Anna's First Ever (Silicone) Tail!

[AnnaAbyss]

My parents are letting me make my own silicone tail!!! They said they want me to make my own instead of buying one, since they're so expensive and the shipping to Australia is too. Holy crap I'm excited.
My dad makes surfboards as his profession and has recently started to make stand up paddle boards as well, so he knows heaps about materials, and molds, etc. Basically he's really pumped for this too, so knowing that someone else wants to do this with me is a bonus xD I'll be doing this over January and the materials I'll apparently get for Christmas (Really that's all I want and have so for a really long time).
Anyway! Onto the more exciting stuff. I've made two Barbie-sized tail molds out of plaster over about two days. The second one turned out better than the first though. This is the 'prototype' for my tail, and the Barbie which I used has a broken-ish tail which is going to be fixed (she's my favourite). I'm also going to see if I can put the finished tail over her but if that doesn't work I'll just put bits of silicone on the broken parts.
I moulded Sirena in the plaster which was filled halfway up the side of her tail and did that on the front and back. xD I did this on two warm days, and the plaster dried really quickly so I kind of had to rush. For the silicone part, I'm going to use silicone calking that we used for the shower a while back. It sets clear and I'll test putting colour in it. ._.
Seeing other people making their own tails made me really want to make my own. I'm really happy because it will be just the way I want it (hopefully xD).
For the design on my tail, I've pretty much fallen in love with the ones they used for the movie 'Mermaids'. They're the exact shape, colour and fluidity that I want. Except I'll use bigger scales and make mine a bit different. My tail will be made out of Vario 15 silicone.

[Fifi Tigg]

Very exciting good luck! And can't wait to see the whole process :cool:

[Mermaid Julz]

GOOD LUCK !!! :)

[Ariel-Starfish]

awsome news! :) Good luck!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thank you guys :D Argh I didn't upload the photos when I said I would but I promise I'll do it today.

[Marie-Josie Cayer]

Wishing only best for your silicone mermaid tail production! :D

[PearlieMae]

If you paint in layers of the caulk and let each layer cure will be better than trying to fill the mold, because it cures with exposure to air. The surface can cure and seal in uncured silicone.

If you want to cure thick layers, mix in a little cornstarch. It will cure all the way through, but it also toughens up the silicone, making it a harder rubber.

[AnnaAbyss]

Oh thank you so much for those tips!

[AnnaAbyss]

FUUUUU I am so lazy, big apologies about the photos. ._. I'm turning on my computer now. My dad ordered some silicone for the small test mould today, so it should be here in about a week. I'm so excited!!! I tried using the silicone caulk but it didn't cure...I think it was way too old -facepalm-. Also, PearlieMae, I tried mixing in some starch. I think it would have worked if the silicone was new. Sigh, we learn from mistakes. Anyways, I've gotta clean out the remains with some turpentine. The silicone we've ordered is food grade silicone for stuff like chocolate moulding and I've chosen a blue pigment to come with it. Although I probably won't be using that for my actual tail itself. ~Bounces off walls~

[PearlieMae]

Can't wait to see your progress!

[AnnaAbyss]

http://s1174.photobucket.com/user/Anna_Kraft/library/My%20Silicone%20Mermaid%20Tail%20Project?sort=3&page=1

^Link to small prototype moulds! Since MerNetwork said my photos are the wrong file type to upload and I don't know how to change it...

Okay so I finally got around to uploading these stupid photos to my computer and onto Photobucket. -.-" Sorry about the bad quality of them. Also I apologise about the quality of the moulds since these are the first ones I've ever made, so I think I'm gonna buy some more Plaster of Paris to re-do them. Sigh, everything is taking way too long for my liking. I need a shopping day.
Oh and my tail that I'm actually going to make isn't going to be anything like the doll's one. I just want to see how it will go before I go all out on mine.
(Also she's broken and I'm going to fix her with silicone).

[Trident True]

Good luck with it. ive had so many mishaps with mine, but rest assured you have plenty of tutorials to help you out. and having a dad that can help is a BONUS. good to see another Aussie making a tail. :clap:

[AnnaAbyss]

Thank you :) I'm glad I have him to help me out. And good luck to you too!

[AnnaAbyss]

Slight update: Because of the busy Christmas season my silicone hasn't been sent yet. :mad: It's a few weeks overdue and it's driving me nuts. I've decided I'm going to pass the time by making some sea shell jewellery. ._.
Sorry people.

[Ashton]

I would love to hear updates on this!!! good luck!!!!

[Mermaid Dottie]

That's so exciting! I love that there are so many people out there making their own tails. It allows a great deal of creativity flow into the community.

[AnnaAbyss]

MY SILICONE ARRIVED TODAY!!! Took its time. -.-" I'm going to use it tomorrow or when the next fine day comes. Oooooh, so happy and excited! Ahaha. 16796

[Trident True]

I just found the website for this silicone it may come in handy with my other projects. so are you using this silicone to create your moulds? or your tail?

[AnnaAbyss]

I'm using this silicone for the small size moulds I made for a doll that I have because I want to test it out before doing the real thing. I've never made a tail before ._. I think for my actual tail I'll use Dalchem silicone instead of Smooth On.

