Here we go again...neoprene and silicone caulk hybrid take 2

[mermaid mazu]

Hi everyone! Ok so my first tail was a huge learning experience. I'm actually pretty proud of it considering I had no idea what I was doing, and I made it in 4 days lol. I've put a lot more thought into this new design and will be making it in a better, less rushed way. Although I am impatient so it still won't be the traditional way of doing things. My design is inspired by a dragon/reptile. I will be making a reptilian belly, and color inspired by an iguana. I have a mahina monofin that will go inside my fluke. I have completed the first half of my fluke and have the base silicone for the second half. So I know most people sculpt in clay and make a mold for their flukes and fins, that is not fitting to my impatient ways so instead I spread out a tarp, drew on my shape in sharpie and sort of sculpted ridges into my silicone as I spread it out. Then after much experimenting, I found that my personal preference for coloring it was to thin the silicone down with mineral spirits, adding acrylic craft paint and then literally just painting it on with a paintbrush. So that's where I'm at so far. I will update as I get further.

[mermaid mazu]

39942 my original design, I changed the fluke

[mermaid mazu]

39944 close up of my ridges in my silicone base

[mermaid mazu]

39945 this will be the back of my fluke, I'm going to make my spots look better on the other half

[mermaid mazu]

39946 I can't wait to finish this one!

[MermaidLiara]

Omg I love this fluke!

[MermaidSasha]

This looks amazing so far! I love the fluke

[mermaid mazu]

Thank you both! I'd be much further along but it's winter and I'm working indoors and my silicone is taking forever to set up!

[mermaid mazu]

39952 top half of my fluke is done!

[MermaidSasha]

Looking awesome! Yeah the weather is being really crazy here lately. It's almost in the 70's today lol.

[mermaid mazu]

Yep, I'm Oklahoma too lol

[Mermaid Momo]

Does the fluke just pulls up off of the tarp or do you have to cut the tarp around the silicone?

[mermaid mazu]

It doesn't stick to the tarp. You just leave it sit until it cures and it peels right up

[MermaidSasha]

Yeah I saw you were in Oklahoma lol :D Nice to see more mers here!! Did you also make your tail in your avatar pic?

[mermaid mazu]

Yes ma'am that was my first one. I have a thread on the making of that one too that includes all the ways I messed up along the way lol. Hopefully this one won't have to include mistakes

[mermaid mazu]

So I've done a bunch of research on how to attach the fluke to the monofin since silicone won't stick to it. I didn't have this problem with my first tail because my monofin was covered in neoprene. Last night I attached the back side. I checked it this morning and it worked great! I took a fine mesh fabric and used e6000 to attach the mesh to my monofin in random dots all over. That way it was held down but not attached tight so the silicone would grab the mesh.39955 39956

[mermaid mazu]

39958 both sides attached to the monofin and now connecting the sides together. My sides don't line up perfectly so tomorrow I'll be trimming and touching up the paint job.

[mermaid mazu]

39960 it's heavy and a little hard to control my flipping of it. I'm going to have to work out with this thing lol. I think I made it a bit thick. It's 18 lbs.

[mermaid mazu]

39962 and now for the tediousness of making the scales

[Rett]

Looks great so far! I love the organic shape and color of your fluke. It reminds me of water lilies and lily pads. Very pretty! :)

[mermaid mazu]

Thank you :)

[Dame Melusine]

Wow! That is amazing! I know working with this stuff is like painting with peanut butter...I am amazed you managed to make scale rows in the peel away method. I may try it too!

[mermaid mazu]

I don't know that my method is normal lol. I'm spreading the silicone out thin and smooth on a flat surface and allowing it to fully cure. Then I'm cutting out single layers of my scales and stacking them how I want, attaching the rows together as I go. It's not as tedious as single scaling but it's still pretty bad lol I couldn't think of another way of doing it wit out breaking down and making a mold.

[MermaidSasha]

Looks like it is coming along great so far!!

[mermaid mazu]

Hi everyone sorry I haven't updated this thread in a while. I took a break to make a prototype tail for my etsy shop (that is now up and running) then I got sick and my sons science fair project has taken up my work space since. I plan on hitting it hard this week though so I should have more soon :)

[Slim]

Those tails has me excited :) I'll be doing what I can to get one.


Hi everyone sorry I haven't updated this thread in a while. I took a break to make a prototype tail for my etsy shop (that is now up and running) then I got sick and my sons science fair project has taken up my work space since. I plan on hitting it hard this week though so I should have more soon :)

[mermaid mazu]

Slim message me. I collect old games so we may be able to work you out a deal lol

[Slim]

I am right now. I inbox you and I used tapatalk to message you the photos of some of the games. I'll make that big list on saturday when I have a day off from both jobs.

[MermaidSasha]

ooh! link to your etsy shop?

