Star's First Tailmaking Experience

[Mermaid Star]

I don't have much right now, so as I begin, it will most likely be very slow and basic with a lot of references! I apologize if there really isn't anything new or exciting right away. Please bare with me.

I have been thinking about making a tail since Raven and Capt Nemo showed us that we could make a realistic tail on a budget. (You can see an achieved version of Capt. Nemo's Post on this process here (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?553-Archive-quot-Using-ALEX-for-Tails-quot). [Thank you guys for sharing your process and showing me that I can have the tail that I never thought I could!] Raven's tutorial has since been deleted so i can't link it) I have been planning a tail for over half a year... I have been slowly designing and creating what will become the texture for my tail for several months. (It has been taking forever!!!) I had originally thought I would go with the net/grating technique in the tutorial but decided to go with the pumpkin seed method instead.

I had originally seen the pumpkin seed method on youtube by Fantasia Creatures (http://www.youtube.com/user/Docjava3#p/u) . (It has been recommended by the community that we do not buy from Fantasia Creatures because several people have not received their tales nor a refund) I was interested in the process and decided I could do it... but a little differently than he recommended.

Firstly I started with making my pattern for my tail.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/230013_10150253577085289_503510288_9059953_1934349 _n.jpg

And then add the pattern for my fluke.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228004_10150253577210289_503510288_9059957_5415140 _n.jpg

I learned how to make my pattern from Mermaid Sasha. You can find her how to video on youtube here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtwnOQg_KH8)

I ordered my neoprene (2mm) from Stretch House (http://www.stretchhouse.com/neoprene.htm) and got to work on my scale texture.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/224197_10150264600850289_503510288_9161488_7226720 _n.jpg


It took a very long time, but I finished laying all of the seeds. The final count is about 5 lbs of pumpkin seeds with the sheet dimensions being 4 feet by 22 inches. It is a bit large but I wanted to attempt to get each side (front and/or back) in one sheet. The seeds were also laid with no pattern in mind. I hope that this will give it a natural look and not read as sloppy (which is possible since there are seeds of many different sizes and shapes in the texture.)

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/285435_10150328162690289_503510288_9728035_7260000 _n.jpg


I then made a box for the moulding process made from press board from home depot and some found wood around my house. I believe it is 1x2.

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/315032_10150367257050289_503510288_10150808_575791 5_n.jpg
(Thank you Merpirate for holding the box and always helping me in general!)

I Lacquered both the box and the sheet of seeds so that they would not absorb the water and the UltraCal-30 that will be used to create the Mould. UltraCal 30 is a Gypsum Cement. It is very strong and is recommended for mother molds because you can get many castings out of it before any degradation occurs.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/308402_10150367257720289_503510288_10150816_634710 5_n.jpg

I found my Ultra Cal here in town found for about $25 for a 50lb bag at Highwater Clays (St. Petersburg, Fl)
(http://www.highwaterclays.com)
This is a picture taken tonight of the texture. You may see some dark spots in the picture around the seeds in some places. This is where I have been filling the voids between the seeds with Purge Clay (found at Highwater Clays for $5).

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/296062_10150367257305289_503510288_10150811_731407 8_n.jpg

This should keep the Ultracal from encapsulating the individual seeds which would have caused undercuts.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/292852_10150367257585289_503510288_10150815_570819 3_n.jpg

This process isn't finished yet and will take me another day or two to finish. (Hopefully)

Once I have everything moulded, I will be purchasing RD-407 as recommended by the Amazing Andrew. You can see his tutorial/tail making journey here (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?405-Andrew-s-Tail-Making-Journey). He has really helped the community a great deal and has really inspired me to get off the couch and get to it! :) He has some amazing information and has been so kind as to show us his process. Go on over and check him and his process out! :)

So that is where I am so far in my tail making journey. I will try to update as much as I can, between work and school. :)

[Dr. SeaWeed]

Wow Star looking amazing ! :) I cannot believe the size of your scale sheet! and you thought I had the patience of a saint? lol will continue watching you !! love it

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Andrew!!! Yeah the scale sheet is a bit large lol I hope to finish the filling of the voids, clean everything up and make it look a little better. Thank you for supporting me! It really makes me smile to have someone who really knows what they are doing be a cheerleader for me. Thank you so much! I will update, hopefully, soon. :)

[Dr. SeaWeed]

Thank you Andrew!!! Yeah the scale sheet is a bit large lol I hope to finish the filling of the voids, clean everything up and make it look a little better. Thank you for supporting me! It really makes me smile to have someone who really knows what they are doing be a cheerleader for me. Thank you so much! I will update, hopefully, soon. :)

<3

[jukumerboii]

oh this i can tell is going to be an adventure!!

[Mermaid Saphira]

Ooooo! Looking good Star! I can't wait to see more! I'm addicted already!!

[secret_ocean]

it looks tough to do but i kno you can pull it off! i cant wait for the final outcome!!

[AniaR]

so excited for you- thanks for sharing everything! enjoying watching the process

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Guys for being so supportive. I am dealing with some stuff at home right now but hopefully will be back on track with-in the day and will be able to update soon. Thank you so much for supporting me. I know I am not doing anything new and exciting, so I really appreciate it! As my friend Ariel would say, Hugs and Fishes!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It's looking really good so far. I'm really liking the random look of the pumpkin seeds. :3

[merpirate]

Placing all of those seeds with her was a ordeal to say the least, but seeing how much she smiled when she looked at what we had made it worth it. I am so glad she has found some place where people understand her passion and support her as much as I do. It is looking good my Treasure of the sea, keep it up

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Lorelei! I am really hoping that it comes out well! I really appreciate the kind comments! :)

@Merpirate Thank you always for helping me! :) You are the best! <3

[mikamer]

Im really happy for you. People deserve to make their own tails and have a tail they love and will last. Mertailor's been following all these threads and he's clearly threatened since he wont stop posting non stop about being the original mertailor. I have to wonder if his fans ever get tired of it. Then again so many people suck up to him to get a good tail.

[Blaze]

@ Mikamer - Dude, I thought we were over every thread degenerating into a 'complain about the mertailor' conversation? You guys seem to stalk what he is doing an awful lot too. If you cut your post off after the first two sentences it would have been great.

[AniaR]

MOAR UPDATES PLZ lol. I made a wee shoutout in my vlog. Just a weee one. <3

[Mermaid Star]

Hehe! Thanks Raina! I will try. :) I just got back in town from a vacation in PA so everything was at a stand still. I will be working on getting all of the voids filled and finished so I can keep moving. :) Thank you so much for your support girl! You are awesome!

In other news, my Latex came in when I was on vacation! Yay! So I will be able to begin as soon as I get everything molded! Woo hoo!!! I will try and get a picture of it so everyone will know what a gallon of latex looks like. I think, looking at it now that I will need another gallon. I am still trying to trouble shoot how to get the fluke to stick together so there is no ballooning. I think I have an idea for it but I am not sure how long it will take. There would have to be a crap ton of layers. I am pretty much thinking I am going to have to do a slush mold and keep building up until one half is a solid piece. Then de-mold and repeat. Then slap the two sides together with a monofin in between so it will be a solid piece. I wanted to do an injection mold and make it one piece in one pour but Andrew brought up that it may be too thick and it may not fully cure with the latex that we are using. Just thinking it through in between working.

[Dr. SeaWeed]

I wanted to do an injection mold and make it one piece in one pour but Andrew brought up that it may be too thick and it may not fully cure with the latex that we are using. Just thinking it through in between working.

Yeah Star, unfortunately this stuff needs to be put on in layers that arent too thick. Otherwise the top layer of latex that is exposed to the air cures and seals off the air from the latex thats deeper in the mold and keeps it goopy.

[Odette]

your doing it right. using the right ingredients too. good job.soooo impressed =) i hope it turns out amazing

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you guys! I wouldn't be near where I am in this process with out all of you guys! Thank you so much for always being so helpful and supportive. I will try and update soon!

[Syrenia]

Your pattern is... is... so gorgeous! Wow. I wish I had that kind of patience. If something isn't finished
within 20 minutes for me, I'm fed up and I quit for a long while! Haha. But I vote that when you get done,
all of us mers should meet up somewhere (like in Cali or something) and we should have a Mer-Day and
just swim around. You say that we're in inspiration, Star. I say NO to that, because someone might be
your inspiration, but YOU are mine.
You're doing a truly magnificent job. I can't wait to see more pictures and best of all, your finished product!

[Syrenia]

And as for the Mertailor talk, can we please just cut it out? He makes beautiful tails, and I wish I had
money to afford one of his. He shouldn't feel threatened by any of us; yes he's had a few hiccups in the
past, but who hasn't? Please stop ragging on him. I'm not vouching for anyone, but enough of the
mer-drama. Please?

[AniaR]

Syrenia- it's not a matter of him feeling threatened by us it's a matter of many members feeling threatened AND being threatened. I think mertailor "talk" is always labelled as "Drama" which shouldn't be the case. I dont think it's fair for someone to bring him up in a personal way in a thread that has nothing to do about him, but we have a "mertailor" forum for reviews- so that's the appropriate place to talk about their experiences with him. If people were happy and things were just hiccups- then I don't think there would be any "drama" at all. But in a thread like this where star is sharing her experience making a tail it's not appropriate to say something unrelated and dumb about mertailor. However, it would be appropriate for instance for me to say something like "with my mertailor tail I have this problem ____ how do you think you'll get around that with your tail star?" get my drift? :) He cant be the "he who shall not be named" of the mermaid world :P (though, I gotta admit that seems like a funny creative way to get around that issue!!)

Star we're all eagerly awaiting your next updates! :D

[Aquatica]

I look forward to see what you will be doing, I am still waiting on my Latex to come in. I was told that it would be about 2 gallons of the stuff depending on what all you
do with it. I may be wrong.

``Then slap the two sides together with a monofin in between so it will be a solid piece.``

I was thinking about doing this as well. are you making a custome monon fin

Peace

[Syrenia]

You just gotta be careful when you make your own monofin, Aquatica. I made my first one, and
that thing was so stiff, and my friend made one, and it was too flimsy. I hated mine and my friend
hated hers. I eventually just bought a finis rapid. Just do a lot of researching before making one yourself.

[merpirate]

Here is a update on Star's tail from the Merpirate, Tonight I was working with Star on filling in void spaces, it is a long and tedious process but to make the mold has to be done. I know she is hoping to have the tail made by the end of Oct. the void spaces could take a few more days depending on delays due to work schedule and the like bu I am sure she wil get it wdone soon. I will try and remind her to take a few more photos asap

[Mermaid Star]

Syrena, Thank you so much for your comment! Your statement just took my breath away! Thank you so much. I believe that we all have something to give and something to learn from everyone here. That is what makes this place so great! I get frustrated and impatient with projects all the time. I have to walk away and come back later after I am reinvigorated. It takes longer that way but at least I keep my sanity that way. LOL

As Merpirate has stated, We were filling voids tonight. We have over a 1/4 of the texture filled which makes me happy but my fingers are upset at me and are rebelling. I am finding that after and hour or more of rubbing the clay into the texture (against the grain) my fingers become sore and a bit raw so I can't do it for extended periods of time. I am sure there is a better way of doing it, I am just not thinking of it. :P I will try and keep you posted as often as possible when I do something and give an update. I didn't add any pictures since it looks pretty much the same only there is more clay in between the seeds so I don't want to bore any one with pictures they have already seen. (but if you want to see pictures of it, or an explanation, just let me know and I will share)

Aquatica, I will be using my Finis Wave most likely in the tail . My pattern that I drafted is made to that monofin's shape and dimensions and they are relatively cheap ($38 if you purchase over the internet in some locations. If you can find them cheaper please post and let us know!) I also like the wave because even though it is marked as only allowing a foot that is a size 9 and under I am still able to fit my feet into it (I am a US Women's size 10.5-11)!