[Trident True]

OMG thanks for mentioning the dalchem silicone. ive just had a look and the 5kg is 297.00 now thats affordable for me soooooo maybe once ive finished with my current tail I will try a platinum one. the price is pretty much half of smooth on's not to mention from 1st dec smooth on has increased their prices. i understand where your coming from i did the same thing as ive never done this before either, but You learn sooooo much along the way so if you make another it will turn out even betta. good luck :)

[AnnaAbyss]

You're very welcome! :D

[AnnaAbyss]

UPDATE!!!
I went into the city today to get some clay from Dalchem, an Aussie chemical and mould making supplier. To my disbelief, they had MONSTER CLAY!!! I didn't even expect the stuff to be in Australia so I didn't get my hopes up but was very pleasantly surprised xD. I bought 5 lbs of it and a basic clay sculpting set which will come in handy. The plaster stuff wasn't working and it was really messy and kept breaking so I just decided to buy clay instead. Also payed in my cheque at the bank and it'll be cleared in 3 days so I can use that to buy tail making materials. I'm going to use the clay for my small scale doll mould and I'm gonna have a go at making some pectoral fin moulds for my real tail and singular scale moulds. I'll hopefully start tomorrow. Haha I'm on such a high from today! Oh and I also got a new electric guitar!!! <3 Anyway, here's pictures of the two things I bought.
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[Elle]

There is a Barnes in Richmond Victoria. They also sell monster makers. They're worth checking out :)

[Aino Revontuletar]

Awesome! Can't wait to see your progress. I'm so glad to see more Aussies attempting this, it is going to help me so much when I finally make mine. You are so lucky to have a dad who can help with this sort of stuff, I have to figure it out on my own

[PearlieMae]

That's great news, Anna!

And Aino, you aren't alone! We are here to help!

[Mermaid Ellowyn]

I'm happy you're so happy & excited :) Can't wait to see what you do!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks you guys. Elle, I'll totally check that out sometime. Thanks :D

[AnnaAbyss]

Here's a photo of the mold :3
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[MagickalDJ]

DAT FLUKE.

[AnnaAbyss]

DONE!!!!!

[PearlieMae]

That looks awesome! Congratulations! :clap:

[Fifi Tigg]

Very cute! Are you going to have a fitting with Barbie? LOL

[Mermaid Caspiana]

Do you have a design ready to go? I'm excited for you and to see it done! :)

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks guys :3
Fifi: Yeah, I'm going to put some silicone on the broken bits on her tail ^-^
Mermaid Caspiana: I'm undecided between going with a rainbow trout tail or a tail like the ones in the movie Mermaids. I'm going to play around with some designs now on paper.

[Mermaid Caspiana]

Tell us when you decide, both are beautiful. :)

[MermaidBrandie]

aww that little barbie tail is adorable! ^.^ You should sell them, they'd be cute.

[Aino Revontuletar]

That barbie tail is so awesome!

[AnnaAbyss]

Ehe thank you ^-^
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[Trident True]

awww decisions, decisions. i like the rainbow trout design and i also like the tails used in mermaids, they move so fluidently. :yay:

[AnnaAbyss]

~Update~???
(@Trident True - Thanks! :3)
Sorry I've been inactive on this thread. I've been unsure on where to go from here and also haven't had enough money to attempt a full tail. It'll happen though. I'll probably use birthday money on materials for it. My birthday is on the 31st of August, which is pretty soon. I'll be 17. :D

ALTHOUGH, there's a few things I can do in the meantime.
~I found a big white piece of cardboard that was stored away in my wardrobe and it's perfect for drawing a big fluke template on. It was a spare from a school project I did a few months back. Still can't decide on a fluke shape....Ergh. >_< Though I'm kinda leaning towards the PAX mermaids fluke shape.

~I still have all my Monster Clay from that mini blue Barbie tail so I'm thinking of using that to do a scale test with some left over silicone. Maybe even a side fin test.

~I'm really wanting to buy a medium sized circle hole punch and some craft foam to make a scale sheet.

Since it's nearly the end of Winter here, the weather's getting almost to the perfect time to make a tail. Not too hot and not too cold. :D

[AnnaAbyss]

These pictures are what I'll base my tail around. Both tails are kind of similar in terms of fluidity and realisticness. They're my absolutely favourite tails ever and I want to create my own that's similar. My tail is gonna be blue like the PAX ones.
Sorry, I'm just really inspired at the moment. xD Also I don't own any of these photos.

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[AnnaAbyss]

SCALE TEST BOX DONE!!!
This was taken earlier today but I've touched it up with a few more scales since.
Also excuse the dirtyish glue on some of the yellow scales.
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[Trident True]

Oh cool i love the 2nd picture, that tail just calls to me, not to mention it fits here like a glove. it almost looks like the tail has something underneath the silicone. thanks so much for posting the photo's also where did you find your foam circles?

[AnnaAbyss]

Agreed, the second picture of the blue tail calls to me as well and is my main inspiration. I bought a packet of craft foam sheets and a medium sized hole punch from Spotlight. :)

[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

I saw the goldfish tail in the making, they have a video posted on YouTube, it is Gorgeous.

