How many gallons of silicone does it take to make a fluke?

[JamesGunnels]

So, I found a local business that sells silicone by two gallons. What is the normal number of gallons used to make a fluke?

[MerEmma]

Are you sure it's platinum cure? Just make sure, double check. For just a fluke I think the one "serving" of two gallons would be plenty unless it were a gigantic fluke. :P

[PearlieMae]

Someone recently made a tail AND a fluke and used less than two gallons, had room to make some mistakes, and still had silicone left over.

If you look around the threads, you'll find out exactly how much people use.

[MerEmma]

Pearlie, may I ask who that was? I do try to keep up with all the tailmaking threads but I don't remember that!

[JamesGunnels]

The girl I talked to said it was platinum cure and that it's only 55 per 2 gallons. I'd actually be really interested in knowing who made this tail, too! That is pretty awesome.

[JamesGunnels]

I just called back and it is a smooth-on product. So, that's a pretty awesome price.

[MerEmma]

Wow, that's unreal. Seems a bit suspicious and makes me wonder where they get it from...

[JamesGunnels]

I really don't know lol I think they may buy it in bulk. This is a pretty well known and awesome art store here in town. I am gonna have to go check it out this weekend.

[PearlieMae]

$55 for two gallons? That is pretty suspect because that's less than manufacturers' cost. You better double check that it is Dragonskin. Smooth On has a huge product line.

MerEmma, remember that bubble gum pink tail avatar? Was it Jessica? I think she did a cost rundown and mentioned she had dragonskin left over. I'm online from my phone and it's hard to navigate around.

[MerEmma]

Wow, Firemaid? That tail was?

[PearlieMae]

That's it! Check her posts, I think she broke it down. I think cost alone was over five hundred.

[MerEmma]

I will! Sounds like a super thin tail. :)

[Trident True]

how much silicone will depend on how large your flipper is and how thick as well. if you do it quiet thin you may get away with two gallons. if your doing 2 seperate pieces i suggest you will need more. once you've done your mould up use rice to determin how much silicone you will need as a rough estimate.

[MerEmma]

Rice? Then it'll get all germy and you can't eat it! :bI heard somewhere that water would work for that second step.

[JamesGunnels]

Yeah, rice. If you are using a scale, it is better to weigh the empty container so that you do not add it to the amount of weight from the silicone, then add rice etc. to see how much the silicone that you need would weigh...

[blenny]

So what do you guys estimate the materials cost for a pro tail like Eric and Raven produce? I would love to throw my ideas at a silicone tail.

I know time and effort is a whole other thing. For an amateur I'm estimating 40 hours of work, is that about accurate?

[Jessica]

A few things I might add...

$55 for dragonskin? Highly unlikely. Unless its expired. If its more than six months after the manufacture date, it is quite possibly useless. Don't spend your money until you know the date it was manufactured. If its six months past the date smooth on will not guarantee that it will cure properly and won't give you a refund/replacement.

You don't want to measure how much silicone you're going to need by using rice. It's much easier to measure by volume. If you measure by weight, the ratio of dragonskin changes....5:4 i think. Using volume...one a /one b is much easier. Also, rice has dust and will make your mold dirty. Just fill your mold with water and divide the amount by half if necessary. I honestly don't bother with this step. It's just as easy to measure/mix/pour two cups at a time until your mold is full.

The pink tail wasn't mine, but yes you can make a tail for about $400-$500 excluding the cost of your molds. The molds are expensive to make though and can cost you anywhere from $200-$500 to make.

If only I could spend just 40 hours making a tail! Tailmaking is a difficult and complex process and you will most likely run into problems/issues the first time around. I didn't keep track of how many hours I spent making my tail....but I easily spent 30 hours just hand painting it. I spent many more hours than that actually making the tail too...the hours add up quick! I spent three hours yesterday morning just mixing/pouring silicone and painting a layer on the fluke. Its going to take hours and hours to get good results! If tailmaking was quick and easy, tails would be much cheaper. :)

my fluke used one gallon. Half a gallon of part a and half a gallon of part b.

[MermaidHyli]

Also just as a little point, open the containers before purchasing. I bought from a local supplier got home and the silicone was completely cured inside. Luckily the craft store was nice enough to switch it out for me and now they update ever week. Just a thought.

[Firemaid]

And a few more things I might add..
The original pink tail was too thin! I had to go back and add more silicone!!
Also, don't forget the price of your monofin, powermesh, all the buckets, paint brushes, and stir sticks, pigments, gloves, (in my case rent for my studio)
cost goes up quickly!!!


A few things I might add...

