally.

[Spindrift]

/*Spindrift sets up a tent on this thread to wait in anticipation and starts twiddling thumbs*/

[Mermaid Lorelei]

You make me so happy Spindrift. <3

And just for you, here are some fun progress photos.
http://i48.tinypic.com/25p1d1k.jpg
It's so freaking hot here (above 100 F) that we just went ahead and moved inside. :P

http://i47.tinypic.com/303efew.jpg
You can get a feel for just how big this thing is. It's not acurate to the exact shape, because there is space for re-enforcement of the mold, but the fluke really does reach to every edge of this board.

http://i50.tinypic.com/33z5quh.jpg
Yes, that is a full foot ruler. I think I posted the full measurements somewhere on mernetwork, but it was something like 3ft by 3ft with a huge cut out of space in the center. (modeled by the cut on the monofin.)

So yup. Progress!

[Kanti]

Wow I can't wait to see your tail. It's seriously going to be amazing.
I already like what I see, the fluke reminds me of a wrasse or a parrot fish~
I'm really glad you're keeping everything updated, it's awesome to see tails unfold.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It's partially based off of wrasses and cichlids, so good guess. :>
I'm trying my best to update frequently. Most of the time I just forget to take pictures. :'P

[Spindrift]

Looks good! I can't wait to see it finished!

[Ilonka]

You go girl! The same thing happened to me, progress went flying! Ul be done in no time!

[MermaidAliyah]

what are those scale looking circles? i've seen them before but never knew what they were.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Those are foam cut-outs that were glued into place.

[Keiris]

Were you able to find a suitable glue to anchor the foam circles that worked ok witht the silicone? Progress looks AWESOME!!!!!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I actually found foam that came with an adhesive already on the back. And thank you! Also, I'm almost finished with my dorsal fin! It's huge, colorful, and I can't wait to see it in the water! Woo!

[Keiris]

It sounds beautiful Lorelei! I have to tell you...I REALLY admire how you jumped fin first into this whole silicone sculpt without ever doing one before! I have wanted to try one for years having made tails from everything from sequins to shower curtains. Now that I actually have a lot of time off for the summer, the thought of doing it without all the necessary steps is daunting. I don't relish the thought of a huge silicone disaster on my hands.:D What has been the most daunting thing so far for you?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

So far, the amount of time you have to invest is the most daunting thing I've run into. As long as you do all of your research, the rest of the process should go very smoothly. :>

[MermaidAliyah]

where did you buy the foam cut outs?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

where did you buy the foam cut outs?

I had to hand punch all of the scales. They came in sheets of raw foam.

NEWS! Alright, so, my dorsal fin is nearly done. I'm waiting for the last colors to settle before I add some orange spots. At that point, it'll be done. :>
Also, I ordered some more shell shock the other day and HOPEFULLY it will be in tomorrow so I can get to work on my fluke again.

Little confusion fixer: I think I might have mentioned that the orange fin I showed pictures of earlier was my dorsal fin, but it's actually a hip fin. :'P My bad. In any case, I'm going to try and pour the second one later tonight.

Let's see... I've also started looking into making my own fiberglass monofins. At the moment, it's just a thought, but hopefully I'll be able to make my own monofins instead of having to rely on buying them.

[Keiris]

Is it hard to cover those annoying ridges on the bought monofins?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It can be very difficult, yes. I have a monofin that has no ridges in order to get around the problem. I have heard of people sanding them off though.

[Lyna]

yea...i def want to attend some sort of one on one seminar on tailmaking. not that i'm going to do it. if anything, i wold only make them for myself so i could have one in every color i wanted. :) but i would love to hands on eyes on see what goes into the process. i have so much respect for your patience, talent, and creativity.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

i have so much respect for your patience, talent, and creativity.

