Pearlie Mae method with aquarium silicone?

[Dame Melusine]

Hi fellow mers,
has anyone ever tried the individual scale Pearlie Mae method using aquarium silicone instead of dragonskin? If so, any tips or recommended modifications for this material?
Thank you!

[Ilyena]

I think aquarium silicone won't come out of moulds as it is meant to be used to stick glass together unless you use a lot of mould release. You can try but that's my understanding of it.

[Trident True]

I don't think you would have a problem it is trial and error. however i do know from using this it won't be pourable the only way to get this into molds would be to use a spatula or dilute it so that it could be applied by brush.

[PearlieMae]

You can't make the scales very thick because that kind of silicone needs air to cure. If you make them too thick, or if humidity conditions aren't right, the silicone could skin over and the interior never cures. It will come out of a resin mold just fine without mold release, but the side against the mold may not cure because it has no access to air...then, once a scale with an uncured center breaks open (and it will!), you have acetic acid up against your skin - not good!

While everyone thinks aquarium sealant is perfectly fine to use because it's aquarium safe, it's NOT aquarium safe until it's properly cured! I HAVE tried it.

If you are considering aquarium silicone as a cheaper alternative, it's false economy. The time wasted on waiting for it to cure, having to do multiple layers, the STENCH, and the waste of all those tubes, not to mention not being able to color it porperly...just save up and invest in the real dragonskin. It's not worth the hassle not to.

[Lili]

Ok so I have experience with this kind of stuff it's actually how I made my dorsal for my tail, I don't recommend using clay for the mold at all...it gives the silicone a weird layer of clay so it fades the color...it's doable but like pearlie said; it's hard for it to cure properly.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

[Dame Melusine]

Thank you so much guys for sharing your tips and info. I have lots of food for thought here. I guess testing, testing, testing temperature and humidity vs cure time and thickness will be necessary. I used aquarium silicone successfully using a freehand piping method (a bit of a fusion between the Fishbutts and Tigg's Tails) in the summer and started working on a few fins this fall, lets see how the change in temp affects it.
PearlieMae, OMG, you are so right about the STENCH! I can only use the stuff in my open garage wearing gloves, a mask and safety glasses. Maybe this will be kick I need to jump to dragonskin...
Thank you!!!

[PearlieMae]

Get a trial size set of Dragonskin...It's around thirty bucks, I think, and mess around with it. Once you go platinum, you'll never go back!

[Dame Melusine]

Pearlie Mae...I have to confess...I have a trial size dragonskin 10 I stashed a few months ago and totally chickened out...assuming it hasn't expired, I guess I have no choice now but testing it out lol! I am in no huge rush right now, so maybe ill try it at different points this fall and winter to see how it performs at various temperatures here. I already have some Pearl-ex and sparkles to test it with....getting excited now...!

[PearlieMae]

I don't know how you resisted! Assuming it's been in stored in a cool/room temperature place, it should be fine. Once you open it, though, you should use it up and not let it sit for months.

[AniaR]

I havent had time to read all the replies but a few points:

-I think someone did the math and it turns out to be more expensive to make it with aquarium silicone than dragonskin
-The aquarium silicone cures differently
- The aquarium silicone will be stiffer than the dragonskin which some people have found causes cracking, and sizing issues.

[Dame Melusine]

Thanks PearlieMae, I suppose, I will need to plan my dragonskin tests very carefully then.

Thank you Raina, I didnt think about stiffness...

[AniaR]

Thanks PearlieMae, I suppose, I will need to plan my dragonskin tests very carefully then.

Thank you Raina, I didnt think about stiffness...

I can 100% attest to that I have experimented with it and one of my mermaids made a tail totally out of it. It's not stretchy and doesn't easily give the way dragonskin does. And it was quite rigid. I think you're in our mermaids in canada group right? You can message Mermaid Nessie about it. She's the one who made a full tail out of it.

[Dame Melusine]

Yes, Montreal mermaid here he he he...Thank you, I will try to reach Mermaid Nessie

[Adanbareth]

Hi everyone! Have you already used aquarium silicone? Does it work? :)

[Dame Melusine]

Hi Adanbareth,
please read the comments above. You will see that everyone has had both successes and failures with aquarium silicone with excellent tips noted above. My best advice is to test test test! buy a single (sacrificial!) tube and test with surface fabrics, texture, thicknesses, additions such as solvents and pigments, and note cure times and curing conditions. It seems that different brands react a bit differently and weather will also be a factor in some cases. However, Ultimately I agree with Pearlie Mae that the best is Dragon Skin.
I made a video describing my process making a hybrid tail that might help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6qj1EpXmOw&t=137s

[Adanbareth]

Dear, Thank you for your video! :) I will do a test. In Poland is really hard to get Dragon Skin, and it's cost a lot of money. 39819 (Posh Fairytale Couture (https://www.facebook.com/posh.fairytale.couture/)) At first I will try to do some accessories, as in the picture :)

[Mermaid Fenicia]

there is a shop in Poland that sells dragonskin: https://www.smooth-on.com/distributor-regions/europe/ =>

Kauposil
032 229 01 07
info@kauposil.com
http://www.kauposil.co (http://www.kauposil.com)

