View Full Version : Take two, partial silicone tail
So I think last year or maybe two years ago I put up a post and I was going to make a full on silicone tail, but I got a few suggestions from this community, telling me to go with a hybrid for my design...I then didn't have time for this project because we went on vacation.
Onto the actual tail, I want the fluke to be silicone but the body will be either lycra or spandex, I can't get a hold of neoprene anywhere. For the scales, I'm going to use plastic ones, I had begun cutting some out of plastic bottles and I'll be attaching them with e6000 or fishing thread, I'll do tests to figure out which one works better and which one is easier as well. The dorsal fin will be made out of silicone as well, and my monofin will be handmade out of lexan, I found some in my garage today actually. Anyway I've sculpted the fluke already and the dorsal fins (the dorsal fins I sculpted out of polymer clay, I don't think polymer has sulfur in it so it should be okay, but I'll do tests, in case it fails I still have some leftover clay so it's okay)
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160616/e7bc85393961113032deecf23051056a.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160616/1ea81f723e5aea521afc2ab36b077588.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160616/3fee7123b531d88c5913933523965478.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160616/562dd12c56d6de6990398aca1b05f16d.jpg
IllynReaver
06-16-2016, 10:16 PM
Oh! I like the fluke, looks like it's H2O or Mako Mermaids inspired?
Yes indeed, I really like the way they looked so I tried making a similar version of it. :)
moniee
06-17-2016, 05:48 AM
Oh great! I love how you sculpted the fluke, very nice!
I'm just thinking, the top of the fluke looks very bulky (which I love about it to be honest) but is it not going to be too thick for the spandex to handle?
Have you looked at eBay for neoprene? I actually got an old swimsuit made of neoprene and altered it to make a snug tail base :)
If you want to stick to using spandex, I would suggest to take a look at Keiris' hybrid tail as well! :)
Good luck!
Ah yeah I actually checked ebay the other day and I found some neoprene after all, I ordered it just before we had this huge storm and I lost WiFi till Monday, so it's traveling to my house now, it should be here soon so I can continue the project, also, I had a massive fail with plaster, my entire mold shattered because the layer I put on there was way too thin, so I'm getting some fiberglass resin after all, it's okay, I bought the plaster with a gift card so I technically don't feel that bad abo it ruini ng it, it's a bit unfortunate, I had to reconstruct the fluke a bit, as the shattered plaster ruined some parts, I feel like it turned out well though because I was pretty sure my fluke was too thin at the bottom anyway, but I'm excited to continue this when I get off work (that's the only reason I can post right now haha)
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Yay, I did my first successful mold, the initial one I sat on and smashed haha but this one turned out pretty well, I'm happy about it, I kind of broke my sculpt trying to get it out but it can always be glued together http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160621/67755041161601b0528476a297dc9f87.jpg
This is so messy...also should I back my plaster mold with wold or something? I'm afraid that when I flip it it's going to crackhttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160621/7bf912d21c3651eba9727541389555da.jpg
Wood*
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Mermaid Wesley
06-21-2016, 09:11 PM
You could do that! Some people use cheesecloth or similar
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Cheesecloth ? I haven't a clue what that is, I'll look into it, thanks for the suggestion! I'm just like terrified that it'll get shattered like my previous mold, but I'll definitely look into something like cheesecloth
Update: you know what I looked at images of it and j realized I have some canvas fabric that j could potentially use?
So I actually began working on the body now because I'm going to give the mold a day or two to dry just in case...I have a phobia of cracking it in half, literally lol.
Anyway I just traced my legs on the neoprene, they had yellow and not white which was a bit upsetting but it's okay since I'll be sequining it, and I'm ready to cut now, I love sewing so I'm excited about this....now I wonder whether either of my sewing machines can take this thickness, wondering whether I'll have to hand sew it hmmm
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160622/b1174f4e5421d3c86474e6b1e06aafbd.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160622/65990920221b1b09927a5fc38d9cb227.jpg
I don't think water would be appropriate to use on a plaster mold, but I'm trying to clean mine out at the moment and it's taking ages, is there a quicker way to do this?http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160623/c3b4091898005b6e90a3e084fa21bb2f.jpg
Imogen Finnly
06-22-2016, 10:04 PM
Ive heard tooth brushes work for the finer grooves?
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Oh I didn't think about that, thanks Imogen Finnly!
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LouLouBelle
06-23-2016, 07:56 AM
Water is absolutely fine to use on plaster - just don't completely soak the whole thing and don't be too rough! You'll probably find water and a tooth brush will work best. Good luck!
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Awesome I tried dried toothbrush last night, and it got so much of it off, I'll be wetting it today then, also polymer clay worked wonders I had zero crumbs to clean up when I pulled it off the mold, now if I had 10 pounds of polymer clay for the fluke, it would've been so much easier haha, I sprayed the final mold with some shellac, just to be sure...now I need to wait for the garage to air out, meanwhile I'll work on the sewing
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I finally got to pour the fluke mold, silicone rubber seriously smells bad, I had to wear a face mask during the process...Tapatalk isn't letting me upload pictures but yes I'm excited ^▪^
Imogen Finnly
06-23-2016, 06:04 PM
Im glad the toothbrush worked out!:)
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I know. Me too, thanks for the suggestion again :D I got so excited to pour the mold but then it smelled so bad haha
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http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160624/3e0d5cee9f80a69ce6c1cf628a2c482b.jpg
Yay it uploaded finally !
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160624/b6190ad70a13efd538e1cff42ae0990e.jpg
I'm so excited, the second half is curing right now and I'm about to make a mold of my legs so I can begin sequining, also my zipper got messed up, but I managed to fix it, it turns out that at the top of the zipper, there was nothing to stop the little thing from running off the zipper, so I sewed lots of thread at the end and it acts as a stopper so now I can go about my project happily, I'm thinking of putting a belt on the inside at the waist too, I've got a couple of waist band materials I could use, I don't want the tail to fly off haha
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160627/bd5c9442a3a0dcb7dd1fb587d5bea47c.jpg
Duct tape dummy made now I can begin sequining :)
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160630/85faa85a2a2d477b1458957f5033ebfe.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160630/fe2cb981cd228aa261a2d2f2283380e8.jpg
Cutting out some scales, they'll be painted once on the body
So after a few days of debate and designing, I decided to add an extension to my tail, I'm going to attempt this, it won't cost me much so if it's a failure then I'm not worried about anything, I went out and bought a small lexan sheet today, realized I had no way of cutting it but after three bruises on my hands, possibly damaged scissors and like 3 hours I managed to cut out the shape which will be attached to the bottom of my feet, I also got some silicone caulking, I already created what isn't technically a rod, but more of a rod in pieces..? My plan basically is to connect these 3 items and then cover it in silicone caulking to seal off anything so that water doesn't reach it, and for smoother movement, I mean, sure, I'm adding more weight to my tail but I'm not worried about that http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160705/b568904f6ac32757ec4d598aca3d05ec.jpg here's a picture before I actually assemble this, because I need to go to work soon I can't work on this until tomorrow probably. Then I shall do some serious drilling which I'm a bit scared of. In case anyone is wondering, yes, my rod is made out of wire and those rolls from receipt paper...