Thank you Lyna. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

IT'S OUT! The mold is finished for the fluke and I've gotten all of the clay out. After a little cleaning to get the release agent off, I'll pour silicone! Tonight is going to be fun! (Minus the seriously sore arms and tens of papercuts I acquired while getting the dang thing out.)
http://i46.tinypic.com/2e1xd0h.jpg
Progress...

http://i47.tinypic.com/2rfaque.jpg
Complete!

http://i46.tinypic.com/1inzf7.jpg
We've also started the molding for all of the scales. Some of my mold material got stuck in the mail, so I'm waiting for that to finally get here so we can finish the scales too.

[AniaR]

wooowhoo. i feel like throwing you a party!

[Mermaid Saphira]

Yay :yay:

[Keiris]

That's got to feel GREAT! So I'm a little confused, Lorelei. Do you have to cast your legs to get the tight fit or do you cut your scale sheets to skim the outside of your lower body kinda like a tailor? Kanti had mentioned in her tutorial about stuff to do leg molds and I'm wondering if that can be skipped?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm going to skip the leg mold. If it doesn't work, then I will make a leg mold for myself, but I am very nearly positive that you don't have to have a leg mold.

[Mermaid Star]

Leg molds can be skipped. You dont have to have them. In order for you to have to have a leg mold you would need to be doing a full injection mold of the entire tail at once. Which is a huge undertaking. It would be perfectly fit to you, but you do not need it. You can do sheets of silicone the same way you do sheets of latex. Just cuttypo them down to size and adhere. :) It takes more measuring but it is less of a head ache and takes up less space.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Yep, that's the method that I've been planning on using.

Progress Update: I'm still waiting for the rest of my mold material to come in the mail, so no progress on the scales, but I have finished pouring another heel fin and the first half of my fluke. :> They're drying as I type.

[Merman_Shawn]

Congrats!
Between this, the tutorial on silicone tails and a little sfx knowledge from a buddy;I think I finally have all the resources I need to undertake my first project. Thanks so much!

[lasserine]

looking great.

[MermaidBonnie]

I am inspired by your work. My last tail took ten months to complete, but I am considering making a silicone tail in the near future. I will wait to see how yours turns out first :)

[Keiris]

Lorelei, what kind of release have you been using with the silicone? I thought vaseline might not be compatable. Are you goigt to line yours with neoprene?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

1. The mold material that I am using does not require a mold release. Silicone doesn't really like to stick to much anyways. Other than more silicone.

2. I'm not going to use neoprene. I think silicone tails adhere to the body shape better without it and I don't want to deal with the hassle of sewing it and getting the silicone to stick.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Alrighty, so today I decided that my monofin isn't going to fit like I had hoped inside of my fluke, so I'm trimming it once again. Hopefully I'll like how it looks this time. :P

Also, I'm halfway done with the second side of my fluke. :> Just a little bit more to go and I can start attaching them to my monofin!

And lastly, I took my finished portion of my fluke to the pool with me today and it looks AMAZING in the water! The colors are so much better looking underwater than I had even dared to hope!

Unfortunately, my mold material is being a bugger and still hasn't arrived...

[Keiris]

there's nothing worse than being in the middle of a creative project going like gangbusters and then get held up by not having something you need to finish it! Tanks for all the great updates! Will the silicone stick to the monofin?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks! And yeah, that is seriously annoying. :P

[Theobromine]

I think your fluke mold looks amazing so far. I can't wait to see how this turns out!

[Kanti]

Wow the fluke looks awesome!
Ommggg hurry up you're such a tease! xD
I seriously cant wait to see how everything comes ouuuttt

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm not trying to tease! (Well, maybe a little. X3 )

If anyone is curious, I'm currently sitting on the floor working on my scale mold. The last batch of mold material came in the mail today, so I poured what was left for the scales and now I'm in the process of releasing the mold! Yay for flathead screw drivers. XD

[Mermaid Lorelei]

And there out!

[kris]

Looks like its going to be awesome, Lorelei!!!

[Winged Mermaid]

Yay!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Pictures!

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/412472_335812606501664_1388057210_o.jpg

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/471101_335812556501669_261896453_o.jpg

[Kanti]

LORELEI THAT LOOKS AWESOMMEEE!!!!

