Cutting a silicone mermaid tail

[thedeepseasiren]

Hi everyone, I just got my first silicone mermaid tail but the silicone that was used to make it is a lot less strechy than dragonskin and the end of the waist doesn't go over my hips. I was thinking about cutting it off to a wider point but I don't know how to do it safely and was hoping to get some tips [emoji4]4398443985

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[Morgella]

you could try just making a slit, but you would have to add a zipper. I heard that this can be done through soaking it in silicone so it attaches.

[K Swim]

I hear that when melted silicone has dried and solidified, it can never be re-melted...which might also mean that hardened silicone can't be mended with melted silicone if you were to cut it. Although I am not an expert at this.

There was once someone active in these forums who seemed to know much more about silicone, but I forgot that person's name. Hopefully they are still active enough to at least see this post and give you a better answer.

[Morgella]

Fins crossed they can give you advice.

[Morgella]

Also your tail is absolutely gorgeous

[thedeepseasiren]

Thank you so much[emoji4]
Also your tail is absolutely gorgeous

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[thedeepseasiren]

I really hope so too because even if I get it over my hips the top of it is still too tight on my waist [emoji20]
I hear that when melted silicone has dried and solidified, it can never be re-melted...which might also mean that hardened silicone can't be mended with melted silicone if you were to cut it. Although I am not an expert at this.

There was once someone active in these forums who seemed to know much more about silicone, but I forgot that person's name. Hopefully they are still active enough to at least see this post and give you a better answer.

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[Merman Storm]

Before you cut anything, how hard have you tried to get it on? How much lubrication have you used? Lube is like brute force: If it is not getting the job done, then you are surely not using enough of it. Check out J-lube. $17 of it allows you to make 8 gallons of lube. A half cup on you, and half a cup in the tail and you may be able to just slide it on. Also, a tail is not too tight unless it is painful. Personally, I like tight as long as it is comfortable to wear for a few hours.

About cutting: I have used GE silicone I chalk for repairs of tears in my tail. It was recommended by Mertailor. My guess is it will also allow you to glue in a zipper. (Cutting and gluing are really your only options for modifying a tail.) Silpoxy is basically the same as GE silicone I.

[thedeepseasiren]

Before you cut anything, how hard have you tried to get it on? How much lubrication have you used? Lube is like brute force: If it is not getting the job done, then you are surely not using enough of it. Check out J-lube. $17 of it allows you to make 8 gallons of lube. A half cup on you, and half a cup in the tail and you may be able to just slide it on. Also, a tail is not too tight unless it is painful. Personally, I like tight as long as it is comfortable to wear for a few hours.

About cutting: I have used GE silicone I chalk for repairs of tears in my tail. It was recommended by Mertailor. My guess is it will also allow you to glue in a zipper. (Cutting and gluing are really your only options for modifying a tail.) Silpoxy is basically the same as GE silicone I.I finally got it on after an hour the second time but the waist is still too tight for me, I don't think I'll need a zipper I just want to cut off the really small silicone excess part but I'm afraid if I don't cut it cleanly it will tear..

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[Morgella]

to get a cleaner cut use a hobby knife, they allow you more freedom to cut in a shape, fold the tail in half then make a cut in the desired shape, make sure that the ends are even so cut a bit longer than you want in case u need to recut, then use the silicone glue mentioned above to prevent tearing, u should probably apply more than one coat just to be safe.

[thedeepseasiren]

Thank you so much!
to get a cleaner cut use a hobby knife, they allow you more freedom to cut in a shape, fold the tail in half then make a cut in the desired shape, make sure that the ends are even so cut a bit longer than you want in case u need to recut, then use the silicone glue mentioned above to prevent tearing, u should probably apply more than one coat just to be safe.

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[The Water Phoenix]

When you make the cut, I recommend to reinforce it with powermesh to prevent tearing.

[Finny]

It seems like you've more or less got stuff sorted but in the future, I'd recommend checking a small dot of silicone against the inside of the tail to make sure it will stick. the longer silicone is left to cure, the harder it can be to get it to stick to other silicone.
And if you cut a slit you're not going to patch back up, you can get something like a leather punch and punch a clean hole right at the bottom of the slit, which can help prevent tearing if the silicone isn't reinforced (once silicone tears, it's pretty easy to continue that tear).
Another thing you want to do (ime) if you're cutting silicone is trim in a single, uniform motion and prevent jagged edges. If you do that you're usually good to not have tearing in the future unless you're really rough with it.
Good luck!