IllynReaver
07-05-2016, 08:28 PM
Interesting I hope it works out.
So I screwed everything together today, I'm worried about rust though, does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should use to seal this off? There will be silicone over top of this but perhaps that won't add the protection it needs?http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160706/dd3e5dc4da12b989c6401d8e9a2d0fac.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160706/2888129234182eb7c9edccc483d23d76.jpg
More progress, and I also got to add silicone sealant on the foot area to hide the shape of feet, tomorrow I'll add more sealant on the back to hide the heels.http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160706/8f2dedba7b8eb458021faf05c40d7cc0.jpg
I may just be the biggest dumbass out there, I tried working with caulk yesterday and I didn't read the directions before I used it, there's a little aluminum plate that I was supposed to pierce before I placed the caulk in the gun, which I didn't do because I didn't read the directions, so all this time I'm wondering why all the silicone is coming out the other end, way to go Lili, also silicone caulk smells worse than actual silicone, it smells like vomit, by the way, that big white chunk you see, is a bit of silicone I accidentally left to cure, I was sad to see all of it go to waste, but it turns out I found a place for it after all, yay for extensions!http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160707/a0c4a110bfce710bd7528ca20e5d9898.jpg
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KaetiIngram
07-07-2016, 06:50 PM
I'm so excited to see this done and to see if somebody can actually succeed in making an extended tail.
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Me too, it looks like a hot mess right now haha
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160707/463079ccdc32ff08421d91339fdbf730.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160708/ab19a8c4e84a2a768e7fad58203060c2.jpghere's an image of what it looks like now...I have a massive headache from all the silicone but you guys...I finished it, I finally finished the extension, now there are some bumpy spots which I may add foam to in order for it all to be nice and smooth.
I'm also excited that I'll literally be using ever millimeter of material I had bought, literally it's going to come down to the last bit of neoprene and foam
I am so tempted to call this tail banana or something it just looks like a giant banana right now haha
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Alright so here's the whole tail in its beauty, I'm thinking of going our and getting some more foam because the extension seems rather thin to me, if I add more silicone, it might mess with the flexibility, I think I like the flexibility it has now so I don't want to stiffen it but I want the extension to be fatter so that it blends in with the tailhttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160708/792f561cad3ab5077ba3a2bc7589707c.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160708/4f44fbdb9bdf3c9c3601520e891e46d7.jpgas you can see it looks skinny compared to the rest of the tail
The Water Phoenix
07-08-2016, 12:17 PM
My god you've done a fabulous job! I've been toying with the idea of a extended tail but I never figured out how to do it :)
Thanks! I mean i dont know, it seems that what i did seemed to work, i need to test it out in the water still, im confident it wont float though at least and the flexibility is perfect, its not too floppy or too stiff. Also excuse that Pikachu, that was my first ever sewing project and I was just taking out the stuffing to see what it would look like inside of the tail, I don't like it, it makes it look bumpy (which is why im getting foam) so Pikachu can live on haha
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The Water Phoenix
07-08-2016, 12:39 PM
Haha no worries about the pikachu plush, I have at least two plushies that are in the shape of airplanes! :)
Oh my gosh that sounds adorable :D
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The Water Phoenix
07-08-2016, 12:41 PM
I'm an airplane lover! XD
Ah that's awesome haha I like being in airplanes, I've been in them a million times at least
The Water Phoenix
07-08-2016, 12:57 PM
I've also been in airplanes a lot! I'm currently training to become a pilot with the Royal Australian Air Force Cadets :)
Oh my god that's really awesome, is training hard for that kind of thing?
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The Water Phoenix
07-08-2016, 01:20 PM
It is quite tricky, but thanks the the trainers, it's not so tricky and is very rewarding! :)
Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 09:15 AM
Looking great you totally inspire me to continue on with my extended tail project.
The Water Phoenix- I bet it is [emoji14]
Merman Marinus- I'd love to see what you come up with! And thank you haha I'm flattered
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Update- you guys I found some scrap foam laying around and I was able to place it into my extension, it worked out perfectly, now j can finally connect fluke to the tail and begin the sequining process YAY
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160709/e71e27489613f1587e94bca735c474a5.jpg
I decided to glue the seams in the extension because there is no way j can sew through that, I also dislike my tape dummy because it doesn't have feet so it creates this awkward gap between the extension and the end of the dummy
Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 10:41 AM
I havent started a thread because i still dont have all the materials. But my extended tail will be 97% silicone with individual scales (silicone). And lexan for extension piece.
Hmm that sounds like a good plan, is your extension piece going to be just a flat piece of lexan?
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Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 11:16 AM
No im going to construct the extention in 2 basic sections the triangular foot plate that in turn is connected to the extension anf fin in one piece like this. 37955
Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 11:18 AM
The top part of the triangle is one single piece all the way down to the monofin just one piece of lexan.
Ah I see, that's an interesting approach, just make sure to create a foot plate for this and all that, I like your design though, it makes sense, I had the biggest issue connecting the lexan to my neoprene, I used glue at first but it wouldn't stay on, I ended up drilling tiny holes all around the lexan sheet and lacing plastic thread through it and the neoprene, it worked, in case you get stuck in with that part, you can do that maybe, or if you come up with a better method you should let us know :)
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Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 11:39 AM
It does have a footplate in the drawing you can se the lines that make up the triangle are darker than the drawing of the foot so by looking at the thick lines you can imagine the lexan if that makes seance
Ohhh I understand what you're saying...well I'm excited that there's going to be another mer with an extended tail, I wish you good luck on your journey, I hope you create a thread on here so I can stalk it [emoji14]
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Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 12:16 PM
Yes ill post a thread on my progress for all to follow but for now im stocking up on clay cause im making a cast of my legs to sculpt the shape of the tail on top like they did for the H2O tails but mine is not going to be as thick because ill be adding individual silicone scales which will make the tail thicker i plan to balance that out with a thick neoprene base so that the tail is neutrally buoyant. Here is my color scheme:
37957
I love those colors, they're so vibrant, and wow you're going to need lots of clay for that, are you getting monster makers clay, or I suppose if you're going to have a neoprene backing, yo u can use any type of clay, I used amaco to sculpt my fluke and to fill in air bubbles and details in my mold and it worked out so well because everything cured correctly
I also did something really dumb just now, I accidentally used up the last bit of silicone I had (actual silicone, not the caulking) and now I have to buy some sil poxy because I have no way of joining the fluke with the body, I'm annoyed with myself :| I mean it's only 11 bucks but still annoyed with myself..
Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 01:18 PM
I love those colors, they're so vibrant, and wow you're going to need lots of clay for that, are you getting monster makers clay, or I suppose if you're going to have a neoprene backing, yo u can use any type of clay, I used amaco to sculpt my fluke and to fill in air bubbles and details in my mold and it worked out so well because everything cured correctly
Yeah lots of clay im going to use
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Van Aken Plastalina Modeling Clay its 3 something per brick so im going to need a lot.
Thanks ive always wanted that color scheme seance the bigining.
Marinus Mortimer
07-09-2016, 01:52 PM
I also did something really dumb just now, I accidentally used up the last bit of silicone I had (actual silicone, not the caulking) and now I have to buy some sil poxy because I have no way of joining the fluke with the body, I'm annoyed with myself :| I mean it's only 11 bucks but still annoyed with myself..
If you ever decide to make a secund Extended tail then you know not to make this mistake again. Think of it as a hands on learning experience.
Yep its true, it is a learning experience [emoji14]
Also your colors are so pretty, I don't know what colors I want to use for my tail yet I'm torn, there are SO many options
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160710/297dc024c2c070b155205ef67b7dc630.jpgI did a tiny test patch on literally the last drop of caulking from a tube, I have this eyeshadow thing that I never use because it has SO much fallout, somebody bought this for me a long time ago, it has no mention of ingredients, i.e. sulfur, soo...we will see whether this actually cures, I tested a random color right now, it's purple which is likely the one color I will not be using besides pink, this palette has a bunch of silver shades which look very appealing to me, I'm thinking about a silver tail now, with a white belly maybe hmmmhttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160710/b93da823f95cb4c73d6d35e5f8e532e5.jpg
I've literally been sitting here poking at this thing every minute, you guys, it seems to be curing, maybe I'm getting my hopes up but if I can use these eyeshadows to color my fluke and maybe some future dorsal fins, I'm going to jump out of my skin
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Oh my god it cured, and it's shimmery oh my gosh...I'm so happy
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mermaid mazu
07-10-2016, 01:19 AM
Using eyeshadow is awesome! After reading your thread, you HAVE to find an underwater video camera! I want to see it move!
Imogen Finnly
07-10-2016, 08:15 AM
Mermaid Ashton used it for her blended waist. It was powder foundation actually!
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Marinus Mortimer
07-10-2016, 09:39 AM
Yep its true, it is a learning experience [emoji14]
Also your colors are so pretty, I don't know what colors I want to use for my tail yet I'm torn, there are SO many options
If you want i could draw something for you just give me relative instructions on colors an design.
Im so happy the makeup worked for you :clap::dance::yay::thumbs-up:
Yeah I heard about someone using foundation for a blended waist which I thought was pretty clever, and yeah I'm thinking about white and silver right now, my favorite color is red so maybe if I used like a wine red and blended it into the silver and then the white? I've done a bunch of drawings but I can't seem to decide haha
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Marinus Mortimer
07-10-2016, 11:54 AM
Yeah I heard about someone using foundation for a blended waist which I thought was pretty clever, and yeah I'm thinking about white and silver right now, my favorite color is red so maybe if I used like a wine red and blended it into the silver and then the white? I've done a bunch of drawings but I can't seem to decide haha
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If u want me to draw somthing out for you just say the word.
You totally should merman Marinus ! It would be really cool to see what you come up with...please and thank you :)
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Marinus Mortimer
07-10-2016, 05:03 PM
37969 37970my first go. Now tell me if u want any design or lines, dots ect.
PS: sorry dont have silver colorpencils so i used gray.
Ohh those look beautiful, it would be pretty cool to carry that color into the silver with dots maybe
Marinus Mortimer
07-10-2016, 05:43 PM
37971 like this? Im working on a secund one for you.
Exactly just like that !!! [emoji14]
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Marinus Mortimer
07-10-2016, 06:13 PM
37974 now this one I really like alot, what do you think?
Oh dang that's really pretty, I surprisingly like this a lot more than the previous sketch :O also I apologize for the delayed responses, I work at a theme park so I had been working all day [emoji14]
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Marinus Mortimer
07-11-2016, 02:30 AM
No worries, I know me two, it just popped in my head let me know it you decide on different colors or design i deffinetly had a lot of fun doing these for you, after all Deep Water Mers have to help eachither out. (Deep water, because deep water dolphins have longer tails than costal dolphins I guess it would be same for Mers.)
Oh yeah definitely deep water mers, I appreciate your help, once I make time to work on this I'm definitely going to post pictures of the colors, I think the next time I can work on this is Wednesday
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Marinus Mortimer
07-11-2016, 10:00 PM
Great I'll be lurking around till then post lots of pics of the procces! :swoon:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160713/f19fd95cfd59a9500e3ebb091cb8e700.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160713/78488103985aef1d2a19699b05b04c8d.jpg
I began coloring the fluke today, I put down basic shading colors and I think I'm going to add color on top of that, to give it depth, I'm very much satisfied with the way it's looking so far though :)
I found this really pretty frosty blue color in the palette, it is pearlized and it just looks so cool, I'm thinking of using that for coloring of my tail maybe, I'm still wanting to incorporate some reds though, I'm going to test out a pot of red eyeshadow that I own and see if it cures http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/355357f1b20859fbccaa846e0394dc66.jpg
That bit of blue that is painted right above those black round things is what I'm talking about, it's almost white, that's how pale it is
I also added like a pale pinkish color as a transition into the red tones
I'm quite liking this blue tinthttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160714/db06035ae7c637debf02656d42b133fb.jpg
Also I apologize about the crap lighting, it's almost 10 at night so it's dark, it looks so much better in person
merwandering
07-13-2016, 10:38 PM
I love this. So realistic. Very cool
Marinus Mortimer
07-14-2016, 11:38 AM
:dance: thats awesome Lili keep it up that flike turned oit great. What monofin will u be using? :confused:
MermaidClaudy
07-14-2016, 12:02 PM
OMG I am soon flowing that thread!! It looks amazing!!!
Thanks guys ! I got to finish both sides last night, almost used up all my pigment, I left enough to cover the sides of the fluke once I seal it, I'm not using a monofin for this tail, Merman Marinus, I went out and bought more silicone to create my dorsal fin, seeing as I totally wrecked my molds for those, (I made two little fins out of polymer clay and hardened it, poured plaster on it, came out great, but then I sat on it and broke it .__.) So I'll just take the fins and press them into some clay and then pour silicone inside that, I think that works out better too because that way I can get one continuous strand instead of casting a million fins and siliconing them together...hooray for happy accidents!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160715/4968f31549af98d7aafdfab5859a1861.jpg
Some mold pictures of the soon to be dorsal fin
Marinus Mortimer
07-14-2016, 09:27 PM
Great progress, no monofin? How do you expect to move forward? Or is this tail just for sitting and floating around in the shallows?
Hmm maybe I should attach a lexan monofin...I'll get some lexan tomorrow, I was debating on this for the longest time
I also cannot decide what amount of sil poxy I need, I basically need to cover the top of the fluke and some neoprene around it, should I get the .5 oz tube or more?