[Mermaid Star]

Ok, So I did a little more filling of the voids tonight. There are just so many spaces!!! LOL. I think I am going to see seeds in my sleep. When I sat down to work though, I could really tell that the voids were in fact being filled and you can see a difference in the seeds that haven't been fill and the ones that have. Here is a picture with a bottom up view.

http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/2954/img1230d.jpg

And this is what is done up until now.

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/4848/img1232tt.jpg

I know it is a little hard to see fore the last picture, but most of the left side is done and some of the top. As you con see, I have a long way to go but I hope to have it done shortly. I thought I would let you know what I have been up. I hope to have more exciting things in the future to show you. :)

[Mermaid Jewel]

Wow not sure if I've commented before but looks super exciting! Can't wait to see more :)

[Aquatica]

thanks for the update, I look forward to see more of this.
Great work so far

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you! I really hope that it pays off. :)

[Winged Mermaid]

Looking great! "Gonna see seeds in my sleep" :P Yeah, I've seen scales in my sleep just repainting my tail (detailing the scales) haha. Can't wait to see more!

[Anaria]

So much work! It's looking great :)

[Mermaid Star]

OK so between Work, school, and my extra curriculars I have managed to get some more filling done and have about 1/3 of the seed sheet left to fill in. Phew! Almost there. I will hopefully be able to report in about a week or so that everything is ready for molding... at least that is what I am shooting for. :)

[Mermaid Star]

I am sorry I haven't been on lately. I have had a death in the family, school, work and now I am sick. I really want to get more done and be able to update you more. Hopefully things will get better soon and I will be able to update. My computer also commited suicide so it won't be til christmas when I don't have to type on my phone for updates. But again, I will try.

[Mermaid Star]

After tossing and turning for two nights, I have decided to scrap filing the voids between the seeds. I was almost finished with 3/4 of the pattern already filled but I realized that I was losing far too much texture in doing it. So I will be picking the clay out and then preparing to mold it after I few repairs.

To all of those considering using my method with real seeds, you must work quickly as the seeds will deteriorate over time. I am running into this problem now. Hence the repairs needing to be made. I will be happy if I can get this molded by this coming weekend. Lets see if I can do this!

[Mermaid Star]

Sorry I haven't been on in a long while. I have been super busy with lots of life, stuff. After battling with my scale texture, made of pumpkin seeds, and thinking for a long while, I have decided to scrap the entire texture and start over. Frustrating that I spent several months of my life on something that I have to toss but that is the beauty of learning and creating, I guess. The scales weren't what I wanted and was not happy with the spacing. I was struggling with having to fill the voids to avoid encapsulation while maintaining enough texture and the seeds themselves, being organic, began breaking down during the process. I was told to scrap it about a month ago by a SFX artist friend of mine and start over, but I still wanted to try to save it. But alas, it was not meant to be.

But some good has come of this. I found a way to make the texture that I want, and be able to do it economically. I have decided to do a uniform texture made of Foam Circles to make it easier to join the two halves and make the seem less noticeable.

In order to keep costs down, I have chosen to cut my own circles using a 1" circle cutter found in the scrap booking section of Micheal's. I believe it was $7.99 but was on sale for 50% off!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/394970_10150555263355289_503510288_11069264_445659 230_n.jpg

I then purchased adhesive backed foam sheets, 6inx9in that came in a 30 pack. I found that this pack is the most economical. It was $7.99 per pack and I used a 50% off coupon at Micheal's.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/388483_10150555263905289_503510288_11069269_718841 847_n.jpg

Here are some of my 1" circles. This can take some time to do, but if you are trying to do this on a budget like I am, I could be worth it!

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/378793_10150555263245289_503510288_11069262_362631 643_n.jpg

I am laying the circles directly into the molding box to avoid a possibility of encapsulation. The adhesive backed foam also makes laying the circles fast and easy!

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/385511_10150555264305289_503510288_11069272_199911 5509_n.jpg

Here, you can really see the texture (with out the flash). I really like how it is coming out so far!

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/386717_10150555263695289_503510288_11069267_214179 9097_n.jpg

And this is where I am so far, about 8" into the texture (a little hard to see the 3 dimensionality of the texture) . I hope to get more done very soon and will continue to post as I lay more and make progress. Thank you so much for bearing with me during this process. It is definitely a learning experience.


http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/400802_10150555263785289_503510288_11069268_377803 71_n.jpg

Please let me know what you think of the new texture!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm so sorry to hear that you had to chuck the seeds, but this new method of yours looks like it's working wonderfully! Keep it up darling!

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you so much Lorelei! I have been tossing and turning about it until I finally just did it. Now that I am making new one, I feel like I got my second wind and my drive back. Which is great! I needed it! I really like the look too. Thank you for giving your support, it is very much appreciated. :D Muah!

[ShyMer]

I like your idea for using foam disks for your texture- I love how they look!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Ah, no problem! I'm happy to give as much as you need. :3

[AniaR]

There's only so many ways to may scale molds. I even suggested once using guitar pics! They're a perfect shape but you'd need an awful lot haha. I think the holy puncher is a really smart idea, I wonder if there are any other puncher shapes like diamond maybe?

[Mermaid Shelly]

This is so amazing Star! You are so talented :)

[merpirate]

AniaR, I will field this one for Star, There are several, Hole punch shapes, and sizes. Including Diamond shape as well. If you want to see go to any hobby store, or any that carry things for scrap booking and you will find them. I however am now stuck with the though of how to get 2,000 or so guitar picks. I want to make the first rock star tail

[AniaR]

Im seriously thinking a tail made from guitar pics needs to be done.

[inactive account]

Nice :) , looks exactly like MDV's scale shape design

[Mermaid Star]

The hole punch is the most cost effective method, I think. No matter the shape. The great thing about it is that you really can get them in a bunch of verying shapes and sizes. They are just so perfect, lightweight and inexpensive.

[AniaR]

there's only so many scale shapes, diamond, hexagon, circle, or a press from a net or metal.

[SireniaSolaris]

That is really great. How good is the adhesive on the foam sheets? Would they stick to a base surface pretty well, u think?

[Mermaid Star]

Sirenia, I am not really sure I know what you mean by base surface. The adhesive sticks well enough to hold on to the board while I am working. I sit it on its side while in storage between working sessions and they stay put, but I wouldn't take it in the water. :) I hope that helps, if you are asking about something more specific,please let me know and I will try to answer to the best on my ability.

In other news, I finished 20 inches of scale texture last night! Yay! If I keep this up, I could be finished with it by this weekend, but we will see. Fins crossed! :)

[SireniaSolaris]

Well, for instance, if someone were to apply them directly onto, say, a neoprene base, or a stretched fabric base, is the adhesive a really good adhesive that would stick well, or would you say adding glue/a couple of stitches to hold each one on would be recommended?

[AniaR]

she's using these to make a mold as I understand it, not to be the actual scales on a tail. I dont think the material or the backing would hold up in water. Might work for a cosplay tail tho

[SireniaSolaris]

One would have to be extra careful about scuffing up the foam - I imagine it would easily tear, but aside from extra care being needed, I don't see why they wouldn't work as an actual piece to use in a tail. Seemes there wouldn't be toooooo much more work doing it like this than really carefully painting scales on a material. And with these, you'd get a nice 3 dimensional texture, too, as opposed to a flat surface.

lol, I suppose I just try to think of every way possible to avoid molds and such. A lady I work with who went to a special FX school keeps trying to get me to talk to her regarding mermaid tail constructions so she can make casts, and molds, and all the headache stuff.... I just want to work off of a flat base.I promise, it really isn't out of laziness. In my single life, I'd probably be more interested in the molding aspects of tail making, but with so little time, and space, and the baby... I suppose I just am trying to keep things as simple as possible, and taking up as little space as can be.

I still like to take in ideas from everything I come across though, and see how it might be used for some new, neat meathod of more basic tail construction.

[Mermaid Star]

Hmm... It might work to just put the circles onto your tail, but you would have to either sew them on pretty well or use a good adhesive. Another problem you might have with using foam circles directly on your tail may be buoyancy. They may make you flat a bit and you may have to really fight the tail to dive down as it might turn into a massive fun noodle. But if you try it out, let us know how it works out!

[Mermaid Star]

Here is a picture of the 20 inches of foam circles laid out. I am going to work on more today. Lets see how far I can get!

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/393220_10150559235945289_503510288_11087825_164738 800_n.jpg

[Mermaid Photine]

That is amazing! How much foam have you used up so far?

[merboy78xy]

Hey... I just thought of something back when the pumpkin seed method was being tried, and filling in spaces with clay... what if you laid out your seeds and then poured a varnish over them... maybe the liquid would fill in the spaces for you, and dry on its own- meaning you wouldn't have to do a bit by bit sculpting in with the clay. Just a thought.

[ShyMer]

I love the scale sheet so far! The scales overlap so nicely<3

I'm glad you thought of using foam disks. I think I'll have to try that when I make my tail someday.

[Odette]

friend made a tail of that craft foam and it ended BADLY!! the scales got all messed up. ill ask if i can take a pic of the tail.she was devistated cuz the swatch she made was fine but the tail wasnt.

[ShyMer]

What went wrong with it? Did the foam become damaged before she could make her mold with it?

[Odette]

she glued it on the tail. stayed for awhile.paint got all crinkly, glue wore at the edges and the foam bend in all directions.she only wore it about 5 times and was careful.
it floated alot so she couldnt swim welll at all.couldnt put latex over it as it flaked off. constant work to try and make it work. total disaster! its heart breaking when something like this doesnt work.


i REALLY hope using them as a mold works well.that would be great to use cheaper molding materials.
and stitching foam tears it up.

[Mermaid Photine]

I think if you are careful, foam would make a nice dry tail. It's pretty lightwieght, and easily paintable, but I agree about the swimmable tail. Foam floats.

[taom]

I really like merboy78xy's idea with the varnish. Not only would it fill in the cracks but it would also harden the foam up so it could take a mold making medium better.

[Mermaid Star]

@merboy78xy It way work but you would have to be careful. I originally used a spray lacquer to seal them. It worked ok but then I needed to fill the voids but then found that I was losing too much texture by filling them. You would have to carefully brush it on to be sure not to loose too much texture and also take care not to leave brush strokes that may appear in the mold. But this is a good idea. As long as you are careful with it, it could work well.

@Taom As for the foam, I plan to give it a good coat of Vaseline to allow for ease in release along with keeping the foam from absorbing any of the Ultracal during the molding process.