*dies*

[Merman_Shawn]

CONGRATS! Everything looks so good! I'm sure it's going to be a beautiful tail!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

<3 Thank you guys!

[Keiris]

WOW!!! Loreleli!!!! So Awesome! Who would have thought you have never done this!

[Mermaid Eutha]

Wow that is soooo cool ! I love the colors ....How long did it take to set up?

[Ilonka]

I wish i had the $$ and space for a sillicone tail T__T

[Kanti]

Why not Ilonka? Isn't it the same as the latex one?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Haha, I'm doing my best to make it look good. :> And really, thank you everyone. You're support means the world. <3

[leeloo]

Looking awesome! If this project works out well for you, I just may have to hire you to make me a tail, lol! If I have enough money that is. Let us know if you start selling tails. Can't wait to see the completed tail. :)

[Spindrift]

I love the colors! I can't wait to see it all finished!

[Azurin Luna]

Looking really good! Keep up the good work :D

Somehow the fluke reminds me of a big lollipop with those colors and shininess... I must be crazy

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Somehow the fluke reminds me of a big lollipop with those colors and shininess... I must be crazy
Now that you mention it, yeah, it kinda does! XD


Looking awesome! If this project works out well for you, I just may have to hire you to make me a tail, lol! If I have enough money that is. Let us know if you start selling tails. Can't wait to see the completed tail. :)
Oh my! Wow, thank you! I'll be sure to let you all know the moment I start selling!

By the way, I've pulled the first swatch of scales and they're perfect! However, I'm going on vacation for about a week and some, so there won't be any more progress for a little while. Sorry guys!

[AniaR]

woooooooooo so proud

[merboy78xy]

beautiful work! Just beautiful!

[Lyna]

so crazy! getting to see the process is really neat. :)

[Keiris]

Lorelei I don't think I have your sculpting talents. Do you think I could pour the shell shock over a construct of fused wire tubes shaped in the form of fluke/fins and use that as the mold?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm back! My vacation was amazing, but I'm definitely glad to be home.

Thank you to everyone who has been wishing me well. <3


Lorelei I don't think I have your sculpting talents. Do you think I could pour the shell shock over a construct of fused wire tubes shaped in the form of fluke/fins and use that as the mold?
Anyone can sculpt. It just takes practice dear. As for everything else, I have responded to the PM you sent.

In progress news, both sides of my fluke are attached to my monofin. I still have to add a bit more silicone to seal it all up though. I've also poured the first scale sheet. It should be ready in a few hours. Yay. And all of my side fins are poured and ready. :> It's nice to be working on this again.

[Winged Mermaid]

Lorelei I don't think I have your sculpting talents. Do you think I could pour the shell shock over a construct of fused wire tubes shaped in the form of fluke/fins and use that as the mold?

I'm not sure about the shell shock, but the tubes glued together works for Mike Van Daal! That's how he made his original flukes :) To be specific, over 200 1/4'' vinyl tubes, cut and super glued together.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

So I pulled up my scale sheet yesterday. It's awesome. And I love it. I wrapped myself up in it yesterday cause I got so freaking excited. X'D I've started cutting it to shape, and I'll be pouring the rest of the scales later today I hope.
My fluke is one solid piece, by the way. :3 It's a bit heavy, but I can still lift it above my head without much effort. I'm hoping in the water it will be weightless.
I'll try and take some pictures for you guys later.

[Merman_Shawn]

Lorelei, are you making it smaller than your actual measurements at the waist to get a nice snug fit(and avoid flapping silicone), or are you cutting it to your real measurement?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm probably going to take it in just a touch. If you take it in too much, you get love handles, no matter how little fat you have on your waist. I'm also tempted to add an elastic strip to the back to help keep it tight on the bum.

[Merman_Shawn]

I'm probably going to take it in just a touch. If you take it in too much, you get love handles, no matter how little fat you have on your waist. I'm also tempted to add an elastic strip to the back to help keep it tight on the bum.