Marinus Mortimer
07-15-2016, 09:21 AM
I've never worked with silepoxy before but my guess is that more is better than less...
Yeah I ordered the 3 oz tube, the .5 oz tube seems to be somewhat of a rip off because you get significantly less product and you end up paying a few dollars less for it, I also realized I had no way of sealing the fluke after I posted yesterday, so there's another reason to get more.
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Ugh amazon isn't accepting my payment method so now my order has been delayed, I guess I have more time to work on the dorsal now
Okay, I take that back, it came in the mail just now
geffy
07-16-2016, 02:05 PM
great! very nice!http://juragan.club/2/g.png
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160716/c84c84055ef8cdbeda247c1e716614c2.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160716/5ede0fca306f84a30addb87d1e5fd3fe.jpgso I am letting the sil poxy cure, while that's happening, I'm also waiting for my 5th batch of dorsal fins to cure
Sil poxy smells just as bad as silicone caulking
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160716/3099fecb7e63282038a14ae2efd38478.jpg
Update: whoo it worked, the fluke is connected to the body, now all I need to do is attach scales and dorsal, yaaay
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160716/f8f9e2517ac1b8c1a44946220750e32c.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160716/13b17348bd72e551546671f5863bbe91.jpg
Alright so I began scaling the tail, eek I'm so close http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160717/02af4f6622c493be0fd95f7a7bc11510.jpg
I had to take a break because the fumes are starting to give me a headache, also, I know some of them are painted, that's only because I used some of the scales for a Halloween makeup look one year, the black ones are the ones I tested my sealant on, I'm doing the back first, I cannot wait to paint it, I'm so excited
Marinus Mortimer
07-17-2016, 10:01 AM
OMG's ur so close sistta im super exited, did u ever bluid the lexan fin or u left it just silicone? A re those scales made of plastic? Great work so far im super proud, yasss more deep water mers on the rise...
Marinus Mortimer
07-17-2016, 11:07 AM
If they are plastic scales you should grind down the edges to add depth like this.38093
Oh yes those are plastic scales, I did make a lexan sheet, this time I went to my neighbor and he had a jigsaw, oh wow that's a neat idea I didn't think about grinding them down like that, thanks!
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Marinus Mortimer
07-17-2016, 10:36 PM
:cheerleader::highfive::dance::thumbs-up:
No problem, glad i could help!
Great that you got the fin done ✔
P.S.: are u doing multiple layers of scales to add strenght, it might make the tail less flrxible but thats what they did for the H2O tails.
I began attaching the dorsal, it's not fully painted yet as you can see, it has some basic color on ithttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160719/0ff60838536bd6c342dd0bb9853e4494.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160719/2298b7ea6e365781b5a09883d23f81de.jpg
Nor is it trimmed or connected into one long piece
On a side note, I ran out of scales, but the good thing is that I can reuse some of these babies from work http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160719/677484f597b574191a2e2cc83993d09f.jpg
The plastic on them is very soft so it shouldn't damage my hands as much as other bottles did, currently, there are about a dozen different plastics on this tail, different thickness, each scale is a different size, I know that my family doesn't separate plastic from paper, which is a waste, so I am going to cover my tail in all the plastic they would have been wasting.
MermaidClaudy
07-19-2016, 09:28 AM
exiting!!!!
GulfMerman101
07-19-2016, 11:31 PM
Hi Lili, I just saw this thread right now, and I'm speechless and so excited to see the final finish of the tail! I too am planning to make an extended tail like from the films, but I am just waiting to gain alil more money to buy the supplies.
Merman marinus, I was thinking of adding another detailed layer, as I discovered I laid down some smaller scales and I liked them more, I may do it if I have the time, and thanks gulf merman, I have seen some of your posts around about the h2o tails a long time ago when I first joined mernetwork, I will definitely watch your progress once you gather your materials [emoji14]
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The Water Phoenix
07-20-2016, 12:53 AM
Lili, you've done such a fabulous job! :) Are you going to paint the tail when you've finished scaling it? It looks so lovely! :)
The Water Phoenix: yes! [emoji14]
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Marinus Mortimer
07-20-2016, 09:10 AM
Merman marinus, I was thinking of adding another detailed layer, as I discovered I laid down some smaller scales and I liked them more, I may do it if I have the time, and thanks gulf merman, I have seen some of your posts around about the h2o tails a long time ago when I first joined mernetwork, I will definitely watch your progress once you gather your materials [emoji14]
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Yay your getting there Lili keep it up, good I think an extra layer its a good way to go I wouldnt want you scales popping off...:dance:
Hi Lili, I just saw this thread right now, and I'm speechless and so excited to see the final finish of the tail! I too am planning to make an extended tail like from the films, but I am just waiting to gain alil more money to buy the supplies.
Awesome GulfMerman101 im also going to construct an extended tail, good to know that there will be other deep water Mers out there!
GulfMerman101
07-20-2016, 03:12 PM
That's awesome news Merman Marinus I cant wait to see you making it, !!!:) I have a question why did Jmb Fx studios, change from the nylon rod extension to a spring looking rod type thing?
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Marinus Mortimer
07-20-2016, 11:04 PM
That's awesome news Merman Marinus I cant wait to see you making it, !!!:) I have a question why did Jmb Fx studios, change from the nylon rod extension to a spring looking rod type thing?
38160
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I believe uts because with the spring mechanism they cut down the length by like 6 inches thus making the tails lighter and easier to maneuver in the water. (just my opinion)
GulfMerman101
07-21-2016, 12:22 AM
If so that's the case, Maybe? What would be the original length of the nylon rod they used to use before?
ive heard that the length of the extension can determine how fast underwater once can swim, but wasn't too sure exactly what length or design would permit such strength???
GulfMerman101
07-21-2016, 03:07 PM
Hey Lili, do you know how they made the footplate for the tails? I know the connection to the fluke with the nylon rod, but not really the connection to the footplate its self? is it the same?
I'm assuming they used a pretty similar mechanism to what I had done, I posted pictures of it earlier, they probably made it a bit more complex and durable than what I had done, but I'm sure it was the same idea, I don't think they could have just used an adhesive because that would come right off, so they definitely must have used nails
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GulfMerman101
07-21-2016, 04:21 PM
thanks Lili for the tips :) !!
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160721/b84a54583c87c658aa819a81a88593ac.jpg
One day, perhaps, haha, it's taking a long time to scale the tail but it just makes me happy to see the work, also I'm thinking of creating a sturdier dummy, but I have no idea how...anyone have suggestions?
thanks Lili for the tips :) !!
I'm honestly happy to provide all information on everything I've learned and designed, I know some people have trade secrets and all but I believe in sharing it's just a lot easier that way, for everyone [emoji14]
Marinus Mortimer
07-21-2016, 07:41 PM
If so that's the case, Maybe? What would be the original length of the nylon rod they used to use before?
ive heard that the length of the extension can determine how fast underwater once can swim, but wasn't too sure exactly what length or design would permit such strength???
