How to attach Silicone to Neoprene?

[Rett]

So I have run into a problem on a tail project I was trying to plan out. This would be a hybrid tail. I want to scale the body of the tail in sequins (So the body of the tail will be made of neoprene) but then I want to cast the fluke in silicone. Does anyone know how I could join these two? I heard that the rubber in neoprene inhibits the curing of silicone (so unless I can find a certain type that works, bonding directly with more silicone wont work), I highly doubt you could sew silicone (pretty sure I am correct in assuming this would rip very easily), so I am at a loss. How would I even go about joining the two? I am pretty sure that the H2O tails have silicone flukes with scaled neoprene bodies though, so I am assuming there is some way to make it work?

[MerQueen Nerissa]

I added neoprene to the top of my silicone tail using GE silicone 1. Keep in mind that you wont be able to use dragonskin in those areas afterwards. I added it in august and it's been holding up fine!

[Ilyena]

Silpoxy I heard sticks most things with silicone, always test before.

[Rett]

For anyone curious or interested, I contacted Smooth-on and asked if Dragonskin silicone would stick to neoprene, and they said that, while they do not know for sure, they have tested it with many fabrics and rubbers. They recommended a test first (which I was going to do anyway).

[AniaR]

it seems to be a tail maker secret that very few have actually figured out.

[Mermaid Momo]

When I called foam order they suggested bare neoprene because they said that a lot of tail makers who source from them say the silicone sticks better


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[Mermaid Kim]

Hello Mermaid Momo,
I am working and experimenting with neoprene. What is bare neoprene? Just did not understand what bare refers to?

[Mermaid Momo]

Hello Mermaid Momo,
I am working and experimenting with neoprene. What is bare neoprene? Just did not understand what bare refers to?
Bare neoprene is neoprene without the lycra on it, so it's just the bare rubber.

[Princess Pearl]

Bare neoprene is neoprene without the lycra on it, so it's just the bare rubber.
I've never really worked with silicone, but doesn't contact with rubber inhibit the silicone curing?

[Rett]

I've never really worked with silicone, but doesn't contact with rubber inhibit the silicone curing?
It does, but in this case you would be using Sil-poxy to bond bare neoprene and already cured silicone. So no inhibition would occur (in theory anyway)

[MermaidBrandie]

I've been thinking of doing something like this but I want my fluke to be slightly translucent, and want to use one of Pearlie's monofins, so I would be using a different fabric for the fluke and extra fins. Good to know research is being done about the neoprene rubber issue though

[PearlieMae]

It does, but in this case you would be using Sil-poxy to bond bare neoprene and already cured silicone. So no inhibition would occur (in theory anyway)

The Sil-Poxy may not cure, and/or it may not adhere to the neoprene. :(

[Mermaid Wesley]

Do the testy test


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[PearlieMae]

Wesley is wise.

[Scarlet Checkers]

Did you ever do the test? I'm really curious to know how it would turn out.

[MermaidLana]

I asked Mermaid Kariel, since she also does this with her tails. She said she used Silpoxy. It works really good.

[deepblue]

I recently tested Dragonskin 30 on neoprene; I used it to stick some old scale samples made from Dragonskin 10 to nylon covered, loop covered (for Velcro), and 'raw' neoprene samples. Not a single one stuck, although it seemed to cure a little.

[Trident True]

I recently tested Dragonskin 30 on neoprene; I used it to stick some old scale samples made from Dragonskin 10 to nylon covered, loop covered (for Velcro), and 'raw' neoprene samples. Not a single one stuck, although it seemed to cure a little.


a few things come to mind. how old where your silicone scales? might have been past their green period ( i think that's the right terminology) which silicone has trouble or won't stick to it at all. Or your ratios, were they correct? as you mentioned it seemed to cure a little which tells me it could've been a ratio thing.

Silicone Caulking may work. the Aquarium stuff that usually sticks to most things.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Dragonskin will not cure in contact with neoprene. It is an inhibitor.


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[deepblue]

Exactly~ I wanted to test it since people are always asking, so I could share the results The scales were fine, they stick with silicone to silicone. But none of the neoprene coatings made a bit of difference in my tests.