@MermaidPandorah I had used approximately half by that time I believe. I now have 7 sheets of 6"x9" foam left over. And this is how far I got!

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/386143_204549706303520_164406580317833_433922_7586 8027_n.jpg

[merboy78xy]

hey! It's lookin good!
As for the varnish... I think brushing it on would be a great idea... plus, I feel like even if there were larger "pools" of the varnish, the general "entropic" nature of liquid would make it try to reach an equal level over the whole space, creating a "flat skin" that the raised scales would be "protruding" from. Of course, this is all just a hypothesis. As for the paint-brush idea, I think that's very smart! AND I gotta say that seeing brush-strokes (provided they move down each scale in the direction of the tail) wouldn't bother me! I love how striated some fish scales can be!
All these are just my ramblings, thoughts and opinions-- which could all be bunk once I tried it! hehehe

[Mermaid Star]

Haha! It is cool Merboy. This is a place to get our ideas out in the open, after all. :D

I worked on the texture a little today after work. I have completed 38" with only 8 inches left! Woo!!! Not sure if I am going to need another pack or not. I am thinking that I am going to need about 2 more sheets... too bad they don't sell by the sheet! LOL No big deal though. This way if I want to make a new mold with a different shape, I will already have some sheets to do it. :D

Here is a progress picture from tonight.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/386685_205191586239332_164406580317833_436251_8753 55055_n.jpg

Here is a video of us laying the circles



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mUQp1eJYD8&amp;feature=youtu.be

[Odette]

I think if you are careful, foam would make a nice dry tail. It's pretty lightwieght, and easily paintable, but I agree about the swimmable tail. Foam floats.

hopefully. i know for sure that sewing and hot glue wont work so find the right adhesive an maybe it would be a great dry tail costume! comfy too

[ShyMer]

Have you looked at some other craft stores? I feel like someone out there sells foam by the sheet though I can't remember which one. Maybe Joanne's?

So close! I'm all excited to see how your mold turns out.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm actually using this same method for making my scale sheet pattern and I know that the Michaels near me sells individual sheets. I don't know if all of them do.

[Mermaid Star]

I am going to have to go back to Micheal's tomorrow. I ran out of foam today, only about 3 inches away from the top. ~facepalm~ But I figured as much. But good news, it seems as though the texture will be complete by the weekend. I am a little scared now that it is so close because it is finally time to use the ultracal-30, and I have never used it before. It definitely has a measured process to it and I am just nervous that I will mess it up. ($50 worth of ultracal alone,eeek!) I am sure I will get through it though. Especially will all of your support behind me. :)

Here is a picture of the texture from tonight. SO CLOSE! :D

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/383134_206280746130416_164406580317833_439260_1655 194383_n.jpg

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'm working on the same exact process you are and I admire you for the time spent punching out each and every one of those scales! I'll be using something other than ultra-cel though. I'm excited to see how your method works!

[Mermaid Star]

Loreilei, I hope your scale sheet goes well. How far are you into your scale sheet? By the way, you got me thinking. I was wondering how many "scales" I have on my scale sheet so far. I calculated how many scales are currently on the sheet, there are 1585 scales so far! Holy Mackerel!!! That is a lot of scales! I will have a final count when the entire sheet is finished.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

That is a lot of scales!
I have about 15 foam sheets cut so far, so a bit farther than half way? My boyfriend is building my box for the mold tomorrow. I'm so excited to finally start laying the silly things!

[Odette]

lorelei and star,
im so happy for you guys. i really hope this works well. its so rewarding once its finished. feels great.

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Odette! I can't wait for this part to be finished. I have been stalled at this point for months. I can't wait to move on to other parts of this project and start seeing results. Now the only big thing holding my back, is funds!

You are almost there Lorelei! You may find that you may need more or less depending on your sheet width, length and how closely you are cutting your circles. My boyfriend "merpirate" was able to figure out how to get a circle per inch (the last one is tricky though). That way there isn't a lot of waste. I can't wait to see how it comes out for you! Are you using adhesive backed sheets as well?

[AniaR]

I AM SO STOAKED FOR YOU

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Thanks Odette!

Yes, I am using the adhesive backed ones. I happened to get to packages for the price of one at my store. They were having a buy one/get one sale in the craft aisle. YAY for sales! I wish I could give you some of mine. You're so close to having it done!

[Mermaid Jewel]

I'm so excited! Can't wait to see more progress and good luck!

[Mermaid Star]

@Raina Eeeee! Thank you! Me too!

@Lorelei You are so sweet! Thank you! I had to stay home today because of a Migraine. Ugh! Stupid Migraine. Once it goes away, I would like to try and get a few more sheets to finish it off.

@Jewel Thank you! I am super excited too (and a little scared). This weekend could be my weekend. Knock on wood!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Oh dear, I know Migraine trouble. No fun at all!

[Mermaid Marla]

Wow - this is truly exciting watching so many make tails! Your process looks amazing! Can hardly wait to see the next step! So many talented mers here!!

[merpirate]

I have some photos of her working on laying the scales in the box, I haven't put them up yet, but I might here in a few just so you all can see how excited she is by this

[Mermaid Star]

I am super, uber busy today. Just stopped by to check on everything before my body painting for a black light show I am doing tonight. I will try to update you all ASAP. I think I am going to try and lay a few more scales before hand to see how many more I need to punch before tomorrows molding! :) Eeee!

[Mermaid Star]

My Texture is finally finished! I didn't have the time to mold this weekend and I didn't want to rush it and make a mistake. So I will hopefully find some time this weekend to take the task on. But, Yay! The Texture is done!!!! I left the top a circle shape that will later be cut down into a scale shape. I tried to cut the circles in a tear drop prior to laying them out, but it didn't work out as well as I had hoped. I wish I could find a punch for that.

Sorry for the picture quality, but I couldn't find my camera so I had to take it with my phone.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/404585_209765399115284_164406580317833_448472_4037 11042_n.jpg

On another note, I am active;y looking for a place near to St. Petersburg,Fl that sells Plastaline or WED Clay (both are oil based clays) that I will be using for my fluke buck. If anyone knows of a local shop around here that sells it so I can cut out the shipping cost, please let me know! It would be greatly appreciated! :)

[AniaR]

so excited for you

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you, Raina! I am very excited too! I can't wait. Thank you for always supporting me. You have seen me struggle and grow and you have always been so supportive! I really appreciate you and all that you do.

[New York Mermaid]

wow, that is awesome! Great job on the texture, good for you for working hard on your tail. I cannot wait to see more photos :)

[Mermaid Star]

Thank You, Lanai! I can't wait to get to work on my fluke and get this texture molded:)

[Mizuko]

This process looks amazing! ^_^ I cant wait to see more! I wish I had your patience! hehe!

[Mermaid Star]

So I just purchased 25lbs of EM-217 WED Clay to create my Fluke buck. It is on it's way from GA now. Of course, after I purchased it, I found a distributor here in Central Florida a couple hours away. But I am still happy about my purchase since I don't have to drive all over gods green earth to get it. :) I am hoping that it arrives soon and should be coming via FedEx Home. I will update everyone when it gets here.

I am also trying to start a kickstarter. I know, a little late. But it is becoming a bit difficult to purchase all of the things needed to finish the tail. I will also update everyone on that as soon as it gets approved. (hopefully)

[Mermaid Star]

Alright! So even though I have been pretty sick all week I did manage to get some stuff done today! I was thinking of molding my scales this weekend until my clay showed up in the mail, quite unexpectedly as I thought it would take a little while longer to get to me. Since I will have to mold my fluke and scales out of the same stuff, I might as well mold everything at once, so everything will be done at the same time.

Yesterday, my clay arrived! I still wasn't feeling to well, so I set it aside. Today, I decided I was going to get to work. I found a good sized piece of card board and got to work.

I first thought, I need to build up what space my monofin would take up and start from there. Though that would work for the front, it would not for the back, and since I am using one mold for both halves, I can't really do that with out it looking super bulky! So I decided to only build it up about an inch high and hopefully when I put the halves together, then will fill in properly and will match up. I really wish I was able to do an injection mold, like I had originally planned, but with the materials I have chosen (and that I can afford), it is not in the cards.

I then built up the ridges on the sides ( I really like that look) and then filled in the center. The ridge is about an inch high and slowly slopping downward so that it will terminate nicely at the ends.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/408921_212407218851102_164406580317833_455872_3358 23731_n.jpg
(I am sorry the pictures are so dark, I can't seem to locate my camera so I used my phone to take pictures)

It is not finished Obviously. I still need to give it a good smoothing and then texture the main body of the fluke. Here is a picture of my fluke with my monofin, so you can get a good size comparison.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/382638_212407165517774_164406580317833_455870_2279 48808_n.jpg

Since I am stopping for the night (and I still have work to do) I have covered my buck in cling wrap to help it stay moist until I can work on it again. (Which will hopefully be tomorrow).

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/375315_212407195517771_164406580317833_455871_6781 20828_n.jpg

I wish I would have been able to document my process while I was sculpting (which I don't sculpt much, which may be apparent) but my hands were absolutely covered in clay! It wasn't until I finished for the night that I was able to get pictures. Another point to people like me who don't really sculpt, I have found that a bucket of warm water next to your work area is a must! Not only does it make working with the clay a whole lot easier, it can keep your hands somewhat clean for emergencies or surprise visitors (and your pipes happy).

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Oh wow! This looks wonderful Star!

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you again, Lorelei!

I did a little more today and created the texture for my fluke! Eeeee!!! I am so excited! It is finally coming together!!!! I decided to go with a fully textured fluke as I personally think it looks more realistic (but that just may be me :P ).

So this is what I did today!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/396559_213604652064692_164406580317833_458983_7211 01400_n.jpg

You can see some of the tools in the upper left hand corner. I used an old fork and a dental pick, but mostly the fork since it gives a thicker and more noticeable texture.

This is a bottom view of the textured fluke.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/383626_213604718731352_164406580317833_458984_2063 484366_n.jpg

I would like to make the bottom a little more tattered but I am not sure if I want to do that once it is cast or if I want to make it part of the mold. I will figure that out in the future I think.

And this is a Mermaid's point of view of her fluke! :D

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/406182_213604778731346_164406580317833_458985_1194 921581_n.jpg

Eeeeee!!!! I am so excited!!! It just feels so good to have something other than a bunch of shapes on a board. I have been stuck in that phase for months and I am finally doing something more! ~Sigh~ It feels good! :D

I know that this particular fluke design will not tickle everyone's fancy, but let me know what you think!

... YAY!!! Bounces away....:yay:

[Mermaid Photine]

That's beautiful! I can't wait to see how it turns out!

[AniaR]

it's lovely

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you. Thank You, thank you!!! Eeeeeee!!!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Loving the texture!

[Mermaid Star]

Experienced a bit of an unfortunate setback while transporting my fluke today. :(

I am kinda bummed. It is in a bunch of pieces and have been working for hours to get them back together. It is mostly one piece now, and am going to need to work on getting everything looking back up to par. More photos to come a bit later on.