It was 12 inches from foot plate to beginning of coudal fin. The foot plate I think would be a hard flet surface adhered to a full double foot neoprene case, in the back (if you've seen a fishing rod youd know tha the can be taken appart, the rod depending on length splits in to three parts ) so in the same way the nylon rod had a stiff hollow rod about an inch long, the nylon rod would go inside and become one piece with the foot plate piece. I hope yall understand my ramble!
Marinus Mortimer
07-21-2016, 07:45 PM
:clap::highfive::dance::yay:
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160721/b84a54583c87c658aa819a81a88593ac.jpg
One day, perhaps, haha, it's taking a long time to scale the tail but it just makes me happy to see the work, also I'm thinking of creating a sturdier dummy, but I have no idea how...anyone have suggestions?
I bet its hard in the "behind the scenes" videos they said it took two people 3 full days to scale the gole thing and they didn't even work non stop thast just how many hours they worked eqalled 3 full days. Props to you my dear :clap: :highfive: :dance: :yay: :dance:
GulfMerman101
07-22-2016, 12:34 AM
yeah ive heard, plus that doesn't include the detailing to every scale?!!! 5,000+ scales to work on, I couldn't believe the patience and frustration they had to go through, but hey at the end it was all worth it.
GulfMerman101
07-22-2016, 12:38 AM
Hey Lili and Merman Marinus, I'm drawing my idea on how the extension was performed, and ill be posting it tomorrow, but if there's anything that I missed, I was wondering if you can give me a heads up on what I misseed, or if it sound about right...a Thumbs Up?.
GulfMerman101
07-22-2016, 06:30 PM
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Here is my idea what I want to do with my tail extension? Basically its a fiberglass sock that is padded inside, then on the outside a steel plate is bolted securely to the fiberglass, where your feet will lay in from inside. Then a nylon rod would be passed through a steel pipe that has been welded to the steel plate, then bolted tight. making the first part of your tail spine.
Afterwards the connection of the nylon rod to the fluke is done by another steel pipe welded to a steel plate, then bolts are tightly screwed through the rod inside the pipe, then the metal plate is then screwed with several bolts under and through the nylon fluke. So what do y'all think?
http://mernetwork.com/index/images/icons/icon14.png or http://mernetwork.com/index/images/icons/icon13.png
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this may aid in the dolphin kick or mermaid swim, but wont do much good with turnings, I would have to put a lot of effort to make a quick turn in the water. but hey if this extension gives me the speed I need, I don't mind the cons of this tail. :)
If you look closely you can see the metal plate underneath the nylon sheet.!!
Marinus Mortimer
07-24-2016, 09:28 AM
38261
Here is my idea what I want to do with my tail extension? Basically its a fiberglass sock that is padded inside, then on the outside a steel plate is bolted securely to the fiberglass, where your feet will lay in from inside. Then a nylon rod would be passed through a steel pipe that has been welded to the steel plate, then bolted tight. making the first part of your tail spine.
Afterwards the connection of the nylon rod to the fluke is done by another steel pipe welded to a steel plate, then bolts are tightly screwed through the rod inside the pipe, then the metal plate is then screwed with several bolts under and through the nylon fluke. So what do y'all think?
http://mernetwork.com/index/images/icons/icon14.png or http://mernetwork.com/index/images/icons/icon13.png
38262
this may aid in the dolphin kick or mermaid swim, but wont do much good with turnings, I would have to put a lot of effort to make a quick turn in the water. but hey if this extension gives me the speed I need, I don't mind the cons of this tail. :)
If you look closely you can see the metal plate underneath the nylon sheet.!!
Great sketch, you (fiberglass sock) idea is just like what ive been thinking i just called it double footpocket, great minds think alike i was thinking of clear plastic resin to make the "footpocket" but was told that it brakes easily so i will have to look into fiberglass afterall. Good luck on your tail making jurney. Cant wait to swim as a pod all the extended tail mers...
GulfMerman101
07-24-2016, 03:55 PM
Thank you so much Merman Marinus, it will take awhile for me to fully finish the tail, but it'll be worth it.
Cant wait to be swimming with the Mako Pods, and with our extended tails flapping around in the water, we are now a new species growing across the open blues.
I too heard that the resin may crack, but you can stick with the Fiberglass method with either a neoprene layer, thin rubber resin layer, or anything that's comforting INSIDE the foot sock. something like what Im doing. comfort is KEY lol
I'm having to use a thin polished steel plate bolted to the fiberglass, so rust is not a concern.
I finally found some time to work on my tail, I'll have the next 2 weeks to scale it since I got off work at one of my jobs (whoooo!) So I've made progress with the scales today and my dorsal, I'm definitely redoing/adding another layer of scales at least to the top part of the extension, I don't really like the way they look, size wise, they're a bit too big for my liking, I finally found the perfect size I've settled upon, since the scales are clear it's kind of hard to photograph them http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160725/fe16aed73ae3d33c7ef3b64cd52d9335.jpg
Marinus Mortimer
07-25-2016, 07:39 PM
Awesome post more pics as you go lots of them i love to see progress shots. And that secund layer of scales should be for the hole tail to keep it even.
Yeah I suppose you're right, I was also thinking of adding a thin layer of clear silicone over the scales to seal the paint and everything, it'll also give it a smooth transition from the dorsal to the scales, and the fluke to the scales..this way I can also add some glitter if I wanted to...I'm spraying a glossy sealant on the scales once it's all done, but I don't know, the silicone idea is really attracting just because it's kind of like that final touch to everything
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Marinus Mortimer
07-26-2016, 08:08 AM
I believe the silicone will not stick to the scales. Im thinking find another way of painting the tail or take out the scales then paint with silicone and the scales on top. Because the scales are transparent the color should go through wuthout problem.
See in thes pic the tails are already painted or one if the is the other in the process.
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Here the guy is also scaling a pre painted tail.
38332
Well if I use silicone caulk, it'll definitely do the trick, that stuff sticks to everything, I'm going to try and do a test today with it before I go to work, I just honestly need a very thin layer if I were to do this...since I'll be adding a sealant on top of the painted scales, I technically don't NEED the silicone on top, but I wanna test it out and see if it would work, I've seen some mers putting it on top of their sequin tails to protect that shiny film on top
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GulfMerman101
07-26-2016, 05:31 PM
I know D Limonene is great for thinning silicone, so you can spray or brush it on the scales, you also want to put translucent plastic paints in the mix. This is just a suggestion I got from Steven P.
GulfMerman101
07-26-2016, 05:51 PM
but I must I say that I love so much what you've done with the tails progress! do you thing you are going to detail the scales? or leave them the way they are?
Thanks! What do you mean by detail ?
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Marinus Mortimer
07-27-2016, 09:09 AM
He means this...
