Individual Scale Method?

[Rachel Lutes]

Hi guys! First time poster here! I'm trying to do some research on tail making and found Rouge Siren's Instructable about making a silicone one. In it she mentions something called the 'Individual Scale Method'. All other tutorials I've come across have used scale sheets. Can anyone she'd some light on this other method for me? I'm interested in it because she said it leaves no seam, but a little confused about how the scales are put together, and what a good way to make individual scales in mass quantities would be.

Thanks in advance!

[Sherielle]

http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?6109-PearlieMae-s-Silicone-Tail-Journey&highlight=pearliemae

The search function is your friend. :thumbs-up:

[Hollydell]

Hey Rachel!!! Welcome to MerNetwork!!
The single scale method is literally a couple thousand single scales all made of silicone then put together to fit the person. The inside of the tail usually has a mesh like netting so the silicone holds to that. The best example to look at are PearlieMae's tails, she made her own post in the tailmaking forum!
The difference is with scale sheets you have what looks like a couple thousand scales but it's all one piece of silicone. With the single scales you actually do have thousands of scales


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[PearlieMae]

http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?6109-PearlieMae-s-Silicone-Tail-Journey&highlight=pearliemae

The search function is your friend. :thumbs-up:

I don't recommend that thread any more...it's been dismantled.

[Sherielle]

I don't recommend that thread any more...it's been dismantled. Oh, bummer. Ok then, Wesley is working on a individual scale tail as well.

[Rachel Lutes]

Thank you for the quick response, everyone! I found Wesley's forum and it helped a lot!

The part that about putting the scales together is what I'm having trouble understanding though. Do you paint a bit of silicone or glue on the back of each scale before pinning them in place? Also, wouldn't the silicone or glue leek through the powermesh and adhere to the body double?

[Mermaid Alea]

Yes you use the silicone as 'glue' to make the scales stick to the powermesh. First you want to make all of the scales and pin them onto your body double and make sure you have enough scales. After all of that you would then attach them permanently with silicone. Silicone normally just sticks to silicone, so I am guessing it shouldn't stick to the body double, but I can't be too sure on that as I have never worked with silicone.

[Rachel Lutes]

First you want to make all of the scales and pin them onto your body double and make sure you have enough scales. After all of that you would then attach them permanently with silicone.

Great information, thank you so much Alea! So as I'm understanding the above, one would paint on a layer of silicone over everything after all the scales are pinned in place? Would you paint it on the inside and let it soak through the mesh, paint on the outside, or both?

[PearlieMae]

Hi Rachel! You should head over to the Introduction thread and introduce yourself! http://mernetwork.com/index/forumdisplay.php?7-Introduce-Yourself

[Mermaid Alea]

Great information, thank you so much Alea! So as I'm understanding the above, one would paint on a layer of silicone over everything after all the scales are pinned in place? Would you paint it on the inside and let it soak through the mesh, paint on the outside, or both?

You would want to do a thin coat of silicone on the outside over all the scales and on the inside of the tail. Keep in mind that the smaller the scales, the more you will need and the longer the process will take. Here are some other individual scale tail threads:

1. http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?11014-Silicone-tail-take-two-a-starry-mermaid
2. http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?10141-Two-tailed-project!-One-fabric-one-silicone

When you have all your scales pinned, you start taking some off and putting a bit of silicone on the back of the scale and sticking it to the powermesh. Eventually when all the scales are down and cured you will coat the inside making sure to fill in gaps between scales (helps prevent mold forming in little cracks). Once this is cured you will coat the exterior making sure to once again fill in areas between scales. That is just what I have gathered...

[Rachel Lutes]

That's awesome, thanks for being do helpful Alea! :) I'm still not seeing where the power mesh comes in when it's time to seal the scales- wither it's attached to the inside at the end, or the silicone is just brushed onto it and seeps through to the scales. I guess I still have a lot of research to do.

Also, thanks Pearliemae, I'll make an introduction thread!

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk

[PearlieMae]

You adhere the scales to the powermesh first - it doesn't bond to your tape dummy.

Seal the scales with a topcoat on the outside first, then seal the inside. If you seal the inside first, the silicone can seep through any openings to the beautiful surface...it doesn't matter what the inside looks like, so seal it from the outside, first.

The powermesh acts as a base/foundation. If you just sealed the scales together, it would be way too stretchy and end up being baggy. Dragonskin silicone stretched to 1000x it's original size before breaking.

[Merman Lir]

You adhere the scales to the powermesh first - it doesn't bond to your tape dummy.

Seal the scales with a topcoat on the outside first, then seal the inside. If you seal the inside first, the silicone can seep through any openings to the beautiful surface...it doesn't matter what the inside looks like, so seal it from the outside, first.

The powermesh acts as a base/foundation. If you just sealed the scales together, it would be way too stretchy and end up being baggy. Dragonskin silicone stretched to 1000x it's original size before breaking.

do you turn the tail inside out to coat the inside? I'm having trouble picturing it without the tail collapsing and sticking to itself

[PearlieMae]

Yes, it's basically a big rubber cone.

[Merman Lir]

thanks pearlie!