[AnnaAbyss]

So have I. It looks so realistic that I'd probably believe in mermaids if I saw someone swimming in it at my local beach. xD

[AnnaAbyss]

UPDATE!
Holy crap I haven't written on this thread since last year. I've been making scale sample boxes over the last week. Just waiting for my dad to come home from Melbourne so he can help me with pouring resin into them. What's a cheap release agent that's in Australia? Can anyone suggest something that acts like a release agent? Oh and apparently Vaseline could interfere with the resin while it's curing. That's what my dad said. I trust him because he's a surfboard maker. But has anyone used Vaseline with resin before? What type of resin was it? Sorry for so many questions. xD

Anyway. I went to Spotlight today after getting an ultrasound and bought heeeeaps of craft foam because I used all of mine up on sample boxes. I also bought another Fiskars hole punch. It's the squeeze handle one. Need to grind it down though. -__-

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I used PVA release and wax release together, both can be bought from resin supply stores. Even with both, I still had a lot of trouble getting the resin to release! Ended up using a barbecue spatula to pry it off. Hope this helps!

[Trident True]

are you looking at using resin to create your scale Mold? I have used an Eproxy in a plaster mold and it seemed to work fin. i used a vasseline but the resin showed up the brush strokes.. i don't remember the product name. ill see if i can find it one Ebay. the only negative to this resin is, you cannot cast large proportions with it as it does heat up. Most resins will heat up while curing.. you may get away with fiberglass resin, but you will still need a release agent. which i cannot help you there as ive never used fiberglass.. this is the brand I have works well for small molds.http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aldax-Crystal-Cast-Clear-1-5kg-NEW-IMPROVED-FORMULA-/251095510835?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3a76756f33

[Elle]

are you looking at using resin to create your scale Mold? I have used an Eproxy in a plaster mold and it seemed to work fin. i used a vasseline but the resin showed up the brush strokes.. i don't remember the product name. ill see if i can find it one Ebay. the only negative to this resin is, you cannot cast large proportions with it as it does heat up. Most resins will heat up while curing.. you may get away with fiberglass resin, but you will still need a release agent. which i cannot help you there as ive never used fiberglass.. this is the brand I have works well for small molds.http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Aldax-Crystal-Cast-Clear-1-5kg-NEW-IMPROVED-FORMULA-/251095510835?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item3a76756f33


Mermaid Julz found a way around this, she coated her molds with the vaseline then hit it with a hair dryer or something so there were no lumps or bumps and to get and even coating.

[Trident True]

Elle, was this for casting in resin to make a mold?

[Elle]

I honestly don't remember :\

[AnnaAbyss]

EXTREMELY happy at the moment! *O*

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[Atlantisblue]

I like the trout and salmon tails. Can't wait to see your tail :D

[AnnaAbyss]

WOOHOO!!! I'm making resin molds out of these today!
Fricking excited! Jdhsgdhdhdjvhjdjdnd

http://i57.tinypic.com/2holjjm.jpg

[Ashton]

:thumbs up:Cant wait!
Make sure to seal the foam before you pour!

[Little_Orca]

Keep us updated. :) Cannot wait to see your hard work pay off.

[Atlantisblue]

Can't wait to see how they turn out :)

[AnnaAbyss]

DONE!~ My dad and I made them two days ago and we used epoxy resin. There was no smell whatsoever.


http://i61.tinypic.com/2w4wwly.jpg


http://i60.tinypic.com/25us11d.jpg

http://i61.tinypic.com/2wef5hi.jpg[COLOR]

The colour tint I'm going to use today for when I pour the silicone into the moulds. ❤️����

[Trident True]

oh looks good. what brand Epoxy did you use? what was the size of your scale box's in relation to the next Q. Epoxy does get quiet warm when curing and some brands only advise to mix a minimum weight. so do you think it would be suitible for a large scale sheet or do you think it would get too hot. ive used an Epoxy before but not for larger areas. love the blue colour, sapphire it reminds me of.

[Mermaid Julz]

It depends on the resin that she used, but it seems she is past this part. I used fiberglass resin and had coated my scales first with elmer's white glue. After that I coated with vaeline and heated it with a hair dryer to melt it down and become a liquid which easily flowed over everthing and got into every nook and cranny. There are so amny different methods out there and each one has its own merits.

Keep up the good work!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks guys. :)
Trident True: I'm not sure what brand the resin is but I think it's a good one because my dad makes surfboards and the materials have to be good quality. I think while the resin was curing it may have heated up a very small amount but I don't really know because we let it cure for about 4 hours in Dad's shed. It was perfectly fine though. The molds are really strong too because we reinforced them with a few layers of fibreglass.

Mermaid Julz: Did the coat of glue help stop bubbles forming? Also I used Vaseline too and it worked great. :D

[AnnaAbyss]

UPDATE!!!

So I haven't poured the silicone into the test molds yet but today I'm sculpting my fluke!!!
Yay for lots of sun and warm weather!!! I thought it'd be really hard to sculpt but it's actually really easy! And two nights ago I made my fluke template but forgot to upload a photo. Going to Bunnings tonight to get a big board of MDF for my scale sheet. SO FKN EXCITING ERMAHGERDDDD!!!!! (*Over-enthusiastic squee* xD)

HERE'S THE FLUKE~

http://i59.tinypic.com/11kz42f.jpg

[OceanWhisper]

Yay! starting to look good! :D *excited for you*

[AnnaAbyss]

Thank you OceanWhisper.~

Today is overcast and cold so I'm making the scale board. Multitasking is actually working for me. Huh! Gotta wait in between rows for the glue to dry so I can keep going. It's a bit frustrating but still fun. Ermahgerd I still can't believe that I'm really going to have a silicone mermaid tail! VERY surreal to actually be making it after wanting one for so long. Lolol I've been on such a high for the past week and a half. Bahahaha. xD

Something that has blown me away is how easy it was to sculpt the fluke (on a nice sunny day at least). I've been worrying about that the most thinking it would be really tricky to manipulate the clay. I was expecting myself to be curled up in the fetal position out of frustration. But yay, the clay was like melted chocolate instead of bricks. xD
I wanted to sculpt more today but the weather isn't permitting. Maybe I'll use a hairdryer on the clay if I really wanna sculpt. ._.