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Oh that...I don't know I haven't decided yet honestly
Also, I stuffed my dummy with fabric at the top which is the part I need to be the strongest, it seemed to work out pretty well, I just need to find a bit more fabric to stuff in there...http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160727/d0fb63238241e59e97622168c6ea4764.jpg
GulfMerman101
07-28-2016, 01:35 AM
what about a blanket, or towels? lol
Ahh that's a smart idea, I didn't think about that, thanks a lot, that's actually very helpful :D
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AelianaNympha
07-28-2016, 08:41 AM
I stuffed mine with every sheet and blanket in the house, Hahaha.
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I have been on the track of figuring out an easily swimmable extended tail for years. I've gone through quite a few drafts and I must say yours looks pretty promising so far. Keep up the good work!
Also, speaking from experience, spraying silicone over plastic scales does not work. It might look great at first, but not only does it conceal all the beautiful texture of the plastic scales, but the scales will cut their way out of the silicone and eventually shred it during use. The silicone will, in affect, "molt" as it falls off the tail in patches. Using caulking might be different than dragonskin, but I still wouldn't attempt it. If I were you I would paint along the scales using a waterproof spray paint for plastics and then maybe 'detail' each scale individually with some more paint (by hand using a brush for the detail). I'll be interested to see what you decide to do! :)
Oh yeah I didn't think about the scales essentially cutting themselves out of the silicone, that's a good point, I suppose I'll just stick with the painting then, I guess the movement of the tail will turn the plastic into little razors..thanks for that advice, I like input from others :)
Ps. Aeliananympha: thanks for the idea, that's genius !:D
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No problem :) Your tail looks fantastic so far and I can't wait to see how it turns out! It's gonna be amazing! :D
AelianaNympha
07-28-2016, 01:39 PM
You got it!
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Rett, maybe spray paint, but I like painting everything by hand that way I get everything just the way I want it...I don't know..I've got time to decide but I may just paint. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160729/4cf6c7e3b57a3d390737079df95ff6f5.jpgI also did some scaling today, I'm almost done with the back
Marinus Mortimer
07-28-2016, 11:11 PM
I would suggest fiar you paint the hole thing then continue scaling the tail. I'm so glad to see your progression its looking fantastic. :swoon: :dance:
Yeah yeah, I'll do that, I'm excited to begin painting the whole thing already, because my fingers are hurting from cutting out all the scales D: I'm honestly kind of going to wing the whole painting process because I'm not sure what I'm doing, kind of like what happened with the fluke, the colors just struck me, and then I decided, yes, let's do that...I'm definitely going to try and include some of the sketches you did for me though, those were awesome
Marinus Mortimer
07-29-2016, 03:50 PM
Im so glad to read that your incorporating a little of our designs to you tail :swoon:, thanks that means a lot.
Good luck on your progression. :dance:
Yeah yeah [emoji14] I'm excited to start painting, the scale process is just taking FOREVER haha
I also can't seem to find any paint able outdoor paint, I suppose I'll have to just go with spray paint after all
Marinus Mortimer
08-02-2016, 11:45 AM
:bulldozer::biting nails::meditation::thumbs up:Hows the tail making going?
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160802/5dbb66ee9054944d620e7427f9895422.jpg
I've been cutting up scales like crazy, my hands are all bruised up from it, the ones in the bag are completed scales and the ones on the bottom still need to be trimmed, it's a painful process, but it's worth it because I love the way it looks on the tail
So here's an update of what I've done, I've got more than half of the back side Covered in scales and still lots more scales to go http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160803/d597da20af1503a8bbb170a151cc4c69.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160803/0deca37b1cb7f23848dd9c7409067d6f.jpg
Wow my tail looks crooked in pictures, I should make like a dummy of my feet so that it is nice and straight in pictures
The Water Phoenix
08-02-2016, 10:42 PM
Looks awesome so far! I would have painted the tail first before I started scaling though :)
Yeah I thought about that, but since I'm resorting to spray paint, it won't really be a big deal at this point
You definitely have a very good point though, I should've painted it beforehand
The Water Phoenix
08-03-2016, 12:34 AM
No problem :)
Marinus Mortimer
08-03-2016, 03:30 AM
Looks awesome so far! I would have painted the tail first before I started scaling though :)
I salid that two BUT the way its coming its great seeing all those scales made me remember that I'll have to cast a few thousand scales for my tail seance each scale will be 1" to 2". Lots of sculpting I think that the more scales I sculpt and mold the faster I'll have them all done.
moniee
08-03-2016, 05:29 AM
Its coming along nicely! However if you use spray paint I think afterwards it will scratch and come off quite quickly as plastic can't grab onto spray paint as well as fabric would do with fabric paint.
I would suggest continuing your tail by pre painting your fabric then glue the scales and leave them see through. This would give it a very nice touch too, and also a protective payer for the colour!
As far as I'm aware this is a similar method they used for Splash and Aquamarine tails as well?
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachment.php?attachmentid=38475&stc=1
Moniee, the problem with that is that since it's see thru, you can see glue and the un trimmed side of the scale, even though I'd love to use that method, there's just no way it would look right, I believe the aquamarine scales are painted, and merman marinus, I remember you mentioning that, I had thought you were talking about the second layer, that I should paint the scales I've done so far and then lay down the second layer...see this is what makes me skeptical about painting first though: since a layer of paint is added, the glue will adhere to the paint instead of the fabric, if the glue chips off the fabric then the scale comes off with it, it makes the tail weaker I feel? Unless I'm wrong?
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The Water Phoenix
08-03-2016, 07:47 AM
Silicone sticks to neoprene :) It is impossible to paint silicone on its own without it chipping. You'll have to mix the pigment into the silicone so when you glue your scales on, the paint job won't chip off :)
And back to cutting out scales now, here's where I'm at with the tailhttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160803/d16542c03dc593416eeaf801526c558f.jpghttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160803/ebf5d7a79c9563d32f96e3c6928d65a2.jpg
Marinus Mortimer
08-03-2016, 04:23 PM
I guess it was a misunderstanding my apologies I should have explained myself better, as for the glue adhering to the paint, I don't think so because the paint soaks in to the frabric (like water would) if done in light layers and allowed to dry I think it becomes part of the fabric or neoprene the glue if it's Silicone you could pigment to match the area and keep the effect.
Marinus Mortimer
08-03-2016, 04:24 PM
Btw the tail is looking super awesome super impressive :swoon:
PearlieMae
08-03-2016, 04:52 PM
I say it all the time...do a small test/prototype before you start any tail work.
I did some tests with the colored scales on my tail, the stuff I used worked but I'm still going to te st out spray paint, but the method I used, which was essentially acrylic latex paint did a pretty good job, I read that it's also useful to use a primer for malleable plastics like what I'm using, so I may invest in one if it comes down to that.
Merman Marinus: I think I know what you mean, you're saying it would be kind of like putting hot glue onto painted fabric ?