[New York Mermaid]

aww that sucks :( but at least you got it back in one piece. Your fluke is almost the same type im looking to get but with a more longer and curved fluke tips (i guess for more of a flowier look in my case..lol). Your did do an incredible job on the fluke. I cant wait to see more photos.

[Mermaid Star]

Well I hope it gets fixed alright. I am super tired as I just ran the Warrior Dash here in Florida. It was awesome, but I got stuck in the mud a few times and it really took it out of me to get out. LOL So I am not sure if I will have enough energy today to work on my fluke.

This is what happened to my fluke... ~sad face~ I had to break it a few times more to get it to lay flat. It never went back together perfectly.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/403630_217333131691844_164406580317833_467554_2474 07070_n.jpg

Here are some of the patches. I have yet to finish the patching. I must re-level it and re-texture it. So much work to do.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/400389_217333268358497_164406580317833_467555_5333 52059_n.jpg

[AniaR]

bummmmmmer

[Mermaid Star]

Tell me about it... I just hope I can get it back to what it was. Otherwise there will be a longer setback
Fins crossed

[Mermaid Photine]

Perhaps you could sculpt any remaining parts in a non-drying clay? Then all you need to do is keep in in a nice sturdy box to prevent squishing. Make sure the clay can work with whatever you are using to cast it.

Best of luck with those repairs!

[ShyMer]

Did it become warped when you allowed it to dry and that's why it broke? So sad :(

[Mermaid Star]

Yes, it became warped in drying. This is a wed clay and isn't supposed to dry out that fast. But it did. I should have molded it right after the sculpt, but didn't have the time. Now I know. This is all very much a learning experience for me.

[happyguava]

Ohh Star, that sucks!! It was looking so beautiful! It looks like you've done a great job patching it up though. You're right - as annoying and heartbreaking as setbacks like this can be, at least you've learned something and can go into your next project armed with more knowledge than before!! For the record, I can't make a tail to save myself, so I'm amazed at people who can do stuff like this!

[neonmermaid]

This is really amazing! Thanks for being so detailed with your photos, it's so fun to read through and see!

[RêveD'eau]

Did it dry out in the saran wrap?? I sculpted a lot in high school and we wet paper towels and covered our clay pieces in them, then placed them in a black garbage bag and tied it! It will be a slow process but it allows it to dry slowly and completely do it doesn't break. I hope that helps. It looks fantastic!!

[ShyMer]

I hope that when you use it for your mold that the finished fluke turns out okay- I guess I'd be concerned that you'd be able to tell where it was repaired because of texture or something. Also I haven't worked with wed clay in particular but i know from throwing that drier clay doesn't like wet clay very much. Has it been doing any flaking where you fixed it? Also how much is it shrinking when it dries?

For those who have used clay for their tail making process, have you allowed it to dry before making the mold or do you keep it moist? I feel more inclined to keep it soft but it may not make much of a difference I suppose.
Just curious :)

[Mermaid Star]

Neonmermaid, Thank you! I am glad you like viewing the process.

RêveD'eau (http://mernetwork.com/index/member.php?20-R%C3%AAveD-eau)

Thank you for the advise! I am not a sculptor and didn't work with it previously so it really helps. I will try and use the wet paper towels thing. I can't ut it in a garbage bag as the board wont fit but I will try and seal it better.

Shymer, Most of it is holding ok but some parts are falling away.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/404183_218145104943980_164406580317833_469303_6073 97394_n.jpg

I am not sure what I am going to do right now. I ordered more WED Clay Today. I doubled my order so I have 50 lbs on it's way to me from within FL. I hope it gets here soon. If it does, I will just re-sculpt it and mold it. I am just worried about the shrinkage and whether it is the same size as I had originally planned for.

I think it is smarter to mold while it is still wet. It would keep it from sticking to the mold and there would be minimal/no shrinkage. I think that is what I will do, just re do the whole thing. I think it would be smarter than try to save this one and possibly end up with something that I can't use or that I am not 100% proud of.

[Mermaid Sirena]

What if you made the mold of one side then made two copies of it stuck them together and did a little work so they fit together well and then make a mold of that?

[Mermaid Star]

I originally was going to do a full fluke mold and do an injection mold to make the fluke one solid piece. If I were to use silicone, the injection mold would work and be stronger,but I can't afford the materials for it. :( But because I am making my fluke from latex, I have to do a slush mold instead to ensure that the layers will dry. The more surface area that is open to the air the better.

[Marinus Mortimer]

I love it but am verry sad that it broke hope :( you can fix it, cant wait to see it finished ill be here even doh i just got here lol love the idea doh :)

[ShyMer]

It's sad that it's not holding together:( I loved the texture you had on it.
I'm betting your next one will be better for it though. How wet/squishy is it when you take it out of the bag?

When I asked about the shrinking thing maybe I made it sound a little scarier than it is- you could probably see if the size is okay easily enough by holding your mono up to it. Because the underside is probably still wet, I'm guessing it hasn't shrunk much as a whole. Maybe that's why it's cracking? Top is trying to shrink and dry while the underside stubbornly stays wet?

Also maybe something like Glad's press and seal would help. That stuff is magic. Perhaps you could stick a couple sheets together to seal it better? I don't know, just a wild untested idea. Weird that saran wrap isn't helping already though :/

If you don't feel to bad about breaking it up, you should be able to save your current clay for future use (assuming wed clay mostly behaves like regular clay). If you put it in a bag with some water eventually the water will re distribute itself and make the dry parts softer. You'll have to help it along some but it's kinda like making bread- you knead it some but most of the time you leave it alone to rest. If it's too soupy you can leave it open for a little while to let some water evaporate, just don't let the surface get too dried out.

[Mermaid Star]

I could probably get it to hold together as I only tried to put it together once. I am just worried because there were ridges in some places and now they have moved and making it awkward. Also I am not sure if it is the same symmetrically anymore since I had to add some to one side to get it to fit together again.

The whole thing is pretty dry, the underside is a little more moist than the top, but not by much. I just think that I didn't reinforce it enough when I tried to fix it.

You have a lot of good ideas Shymer. I will try to emplement some of them. It is good to know that I can rewet and reuse the clay. I might just do that. :)

[lynsea]

As a person who has experience with sculpting, wet paper towels are the way to go. Soak them, wring them out, then wrap your whole piece and cover it with a garbage bag or something similar. You'll have to change the towels every time as they can get moldy but this is honestly the BEST way to keep your piece moist.

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you all for the advise! It is really great! I love this community!!! :) I am still waiting on my new clay to come in, but my second wave monofin made it. Yay!!! I wanted to be able to have a practice tail and a realistic for events, so I knew I needed a second fin. It is exactly the same as the first, only the color is yellow rather than blue. It still fits nice, even though it is a "youth monofin" and I wear a shoe size 11 in women.

Hope things will move along nicely. The only thing left to purchase (I think) is more latex (about 2 gallons or so) and a latex paint base. So close!!! Eeee!

[Azurin Luna]

I hope it will stay in one piece for you now! Good luck!
Looking forward to see how your tail is going to look at the end.

[Mermaid Star]

So my clay came in during the week and I didn't even know it! LOL On Saturday, I was able to get a little sculpting done while the sun was still up. But before I could sculpt anything, I took a few pictures of my old fluke sculpt...

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/421270_222855944472896_164406580317833_480931_1639 816797_n.jpg

There was minimal shrinkage resulting from drying, shown by laying the pattern over the sculpt... but it wasn't minimal enough for me and felt that I would not be happy with it unless I started over. So I did, but first.... I sad faced a little.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/403760_222856104472880_164406580317833_480933_1713 713353_n.jpg
(Sorry, no makeup)

So after I finished trashing my first fluke sculpt, I cleared off my board and traced out my fluke pattern onto the board as well as the monofin placement.

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/395855_222856281139529_164406580317833_480935_1660 664388_n.jpg

Then I started my sculpt, beginning with the raised portions. I know there is probably an easier way, but this is where my brain took me. :)

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/416939_222856464472844_164406580317833_480938_2399 96453_n.jpg

After a long while of building and smoothing... and smoothing... and smoothing (lol) I came to a stopping point with the foot pocket and side ridges built. Since I was stopping for the evening, I did as was suggested to me by Lysea and ReveD'eau. I covered the clay with moist paper towels.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/420544_222856564472834_164406580317833_480939_3255 4339_n.jpg

And then bagged it in trash bags as Lynsea and ReveD'eau suggested to keep the moisture in. Hopefully this will keep it from drying out.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/401321_222856641139493_164406580317833_480941_4184 97474_n.jpg

I am hoping to get some sculpting done tomorrow after my doctors appointment. :)

[AniaR]

awwwwwww

[Mermaid Star]

While I was working on the fluke, my boyfriend (Merpirate) picked up the camera and started asking me questions about my tail and how I was making it. Kinda Q&A style. It is kinda basic, especially since I am not a sculptor. But in the case that it will help someone, I will post it. Sorry about the sound, as I am uploading it with out editing. I also wasn't planning on my face being in any pictures or video so I didn't put any makeup on. LOL

I will post it at soon as it is done uploading... it is taking FOREVER! :D

[Mermaid Star]

Ok FINALLY! It is finished downloading! That took forever! LOL Well here is my silly little video. It took everything in me to not say "um" 5 million times. I hope it helps someone out there though. :)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvdt2uIlyD4


I am such a dork! :P

And another


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llROAsO44U0&amp;context=C3eeaae8ADOEgsToPDskKY 5NVH1HGenfbBDWyTKqxq

[malinghi]

I'm so sorry the clay dried out, but I'm really glad you're making a new one, both cause I hope you end up with an awesome custom tail, and because the information you've been sharing with everyone is great.

Great job on the video too. You spoke well and it looked very natural. Kinda wish I got to see your dog though. It only appeared in the background for a second. Is he or she a black lab?

[Mermaid Star]

Thanks Malinghi! That is a good thing that I get to document it a little more since I had someone with me. It is kinda hard to share when you have your hands covered in clay. LOL So if I have someone with me with clean hands to grab a camera, it makes things easier to document. :)

As for the dogs. We actually have two at the house. There is a female chocolate lab and a black Male lab. :) You heard the male in the back ground. He is the loud mouth of the two. LOL

[Mermaid Star]

This weekend, I have been a little busy. I didn't get everything done that I wanted to but I took a few steps in the right direction.

Yesterday, I uncovered my fluke to find that the moist towels and the trash bags really helped and kept everything moist and workable. :)

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/432361_226985787393245_164406580317833_489179_1250 483926_n.jpg

I then filled in the fluke.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/417192_226985867393237_164406580317833_489180_2215 26691_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6VehEpj6ho&amp;feature=autoshare

I just eyeballed and used my hand to note the height of the clay inside the fluke to keep it relatively the same height. I found that it was helpful to add a bit of clay on the bottom to guide me and see the bottom edge a little better.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/403587_226986184059872_164406580317833_489188_7660 57098_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnsWGBfpPno&amp;feature=mfu_channel&amp;list=UL

I then started to texture my fluke. I used a fork for most of the texture and a dental pick for any work that needed finer detail.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/424019_226986407393183_164406580317833_489192_9440 65551_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L9YFP-CStY&amp;feature=mfu_channel&amp;list=UL

By the end of the night, I finally finished my fluke. Texture and all!