[mermaid mazu]

I have a classifieds thread on here with it that actually has some video of my prototype tail swimming here's my shop

www.etsy.com/shop/MazusMermaidEmporium?ref=hdr_shop_menu

[mermaid mazu]

40273 scales take forever!

[MermaidSasha]

Looks good :)

[mermaid mazu]

40275 starting to attach the scales and I am loving my dragon plate belly!

[mermaid mazu]

40276 she's coming along! I can't wait to paint her and show off the details

[mermaid mazu]

40279 better lighting this morning shows the details of the belly plates better

[Dame Melusine]

OMG, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the belly plates. Such an ingenious way to avoid seams in your scale rows too!

[mermaid mazu]

Ty :) I can't wait to get to painting stage!

[Dame Melusine]

Hi Mermaid Mazu, what are you using as a base? Is it neoprene??

[mermaid mazu]

It's a neoprene spandex blend called scuba knit

[MermaidSasha]

The tail is coming along amazingly!!! It looks so cool, I love it!

[Neerai]

Wow!! The dragon belly is FINTASTIC!

[Vela]

Wow this is an awesome tail!! I really like the snake scale belly!! Very different! Can't wait to see it finished!! :)

[mermaid mazu]

Ty! I plan to have this tail done by the 26th! My pod is having a meet up to swim and I really want to wear this tail

[MermaidSasha]

Sounds awesome! Hope to see more pics

[mermaid mazu]

40325 she's scaled!! Onto paint tomorrow!

[Slim]

That is looking awesome.

[Azurin Luna]

Looks really good :D

At first glance I thought it was an odd shaped pineapple on the floor :$

[mermaid mazu]

Lmao I can see that. The neoprene under the silicone is an odd yellowish color and then I put a really heavy edit on the picture trying to have the scaling details stand out sonce they are clear and hard to see lol

[mermaid mazu]

40336 long way to go but it's starting to look less like a pineapple lmao

[Slim]

40336 long way to go but it's starting to look less like a pineapple lmao

That look, detail, and skill level is awesome. I'm glad your doing my tail.


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[mermaid mazu]

Slim, your monofin came in, I'm just waiting on your fabric then I can get started. It should be here this week.

[Slim]

Slim, your monofin came in, I'm just waiting on your fabric then I can get started. It should be here this week.

Awesome. I'm still in amazement with the tail you're doing right now. I'm excited.


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[mermaid mazu]

I'm pretty excited for this tail too! It's my most elaborate tail I've made. I've never scaled before and I hate how long it takes but I'm loving the way it looks

[mermaid mazu]

40337 back is done I think

[Azurin Luna]

Nice green colours :D
It is really looking good and no longer a pineapple ;)

[Rebela Hunter]

Whoa, what an amazing amount of detail! :D
You sure are doing great on this tail !!!

I can't wait to see it finished - maybe even some modeling on it's owner !
<3

[LouLouBelle]

I love the colours of this tail. Can't wait to see what it looks like in the water. [emoji4]


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[Slim]

I agree with this girl.


Whoa, what an amazing amount of detail! :D
You sure are doing great on this tail !!!

I can't wait to see it finished - maybe even some modeling on it's owner !
<3

[MermaidSasha]

Oh my goodness! It is looking amazing, the detail is awesome on this tail... I've been considering about my next tail being a hybrid and I'm more than tempted to talk with you on prices and since you are definitely the most local to my location lol :jawdrop: Seriously though, this tail is gorgeous! I hope you get some swim pictures once its all done!

Would you mind if I shoot you a message?

[mermaid mazu]

I definitely will get pictures. My pod was supposed to have a swim meet this Sunday but the pool is closed for maintenance :( you're in adair right? I do have an etsy store that I sell hybrids and have just added an upgrade to the silicone coating to make it look like scales using the method I did my koi tail in. I do not currently sell tails made in the fashion of this tail just because it's so time consuming and the amount of material I would have to charge more and I feel like if someone is going to pay say, $800 for a tail then they may as well just go with a basic full silicone tail from a known tail maker...does that make sense? However, you are close enough to me that I would totally be willing to help you make your own. Of course you can message me

[Mermaid hannahML]

Did this tail ever get finished?
and if so how many tubes of silicone did you use ?
And what kind of monofin did you use

[mermaid mazu]

It did but I was not happy with it and ended up scrapping it and reusing my monofin in a later tail

[Mermaid hannahML]

Aw that sucks

[mermaid mazu]

Meh, it was an evolution and I really like how I make tails now.

[Bluna_012]

What went wrong ? I’m currently making a hybrid and looking for any tops and tricks 😁 also how did you paint the silicone as al far all I’ve managed is pre mixing the pigment in the silicone and then piping it.

[the.tattooed.mermaid78]

It's a shame but you learn. I'd love to see pictures of your new one

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