Seams on Latex and Silicone tails!

[Firemaid]

So many of us are making our own tails!!!

I would like this thread to be discussion about seams.

What works?

What doesn't?

Do you use clamps?

Do you use pins?

I would love it if we could stay on topic and collect information!!!

[Mizuko]

I haven't started making my tail yet (still saving the cash!) but this is a thread I am VERY interested in!! XD

[Jessica]

This is a GREAT idea! I've been practicing on small samples and its going well using clothespins. Problem is....you really can't use clothespins on a large project like the body of the tail.

I discovered that if I paint the silicone super thin in the scale mold with a paintbrush, the seams are less noticeable. When you paint your tail (it takes me several layers to get the color right) the scales become the perfect thickness.

Heres a picture of a really thin piece I seamed together the other day. Its going to be a wristband for my daughter after i paint it. Since its super thin its really hard to see the seam!

[Firemaid]

Well. I seamed up my tail today.
I used t pins and a leg form.
It went better than last time, but they are still pretty messy.
Patience is key.
I'm going to turn it inside out in the morning and reinforce from the inside, cuz some spots seemed pretty weak..
yep.

[LaNyah]

This is one part of tail-making I haven't been able to find much info on. I am reading up and hope to create a silicone tail this fall. I think I'm understanding most of the steps, but the one thing I just can't find pics/info on is the steps involved with joining the silicone. For the single seam style, I have seen pics in-progress and it looks SO obvious and ugly. I've seen finished side seams too but not the steps in-between.

Would someone be willing to do a video showing the method(s) for attaching the seams (single or double)? Or pics of the steps?

[Mermaid Veruliya]

I'm very interested in this too! Since I'm not doing scales, just a sheet of silicone I'm worried about the obvious crease seams up the sides. I know when you sew you turn it inside of but I've seen people that are just attaching the sides together. And I'd imagine they'd be very thin, so are they overlapped?

[jazz2453]

When I seamed my tail, it ended up being so large that it fit my mom. I have no idea why considering that I tightened around my leg form as tight as I could. When it was too big, I cut a straight-line down the back and overlapped the scales to my measurements. I found it easier to seam the tail off of a leg form. Next time I will use a pattern of my legs and cut out 2 side. One side will have an extra 2-5 inches of scales that I can eventually fold underneath the other half. Will this work? And I was also curious that if my tail doesn't have much tiny details I need to paint then can I use a spray gun?

[Jessica]

Seams..ugh. I spent all day yesterday and stayed up until 3am trying to solve this puzzle. Here's the problem I have: scale sheets are flat and the scales are lined up in rows. Women have curves! We have hips! Basically, you have a sheet that needs to go from skinny to wide to skinny again( and this is just from the waist to the knee!)...and somehow line scales up in the process. I'm really not having fun.....just having a bad day.

i do know that you need to make the tail smaller than you are or it will be baggy. I recommend making it 2-3inches smaller than your measurements. Silicone is very stretchy so it will hug your body much better that way.

Jazz, will you post pictures of your seams? I only have one seam done--waist to above my knee-- on one side. The other side is so much harder! Did you cut your scale sheet to your measurements or did you just wrap it sound your leg form and eyeball it? I have a theory about why your tail was too big....were you laying down when you made your leg form? If so, your body flattens out when you lay on your back or stomach and your leg form might actually be bigger than your body because of this.

[jazz2453]

I'm not sure why, but the seams were super easy for me, until... it fit my mom. Then I had to cut a line to the middle and overlap my scale. I dived my measurements by 2 (for each half), then made it a little smaller so that it hugs my body. My seams/back are basically a mess now since the whole sizing incident. I have 3 layers of scales overlapping so some are 2 inches higher than other.
Here you can see the layers
13005
Here is a part of the seam (super close-up)
13006
And back up you can see how some scales are much higher.
13007

Before I had to readjust everything my seams were actually pretty good
13008

[Jessica]

I see what you did now...you curved the sheet in and overlapped them. I've been trying to line up every single scale and its driving me crazy! I think it might be easier for you because you're so thin. I have a bigger difference between my waist and hips and its tough to make such an adjustment. I think I just need to stop stressing so much about hiding the seams....it might just not be possible to line the scales up perfectly. Your tail looks great by the way! I'm so impressed that you're so young and you have already completed such an overwhelming project! Thanks so much or taking the time to post pictures!

[jazz2453]

Thanks. My seems look very bad though. Next time I have everything planned out and I'm ready to fix my mistakes I had the first time.

[Jessica]

Your seams won't be so noticeable after you paint. They really don't look bad though! If you paint the back of your tail a darker color it will help. Have you considered trimming excess silicone from the inside of your tail? When I do a seam I trim almost everything inside away....right up to the seam and then paint an extra layer on the inside to reinforce it. It helps reduce bulk in the seam ( this is also sewing method minus the layer of silicone)

another thing you can try for your seam with the high edge is to take VERY sharp scissors and on the outside of the tail, trim the raised scales on the diagonal. This is hard to explain....think of a kids slide. Instead of dropping straight down like the edge of your scales, the slide gradually declines in height. If you carefully trim the edge if the scale, you can reduce the height difference between the layers.

Or...you can use extra paint layers to build up the scales that are lower. This would take several layers though and be rather time consuming. If you do this, be sure to paint thin layers. One of my seam tests turned out awful after I put a bunch of extra silicone on the seam. The silicone didn't stay put and just ran all over the place.

I hope this gives you a few ideas. Let me know if you come up with any others!

[jazz2453]

I have actually thought about all of those ideas. I'm gonna cut away the extra inside. Although I understand the "slide" theory, I just don't see it coming out exactly the way I want it to. I will try it though, and if doesn't work I will do the extra layers of paint.

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