Plastic scales?

[Mermaid Allie]

So I was watching h2o today and I remembered that their tails have clear plastic scales on them. I think this is a really awesome idea... Anyone have ideas on where to get scales or how to make them? Just thought it was interesting that it seems like nobody does it... Or suggests it hmmm

[Mermaid Fenicia]

The scales on the tails from H2O are clear silicone (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZv2MUuNb8U&list=FLVRUicv4cgWx2fqmyK5b26Q&index=7&feature=plpp_video). ;)
You can cut/punch circle out of clear plastic (bottles), make a little hole in them to sew them on, or just glue them on your tail ;)

[Merrow Fair Isle]

Nice suggestion Fenicia! And a cool way to upcycle! Whatscawesome about that idea is the craft stores sell punches and die-cutters in all sorts of shapes and sizes... so, like a 1.5 inch heart sewn upside down would look almost like fluke shaped scales. This may even workas a cool,way of blending a neoprin or fabric tail into the skin....having them above the waistline, so itlooks like scales forming before the tail color happens. My brain is so in " GO MODE" right now!!

[Blondie]

I've thought about this idea about a year back. I mean it would basically be like a sequin tail. It would just be extremely time consuming, you know?

[Winged Mermaid]

The best suggestion would be to get very thin acrylic sheets (they do sell those) or to use plastic bottles or some such, get a craft punch, and punch the scales out. You'd have to do research to see what kind of glue would best adhere the plastic to whatever material you're using. They may molt, get chipped, and paint get scraped off and such as time goes by. But that's just a matter of keeping up with maintenance.

[Mermaid Allie]

Yeah that'd be super cool! Good idea!!

[Jinx]

i have found that using clear acrylic nails tips work perfectly to get that look. i also found some places online where you can find them in bulk.i used the largest size and use the special cutter for trimming nail tips and cut them in half that way i get 2 scales out of 1 tip. i am a cosmetlogist so i know how to work with them. but it is the closest thing to the h2o tail look without having to get aquainted with epoxy.

[Mermaid Saphira]

I saw a video on youtube with a girl adding these clear plastic scales to a top (then a tail) but i can't find it anymore :/
I would love to try this but my patience is limited XD

[Mermaid Caidence]

I did some experimenting and cut out some small scales out of an old clear plastic toy box xD. I don't have a big circle cutter at the moment. I would have cut some more, but my circle cutter almost broke. :(
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h387/_Caitey_/IMG_0005.jpg
http://i1107.photobucket.com/albums/h387/_Caitey_/IMG_0003.jpg
I think the idea would work really well, but because they are clear you can clearly see the overlapping. Maybe if you use the circle cutter to cut off the 2 edges?

[Mermaid Wesley]

Oooooohhhh

[Prince Calypso]

This is an epiclly unique idea and i am all for it. what about using the shower liner stuff that Hannah uses to make the frills on her tails.
it would mold to the tails shape easier and still give the same effect

[Coradion]

One thing you might want to pay attention to if you're doing a custom cut is that most scales aren't really circular. Here's a close up of what koi scales look like. The fukurin is the shiny skin that wraps over the top of the scale in pic 2, this helps give a metallic netting effect. Which saves time I guess if you don't have to paint it on. If you use a silicone adhesive to embed the scales in the tail I would suggest trying to make a custom cutter or some kind of mold for making your scales, here's a scale pulled from a fish. Notice the difference on the side of the one that stays embedded in the dermal layer. It's probably easier to do full coverage of something with a rectangular shape vs. a completely round one. Adding a textured section like in the last picture might help is stay stuck in the silicone or whatever adhesive you're using. Maybe cut a strip of plastic off the main sheet and then do the shape of the exposed edges all the way down the strip, then cut each one off?

http://www.whatsonxiamen.com/news_images/906333.jpg

http://www.koi-bito.com/forum/attachments/main-forum/575d1110422458-koi-scale-types-yamascales.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/PSM_V35_D074_Scale_of_common_carp.jpg

[Mermaid Wesley]

i cant wait for someone to try this! maybe i will, someday :)

[Mermaid Allie]

Hmm... The gears are turning... Could I epoxy these onto neoprene? I'm kinda an epoxy expert bcuz of my dad so...

[Prince Calypso]

I say a tail with a silicone base that has the scales glued one with a really strong water proof adhesive of some kind, just like did with the tails on H2O.
It would be time consuming and take alot of patience but i think in the end it would be worth it.

[Spindrift]

There are also clear paillette sequins, which have a similar effect without having to spend the time cutting out circles from plastic.

[Mertara]

I was just brainstorming plastic scales too! I don't want circular scales though, so I was thinking of guitar picks! I actually have a punch that can make a guitar pick from almost any plastic, soda bottles, sheet plastic, kydex, whatever! The punch only cost me about 30 bucks I think, but that was a couple years ago, probly cheaper now...but guitar picks are pretty cheap anyways...I haven't tried it yet but I will in the future! If you are going with circular scales though, just get the plastic sequins from the craft store, they are pretty cheap.