Putting a zipper in a silicone tail...

[Mermaid_Izzy]

After 5 months of putting my tail together and 4 months of use, I have decided to split it at my dorsal fin and add a zipper.

(More to come later)


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[KatieScottArt]

Ooooh, super following this! I'm in the same boat. I need a partial zipper for fins to fit me properly and not be fragile or cumbersome.

[Mermaid_Izzy]

I am looking at a water resistant zipper that is made of plastic. Similar to what they use in wet suits. I haven't decided yet whether I am going to try and use some kind of snaps or velcro, maybe both, to hold my dorsal and other pieces together.


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[KatieScottArt]

Good call, a hearty water resistant zipper seems super important! I too was thinking about how to keep the dorsal "split" together and briefly thought of embedding magnets into the actual silicone pour of the dorsal. I don't know if that'd work but its something that crossed my mind :).

[Mermaid_Izzy]

That actually sounds like a really good idea. I think I may have seen you write that before.

My dorsal is actually quite stiff. It stands on its own and is very similar to the H2O style.

From experience with other projects and velcro I am afraid that the waist would become detached too easily, so perhaps snaps or magnets would work better. I know of one Mer, I saw her tailmaking thread, had used some sort of snapping mechanism to detach and reattach her fluke.


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[Mermaid_Izzy]

I was going to cut it open this weekend, but the more I thought about it, the more scared I got. So I am waiting until after Halloween so I know it will have it for Tuesday and then I will cut it open maybe next weekend.


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[BayouMermaid]

I've done this before :) I strongly suggest that if the tail already has powermesh that you sew the zipper in before siliconing it in place. As for the split dorsal, I angled each piece towards each other so that the fins press against each other. It makes more sense in pictures. Good luck!

[Mermaid_Izzy]

I've done this before :) I strongly suggest that if the tail already has powermesh that you sew the zipper in before siliconing it in place. As for the split dorsal, I angled each piece towards each other so that the fins press against each other. It makes more sense in pictures. Good luck!

Thank you! I have chickened out for now, but I still plan on trying in the future!


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[Misty Lau]

Hopefully everything works out for you- I'm actually thinking of doing the same thing when I make my silicone tail, as my hips kind of jut out a bit from my wait, and I wouldn't want to risky tearing or wearing out the silicone trying to pull the waist over my hips lol.