Ahh, my laptop is so much easy to write posts on MerNetwork with. :cool:
I'll upload photos of the scale board when it's got more scales glued on.

[AnnaAbyss]

Scale board is coming along nicely! It's fun.~ I need to punch out more foam circles though. Going through quite a bit of PVA glue too. xD

http://i60.tinypic.com/2n8odw9.jpg

[AnnaAbyss]

And here is the fluke. It's slowly getting pieced together. :)
Heh.


http://i62.tinypic.com/2jeojtl.jpg

[AnnaAbyss]

Getting there slowly :D

http://i59.tinypic.com/2qko600.jpg

[AnnaAbyss]

Gahhh I'm having the hardest time ever trying to sculpt the Monster clay. SO F***ING FRUSTRATING. :mad: The hair dryer works well though and I'm nearly done with the fluke sculpt. Thank gawd...

[Ashton]

I personally gave up on the idea of monster clay when I was holding it and could not even scratch it with my nail. I use water based clay (you just have to be careful that it does not dry out).

I have heard that you can use a heat gun on monster clay. But I have never tried it, you can get heat guns for pretty cheap online or even at hardware stores. Do not buy them at craft stores tho- they will rip you off!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

A hair drier will also work well! For the large flat parts of my fluke mould, I heated a chunk of clay in the microwave and poured it onto baking paper with my design. If you get some spatulas (the thin metal paint scraper kind), you can manipulate the soft clay pretty easily. Investing in clay tools will also help a lot, I got a basic set for about $5 and it saved so much time!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Looks awesome!!!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks for the input and compliments! I think I'm just going to try pouring melted clay in the large sections. Sounds way easier. Also I already own clay tools and they're good help. C:

[AnnaAbyss]

Soooo I changed the original fluke sculpt yesterday because it didn't look how I wanted it to. I took off the ridges, made the fluke's curve more pronounced, elongate It and shave down the upper sides and most importantly heated up a LOT of clay then poured it all on the whole fluke. Now I just need to scrape down some of the raised parts and add the rest of the ridges. (By ridges I mean tail bones or whatever they're called). In a few days I'll finally be ready to make the resin mold!

http://i58.tinypic.com/2gws0au.jpg

[Theobromine]

Ridges=fin rays :)

It looks like you're coming along really well! Your new sculpt looks a lot neater and cleaner than the first take. Just make sure it's not too thick, because remember you're going to be doubling it up and you don't want to end up with like 10kg of silicone just in the fluke (=caudal fin...sorry, I can't help myself with the terminology thing).

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks Theobromine :)

I finished the fluke!!!!! :'D ~CONFETTI EVERYWHERE~

http://i59.tinypic.com/28qvi93.jpg

[Trident True]

PERFECT...... did you see my post in my thread??? I love your shape better than mine, if you look at mine it looks more like the 13th year shape. Prob the best one I've done yet. looks really good and your progress is taking off. good luck with the rest of your tail.

[AnnaAbyss]

Ohmygawd thank you so much!!! Yes I saw it :). Strangely enough I was already using that method to smooth my tail bones before you mentioned it. Lolol. Thanks again and good luck with your tail!

[Theobromine]

That looks great! You smoothed it down really well!

[Ashton]

:thumbs up:

[AnnaAbyss]

http://i59.tinypic.com/15qoimg.jpg

This is what I got up to yesterday. Poured some of the food grade silicone I have into my scale test mold and it worked! My dad helped me and we decided to experiment with two different colours. The top opaque part is fluro green and blue mixed together to make a teal colour. The bottom half is the teal liquid spray I have. It's nice I guess but I think it's water based... My ideal pigment is the Pearl Ex Duo Blue/Green.

[Trident True]

the Second Colour almost gives an opaque Look. :)

[Mermaid Kelda]

^ You mean translucent. Although... I suppose it is almost opaque ;)

Fantastic job Anna! It all looks amazing :) can't wait to see more!

[Ashton]

Looking good!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks guys!

Tonight I'm painstakingly punching out more foam circles for the scale board. -.-
1000 sheets of foam on the wall, 1000 sheets of foam.... Take one down, pass it around...Yeah you get the point.
On the bright side, I'm over halfway done with the board.

[AnnaAbyss]

Just a few more rows and it'll be finished!

http://i59.tinypic.com/qx14js.jpg

[Dancing Fish]

Looks like colorful confetti!! Good luck with your mold!

[dragondancer2004]

This is amazing I am so excited to see what it looks like finished
will it be a useable tail or will it just be for land use

[Rett]

So exciting! I'm looking forward to the final product!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks for the compliments! And yes its going to be swimmable.
God dammit my hole puncher broke last night and I'm like four rows away from finishing my scale board. STUPID NATURE ERGHHHHH. But I did find an A4 size of MDF board with foam circles on it which I'd made a while ago that was intended to be a test mold. So I pulled them all off and am trying to salvage as much as possible without them all ripping.
~Intense facepalm~.