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/407752_226986584059832_164406580317833_489196_6488 20599_n.jpg

I then covered my fluke in moist paper towels so that it would stay moist for the next day where I planned to do some molding.
The next day (today), We began prepping the fluke buck for molding. We built a retaining wall around the fluke using some WED Clay. The same clay that the fluke is made out of. When purchasing my clay, I ordered extra just for this use.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/407246_226986714059819_164406580317833_489198_1468 690778_n.jpg

We made sure when joining the clay that all seems were completely sealed. This includes where the clay and board meet so no Ultracal leaks out from the bottom or from in between the seams.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/432295_226986807393143_164406580317833_489199_1149 849950_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfrgEnIwJVk&amp;feature=mfu_channel&amp;list=UL

After applying Petroleum Jelly (Vasalene) to all exposed wood we began the beauty coat of the Ultracal. The beauty coat is a thinner mixture (when you pull your hand out of the mixture the color should cling to your hand but it should still feel soupy, not thick) of the ultracal so that it can pick up more detail of the sculpt.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/426919_226986900726467_164406580317833_489201_2043 670983_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inOvGgO9Uas&amp;feature=mfu_channel&amp;list=UL

We then mixed a normal mixture of ultracal that has the consistency of nacho cheese or a little soupier.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/431500_226987120726445_164406580317833_489206_6960 99023_n.jpg

We then dipped burlap strips (cut about 2-3 inches square) into the mixture. We applied them laterally across the mold.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK3AljZoZ6E&amp;context=C3eeaae8ADOEgsToPDskKY 5NVH1HGenfbBDWyTKqxq

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/432259_226987040726453_164406580317833_489205_9860 03924_n.jpg

We then mixed up another batch and laid the strips vertically. These layers are for strength.
We then laid in the final layer which is a smoothing layer.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/423257_226987377393086_164406580317833_489214_1725 544402_n.jpg

This mold is very heavy! Holy cow! If you are using Ultracal-30 for your own process (good for latex) you should have someone help you with your mold. There was no way that I would be able to move this mold alone. Thank goodness I had the lovely Merpirate with me to help me out. :)

MIX: 19 lbs. water to 50 lbs. plaster.
SET TIME: 25 to 35 min.*
DRY TIME: 12 to 20 + hours.
DRY STRENGTH: 6000 psi

[Winged Mermaid]

So excited for your progress!!

[Mermaid Star]

Eeeee! Thank you, Winged! Me too. I hope to de-mold either today or tomorrow. :)

[ShyMer]

Very nice process :) love the detailed pictures and comments as you go along.

Looking fantastic!

[LindseyLu]

This is so amazing Star!!!!!!!!!! I've been checking on this post every so often and you never cease to amaze me!!!! Can't wait to see more, it's going to be AWESOME!!!!! :D

[Mermaid Saphira]

I can't wait to see the finished product! I'm sure I'm gonna be blown outta my tail (:lol: cheesy remark!)

[merpirate]

I wanted to thank all of you for supporting and encouraging Star in her tail making, it has been very helpful. With any luck we should break open the mold tomorrow

[Mermaid Saphira]

Yea! So exciting :)

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you guys so much!!!! You are so supportive! :) As merpirate said, we will hopefully be de-molding tomorrow. I would normally do it tonight, but I don't think I coul dmove it on my own. So merpirate will be coming over tomorrow to help me out. :) More info and pictures to come, I am sure. Eeeee! Can't wait!

[koiboi]

i love the detailing on the fluke, i cant believe it was all done with a fork- Very ariel of you :-)

[Mermaid Star]

Thanks! The next time I do this I will be sure to find a better fork. LOL The fork I chose was old and bent and didn't give me consistent line depth or thickness. So next time I will chose more wisely. :)

It is funny you made the reference to the fork/dingle hopper as I did as well in a video that we shot while doing the texture for the fluke. We haven't posted it yet but as soon as I can get merpirate to download it off of his phone I will add the videos to the proper parts of this thread via edit. I will make a post when I do so. :) I de-molded and dirty cast today! :) More on that in a bit! Time to eat and download pics from today! Yay!

[merpirate]

Sorry love, I forgot to upload them to your computer, I will make sure and do so next time we are together

[Mermaid Star]

So today Merpirate and I Broke the mold! We removed the side walls first and packed the remaining clay away for future use. After much tugging and pulling we decided to upend the Mold, set it on it's side, and pull it apart that way. With a little push and pull the mold came free and we were left with our original fluke buck, and our new Fluke mold.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/421123_228321503926340_164406580317833_491899_8012 84175_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/403584_228321677259656_2012993343_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLi1u4Pdb1A

We laid the fluke mold down to clean it up. When we pulled and separated the mold a good bit of the lined texture remained in the mold. I used my trusty dental pick and carefully removed as much clay as possible with out damaging the mold.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/420311_228321763926314_164406580317833_491903_1294 435445_n.jpg

We did have some issues with bubbles unfortunately appearing in the mold. I believe the reason for this is that we poured in the last of the beauty coat rather than brushing it on which caused bubbles (though I could be wrong) but hopefully it wont show up too much in the final casting.

After cleaning with the dental pick, I prepped the mold for what my friend Casey calls a dirty casting. A dirty cassting is were you cast in the mold (I am using some extra latex) and running it through a couple of times. This allows the material, in my case latex, to pick up any residual clay that may be hiding in any cracks and crevices and essentially clean the mold further so that my first actual casting is as clean as it can be.

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/408982_228321827259641_164406580317833_491904_1690 549805_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJtTsAnWou4

I poured in the latex only to find that it was a bit thicker than I thought it was. (I think it may have been sitting at room temp for too long, since I live in florida that temp can get up there) So I had to smear it into the texture with some cardboard and eventually my fingers.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/431573_228321913926299_164406580317833_491906_7458 79219_n.jpg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylBTHr9apvE

After about 40-45 mins, I emptied the mold of any residual latex so that it could dry properly over night. This latex takes about 30-45 mins to set up enough to form a good skin. The longer you wait, the thicker the skin. Then it takes approximately 24 hours to fully cure. Heat helps the latex cure faster so if you want a faster cure, you can set up a heater in front of the mold to speed up the process a little .

Here is my mold with the latex skin setting up.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/420917_228322037259620_164406580317833_491907_4205 58199_n.jpg


I will be pulling this out of the mold tomorrow after I get home from work. Until then, keep on swimming! :)

Thanks for reading!!!

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ You guys are doing a fabulous job on this tail! I'm earger to se more ;D

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Aqua! I am eager to show it! I feel like I have been stuck at the same point for so long, so it is really exciting to me to finally be moving along! :yay:
It also helps that I have you guys to support me, push me and make me better. :) Thank you guys! You all are the best! I love this community!

[merpirate]

Thanks it means a lot to her and me to know how much support she has, I posted some photos up on my facebook, I expect she will post them here when she sees them

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ Yea! I believe I am as eager as Star is ^_^ Wish I could move out of one spot with my tail LOL

[Mermaid Lorelei]

This is looking wonderful Star and Merpirate! I'm excited to see how your dirty latex run looks!

[taom]

Hey! Looking good! So, I poured a few scale swatches with latex recently. I poured the first layer, smearing it in with a spoon, then immediately tipped out the extra. That lets the first skin form faster. I let that sit for 20-30 minutes then I poured the second layer, again immediately pouring out the extra. After another 20 or so minutes, it was set up enough to pull out of the mold, which I did. Pulling it out of the mold did not harm in anyway the detail of the cast plus it let me make more casts faster. I'm just telling you in case you get impatient and want to de-mold sooner than you are "supposed" to as I did. XDD

[Mermaid Star]

Thank You Lorelei! I will take pictures tonight when I get home for sure! :)

And Thank you Taom for the advice! What was the type of Latex that you were working with and what was the consistency of it? I was just wondering if it had the same consistency of miine. :)

[Mermaid Marla]

Oh wow Star! I haven't been on here in awhile... This looks fabulous! Thank you for sharing your journey with all of us. It really helps to see all of the hard work that goes into this sort of thing! Looking forward to seeing your first mold!!

[Mermaid Star]

Hello Everyone!

So I was so excited to come home and see how my dirty casting did over night. I barely put my stuff down before I ran into my back room to look at my mold. When I came in, the first thing I did was touch the casting. The first thing I noticed, It is shiny and dry! The second thing, the foot pocket section had a lot of air under it and it kinda felt like a lax drum head. The Latex had shrunk a bit (it typically shrinks by 5%) and began to pull away from the mod. From what I had read, this is how you know it is ready.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/419982_10150656485765289_503510288_11415651_822896 611_n.jpg

As soon as I took the picture above, I switched to video, this is the video below.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOHKv-Uazu4

I started with the sides and the foot pocket as they are smooth and easy to get off. Only slightly more difficult to remove from the mold was the textured portion. I started pulling it up from the side and had a small about of resistance. As soon as I pulled from the top with the grain, it came right out! Here is what the dirty cast looked like as soon as I pulled it out.

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/394160_10150656486215289_503510288_11415653_150777 2939_n.jpg

I had wondered what the casting would look like when it was cut down. So I cut all of the excess off to see what the shape if it would look like.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/402720_10150656486545289_503510288_11415655_142030 6214_n.jpg

I am so excited for how everything is turning out! This is just the dirty casting and it worked very well! The mold is completely clean from what I can tell. A lot of clay pieces came out with the latex. Next up, the scale mold!

I have a gig this weekend so i am not sure of how much time I will have to get the mold done. At least I learned a lot during this whole process. I can't wait to continue! :)

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ I am loving your fluke shape, very cool! Eager to see the scale mold! :D

[Mermaid Star]

I just added a video to the breaking the mold post in post number 136. :)

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you, Aqua!

[lynsea]

So how do you actually plan on making the fin itself. Are you going to put two pieces of the latex cast around a monofin? This process is really cool and super informative by the way and I thank you for sharing with us! Someday when I have time and money, I will get around tot he same thing.

[Mermaid Star]

Lynsea,

Yes I plan on casting two haves and then sandwiching the monofin in between the two halves using more latex to bond the two pieces together. Originally I was going to do an injection mold and do it all in one piece, but because I am using latex, this isn't an option.

I am very thankful for all of the support and response that I receive from you all. It really keeps me going! Thank you for all of the awesome comments! It really does mean a lot!

[Mermaid Star]

Just added a few more videos to posting 65, 121, 124, 136 and 145. :)

[merpirate]

here are the videos I took of her journey. We did them like a Q&A


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mUQp1eJYD8&amp;feature=youtu.be


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llROAsO44U0&amp;feature=youtu.be


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6VehEpj6ho&amp;feature=youtu.be


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnsWGBfpPno&amp;feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L9YFP-CStY&amp;context=C32f61cdADOEgsToPDskI0ziaBLvX25qOAnMh CQU_h


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfrgEnIwJVk&amp;feature=youtu.be


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inOvGgO9Uas&amp;feature=youtu.be


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IK3AljZoZ6E&amp;feature=youtu.be

[koiboi]

!!!!!!! i got irrationally excited to just see how the dirty casting came out- it almost made me curious enough to ask: Hows the feel of the latex? like the consistency/tactile response? whats it like?