$55 for dragonskin? Highly unlikely. Unless its expired. If its more than six months after the manufacture date, it is quite possibly useless. Don't spend your money until you know the date it was manufactured. If its six months past the date smooth on will not guarantee that it will cure properly and won't give you a refund/replacement.

You don't want to measure how much silicone you're going to need by using rice. It's much easier to measure by volume. If you measure by weight, the ratio of dragonskin changes....5:4 i think. Using volume...one a /one b is much easier. Also, rice has dust and will make your mold dirty. Just fill your mold with water and divide the amount by half if necessary. I honestly don't bother with this step. It's just as easy to measure/mix/pour two cups at a time until your mold is full.

The pink tail wasn't mine, but yes you can make a tail for about $400-$500 excluding the cost of your molds. The molds are expensive to make though and can cost you anywhere from $200-$500 to make.

If only I could spend just 40 hours making a tail! Tailmaking is a difficult and complex process and you will most likely run into problems/issues the first time around. I didn't keep track of how many hours I spent making my tail....but I easily spent 30 hours just hand painting it. I spent many more hours than that actually making the tail too...the hours add up quick! I spent three hours yesterday morning just mixing/pouring silicone and painting a layer on the fluke. Its going to take hours and hours to get good results! If tailmaking was quick and easy, tails would be much cheaper. :)

my fluke used one gallon. Half a gallon of part a and half a gallon of part b.

[PearlieMae]

Thanks, Firemaid!

[blenny]

So after you learn the process and figured out all your newb mistakes, would you say from stem to stern maybe it takes 80 hours of labor?

[PearlieMae]

Geez Blenny, who can tell? I've got over 80 hours into the design of my first silicone tail, and I am an experienced sculptor and craftswoman! Once you got everything into place - fluke molds, scale sheet molds, materials, space, manpower - the actual hours to crank out a tail? Who knows? You'd have to contact pro tail makers and ask them, I suppose. You looking to start a mermaid manufacturing biz?

[JamesGunnels]

I am experienced when it's pencil to paper, and I can make molds as well, I am just kind of nervous, yet excited, about making this tail. My dad worked on a lot of movies, and even though his thing was designing and building sets, I got to sit around and watch people make molds and other things, and it's kind of always been something I have loved to do.

[PearlieMae]

Awesome, James. If you can put pencil to paper, if you can dream it, you can make it! All you gotta do is...pardon the pun...DIVE IN!

[Jessica]

And a few more things I might add..
The original pink tail was too thin! I had to go back and add more silicone!!
Also, don't forget the price of your monofin, powermesh, all the buckets, paint brushes, and stir sticks, pigments, gloves, (in my case rent for my studio)
cost goes up quickly!!!


Cost does go up quickly! I should have added that you can make a tail for $400-$500 if you already have your molds, have a small, thin fluke design, use a $40-$50 monofin, are skinny and on the short side, and don't make any mistakes! If you are tall or a more average weight, you will use more silicone. If you make any mistakes...you will need more silicone. I would say that $400-$500 is probably the cheapest someone can make a tail....and only if the conditions are right.

blenny,
i really don't think it's possible to estimate how long a tail will take to make. Some paint jobs are easy...and some are tough and take extra layers or extra time blending colors. Sometimes you run into a section where you can't get the scales to attach the way you want....sometimes you literally have to sit and hold pieces of silicone together until they cure because they won't attach properly any other way. There are so many steps and so many ways things can go wrong....even if you do everything right! Until someone has made I would think about 20-25 tails...there really isn't a way to estimate how much time you will put in a tail. There is so much to learn and it simply takes time and lots of practice!

[mermaidCrae]

Do you know if silicone tails can irritate skin because I heard that some were at merpalooza, it could have Ben about latex or spandex or something but I'm just seeing if it's true!

[MerEmma]

Latex can easily irritate skin, yes as many use tin cure which isn't approved for skin contact. Spandex can but that would be from excessive rubbing on the skin or something along those lines. Silicone shouldn't unless you have an allergy to it.

[JamesGunnels]

Anyone ever heard of Hydra monofins? They're pretty awesome. I just wonder how the quality is.

[PearlieMae]

I think platinum cure silicone is inert. They use it for medical prosthetics and the dragonskin is also food safe, you can make candy molds out of it if you want. I know there are latex allergies and they can be quite serious, but I've never heard of a silicone allergy.

I could be wrong, though.