BUT my dad and I just put on the gel coat of resin on my fluke sculpt! YAY. I'll upload photos from my phone.

[Elle]

I went through 3 hole punchers. The fact that this is your first one to break is an achievement all on its own.

[AnnaAbyss]

Haha you're right. It served me well. ~Sniff sniff~ I think there's just enough circles to get by.

[Elle]

I had like a 2L ice cream container worth of circles at the end of my scale sheet

[Mermaid Melanie]

Great job ! looks like you have plenty scales for the sheet ! I had to cut mine out with scissors lol thats always an option if you need a few more - time consuming as hell though !

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks Melanie! Yeah I thought about that but they're tricky to get round enough with scissors. Hahaha I think I'm just too much of a perfectionist. It's not like crappy scales would even be that noticeable anyway when I'm wearing it! :lol:
I'd just like to say that your silicone tail is absolutely beautiful and I was admiring pictures of it last night.

[Mermaid Ruthie]

wow that is alot of circles. Your fluke is amazing!!!!!!

[AnnaAbyss]

Before resin and after first layer of resin. :)

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I've put on a few more layers of resin and fibreglass cloth since these photos were taken. The cloth helps to strengthen and also bulk out the mold so you use less resin.
Heeeeh can't wait to do more.

[AnnaAbyss]

De-molding this today! :D :sweat drop: :swoon: :dance:

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[Elle]

Your mold is so much neater and prettier than mine. The back of mine is a crazy mess with bits of cloth sticking up all over the place

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[AnnaAbyss]

Aw thanks Elle. >3<
I de-moulded the fluke today and sanded down sharp/sticking out parts of fibreglass with a Dremel tool. There's some areas which also need to be patched up.

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[Trident True]

ooooo looking good.. love the fluke shape.

[Rett]

Love it!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks :)

[AnnaAbyss]

Today I'm going to Melbourne to buy a Finis Foil monofin. It's a better option for me than the Hydra. There's like a $100 difference. xD In the pat few days I've been patching up small holes in my fluke mould with car bog. It's polystyrene resin based and smells like shit. xD When I get home I'll take photos of the mould and my new monofin!!!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Ooh, do you mind sharing where in Melbourne you can get monofins? I will be going there later this year and may pick one up! Thanks :)

[AnnaAbyss]

The address is 250 Park St, South Melbourne and it's called Aquashop.
www.aquashop.com.au

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Thank you :) I'll check it out!

[AnnaAbyss]

I bought my monofin two days ago and had my first swim in it yesterday at the beach! The water was absolutely freezing and I didn't wanna go out too deep xD So I just stayed in the shallows but it was hard to swim because there wasn't enough depth. 'Twas a short lived swim! I think I might go to the heated swimming pool this weekend so I can properly try it out. Ooh also I'm buying more resin today for my scale sheet! Must upload photos of the monofin ontop of the fluke mould as a size reference for you guys. :3

[Rett]

Excited to see your progress! :D

[AnnaAbyss]

I will be de-moulding my scale box today or tomorrow!

[AnnaAbyss]

YAY IT'S DONE!!! PHOTOS!!! <3

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[AnnaAbyss]

This thing was a pain in the fin to de mould!!! It took me 4 hours approximately last night!!! Sadly it cracked in quite a few spots but I can fix that. Pulling the foam out of the scales is pretty annoying. xD
BUT YAY THE MOULD WORKED!!!

[Keiris]

This thing was a pain in the fin to de mould!!! It took me 4 hours approximately last night!!! Sadly it cracked in quite a few spots but I can fix that. Pulling the foam out of the scales is pretty annoying. xD
BUT YAY THE MOULD WORKED!!!
Wow you're cooking right along AnnaAbyss! Can't wait to see the progress!

[AnnaAbyss]

Ergh not much progress has been made in a week or so.... I need to order the silicone!

[Elle]

Did your mould go a bit pink where the dark blue foam was?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[AnnaAbyss]

Yes haha and I thought of how yours did the same. x'D

[AnnaAbyss]

Sorry for the lack of tail progress. I've been extremely sick with the flu for a good week and totally bedridden!
Im 99% better now though. :D

The next step I need to take is to glue my scale mould down to the piece of chipboard which I built it on. This is because the resin's too thin and has cracks in it, so leaving it how it is would make it more vulnerable to breaking in half. This is much easier and quicker than putting more layers of resin and fiberglass on the back of the mould.
After that I need to patch up a few more areas on the fluke mould with automotive filler and sand that. THEN I will finally be able to buy the silicone and pigments!!! I'm so close to finishing the tail I can feel it!!!
*Confetti and Mexican music everywhere* xD

[Mermaid Wesley]

Keep it up!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[AnnaAbyss]

The most recent scale patch I've made c:

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It's pigmented with Lumiere acrylic paint in 'pearl turquoise'. I bought that because the Pearl Ex Blue-Green Duo was sold out or they didn't stock it in the art shop... I'll have to buy it online.

[Mermaid Clara]

The most recent scale patch I've made c:

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It's pigmented with Lumiere acrylic paint in 'pearl turquoise'. I bought that because the Pearl Ex Blue-Green Duo was sold out or they didn't stock it in the art shop... I'll have to buy it online.
does pigmenting with acrylic paint inhibit the stretch or anything?