[Aradia]

Woah, that is looking amazing! It certainly is inspiring me to start my next tail although you seem to have it figured out much better than I do :p

[Mermaid Star]

Koiboi, You can definitely feel the texture right now. The latex feels like latex though. Kinda fleshy but a little harder than flesh. The feel may change a little when I do the full casting as it will be filled in more but it should still have that fleshy feel.

Aradia, I am glad that my process is inspiring to you! I am just rolling with the punches on this and finding things that work and don't work. Like making sure to use a wider toothed fork for the texture as the finer lines tend to break off when it comes to the mold and are eventually lost. I am sure that you will do very well. My process is far from perfect, it could determinately use some tweeks. Hopefully my mistakes will save some others the headache of trying the same thing. LOL I can't wait to see how your tail comes out! :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I feel like I'm two steps behind you at every turn Star. XD I'm attempting to work with silicone, but a lot of the processes are the same. You're doing some fabulous work though and your dirty latex pull looks wonderful! The shape is beautiful.

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Lorelei! I know how you feel! I felt like everyone was leaving me behind with there tail making and I couldn't make any head way with my tail. I finally broke through when I finished my scale box and began work on my fluke. I had a lot of set backs and I seem to continue to have them but they aren't as drastic... knock on wood. LOL

Now the next obstacle is to get enough time to create my scale mold. The next hump after that, I believe will be the actual painting process since I am not super clear on how I am going to do it. So it is a little intimidating and something I want to shy away from. I just need to push my self to do it!

I am sure your tail will look awesome. Don't get discouraged. The more time and planning you put into it the less costly mistakes you will make. :D You will do great! :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

No problem, and thank you dear. :>

I'm doing my best to research EVERY angle before I even pour once. XD I'm a poor college student, so silicone could completely break my budget if I ended up having to order even more of it. At least I have a scale box finally. I have about a quarter of the scales laid, but that's 3/4ths to go. -dies-

What is the color scheme you are thinking about?

[Mermaid Star]

I am thinking goldfish. I know it is a bit overdone right now with so many mermaids with reds and golds but I really like warm colors on my skin tone and it would match my hair.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I think a goldfish design could be really nice! Especially if you stuck with a warmer gold than orange. :>

[merpirate]

With any luck we will be start molding the scales today, videos will be taken and follow with in a day or two

[merpirate]

Sorry for the delay, I had to do a few things off the ship, but here are the videos I took
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3ExxFf3rDE&amp;feature=plcp&amp;context=C3a881cbU DOEgsToPDskKWyQgzJX0QFrsvl3Pln9Um

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MPSRUvxaV8&amp;feature=plcp&amp;context=C37e6933U DOEgsToPDskKdJWFHeU9lFiZ45vOZSkN2

[Winged Mermaid]

Very cool! You guys have really done a lot of research on this, hu? All technical terms and stuff! I'd love to know more about that kind of thing if you have any information, or good links. The vaseline hopefully will wash out and won't cause any setbacks. Excited for you!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Haha, "For other people that are doing this method..." Love you guys, thank you for being so very thorough!

[merpirate]

Winged, you would have to ask Star for most of it, I am just a extra pair of hands really, all of this is her, I think she asks a few FX artist she knows down in our pond.

Lorelei, You are welcome we do try to make it easy for people wanting to try this themselves

[Mermaid Saphira]

Is that going to be the tails color or just the mold?? Srry, just curious! Glad to see you diving deeper into the project Star :)

[taom]

Omg it's looking so good!!! (btw, star, i'm using slip casting latex. cured, it looks just the same as your dirty fluke casting.)

[Mermaid Star]

Winged, What would you like to know? If I have links I will get them to you. If it is something I heard from a SFX artist, I will let you know and if it is just something I am trying out then I will let you know that too! I just found this link today and was reading up. It is for mask making but still uses the same processes, just modified a little since what we are casting is flat. http://www.devils-workshop.com/howto/cast.html. I used this video I found as a basis for my molding info along with several links that I can not think of now (and info from SFX friends). The reason I chose it was because he was using the same material (ultracal 30) that I was. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8hYA0zV4qI. There are so many links I have looked at that I can't remember where all of the information came from but I will let you know any info the best I can. Is there any particular part of this process you would like to know a little more about? I can try and find the links from there. :)

Lorelei, Haha... yeah! No problem! :) I can't wait to see how your tail comes out! I want to see progress pics from you too! :P

Aqua, Haha... I know what you were thinking and No, it is not to color of the finished product. LOL . :D I will be going for a gold fish theme. :)

Taom, Awesome! I have not investigated slip casting latex yet and do not know the differences between it and regular latex. I am guessing the difference is the consistency. I read that I can water the RD-407 down a bit to get a more liquid latex than it is right now (which is kinda thick) to get a more detailed "beauty coat".

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ Oooo! sounds lovely!!! I love goldfish, do you have a little goldfish for inspiration? :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I'll see what I can do about pictures Star. :P I seem to forget to grab the camera whenever I start working on something.

[Mermaid Star]

Aqua, No I don't have one personally. I think my cat might see it as lunch or a toy that mommy got just for her. But I go to the pet shops near by and look at them there or go online for pictures. I think I want to base my first few tails off of the many colors in a sun rise or sunset. I always loved the colors in the sky during those times. :)

[Mermaid Star]

And Lorelei, I know how you feel! Merpirate always reminds me or is there to pick up the camera and film for me. :) If you boyfriend is around, it is always helpful to have them take pictures for you if they are willing. :D (nudge nudge) LOL

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Hahaha, I'll keep that in mind!

[taom]

Omg, boyfriends are the best things ever when it comes to project documentation. Mine is a particularly good photo taker so he takes all these artsy snapshots of my creations as they near completion. It's also nice because he helps upload them so I don't have to.

[Mermaid Star]

Taom, Sweet! Which thread is yours? I want to go check it out! :)
And yes, boyfriends are the best at documentation! I would never have had videos if it weren't for Merpirate! <3

[Mermaid Star]

So this past weekend I began my scale mold.

Merpirate already posted the videos but I wanted to post it in context so that it isn't missed by anyone.

This is where we started:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=_3ExxFf3rDE

As we worked with the Vaseline, We found that the brush was leaving lines in the scales so we decided to massage the Vaseline into the scales with our fingers. Merpirate took the approach of throwing a glob of Vaseline onto the scales, rubbing it in and then wiping it off so that the texture is not lost by having excessive Vaseline in the crevices.

After we coated the scales and all of the exposed wood on the inside of the box, we brought the box outside and readied the area for molding.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/408148_233055876786236_164406580317833_501896_1213 595393_n.jpg

We laid out the Plastic tarp so we don't ruin anything. Placed out buckets strategically to keep the tarp down as it was very windy that day and set all of our other items with in reach such as our brushes, bags of Ultracal, mixing buckets, scoops and our rinsing bucket!

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/420013_233055923452898_164406580317833_501897_1951 956216_n.jpg

The rinsing bucket is a life saver! It makes clean up extremely easy and saves your plumbing from being backed up or ruined in your home.

Here is our scale box outside and ready to go!

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/407539_233055953452895_164406580317833_501898_1216 866351_n.jpg

We then mixed up our thinner beauty coat... this is the consistency of our mixture.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/405440_233056006786223_164406580317833_501899_7583 02462_n.jpg

We began from the bottom up with our beauty coat, slowly adding the mixture to the scales with a brush so that we keep from creating bubbles in our mold. You can see from the picture above that the vaseline causes the ultracal to bead and not stick to the mold at all. So we really had to build up the ultracal to get it to cover the texture.

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/420630_233056040119553_164406580317833_501900_3255 538_n.jpg

Later we realized that it was easier and probably a better idea to work from the outside, in. Rather than bottom to top since the pressure from the ultracal was the only thing that was holding the mixture to the scales.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/420133_233055816786242_164406580317833_501895_1284 555698_n.jpg

We finally finished after freezing our fingers off (I am on a medication to control migraines and one of the side effects is getting cold quickly and turning blue is a very possible thing for me... I didn't turn blue, but the color did drain from my hands) so unfortunately we could not finish the mold and had to pack up for the evening.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=4MPSRUvxaV8

Due to the weather and the lack of light when I get home from work, I have not been able to finish the mold yet. But as soon as I do, I will be sure to keep you all posted! :)
Thank you all for reading and supporting me! I love you guys!!!

[Mermaid Saphira]

Star- Cats? Why don't they follow the motto "Fish are friends not food!"?? Geez! good luck ur doing great :)

[Mermaid Star]

Thanks Aqua! :D ... I keep trying to tell her about that concept, but she just wont listen... she is a cat after all :P LOL

[Mermaid Star]

Hey everybody! Sorry for the delay. Work is scheduling me like crazy and haven't had time with it and school to work on my mold. Since I had a late day, I figured I would finish up my scale mold today! All of the strength layers are down and the final top coat is finished and drying. Cure time is between 12-20 + hours. So I think I will leave seperation until right before work tomorrow or right after. :) I will try and post pics late tonight after I get off work or in the afternoon tomorrow before work. Sorry I am unable to post everything right now, but again, work calls. :) I am so excited to finally be moving along! :D

[Mermaid Star]

OK, so yesterday I finally finished my mold for my scales!

I laid everything out again and prepped the area.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/404342_237214949703662_164406580317833_511945_2053 812341_n.jpg

I made a short little video explaining what I was doing that day, here it is.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3w174ZBbPgA

As mentioned in the video I had prepared approximately 2.5 yards of burlap for the strength layer. While mixing the ultracal I did find that I needed more Ultracal than I had anticipated as I didn't really measure out the water . SO I just added more ultracal to thicken it up a bit.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooa5FB627sI

I laid the burlap horizontally all the way across the mold on the first layer. It doesn't matter which way you choose as long as you lay them both ways to give it strength, it is fine.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/427646_237214986370325_164406580317833_511946_1436 430736_n.jpg


I then, as suggested, laid them in the other way and since I had extra, I did a third layer. I then poured in any remaining ultracal still left in the bucket. Didn't want to waste any. :)

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/431210_237215013036989_164406580317833_511947_5458 46920_n.jpg

I then mixed up a final layer, just as a smoothing layer.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/420080_237215093036981_164406580317833_511949_1260 514217_n.jpg

The mold had to sit for 12-20+ hours for final cure after it's initial set up. (30 mins) It is ready to break now, but i will save it for when I get home from work tonight. :)

[Blondie]

:eek: The suspense is killing me! I can't wait to see how it came out!

[merpirate]

Merpirate here, I can tell you all that Star has taken photos of the mold after she broke it (As in got it apart from the rainbow scales) and will be posting them soon, it looks great and I can't wait to see the first mold out of it,

[Mermaid Star]

Alright! So today was the day to break open the scale mold and see how it came out!