[JamesGunnels]

so, I am interested in ordering one of these next week sometime. Anyone know how the quality is? http://www.scubastore.com/scuba-diving/so-dive-triton-sky-blue-monofin/31958/p

[MerEmma]

Search the forum! Seriously, so far most of your questions are answered elsewhere. Use the search bar! Triton and Hydra can easily be put in and find results for 'em. :)

[MerEmma]

I think platinum cure silicone is inert. They use it for medical prosthetics and the dragonskin is also food safe, you can make candy molds out of it if you want. I know there are latex allergies and they can be quite serious, but I've never heard of a silicone allergy.

I could be wrong, though.

I think they're just super rare, which is why silicone > latex in medical and food environments and stuff. For example: http://www.wisegeek.org/what-are-the-signs-of-an-allergic-reaction-to-silicone.htm

In Google with "silicone allergy" there are over a million results so either a lot of people think they have an allergy to it, or there is a rare kind of it. According to some results even platinum cure can trigger some people so I guess it just depends on the person.

[blenny]

Cost does go up quickly! I should have added that you can make a tail for $400-$500 if you already have your molds, have a small, thin fluke design, use a $40-$50 monofin, are skinny and on the short side, and don't make any mistakes! If you are tall or a more average weight, you will use more silicone. If you make any mistakes...you will need more silicone. I would say that $400-$500 is probably the cheapest someone can make a tail....and only if the conditions are right.

blenny,
i really don't think it's possible to estimate how long a tail will take to make. Some paint jobs are easy...and some are tough and take extra layers or extra time blending colors. Sometimes you run into a section where you can't get the scales to attach the way you want....sometimes you literally have to sit and hold pieces of silicone together until they cure because they won't attach properly any other way. There are so many steps and so many ways things can go wrong....even if you do everything right! Until someone has made I would think about 20-25 tails...there really isn't a way to estimate how much time you will put in a tail. There is so much to learn and it simply takes time and lots of practice!

Yeah i was interested in seeing if some of my ideas work. I'm quite sure its a long learning process, like anything worth doing. :)

I just want to fool around for a hobby, I really like Raven's work the best. But it just seems too difficult to even get an order .... then wait 6 months to a year.

[blenny]

Geez Blenny, who can tell? I've got over 80 hours into the design of my first silicone tail, and I am an experienced sculptor and craftswoman! Once you got everything into place - fluke molds, scale sheet molds, materials, space, manpower - the actual hours to crank out a tail? Who knows? You'd have to contact pro tail makers and ask them, I suppose. You looking to start a mermaid manufacturing biz?

I have a small business, which affords me with a lot of free time. So i was looking for a new hobby. If my designs worked I probably would go for trying to drum up some sales. But it seems from everyones posts, the time vested easily takes most of the profit out of the deal. But who knows, maybe a year from now I will blow you guys away with some awesome MER-bling! :)

[PearlieMae]

Wow. You are the first small business owner I've ever heard of that has free time, usually the opposite is true.

Mermaid tails aren't just a thing to make and sell because you want a hobby. You'll find that most people in this community make and sell them, invest time, money, and talent for the love of the lifestyle. On top of that, you seem to be quite impatient. All of us who are working on our own tails, or starting off in a tailmaking venture have done our homework, read the threads, searched out info from manufacturers, tested concepts, tried and succeeded and failed and tried again. You drop in out of the blue with a bunch of questions, expecting to be spoonfed information so you can make a buck from us? We don't even know if you even like to swim!

Perhaps you think I'm being bitchy, but damn! You have all this free time, spend some of it doing the legwork. You want to make some "mer-bling" because you are bored, maybe your market is the casual trend hopper who won't be around in a year.

I've been mermaiding for over thirty years. Many here have been involved for years, and some are fairly new, but the one thing we have in common is a love for a lifestyle. We aren't just shoppers.

[blenny]

:) omg

Am I getting flamed? As you can see I have been in this forums 2 years longer than your join date. However I was here back in 2010 at its inception as Mer-Yuku. My sincerest appologies if something I typed upset you.

[SeaGlass Siren]

KUMBAYA MY LORD!!! KUMBAYA!!

[PearlieMae]

My apologies, blenny, sorry if I got short with you.

And even though your join date is earlier than mine, with this name, I, too, was a member of Mer-Yuku, however briefly, and not very active. I had only recently returned and signed on as PearlieMae. You may have seniority over me a far as joining, but you are not very active and your profile reveals nothing about you.

Again, I apologize for being bitchy. It was the end of a very long week, and my unrelated small business had taken a devastating blow just hours earlier, and three years of hard work went up in smoke. I should not have taken my foul mood out on you.

Most of your questions can be answered in other sections of the forum. If you can't find it, in future, I will try to help.

Kindest regards,
Jolene