Re-vamping my tail!

[Mermaid Stark]

Okay, so I've had my Fish Butts tail for almost six months now and I'm already having some problems. The scales are cracking and it almost seems like they'll fall off soon. I can never get it on properly, so I had to take the straps off the monofin. A couple of days ago, part of the monofin actually came out of the tail, so the corner of it was sticking out. Yesterday, the whole monofin came out. I know I can fix it, but I don't know how.
So anyways, I came up with a list of things I would like to do to my tail, but I need some advice:

1. I would like to fix the scale problem. Any ideas?

2. I'd like to add a zipper to the back of the tail. There's already a dorsal fin, but I was thinking that I could do something like they did in H2O.

3. I need to fix the monofin thing, but I don't know how.

4. I'm gonna give it a paint job, but it's silicone, so the paint won't stick. Do I just mix paint with silicone and spray it on with an airbrush paint thingy? ( I don't know what they're called.)


So any ideas on how I can do any of these things? I'm kinda on a low budget, so it can't be too expensive.

[Jessica]

I'm so sorry to hear that you're having so many problems with your tail so soon. Can you please post a few pictures or more details about your tail so we can help?

Is your tail dragonskin silicone or something else? I've never heard of dragonskin cracking before.
What kind of monofin do you have?
is your tail neoprene lined? If so, does the neoprene line both the fluke and the body of the tail?

if your tail is dragonskin you can easily paint your tail with a paintbrush and you don't have to invest in an airbrush.

[Mermaid Stark]

It's half silicone half neoprene. The whole tail is lined with neoprene and the silicone is dragonskin. I'll change the battery to my camera and post a video ASAP.

[Mermaid Stark]

Okay, it's uploading! I'll post it as soon as it finishes.

[Mermaid Stark]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrQ49ebqpbk&feature=youtu.be

[MerEmma]

Won't let us view due to the private setting. Put just the link, or change the settings should help.

[Mermaid Stark]

Does it work now?

[Jessica]

Still doesn't work. Can you post a link to the video?

[MerEmma]

It works for me. I don't personally know how to fix it but I know it's going to require silicone, which ultimately costs you a fair bit (especially shipping since I know you're overseas).

[AniaR]

dragonskin can crack and pull apart when it's been cut with something cheap (meaning watered down) from other reviews I've read of these tails it sounds like the monofins weren't glued down at all. Many silicone tail makers still haven't discovered the secret if gluing the monofins down, and I've heard this complaint from many. Really, I personally think you'll spend more trying to salvage it and it might be better spent saving for a better tail, just from the horror stories I've been reading/hearing recently :(

[Mermaid Stark]

I think you're right, Raina. The only problem is that I don't really have any money to buy a new tail. Plus, I really only just got this one. I'd have asked my parents to get a MerBellas tail, but I didn't want to out-grow it within a year or two, so I got this one instead.

I still don't really know what to do about it. I mean, now I can't even use it because the monofin came out and I don't know how to repair it! I'd like to at least fix that and give it a paint job.

[MerEmma]

Perhaps you could just get a neoprene tail (or make one). They can look amazing painted! But yeah, I don't think there's much you can do about the monofin. The scales I remember being mentioned how to fix it somewhere so I'd say just to search the forums with the keywords.

[Jessica]

I just got the video to work. I'm with Raina on this one...I would save up for a new tail if possible. The repairs on this would be extensive. Silicone doesn't crack or pull apart in my experience with it and like Raina said...it was probably watered down. My real concern with fixing this tail would be if new silicone will stick to your tail. Depending on what was used to water the silicone down, new 100% silicone may or may not stick to the tail if you try to repair it. I'm not sure about this...but I would be cautious and do a small test patch first.

Did your monofin come out the bottom? If so, I would stick it back in where it belongs and use neoprene glue to glue the neoprene together. Just don't forget to leave drainage slits so water can get out the bottom. This isn't a perfect fix, but you would be able to use your tail again.

If you can get dragonskin to stick to your tail, you can fix the messed up/missing scales with a small paintbrush. You will have to do several layers and make each layer very thin so you can create the scale pattern where the scales are missing. I would paint a thin layer, wait 30 minutes to an hour or until the silicone is tacky, and then take a toothpick, fork, knife...etc and use it to make lines in the silicone for scales.

For the cracking scales a few coats of paint will fix those if the dragonskin will stick.

I wish you the best of luck!

[meremily]

dragonskin can crack and pull apart when it's been cut with something cheap (meaning watered down) from other reviews I've read of these tails it sounds like the monofins weren't glued down at all. Many silicone tail makers still haven't discovered the secret if gluing the monofins down, and I've heard this complaint from many. Really, I personally think you'll spend more trying to salvage it and it might be better spent saving for a better tail, just from the horror stories I've been reading/hearing recently :(

raina, what do you mean by '' gluing the monofin down"?

[Mermaid Stark]

The monofin came out of the bottom, so I just slipped it back in, but it's not gonna stay in because the bottom is completely opened now.
I'm gonna have to wait to see where we move and what's convenient, but I think I'm gonna try the silicone thing. I would like to, at the very least, give it a paint job, because I really don't think this color is gonna work. I mean, it's nice and simple, but I'm not, and I think my tail should match my personality.
So what kind of paint would I need? Would Lumiere work? I kinda doubt that for some reason...
What do you guys think about stripping the current silicone off, melting it down, making a scale sheet, and the putting it back on? Would that work? Some of the silicone is already coming completely off the tail, so stripping it off wouldn't be so hard.

[Jessica]

To the best of my knowledge you can't melt silicone down and reuse it. I would order a trial size of dragonskin and do a small test to see if it will stick to your tail. If it does, you can mix powdered paint in the silicone and paint with that. I wouldn't try mixing any liquid paint in silicone or the silicone might not cure.

Im using pearl ex by jacquard http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Pearl+ex

Or....you can strip your tail and buy a gallon of dragonskin and make new scales to adhere to the neoprene. You can make a scale sheet or buy a silicone thickener and imprint scales.

[Mermaid Stark]

I'm still thinking about it. I wouldn't be able to strip it and buy a gallon of silicone and remake the scales until I know where I'm moving and I have more time on my hands and more money.
Just painting it and fixing the scales would be an easier thing to do, but if I stripped it down and re-did the scales, it would give me a chance to have a no-seam tail. Plus, I could have the type of scales that I wanted.

I'll think about it, and I would have to wait anyway, so that works for now.