I was so anxious to get home and see how it went that I just threw my stuff down and ran into the back room to figure out how to get the mold out. It took quite some time to figure it out though. At first I went at the box with a trowel, trying to pry it open ( I had really driven the nails in and there was lip under the head of the nail to pull them out by.) After bending the trowel all to hell, I went rummaging for a hammer and I finally found one! I started on the side trying to get the long side board off. It took what seemed like forever, but once I finally got that side free, the other boards seem to release easier. I finally was able to remove the mold from the box after approximately 30 mins of pulling and tugging, with a lot of blood and sweat and I am sure after I wake up tomorrow with very soar muscles, tears. But it is finally out.

I tried to take some video while I was de-molding but as you already know since I was fighting tooth and nail for 30 mins with the box, I figured I would bore all of you. LOL So I just took some video at the very end.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXizwdu1ZoI

I am sad about the break, but as you can tell, it isn't as bad as it could have been. I am glad that if it had to break it broke only at the top and not all over or in the middle of it, which would have been disastrous!

Here is a picture of the damage.

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/427402_237824896309334_164406580317833_513588_1437 871078_n.jpg

The scales from the side.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/396277_237825002975990_164406580317833_513591_1031 822465_n.jpg

Slightly higher

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/429692_237825046309319_164406580317833_513592_2004 684364_n.jpg

Close up of the side layers of the mold. Weird looking, I know... But I would advise any one who is doing this to do all of the layers of molding one right after the other. I think that my waiting may have caused a weakness and an inability for the other layers to bond because I waited and allowed the top layer to dry before proceeding (due to time constraints).

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/409162_237824939642663_164406580317833_513589_1495 936998_n.jpg

But through all of the issues that I had, and the damage that occurred, I am still proud of what I have done and accomplished. This is only my second mold, my fluke being the first and I am getting better the more I do. It is all a learning experience!

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/430584_237824782976012_164406580317833_513585_5811 44966_n.jpg

[neonmermaid]

Looks AWESOME Star!!!

[Mermaid Star]

Yay!!!!! Thank you!!!! :D

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Fantastic hun! I'm sorry about the damage, but you're right. At least it wasn't straight down the middle or something!

[Mermaid Star]

Today, I woke up knowing I had a lot to get done today! I had removed the scale mold from the box last night and it definitely needed a cleaning. It was absolutely covered in Petroleum Jelly! I went around town picking things up that I knew I would need for the day, including some dish soap.

When I got home, I pulled out both of my molds and washed them with dish soap and the lawn hose. For the Fluke mold, I started off with some bleach as I found a science project growing on it when I uncovered it from under the table. Did you know that Molds could grow mold? True story. Gross I know, but now I know to make sure it is dry before putting it away. The bleach very quickly killed the mold and I was able to continue my cleaning. After the Fluke mold was clean, I allowed it to dry for a while and then poured in some latex that I had tinted white with pearlized white Createx paint.

This latex was much thinner than the last bucket, so i am assuming that the first small bucket may have incurred some damage from being left in a room with varying temps from hot to cold.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/432308_238373806254443_164406580317833_514933_9139 81597_n.jpg
(My 5 gallon bucket of Latex [RD-407] form Monster Makers)

While waiting for the latex to skin, I went to cleaning the scale mold. This was quite the undertaking. I cleaned it approximately 3 times, each time washing, scrubbing with a cloth and rinsing. I probably could have washed it another 5 times or so, but I am hoping that what I did to was sufficient enough.

I went back to the fluke mold and put back all of the excess latex and waited a little longer. I then reintroduced that latex back into the mold and spread it out . I am going to need a lot of these layers to fill the fluke!

Before Packing up the molds, I poured some latex into a separate 2 gallon bucket and added some Pearlized Tangerine Createx Paint into the latex since my tail is gold fish inspired I figured I should have a orange base for my scales and a white base for my fluke (as most of their tail at least on the end is white). I will still be painting the tail with many colors, this is just the base in case of scuffs and scratches.

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/420869_238374296254394_164406580317833_514935_1010 374748_n.jpg

I added approximately 3 squirts into the bucket of latex (not even filled to half way)

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/426309_238387616253062_164406580317833_514961_1490 059763_n.jpg

I then marked the bucket at the level that the latex was filled to so if need be, I could approximately replicate the color of the base that I am using for my Goldfish inspired tail.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/403022_238389916252832_164406580317833_514964_1531 661941_n.jpg

After moving the molds in side (for fear of rain that never seemed to materialize) I brushed in (rather than poured) some latex on to the scale mold. I hope that this decision will not cost me in the end as I am really hoping that it will not show brush strokes. But since I was working inside, I thought this would be the safest for the flooring and furniture to brush it on. :)

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/429024_238389966252827_164406580317833_514965_1488 13752_n.jpg

It doesn't look like much now, But I have hopes that it will turn out well! :) I am going to try and add a few more layers tonight if I can. :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

As I said on facebook, WOO! Progress!

[Mermaid Star]

I know right!? LOL I just added 2 more layers to the casting and am hoping to get one or two more in before I go to bed tonight. I also need to be sure to add at least one more layer to the fluke tonight. I have read that latex has a certain amount of time that it will accept another layer of latex before the bond is compromised. I have read that you should not wait more than 20-30 hours between coats. So I will be doing this at least twice a day until it is finished. I am already tired thinking about it. LOL

[-Annwyn-]

Looking great already Star!

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Aela!

I added a few more layers tonight before bed.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/403225_238518279573329_164406580317833_515307_1283 890743_n.jpg

There are some bubble issues when brushing it on but if you blow on the bubbles, they pop. If you had a airbrush hooked up in your work room, that would make it much easier to make a bubble free casting.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/420827_238518306239993_164406580317833_515308_1968 572152_n.jpg

In order to use my brushes more than once, I found (while reading) that if you soak them in soapy water the latex will loosen enough to clean the brush enough to use multiple times!

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/430653_238518329573324_164406580317833_515309_8639 11625_n.jpg

I used this brush 3 times previously. Not bad for a latex brush! I finished up the night completing 5 coats of latex on both the Scale mold and the Fluke Mold. More to be laid tomorrow after work!

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/408899_238518366239987_164406580317833_515310_1286 360644_n.jpg

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/417979_238518389573318_164406580317833_515311_1840 139468_n.jpg

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Looking good Star. :>

[Mermaid Star]

Thanks Lorelei! :) I hope it continues to come out well. I feel like I am going to be here forever with my fluke... I need to figure something out to get this to move faster

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Do you have to do your latex in such thin layers? I've never worked with latex before, so I have no idea...

[ShyMer]

I love how you can see the richer color where the older latex is. It's exciting to see color- not that it's anywhere near being finished, but there's color now!
How much of your colored latex have you used so far?
Also, maybe you've said already- how thick are you planning on making the latex?

I'm glad you're able to salvage your brush. I've ruined quite a few brushes trying to use masking fluid for watercolor. Never could get them to clean out quite right. Just kinda got gloppy :(

[Mermaid Star]

Yeah, the thinner the layers, the faster they dry. Latex doesn't do well in thick layers. it has trouble curing.

Shymer, I have used about half of what I have mixed. I plan on adding layers until the texture is mostly smooth on the back. The fluke, I plan to have completelly filled in. I have a lot of work ahead of me. Anyone know how thick is too thick when it comes to latex?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Ah. I see. Well, it's looking fantastic! I love that tangerine color by the way.

[lynsea]

Just to be clear, this orange layer that you are painting on is just the color right? Not, say, something you are going to peel off the grey layer beneath. Also, are you worried about loosing detail on the scale impressions with all that painted latex?

[Mermaid Star]

I am not sure if I understand what you are asking. The grey that you saw is the mold. It is the negative of the scales. The orange is the latex. So once all of the layers are finished, I will peel the sheet out of the mold and will be left with a complete sheet of scales. I hope that answers your question

[AniaR]

woooooo

[lasserine]

Looking great so far.

[Mermaid Star]

I pulled the scales from the mold tonight! Yay!!!! Video and Pictures to come shortly. The video is taking forever to download. My router is acting up but as soon as it uploads I will put it up here. So exciting!!! :)

[Mermaid Star]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rutFXDcUDc

[Mermaid Marla]

Wow, wow, wow! Beautiful work! I'm so excited for you and so excited to see your continued progress!! Congrats on your scales!!!

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!!! Eeee!!! I am bouncing around! I am trying to get the other video uploaded too. Ugh! Taking FOREVER!!! But I am still bouncing! :D

[merpirate]

aw the photos, Simply amazing

[Mermaid Star]

So as you could see in the video, I peeled up my scales today. I took a few pictures along with two videos. I really wanted to post everything together but the video is taking an eternity to to finished uploading. So I figured I would go ahead and post some pictures for everyone to see while you wait. :)

Today, I came into my back room with full intention of mixing up a new batch of orange latex and adding more layers to the scales. Instead, I chose to peel the scales up.

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/419356_239731806118643_164406580317833_518300_9475 41893_n.jpg

The dark Orange spot on the side is from the latex drying.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/423507_239731852785305_164406580317833_518301_1317 958481_n.jpg

You can see from this picture, of the full scale sheet that has been pulled from the mold, that there is some darkening of the latex in some areas. This, I suspect, is from the scales drying as I am letting them air out. They still have a kind of wet feel to them so I am letting them rest over night before I try to do a strength test on them.

I know that there are some imperfections in these scales. It is my first time casting after all... but I am proud of them :)

This is a picture of the scales close up with a flash

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/426121_239731899451967_164406580317833_518302_1025 476579_n.jpg

and with out flash

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/426178_239731942785296_164406580317833_518303_1588 452484_n.jpg

[Mermaid Jewel]

Wow they look really good! Good luck, though you're doing great so far :)

[Azurin Luna]

that looks pretty cool, good luck with the rest!

[jukumerboii]

something is telling me, this tail is going to look AMAZING!!!

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ I agree ;)

[Mermaid Annariea]

wow. i just read through this entire thing, and seriously, thats just incredible.
i cant wait to see how it comes out :DD

[MermaidAubrin]

Oh wow that is so amazing!!! Eek now I really can't wait to start making my new tail...

[Mermaid Star]

Yay!!!! After several attempts, daily, to upload the video of my scale sheet from the other night. The video finally finished uploading today! I had to cancel it some where near 6 or 7 times and reset my computer and router and few as well. But I finally got it to load! Yay!!!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-KD9b7k37w

I checked on the scales and they have completely dried and darkened. Yay! Today I added some more latex to the fluke mold and I am almost at the top of the mold ... almost. I would say about a little over half way in the foot pocket area and very near the top in the side portions. :) I will try and give you updates as soon as I can. The extra thick latex pours take more time to dry but are filling much faster than doing them in small coats. So I think it is worth it. (The last coat took about 3 days to dry where as it usually dries with in a few hours if lightly coated)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Silly computer, let Star post her wonderful videos! :>

[merpirate]

You are doing great baby

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Lorelei!!! Hehe... Darn thing took forever! But I hope everyone enjoys it. :) I really do enjoy the learning process and I love sharing it! Thank you for always being there every step of the way to encourage me Lorelei!