[Adanbareth]

Yes, I found this site before, but I talked to Mermaid Pogo and she said that there silicon is very expensive, but it is the only such shop. I'm looking for an alternative to Dragon Skin :) Mermaid Melusines movie encouraged me to try the aquarium silicone

[PearlieMae]

It's not worth making a tail with aquarium silicone. Save up for Dragonskin.

https://www.google.com/search?q=platinum+cure+silicone+in+poland&oq=platinum+cure+silicone+in+poland&aqs=chrome..69i57.8782j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Dame Melusine]

Hi Adanbareth,
Wow, I Loooove that pic! yes, you can probably do the ear fins with aquarium silicone. I made my fins using the peel away method https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZy8mqXGHHk, however I used thicker lines of silicone instead of wires, let them dry, then brushed on the rest layer by layer. I also made 2 sides and sandwiched some powermesh in between for strenght. I doubt the hand webs would work or be strong enough, it might work for a picture but definitely not in the water for swimming...

I just need to clarify here that using aquarium silicone worked for me, but it is a risk because other mers have had problems with it. It is also weaker and stiffer in general so it is a fine balance in thickness vs streght. It worked on top of neoprene using the spaced out piped scales, but would likely rip over any thinner material, especially over an area that stretches often such as the knees. I dont have experience with dragon skin (yet!), but it is way more widely used and understood as a tailmaking medium. This is why I encourage you to fully test a sample before investing in a large quantity, the same you would do with dragon skin. It is also definitely worth comparing calculating ounce for ounce between the aquarium silicone in your area and dragon skin, because as noted above, other mers have found that in some area, Dragon skin is actually cheaper. You also need a big quantity, I didnt count at the time, and underestimated in the video, but I used at least 20 tubes before fins. Missfit who posted the tutorial on using Alex Plus http://missfit1023.deviantart.com/art/my-tail-tutorial-209421264 estimated 24-36 tubes before fins (this is just as a reference, since then the mer community realised that Alex Plus should NEVER be used).

Anyhoo, have fun in your tailmaking endeavors!

[Adanbareth]

Deme Melusine, Thank you for your answer and useful tips ^_^
This is why I would rather test the silicone aquarium in front of dragon skin :) I know that the store in Poland that sells dragon skin, imports it from another country, so it's expensive and take a lot of time to bring. Aquarium silicone I can buy at any pet store.
I talked with Mermaid Pogo ( the first and only one siren in Poland, which has a silicone tail) and she said that she used one gallon of dragon skin. I calculate I'd need 22.5 silicone tubes, maybe less if I make a form similar to the shape of the body. But, like you said, I have to do the test, test, test and moooore test.
Tomorrow I willl go buy small tube of aquarium silicone, I will inform about the results (...or or about failure :D )

[Adanbareth]

Okey, I do my first test.

39832

1. I made only two layers: first is transparent, and the second is with purple pigment. For a few scales, I added glitter. I painted it using a brush.
2. The aquarium silicone so terribly stinks... the need to use a face mask and ventilate the room all the time (And so it should be working with such things)
3. Aq-Silicone is very dense, it must be diluted. I didn't do that, so there are air bubbles and beads.
4. It seems flexible and strong, but I have not touched comparison with dragon skin.
5. I will test it again after the Christmas with thinner.
6. I only use 2 layers of silicone, I don't know how more layers could affect flexibility. and I wonder if it put mesh fabric in a silicone

http://pl.tinypic.com/r/fmugj6/9 <- This video shows how silicone looks

I don't know whether to recognize it as a success or a disappointment. I tested on. I'll put the sample into a bowl of water, the sun etc. I'll see what happens.

[Mermaid Fenicia]

dragonskin:
- doesn't smell
- mix powder pigment into the silicone
- 1 layer is enough
- top/slime coat with glitter into it mixed
- easy to 'glue' to powermesh or fabric and to itself with more dragonskin
- easy to pour into a mold

[Adanbareth]

Dear Mermaid Fenicia, I know everything, I just wanted to test aquarium silicone :) and I share the results

[Dame Melusine]

Wow,this is the first time i see someone mold aquarium silicone. Thank you for sharing this!
Yes, the STINK...lol, I am glad you are being safe and showing it too in your pics. I really like the pointed scale shapes!

Yes, thinning will improve the texture, but I would advise against the scale sheet method using aquarium silicone. This stuff is not strong enough to withstand the stretching at the knees, ankles and waist on its own and would have to be cast thin so the tail is not too stiff and require at least neoprene under it which is also costly. If you really want to make scale sheets, dragon skin scale sheets may still be cheaper than aquarium silicone scale sheets + neoprene. Also if you plan more molding, reinforced plaster and shellshock for example are better choices, unless the clay was simply just for this test.

I hope this helps...

[Adanbareth]

Yes, it was just a test. I have to try other methods :) I know there can be a problem with knees, ankles etc. After Christmas i will try and show the results. And now... Merry Christmas for each mermaid! :)

[Dame Melusine]

Merry Christmas!

[PearlieMae]

I wish you success with this, even though I think you are going to struggle unnecessarily with the aquarium silicone.