[AnnaAbyss]

I don't think so. This is food grade silicone and not the type I will be using to make my tail.

[Luna Dreamtide]

Good luck! It's great to see the process of a fellow Aussie mer :) What is the brand of the silicone you are using for the tests?

[Mermaid Julianne]

ooohhh i like the color [emoji7]

[AnnaAbyss]

Good luck! It's great to see the process of a fellow Aussie mer :) What is the brand of the silicone you are using for the tests?

It's called Solid Mould 580 Improved Food Grade Silicone Rubber. It's from a shop called Solid Solutions.

[AnnaAbyss]

Yay I'm buying my silicone tomorrow!!!

[AnnaAbyss]

YAY!!!!
This is what I'm making the fluke with. All this except for the monofin and the two jars of Lumiere paints on the left came to about $300 AUD. -_- But I didn't pay for it so I have to help around the house doing chores. LOOL. That's okay, it's fair enough. And FINALLY I acquired some Pearl Ex pigments. They didn't have the exact one I wanted so I'm gonna mix two to get something close enough to it. Like an iridescent blue/green that fades into translucency and the end of the fluke. Vario happens to be translucent. C:
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[Elle]

Try not to get it on your hands. While it does come off it's just a bit of a pain to do so :P
Can't wait to see how this unfolds :)

[OceanWhisper]

Yayyyy!! Are you doing little fins or anything?

[AnnaAbyss]

@Elle: Yeah I hate getting silicone on my hands! I always use latex or nitrile gloves so that minimises the contact. My dad has this industrial strength hand cleaner and it gets off resin and silicone etc so I'll use that. It was a lifesaver when making the fluke mould.

@OceanWhisper: Maybe. I've been thinking about if I should add some because they are nice but I also like the original design without them. If I want to add them after I've finished the tail then I definitely will. I've also tried sculpting two. Some ankle and hip fins would be adorable. I'm definitely going to make more tails after this one.

[AnnaAbyss]

Here's two photos of a scale test I made a few days ago with the last of my food grade silicone and new Pearl Ex powders. I mixed Sky Blue with Green Purple Duo. It's still kinda translucent. Maybe if I pigment the tail skin opaque white then paint over it with Pearl Ex...

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[Yulia]

Doesn't the silicone get angry when you use latex gloves?

Love the samples btw, great color.

[Ashe]

Love the color! Now, is that real texture or just the pigment that the light is reflecting off of?

[AnnaAbyss]

@Yulia: No I've never had curing issues regarding latex gloves being used with silicone before. It's probably just Dragonskin which reacts like that. Who knows, lolol. But hopefully Vario won't be affected by latex. I'll use nitrile gloves just to be safe.

@Kalani: It's just the way the pigment seems to look in the light. I dunno it kinda irritates me. XD

And thanks for the compliments!

[SeaGlass Siren]

i love that colour on the test scale oh my god... that is gorgeous.

[AnnaAbyss]

Does anyone know how to remove bits of foam from a resin scale board? There's heaps of it on mine. I didn't use enough mould realease before I poured the resin. I have tried scraping it out with tweezers and using acetone thinking it might get dissolved. I'm going to try scrubbing it down with hot soapy water and a stiff scrubbing brush. This better work... >_>

[Mermaid Melanie]

I had the same problem with my scale mould, I used shell shock on foam scales and forgot the ease release completely, I had to use fine sand paper and a sharp knife to scrape and sand out the foam, it took a while but it came out really well in the end.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I used a rotary tool (an off brand dremel) with a sanding head and clay tools. Great for getting in the books and crannies, but it's easy to go too far and damage your mould.

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks for the advice! Scrubbing the scales down didn't work. -__-

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Make sure you wear a dust mask and gloves if you do sand it down (whatever the method)! You don't want to breathe that dust in, and resin shards are sharp. I also kept my mould wet while sanding it, it reduces the dust, keeps the dremel bit cool and makes the sandpaper last longer. Just don't get the electronics wet!

[AnnaAbyss]

Ah that's a great idea! My dad has a Dremel which I've used before. Thanks heaps Kate! C:

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

No worries, glad to help! :) I used the pink sandpaper coated tool for mine, seemed to work well (I had to sand down every single scale in my scale sheet because the gel coat crinkled and bits of foam stuck everywhere)!

[AnnaAbyss]

Haha oh my god that would've taken forever xD

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Not as long as I expected actually, the dremel sped it up a lot. So much faster than by hand!

[AnnaAbyss]

I was stumped on what to do yesterday so I painted fins. ^-^
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[Ashe]

The rainbow and the green and spotted copper look really pretty. Love the color schemes

[Yulia]

I love the blue one! :D

[Imogen Finnly]

Spotted one! I actually love all of them really.

formerly jayy

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks everyone :)

[Mermaid Kelda]

Loooove the green/brown one! I think that design would look lovely in any of the other colours, too :)

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks! I'd LOVE to make a river fish inspired tail some time in the future. That's what that fin drawing was inspired by. I copied the shape from a picture of a trout. Lol.

[AnnaAbyss]

So I'm pouring the silicone in my fluke mould today! WOOOOH!!!
I'm gonna move a heater into my room to get it all warm for the silicone to cure because today is pretty cold. Then I'm going to clear the stuff from under my table and put the fluke under it near the heater so it's like a warm little enclosed area out of harm's way. And this evening I'm going for a proper swim with my monofin! YAY!

