Paint for Alex Plus

[skysammi1]

Hey fellow mers,
So I just have a quick question about Alex Plus.
What type of paint should I use when painting over the latex and can I use the same type if I want to cure it into latex?
Also, when using the latex, should I put it in a bucket or like (I sound really stupid, sorry, but I'm really confused on how to handle it) do I put it straight onto the neoprene out of the tube?
Can someone please tell me how they cure the latex and how they apply it to the tail?
Thanks everyone, I will have pictures up soon
~Sprite

[inactive account]

Well firstly, I don’t know what you mean, Alex is not latex, they seem to be completely different materials yet everyone is always talking about them like they are the same thing. You said 'tube' so I’m guessing you mean Alex and as far as I know Createx paints do not go well with Alex so you will have to get a pigment, like some powdered sort of strong color and then mix it with Alex and paint and for airbrush thin it out with loads of water and do loads of coats. Hope I helped :3 x

[Capt Nemo]

ALEX IS LATEX!!! The components are about 60% latex, 25% water, 5% silicone, 5% mineral oil, and 5% total of ethylene glycol (3%), ammonia (1-2%), and formaldhyde (>0.5%).

Mix the paint into the ALEX and apply to the ALEX surface. It will bond and be permanent, and not crack and flake off.

[Mermaid Marissa]

Mix the paint into the ALEX and apply to the ALEX surface. It will bond and be permanent, and not crack and flake off.

so you should put a clear coat of ALEX then use the paint and ALEX mix? I've tried painting my tail over and over but it keeps cracking :doh:. Just wondering what I'm doing wrong :confused:

[inactive account]

Well Alex is not Latex, because if Alex was Latex, IT WOULD BE CALLED LATEX. So clearly it is not. And I work with LATEX on a daily basis and it does not sound ANYTHING like this 'Alex' that people use. It is much stronger, dries very quickly, lasts a very long time and does not turn white in water so Capt Nemo you should go ahead and buy some latex and see for yourself.

[Thalassa]

Neotail...Alex is a brand name. It's a brand of acrylic latex caulking produced by DAP. You know, like chicken can be sold under several different brand names and with different things on top of or around it...but it's still chicken. As Capt Nemo pointed out, the main component of Alex Plus is LATEX. On the bottle of Alex Plus it says it's "Acrylic Latex Caulk plus Silicone." So, yes, it is latex. Not pure latex, and it's caulking so it's probably not the type of latex you're used to working with. But it IS latex.

[inactive account]

Thanks, I just mean people talk about Alex and they use the word latex but both materials seem to be very different so its confusing if you get me? Its like for example Mikes latex tails, they are nothing like tails that are made of Alex. That's what makes the two different, and then there's the fact that apparently Alex goes white when submerged in water for long and takes ages to dry and is unsafe to be in contact with skin, so I would not really consider Alex the same as latex... and that chicken example does not really make sense... :s

[Thalassa]

So...you have KFC chicken, and Walmart (Great Value) chicken, and Bojangles chicken, and Chik-Fil-A chicken. They're all different brands, but they're all chicken. You also have barbeque chicken, chicken cordon bleu, chicken and rice...all have different things around them or one them. But they're all still chicken. The primary ingredient is chicken.

Same thing with the latex. It's still latex, even though it's not pure latex. It's still mostly latex. That's why people call it the same is because it's still mostly latex. The fact that the bottle says it's latex sort of...means it's latex. The primary ingredient is latex.

Saying Alex Plus is not latex is like saying Barbeque chicken is not chicken. (Hint: It is.) Does that help tie it together for you? I can use hamburgers, stereos, etc. if the chicken thing is still unclear...pretty much anything that has different formulations and brand names.

[Jinx]

Alex Plus has BOTH latex and silicone in it. end of that. as for painting it. here is what I did that worked for me.

I used zippo fluid to thin the clear alex plus to the consistancy of the paint I was using. I tinted with latex craft paints. mix in a clean coffee can that has been wiped clean with alcohol to insure no oils were left by the coffe or soap from cleaning. then add half a tube of alex plus into the can adding the zippo fluid a little at a time. the fluid also acts to lengthen the dry time so you can blend if you want to do a multi color tail. add a very small amount of the color at a time as it doesn't take much to tint the alex plus. stir well I used a paint stick from the household paint section of a hardware store that comes when you buy a gallon of paint. then using a foam toss away brush paint your tail. make sure to stroke the paint/alex plus mixture on not dab it as bubbles can happen if you blot or sponge it on. let it set for at least a full day. then add a couple thin coats of clear non tinted alex plus on top to make it much easied to keep your color from getting damaged on the bottom of pools or in transport. also it is best if you use all clear alex plus as if you have white alexplus under it they have different stretch points. I have made tails both ways and it seems to be best with the clear. the white works well too but you need to tint every layer. feel free to message me if you have any other questions. oh and the lighter fluid is the same as paint thinner in that it evaporates so your tail is not a time bomb waiting to go off. as soon as the alex has fully cured it is gone. that being said dont smoke when painting it as vapor is what catches on fire. full cure time is at least 2 weeks beftore swimming. also it is very apt to denting for that length of time. I think 3 weeks is the best length of time to wait before swimming.

[Goldie]

Hi, I am looking at a container of alex plus right now and it says, "Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone", so....it IS latex.

[AniaR]

Don't use alex plus for a tail ever. It's dangerous, and a shitty material. It's window caulking, not *real* special effects quality latex.

[PearlieMae]

Even using it for its intended purpose, it's really junk. Avoid it.