Very true. I was watching some vids of silicone tails in the water and noticed the "flapping" at the waist. Your plan sounds good. :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Yeah, I personally hate the flappy-butt syndrome that a lot of tails seem to suffer from. And I really don't want to HAVE to wear a belt to keep my waist looking good.

[Keiris]

LOL! " Flappy Butt Syndrome??" Thanks for the head's up on that so I can try and avoid it when I get this thing cookin'! How many seams do you think you'll have Lorelei?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm hoping to have two seams at the most. If my scale mold was wider, I could have gotten away with one seam, but hey, you learn as you go.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

So. I've learned a lot in the last few days.
First, be careful when ordering anything. I managed to order Dragonskin FX Pro instead of Dragonskin 10. Thankfully it is working just fine, but it could have easily been a disaster. So yeah. Double check your orders EVERY TIME.
Second, I think I like FX Pro better. XD Ironic much.
Third, I've made a successful mold of a life size starfish, after an unsuccessful attempt at making a shell mold. Anyways, I can now make silicone starfish for whatever I want (like bras, jewelry, etc.)
I'm going to try again on the shell mold, because I would like to be able to make those in silicone as well.
Fourth, Take your time! I seriously rushed on my shell mold and now I have to throw the whole dang thing out. It's worth it to take a few minutes to make sure you're doing everything right.
Fifth, ... I don't know. I can't even remember everything I learned. :P Oh well. It'll come to me eventually.
But, for all of you keeping track, yes, I've made tail progress. Tomorrow (after my college classes get out) I'll be gluing scales together. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Pictures!

Here's my fluke. It hasn't been painted yet, and I still have to attach the scales, but you can get the idea. All of the color you see was mixed into the silicone when it was originally poured.
http://i46.tinypic.com/157y80.jpg

And here are the scales. I shot it in grayscale to keep the final colors somewhat a mystery. ;P
http://i46.tinypic.com/2wrnqfd.jpg

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ lookign good! :D

[Stillwater]

Things are looking very nice!

I can't wait to see the finished tail.

[lasserine]

Pretty, cant wait to see it finished.

[Blondie]

It's looking so perfect! I'm really loving your fluke.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Arg! I'm at the stage where I start gluing the seams together, but it's proving to be one heck of a seriously annoying venture. It just doesn't want to work. :X

[Felicia]

Everything looks really cool so far I can't wait to see when it done :)

[Keiris]

Are you using more Dragonskin as glue for the seams or something else?

[Mermaid Star]

The seams were tough for me too. I had to use a lot of clamps. Also, if you clamp wrong the tail puckers and doesn't look right, (ie the ridges that Mertailor tails used to have on the sides of them when he first started making silicone tails.)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Woo, I figured it out! I have part of a seam done now. -happy dance-

And to answer your question, yes, I'm just using more dragonskin. :>

Yeah, that was part of the problem I was having, Star. I couldn't seem to get the puckering to go away, but I've got it now.

[Winged Mermaid]

SO EXCITED FOR PICTURES! You're killing me with the suspense over here Lorelei!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Hahaha, sorry about that Iona. I'm not trying to! Every time I try to take pictures, I get sidetracked. :P

[Mermaid Lorelei]

5419
5420

[Blondie]

Floppy!!!!

[Spindrift]

Those colors are awesome! I can't wait to see the whole thing altogether. Although now I'm craving fruit roll-ups and fruit-by-the-foot...

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Here's a quick video of my fluke's swim test. It was awesome!


http://youtu.be/WvVvmMJ4fE8

[Jadestone]

It's beautiful! The way it flows is lovely :) It will look wonderful on the finished piece!!

[spottedcatfish]

Your fin looks great! I can't wait to see the finished tail!

[New York Mermaid]

nice job :)

[Merman_Shawn]

Holy crap it's awesome! I like that it's kinda floppy, but it looks like you get good propulsion from it.