[AnnaAbyss]

;O; MY BABY!!!! XD This is the first half of the fluke. My iPad's camera makes the colours look icy blue and white instead of turquoise blue/green. Oh and the crinkly bits also are due to my mould being too high in some parts that it made the silicone thin so it ripped... But I'm gonna fix that. The second fluke half is curing right now as I type.
Yeah I know it looks kinda trashy and amateur in parts but I'm really happy with it over all!

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[Azurin Luna]

Looks nice :D Love the color

[ShyMer]

I'm a little late, but I really like the rusty oranges with a light turquoise. I can't think of anyone with that color scheme, and its gorgeous!

[Mermaid Clara]

Looks amazing!


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[AnnaAbyss]

Thank you guys for the lovely compliments! :D

~RANT (SORT OF) AHEAD~
Tomorrow my dad is buying me more silicone because I'm going with Mum to visit her family for a few days. I want to come with him but I haven't been out of the house in a week and haven't seen my extended family in like a year and a half.
I've made the second half of the fluke but it turned out bloody horrible on one side due to the mould being uneven. It looks like a motorboat ran over it and chopped it. .~.

So yeah, it's ripped the parts between the ridges because the silicone was too thin. RAAAAAAAGE.
There's also been curing issues with both fluke halves. The first half was tacky until I pulled it out of the mould, then it cured in about a day. After that, I painted it and that helped cover up a bit of the tears. BUT the second fluke half is still very tacky after two or three days. Although I did pull it out too early.... ._. *Guilty face*. I think it's the resin mould still releasing styrene fumes. But that's weird because I made it about two months ago so it should've fully de-gassed a while back! GAAAAAAHHHH. I swear to god next time I'm going to suck it up and buy some Shell Shock. Should be totally worth it.
Oh yeah, the tarpaulin drop sheet in my room is sticky with silicone and I keep stepping on it every time I enter it. My room is so crowded with art and mermaid tail stuff. -_- Aaand silicone has managed to get on my skin so I'm using Johnson's make up removing wipes to get it off. Surprisingly it works better than acetone.
Imagine clear honey that doesn't come off with water. It's on my clothes too, aghhhhhh.

So yeah, I've been running into a couple of problems but that's probably completely inevitable with making a first tail. Sorry for ranting but I needed to do it where people would understand. I'm going to upload some photos of the 'mamed' fluke. I'll try my hardest to fix it when I get more silicone in a few days.

*DEEP BREATH* xD

[AnnaAbyss]

*Sobbing*
This is embarrassing. v.v

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[ShyMer]

Oh no!-

Maybe you could salvage this by making a flat sheet of silicone to lay underneath the holes, then smoothing out later with more silicone? It wouldn't be seamless, but you might be able to save it (just as long as you don't end up wasting too much in the process, I guess.)

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks ShyMer for your advice! I'm going to use an electric sander to sand down the parts of the fluke mould that are too high, then put the silicone fluke back in it and pour a bit more silicone over the affected areas. Fins crossed it'll work!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Good luck!


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[Trident True]

what a bummer, it tends to make us angry and sad at the same time. ive had plenty of mishaps, but don't let this get you down. I may be able to give some advice... its most likely its too thing there due to it being uneven on the sides. between the raised bone areas did you gauge that out? if you did, its most likely that one side was thicker than the other,or the bones were higher than one other side. you can use a leveler to ensure that the are level.

now your way of repairing it will work. i would suggest cutting off the thin stuff so that the bones are only showing and only pour the silicone into each area. remember silicone will spread and even out so you wont need a lot.

[AnnaAbyss]

LOOL Trident you're reading my mind! That's exactly what I'm going to do! xD

[SeaMonkey]

thats how ya learn darlin :eyebrows:

[SeaMonkey]

wow! sorry. i was trying to be supportive. sorry i said anything.

[AnnaAbyss]

>~< Oh god I'm so sorry.

[PearlieMae]

I trust you two have worked this out privately and everyone's cool?

:group hug:

[Dancing Fish]

I had a suggestion too- perhaps you could use leftover clay to build a dam around the rim of the thin side of the mold, so you can pour it thicker? One of my scale molds warped a little and that's what I did. You have to tilt the mold a little to keep the other side from being even thicker. How frustrating!!! I'm still debating whether to repour one of my flukes too.

[Mermaid Wesley]

I did that ^^ while making a mold and it worked like a charm, but that's a little backwards from what you're doing. I propped up the mold with a wedge of cardboard and added clay to stop spilling. I know how frustrating it is when your stuff isn't working. I've wrecked quite a few sculpts with crummy mold material problems. Wasted probably around 80 bucks so far just on mold materials. (Hoping i don't have to buy an extra thing of silicone too) But, all you can do now is keep going and use what you've learned to make the rest of the tail better. Good luck!

[AnnaAbyss]

Hi Dancing Fish and Wesley, I have had to do that with my fluke mould but it still didn't work.

[Dancing Fish]

Aw, crud, I'm sorry it's not working. I feel your pain-- I just had to redo one of my flukes due to curing problems. The only other solution I can think of is to build up the thin side of the flukes with a series of thin layers of new silicone on the back. Painstaking but at least not redoing the entire sculpt and mold.

