Material for additional fins

[Total Pinkness]

Hai! I'm going to be making my second tail soon (waiting on fabric to arrive), and I definitely want to add some additional fins, but I don't know what material to make them out of. I want something that won't just stick to my legs in the water but also doesn't have an insane price tag. If there's another thread about this feel free to direct me there, but I culdnt find one! I'm pretty sure you can use normal material, duct tape, craft foam, or floor runners, and I know there's a way to cast latex or silicone, but that's way beyond what I can do. Anywho, please let me know what materials you've heard of people using or if you have side fins, what they're made out of! Thanks in advance!

[lotusauriel]

Clear softly ridged shelf liner from Home Depot. I had an idea to spray glue iridescent and transparent colored polyamide basket wrapping film inside two layers of this and then seal the edges with E6000 or Lexel. Haven't done it, because I have learned a million different tricks since then, and can't choose... LOL. But there is no reason it wouldn't work, as long as it's sealed.

Sent from my SM-N910H using Tapatalk

[Mermaid Oona]

I have an idea, Use a swim suit fabric and it might get that majestic look you are looking for without too much labor. The only labor you may have is picking a color.

Sent from my SM-J320V using MerNetwork mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=95032)

[lotusauriel]

No matter what material you use, you're still going to have to finish the edges by either sewing or glue, or something. There is no such thing as no effort.

Sent from my SM-N910H using Tapatalk

[Lilyrose Fish]

This is what I did for my tail and it still looks good after multiple swims. I cut my fins from stiff light weight plastic and used permanent markers to draw basics outlines where I wanted colors to be painted. I used leftover one subject school binders. Next I sandwiched the fin between squares light colored sheer fabric and machine sewed around the fin as close to the edge but not on the plastic as possible. Here is the important part to prevent unraveling, I covered all the stitch lines with fabric paint, let it dry, then I cut off the excess fabric. The final step is to paint the fins the desired colors with regular acrylic paint. Just to be on the safe side, I heat set my fins by leaving them in a hot car for a couple days before hand sewing them on to my tail for my first swim with fins. Two other things important to know, finish painting and correcting errors on the fin while the paint is still wet. Acrylic paint doesn't want to cover dried acrylic paint. Also fins add increased drag so you have to work a little harder to move through the water.

[Total Pinkness]

Thank you guys so much! I can't wait to start working on it now!

Sent from my LG-K550 using MerNetwork mobile app (http://r.tapatalk.com/byo?rid=95032)