Edit: here's a picture of the paint I tested, it's an exterior acrylic latex paint, it's glossy so it dried the way I wanted ithttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160804/f062b6dbf1a5987b4a5072a942c48fe9.jpg
Looking good! Can't wait to see it painted and in the water! Super looking forward to that underwater swimming video :D
Oh yeah me too, believe me, I am taking a little break as I'm going on vacation for a few days for the first time this summer, I'll definitely resume tailmaking after I get home though
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I finally returned from vacation, I did a bit of work on the tail
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160816/4f6a97cf29d7539e822d2a6895bf716c.jpg
Did you do a really simple and short test swim before you started scaling? I would recommend it. That way you know it works or not and whether you need to fix anything on the tail before it is entirely finished.
Yeah I did, I also carried it in and out of the house a couple times to make sure it doesn't fall apart, the extension seems to be holding up pretty well in and out of water
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Marinus Mortimer
08-16-2016, 04:24 PM
Thats great news lili im glad it works
Oh cool, so you already tested it? Awesome! I must have missed where you said that :) Can't wait for it to be finished so we can see a swimming video of the results!
Guys I finally finished the back, one thing I'm a little worried about is around the waist area, since I used plastic, would that scratch up my skin? I'm wondering if anyone with sequin tails has had this issue maybe...or do I have nothing to worry about?http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160824/c2e194bd6c0a68f9c01b8ba297c323a5.jpg
Rayne Mermaid
08-24-2016, 03:35 PM
Wow! It's been a while since I checked in on this project! How long is this tail?!
The length of the tail (fluke and body) is 216 cm give or take, and the fluke is 57 cm long. I prefer the metric system as I never got adjusted to the American one since I've moved here hehe
Mermaid Alea
08-26-2016, 12:41 AM
This tail is amazing! It really does look like an H20 tail. Actually I like your back fin more than the H20 tail back fin.
Marinus Mortimer
08-27-2016, 04:46 PM
If you do encounter a situation like that then maybe an under suit like this one with the blended waist would help. Hope you get the idea. 38890
Moonchild
08-27-2016, 06:23 PM
This tail looks better and more realistic than most full silicone tails I've seen!!! I'm actually considering this method for my future tail...👌💕
Enviado desde mi Aquaris X5 mediante Tapatalk
Oh my, that's actually a pretty sweet idea, is the waist just silicone ?
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Trident True
08-29-2016, 01:26 AM
this looks really good and I'm gonna scream if it works the way you intended. I too am making an extended tail however mine has been many, many years in the making. :) also for the mako mermaids tails the waist is completely scaled. i would say that the neoprene underlay would help the tail stick to the actors. perhaps they have gotten rid of the straps they once used in the H20 tails.
Marinus Mortimer
08-29-2016, 06:14 AM
Oh my, that's actually a pretty sweet idea, is the waist just silicone ?
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No its basically neoprene "leggins" with painted silicone on the waist area to Match the tail.
Rayne Mermaid
08-29-2016, 03:45 PM
The length of the tail (fluke and body) is 216 cm give or take, and the fluke is 57 cm long. I prefer the metric system as I never got adjusted to the American one since I've moved here hehe
Holy clamshells!!!! That tail is 7 feet 1 inch long!! Impressive!
Wow I didn't realize how long this thing was, I may have miscalculated, I'll probably measure it again since I was in a rush last time...anyways I began scaling the front and for some reason it's easier than the back, I'm estimating this will take me around 8-9 days judging by how much I had done in 2 days, though I don't get every day to work on it since I have an actual job to go to..but I'm determined to get this finished! Thanks for all the compliments :)
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This tail looks better and more realistic than most full silicone tails I've seen!!! I'm actually considering this method for my future tail...👌💕
Enviado desde mi Aquaris X5 mediante Tapatalk
Go for it! I would love to see the progress, I always thought silicone tails always had a more fantasy sort of look to them, more mythical rather than realistic, that is, until I saw lou's tail in which she cast tiny silicone scales...is think if I ever make another tail I may just use the pearlie method because cutting out these plastic scales is not fun haha but it is cheaper
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Moonchild
09-01-2016, 04:54 PM
Cheaper sounds like music to my ears hahahahaha and I love the way it looks tbh, and I think it must make it more rigid too?? In a it-won't-get-too-wrinkly-behind-the-knees-while-swimming kind of way (if that's the case then I'm all for plastic scales!!😍) I can't wait to see it in action!!!
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It definitely makes it a little more rigid but it's not like a huge improvement, like it'll still wrinkle but nothing like spandex you know
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Marinus Mortimer
09-05-2016, 10:13 AM
Yay summer 2017 is going to be lit we extended Mers are going to gag the Mer World.
Merman Ordep
09-07-2016, 02:59 PM
Wow!:jawdrop: I lovee your tail! it looks so realistic :D thank you for sharing it with us, you're thread is helping me a lot
Great concepts and executions! You said you tested it? How does the extension work propulsion-wise?
MORE?
Marinus Mortimer
09-13-2016, 05:29 AM
How's it going along with the Tail?
Ah I haven't had time to work on it school started for me about a week ago and it's been crazy, I already had like 5 assignments due on the first Monday of school which usually doesn't happen, I've had time to cut out some scales yesterday but I didn't get around to gluing them on, once things slow down and I have more time which should be in the next few weeks, I'll work on it for sure, I've also been collecting lots of plastic lol, honestly as long as I finish this by next summer I'll be happy because I don't have any places I can swim at during winter time anyway
Marinus Mortimer
09-14-2016, 08:34 AM
Wow that's crazy about the assignmets
That's so ME my due date for this tail is the summer equonox so winter is real job and tail making
Merman Ordep
09-22-2016, 03:58 PM
Have you ever thought about using these scales instead?
http://mernetwork.com/index/attachment.php?attachmentid=39070&stc=1
Do you think they work like the ones in the h2o tails?
Well, I looked into that, but I wouldn't be able to paint these, they have a little shiny film on the outside which apparently falls off according to a lot of mers on here
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Merman Ordep
09-22-2016, 04:21 PM
Thank you for your answer Lili :D I was thinking about ordering some to test but since a lot of mers confirmed that they fall I won't (They were actually kinda cheap like 4,5€ 600 pvc sequins)
I mean you could, honestly, but I suggest you take off the shiny film from them before you paint them
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Have you had any spare time to work on the tail? Cant wait to see it finished!
Marinus Mortimer
10-01-2016, 12:39 PM
Me too but being in the tail making process myself I can understand the amount of work so a break is reasonable.
Yeah I have had zero time to work on it until today, I'm finally sitting down and working on this tonight and hopefully tomorrow, I was trying to get back on track with school first and then come back to this you know because if I have a million things going on at school and my job then I wont have time for this, but once I get in the flow of things then I tend to have some evenings for myself but yeah hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures tonight or tomorrow for you all :)
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Marinus Mortimer
10-07-2016, 10:58 PM
I feel you I work full time and finding the time and energy to sit down and sculp is not easy at all most days all I want is sleep.