And Merpirate... You are always there for me, encouraging me and supporting me. Thank you and I love you! <3

[Winged Mermaid]

Wow, those scales look AMAZING! Especially for your first ever mold, first ever cast of it! It's good that you realize the imperfections and are active about them, thinking about ways to improve. At some point a certian amount of imperfections happen that you can't really do anything about, and aren't really noticeable, but improving what you can is the way to go :) Those have a lot less imperfections than most of tails from some professional tail makers. *high five*!

[Selene]

Looks fantastic! I think a dremel may be ott for those bumps. I usually clean up with cuticle scissors and if it needs to be smooth dab on some left over material as a touch up. Re: Possible gypsum on your positive - What release did you use? and are you using ultracal 30? (You may have said already, I'll browse the thread for clues)

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you Winged!!! You are beyond sweet! Thank you so much!!!!

Selene, Thank you for your complements and suggestions! :) We have been thinking about ways to repair the mold with out causing more problems or causing issues with smoothness. When I was releasing the mold, I used Vaseline (I accidentally said baby oil in the vid) but when working with the latex you don't need a release. I was trying to get all of it out of my mold before casting the latex but that stuff really sticks in there and I think some vaseline remained.

[Winged Mermaid]

Aaahh yes, that would be an issue, maybe even explain the eaten away parts. As I'm sure you know Vaseline will break down latex. Maybe once you get all of that out of there you'll get a cleaner cast out of it! *crosses fingers*

Yay! Selene to the rescue! So knowledgeable, kind and patient with the rest of us who aren't in the know. (Especially since I'm sure everyone bomboards her with questions :P)

[Mermaid Star]

Oh sorry! I didn't answer everything you asked about Selene. Yes, I was using ultracal 30. Does this happen typically with this material (ultracal) or did I make a mistake when choosing my release? I think most if it is cleaned out now. Only the bottom of the mold still looks to be a little dark. I am going to check it again and make sure it is clean before casting again.

Sorry if there are any errors. I am trying to type on my phone.

[AniaR]

oh star, making your mermaid flukes with forks. :p <3 so excited for you :)

[Mermaid Star]

Hey what can I say?! I am a disney girl. Mermaids and forks go together. :)

[Alveric]

I wouldn't worry too much about minor imperfections. People, fish and mers get bumps and scrapes all the time. Scars are a part of life.

Alveric

[Mermaid Lorelei]

You're so welcome darling! And yes, I agree, forks and mermaids go hand in hand. :P

[Mermaid Star]

OK! So I came home and checked my fluke casting thinking that it would definitely still be wet. Only to be shocked and surprised to see that it was actually fully dry! Yes!!!

So another coat went on tonight. I am off tomorrow and plan to step up my game. If it isn't dry by the time I wake up, I will be using a heater in front of the mold to help it dry faster as I have read that latex drys faster in heat. I will be continuing this process until I run out of time or I finish the fluke half, de-mold and start again. I will keep you all up on my progress. I need to kick this up a notch! :D I think a have a new fire lit under me. :) Wooo!!! Let's do this!

[merpirate]

WOOT!!! GO BABY GO!!!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

JU CAN DU EET!!! (Meh, I fail. XD )

[Mermaid Star]

Hehehe!!! I totally get what you were doing there, Lorelei <3 and thank you Merpirate! <3 You!

[taom]

I would just like to mention that Merpirate and his comments are freaking adorable.

[Winged Mermaid]

Sweet! Just be careful with the heat, as I remember someon telling me (I think Selene, but I'm not sure) that using a heater to dry latex can cause some shrinkage.

[Mermaid Star]

Good to know Winged. I will try not to use the heater, but If I need to use it, I will keep a watchful eye. :) It seems so close... I will try and take some pictures today of where I am progress wise. Thank you guys!!!! And Yes, Merpirate, along with his comments, are adorable. :P :D

[Mermaid Star]

Alright! So I didn't get as much done as I wanted to get done today. The Latex is taking forever to dry as I am putting the layer on kinda thick to try and speed things up. I was able to put one thick coat on today after the thick coat last night dried. I was really hoping to get at least one more coat done, but it just didn't happen. I am concerned that I will not meet my goal date with the drying times taking so long.

Here is my Fluke as of this evening.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/419718_242681212490369_164406580317833_525922_7075 36557_n.jpg

The white is where the latex is still wet.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/419211_242681245823699_164406580317833_525923_1249 45741_n.jpg

As you can see, I am almost there. The side ridges are approximately 1 inch deep making the final fluke ridges approx 2 inches thick!

While on the subject of latex and drying. My scale sheet is completely dry! I trimmed it down today out of curiosity to see how it would look.

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/430028_242681019157055_164406580317833_525915_3359 0876_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/422628_242681072490383_164406580317833_525917_1868 288260_n.jpg

I did not trim it to the shape that I need yet as I don't know the exact shape I need yet but I did get rid of the excess and trimmed up the top to have a scalloped edge.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/422869_242681125823711_164406580317833_525918_3834 35821_n.jpg

The only problem with this, while drying, there was significant shrinkage.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/429257_242681155823708_164406580317833_525919_9171 3581_n.jpg

I would say about 6 inches top to bottom and about 3 Inches side to side. I am going to have to pour more scales to attach at the bottom to be sure it covers the foot pocket completely. I am lucky in the fact that this design works well with additions... So Yay! At least I can fix this set back with out much fuss.

I also was able to alter my tail pattern a little since my weight loss and Today I was able to cut out my neoprene for my tail. This will be the base for my scale sheets.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/431441_242681189157038_164406580317833_525920_4296 76129_n.jpg


I am excited I got all of this done today along with my normal everyday chores. I look forward to updating you more as I progress! :)

[AniaR]

it looks great!

[Mermaid Star]

Thanks Girl... I doesn't look like much now but I can't wait to get all of this done so I can start putting it together. :D Can you tell I am getting impatient? LOL

[Mermaid Jewel]

Looking good! You're doing fantastic so far and can't wait to see more :) <3

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I think it does look like much! You've been working your tucus off!

[merpirate]

WOW!!! I'm so sorry I wasn't there to help you but you are doing so well, looking forward to the first time I get to film you

[Mermaid Star]

Alright, So my fluke still isn't done... but it is so close I can taste it. I finished filling in the side ridges today. I am leaving the foot pocket somewhat hollow so that the monofin foot pocket has somewhere to go. So as soon as the side ridges dry, I will be pulling the casting form the mold.


http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash2/s720x720/64776_243144239110733_164406580317833_527126_44188 3195_n.jpg

A close up of the fluke side ridges.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/419178_243144272444063_164406580317833_527127_2037 427376_n.jpg

While waiting for that to dry, I decided to sew my Neoprene barrier for my tail. This will be beneath the scales to protect my skin from prolonged latex exposure.

I wasn't sure what needles I would need to sew through Neoprene, So I searched the internet and came up with an answer. Pretty much, you should use one of the largest needles you can find so that the thread doesn't bind up. I found this (http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabric-Information-Help/App-Notes/Sewing-Neoprene-Fabrics) website very useful, along with this (http://cyberdaze.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/sewing-neoprene/) one.

I found the largest needles at my local Joann's and hoped and prayed that they would work out. And guess what! They worked beautifully!

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/431363_243143979110759_164406580317833_527121_1731 507663_n.jpg

Another concern I had what that I my machine wouldn't be able to sew through the neoprene. I had heard that the needle could heat up and melt the thread. I heard that I should lube the needle. I had heard a lot of things. None of which I knew specifics on and wasn't sure how I was going to counter act them. My machine doesn't like thick materials and the last time I tried to sew leather, I thought my machine was going to unscrew the needle by it self before throwing it at me and walking away. But the Neoprene was surprisingly easy to deal with! And my Machine did just fine!

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/s720x720/429476_243144035777420_164406580317833_527122_2430 89860_n.jpg

Regarding the thread, I have used threads in the past and with my fabric tails that are weak and tend to break easily. I knew that I needed a really strong thread. So again, I turned to the internet to find my answer. I found on one of the pages linked above that I should use 100% Polyester or a bonded Nylon thread. I chose the 100% Polyester Thread for upholstery. From what I can tell, it works great and is very strong! I think I will be using this for all of my tails from now on! It is also nice and slippery so it goes through the neoprene much easier.

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/s720x720/423731_243144102444080_164406580317833_527123_1632 61898_n.jpg

I used the largest zigzag stitch my machine was capable of. Laying the two sides, side by side and the edges butted up against each other. From what I have read, this form of stitching is the most comfortable to the wearer.


http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/s720x720/427487_243144195777404_164406580317833_527125_9562 3600_n.jpg


I need to make some small changes to the pattern on the bottom so it has enough room to go over the monofin and the fluke it self. But it fits through the body very nicely! Yay!!!


http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/421732_243144162444074_164406580317833_527124_1020 890701_n.jpg

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ Wow! looks wonderful! This is so exciting! You are so close to getting this done star! :yay:

[merpirate]

As always, you are doing amazing my love, can't wait to see all of this in person

[Mermaid Star]

Yay!!! I am about half way there tail wise. I have half of the scales I need and half of the fluke. Sunday, my next day off, I plan to mix up another batch of orange latex and pour more scales. Hopefully the fluke will be done drying in a few days and I can start the process again for the last half. I have the fans on in the room where I am casting, so I am hoping that that will accelerate the drying a little bit with the extra air movement.

Merpirate, as always you are so supportive. I love you! Hopefully, by the time you are here I will have a good chuck of the things, currently in progress, complete. <3

[AniaR]

it blows me away, that this is your FIRST effort. Just like when Raven and Shelly both made their first efforts, I just never expect people to be this good right off the bat :p Im happy for you, I hope it's ready in time for my trip too! :)

[Mermaid Star]

Awww! AniaR, You are too sweet! I am kinda surprising my self... more I am surprised when things come out well. Usually I try things and say, "Well. that didn't work like I thought it would" LOL. But with a few hickups it still looks like it might come out well. I have already learned a lot! Like when texturing the fluke, I should make the texture less deep or if keeping with the depth, I should make the groves wider so that they hold up well when demolding and casting. I am sure that this will increase the life of the mold. The areas that I used the dental pick were just too delicate and many of these areas broke off. However, The fork lines that make up the majority of the texture seemed to have held up pretty well.

I would never have been able to do this with out the Network. I have learned so much here. I watch everyone else and see what works, or doesn't work, for them and then make a plan from there. I am so appreciative to all the mers before me that posted their processes for us all to learn from!

I too hope that I can get my tail done in time for your trip. It will be very hard to get done but I am still going to try. Darn drying times!

[Mermaid Star]

Just went and checked my fluke to see how it is drying. Surprisingly, it is drying quite quickly! Some days it dries faster than others. Though I do have the fans on high, so that might be helping. One side is mostly dry and the other is skinning nicely. I have a feeling that my fluke will be ready to be pulled tomorrow night! Yes!!!! So excited! I am so glad that it is drying fast! Eeeee!!!! After I de-mold, I will let my mold rest for a little while and then back to work it will go on the second half of the fluke.

I will keep you all updated. :D So excited!!! :D

[lasserine]

Oh, im glad everything is working so well for you.

[Mermaid Star]

Thank you!!! :yay:

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Wonderful news!

[Mermaid Jewel]

Amazing! It's going swimmingly well for your first time, more like super fantastic amazing :)