Alright I did some work on the tail yesterday and tonight, I got a headache from the fumes by the end of it http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161009/359af38b255ed9740547e2a080292875.jpg but I'm almost there, now onto cutting scales
I'm also getting used to how insanely crooked my tail looks without my legs in it haha
Marinus Mortimer
10-08-2016, 10:35 PM
:yay::group hug:Ohhhhhhhh :jawdrop: So exited.:swoon::dance:
Girl get yourself a gass mask!
Atomic_Mermaid
10-08-2016, 10:39 PM
It looks so amazing!!!! [emoji1]
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beaubeau
10-17-2016, 01:16 AM
Ive just purchased a silicone fluke for a costume.the top is going to be textured and the bottom flat. Originally I wanted to attach it to a piece of long fabric but I think it would look more realistic with some type of long flat silicone piece about 4 feet maybe with scales and then I would attach it to a piece of fabric around my waste. The character I have in mind is Poseidon half man and half fish. Any suggestions ? Thanks a bunch anybody know where I can purchase something before Halloween?
I wouldn't use silicone as it gets heavy and it'll drag the fabric down, maybe stuff the fabric with pillow stuffing ?
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So I've finally gotten into the rhythm of high school senior year, just need to send out some college applications but I've finally found some time for the tail so I'll be cutting out a lot of scales soon :)
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Marinus Mortimer
11-12-2016, 09:38 AM
Great to hear Lili keep it up...
So I had an unfortunate rip in my silicone but I managed to fix it...my entire fluke almost ripped in half, anyway I've been doing some scaling on the front and I had painted the dorsal tonight so I thought I'd share it with you all...I also found that toothbrushes make fantastic brushes for this type of work https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170127/d2af836c4ee0378c5d696a294ba663d3.jpg
Mermaid Wesley
01-27-2017, 12:00 PM
Woo! Keep it up!
Thanks! I'm so excited because the end is looking close now and cutting out scales has become a quicker and easier process https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170131/ba6cb32f17b983c0db1107b934fbd34d.jpg
My parents came home with this awesome desk for my tail to sleep on, I think it'll help my scales not bend and the silicone will probably be better off not laying on that cage...it's so exciting! I'm posting a progress picture of the scaleshttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170212/1040f700229c4081c46b90797db6f953.jpg
Marinus Mortimer
02-23-2017, 02:04 AM
:swoon: great work so far lili cant wait to see what you show us next
Well shit I haven't posted in a while, actually I had just finished scaling this tail a few days ago and have had the chance to paint the front white. I used a spray paint from michaels and it works perfectly. I'm trying to look for some kind of a blue paint today when I stop by michaels maybe with glitter in it? And the back will be spray painted with black fading into the blue and the white. I also bought glitter to put over top of this paint, one is black and the other is white I'm posting the white overlay.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180118/517611f2602774ae75eaebd5aef08218.jpg
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Well shit I haven't posted in a while, actually I had just finished scaling this tail a few days ago and have had the chance to paint the front white. I used a spray paint from michaels and it works perfectly. I'm trying to look for some kind of a blue paint today when I stop by michaels maybe with glitter in it? And the back will be spray painted with black fading into the blue and the white. I also bought glitter to put over top of this paint, one is black and the other is white I'm posting the white overlay.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180118/517611f2602774ae75eaebd5aef08218.jpg
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using TapatalkSide note: this tail is quite heavy I wrapped it in a plastic bag and I was pulling it outside until one of my neighbors came up to me and asked me what's in there because it looked like a body apparently haha
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So I've had time to paint it today and put some glitter on top but I need to wait for th black glitter to be dry before I flip it and apply the rest of the holographic clear gel on top camera doesn't do it justice it's so sparkly! But it also smells like a chemistry lab in here https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/57f51d8967e098c2c35ce1ef90668ab9.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/fafecd87094e587e5bcae2ab6c22b90a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/23762c78e726c9db574d3d84a4e22b37.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/3bd8a505b96865c1358074060b7ca5ac.jpg
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Mermaid hannahML
01-19-2018, 01:24 AM
I just gattta see this beautiful tail in the water
Marinus Mortimer
01-19-2018, 02:47 AM
I’m soo glad to see this is still moving Lili yesss keep it up it’s looking great!!
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Mermaid Kane
01-19-2018, 11:17 AM
*ruptures into spasms* Oh my gods, its so amazing? I love the paint job!
So here are the final pictures of the tail I'm so happy it's finally finished ^.^ I hope to photograph it on me soon, and maybe do an underwater shoot too. I wish I could upload videos on here I took a badass video of all the glitter on it https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/c38b56e53d83bf943145614e4de6eac1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/65fcdb6591229a7b66282cfca9aa9cc6.jpg
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Marinus Mortimer
01-19-2018, 04:30 PM
So here are the final pictures of the tail I'm so happy it's finally finished ^.^ I hope to photograph it on me soon, and maybe do an underwater shoot too. I wish I could upload videos on here I took a badass video of all the glitter on it https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/c38b56e53d83bf943145614e4de6eac1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20180119/65fcdb6591229a7b66282cfca9aa9cc6.jpg
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:swoon: OMFG this is amazing I can’t wait to finish my tail comisiones to get back to work on my extended tail! Love love it [emoji4]
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Mermaid Kane
01-19-2018, 04:37 PM
Ahhhh! It turned out so well!
:swoon: OMFG this is amazing I can’t wait to finish my tail comisiones to get back to work on my extended tail! Love love it [emoji4]
Sent from my iPad using TapatalkThanks! I've been wondering how yours was coming along
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Ahhhh! It turned out so well!Thanks ! I'm in love with it!
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Marinus Mortimer
01-19-2018, 04:45 PM
Thanks! I've been wondering how yours was coming along
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Mine is on pause due to lack of funds to buy the rest of silicone and fiberglass resin I need to mold and cast the full tail
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Mine is on pause due to lack of funds to buy the rest of silicone and fiberglass resin I need to mold and cast the full tail
Sent from my iPad using TapatalkAh alright I can see why that would be a struggle. I finished this tail during the beginning of my second semester in college so I put my money into it while I was in high school which worked out. I hope you find funds for it soon I'd be more than excited to see it done!
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IllynReaver
01-31-2018, 11:30 AM
Oh wow! Your tail looks amazing!
Oh wow! Your tail looks amazing!Thanks! It took a lot of work but I appreciate it :)
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Mermaid Persephone
02-04-2018, 09:59 PM
Wow! I love how your tail turned out. Great color blending on the body.
Wow! I hope we can get a swimming video sometime soon!
Stefani
02-11-2018, 03:28 PM
Hello! I have a question, what kind of monofins is the best for silicone tails?:confused:
Merolis
11-04-2018, 02:20 PM
Do you have an Instagram Account?
KTMaggs
11-04-2018, 02:45 PM
Hello! I have a question, what kind of monofins is the best for silicone tails?:confused:
Most places use a Finis Rapid, Finis Foil, or Finis Competitor. A hardy monofin works best.
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