[AnnaAbyss]

That's what I did yesterday! :) Except I think the resin mould is interfering with the curing process because the back of the fluke isn't tacky but the front of both my flukes halves are (apart from small areas where I built up some parts with Monster clay and where I painted over with more silicone). God dammit I wish I had some Shell Shock.

[AnnaAbyss]

OH MY GOD IT WORKED!!!!!!! I patched up the thin parts!!!! I COULD SING FROM THE ROOFTOPS!!!!!
Thank the UNIVERSE!! I've been having such a shit time at the moment with everything and this has made me happy again. OMG both my flukes are normal now!!!

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[Trident True]

YES, YES, YES, YES, YES.... very happy for you.....

[anceos]

Great... It works very well... ;)

[AnnaAbyss]

Thank you both guys!

[Rett]

Woohooo!!!!!!! Victory!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

[Dancing Fish]

Awesome!! :yay::yay:

[AnnaAbyss]

What is a reliable way to sandwich a finis foil monofin between two fluke halves without the silicone not getting messed up from the rubber? I've read a few ways on how to do it but I'm scared and not completely sure on how to do it without getting silicone touching the monofin. HALP PLS.

[Ashton]

whoohoo

[MerQueen Nerissa]

What is a reliable way to sandwich a finis foil monofin between two fluke halves without the silicone not getting messed up from the rubber? I've read a few ways on how to do it but I'm scared and not completely sure on how to do it without getting silicone touching the monofin. HALP PLS.

When I did mine I just wrapped the monofin in saran wrap and then sandwiched the flukes together. Once it was cured I took the monofin out, attached the scales,painted, then rolled up the monofin and shoved it back into place.
Just make sure you make the body longer than you think you need! Because my monofin wasn't in the tail when I assembled it, it ended up being way to short.

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[AnnaAbyss]

When I did mine I just wrapped the monofin in saran wrap and then sandwiched the flukes together. Once it was cured I took the monofin out, attached the scales,painted, then rolled up the monofin and shoved it back into place.
Just make sure you make the body longer than you think you need! Because my monofin wasn't in the tail when I assembled it, it ended up being way to short.

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Oh I see! So you don't leave the plastic wrap in. Thank you Nerissa, I'll use your method! :mermaid kiss:

[AnnaAbyss]

GAAAAAH silicone hates me and won't cure properly. Okay it definitely has to be some type of solvent I wiped on the fluke to clean it because in some places the silicone will cure and in others it won't. I need to look harder for a piece of fabric to put over the monofin, hopefully that will work. Every time I touch the fluke I end up getting uncured silicone on my hands. Jfc I wish I could've just used polyurethane as a molding material instead of resin. I think the mould inhibited a bit of the cure.

[AnnaAbyss]

This is currently where I'm at. I'm in dire need of fabric to make a pocket for the monofin. XD

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[Trident True]

Putting Fabric over the monofin will work as most fabrics are porous. Try and find something that will hold up in water over time like spandex etc this will give longer life on the material. things are coming together. :)

[AnnaAbyss]

I found an old pillowcase that my parents said I could use. So I sewed it around the shape of my monofin. It always makes me happy whenever you comment on this thread! :D

[PaolaMF]

amazing !!

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks!

[Mermaid Wesley]

Good luck! Leave on the plastic wrap too ;)


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[lynsea]

How heavy is that fluke? It looks rather thick.

[AnnaAbyss]

It's extremely heavy :/ Haha.

[AnnaAbyss]

A few days ago my Dad and I coated the scale mold in some polyurethane gloss stuff. Although it was like 10 years old .___. I don't know if it will let silicone cure on top of it. If it doesn't work, I'm going to make another scale board. *Sigh* I'd use epoxy resin or ShellShock instead of polyester resin. It'd be expensive but worth it.

[AnnaAbyss]

ALRIGHT I AM MAKING A NEW SCALE BOARD, STARTING TOMORROW.
~Intense desk flip~

Polyester resin is causing too many curing issues so I'm going to use epoxy resin instead. I did a test patch of scales last night on my scale board which is coated in old polyurethane and the silicone didn't cure properly where the scales touched the board. It did the exact same thing a few weeks ago when I tried it before coating it. I am SO done with this resin.

Since I bought another foam hole puncher a few months ago I'm going to use that to make more scales. They will be larger and I'm okay with that. It means less scales to lay down and less glue will be used. Win!
Kinda sucks though because I was at Bunnings yesterday and I had a hunch that this wouldn't work. Knew it. Oh well you live and you learn!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Aww Anna, that really sucks :( Making a scale board once is frustrating enough, let alone twice. Polyester resin hates me too, I know how you feel! Good luck with your new scale board!

[AnnaAbyss]

It's so frustrating isn't it? Thanks! I know it'll work this time.

[Merman Arion]

@AnnaAbyss

Don't give up. I believe you can do this :)
Good luck with your new scale board. The patience will pay off.

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks Arion c:

[AnnaAbyss]

So I painted a thin layer of silicone on the back of my fluke last night but there's parts where it didn't cure. I was accurate with measuring so that wasn't the issue. I think it must've been the wet wipes I used to get dust and stuff off it before I painted it. -.- Oh well. I'm making my new scale board today then tomorrow I'm going to Byron Bay! Apparently Mahina mermaid lives there!

[Theobromine]

What kind of wipes were they? Do they have ingredients listed on the packet? I'd recommend only using rubbing alcohol and a clean paper towel for that sort of thing in the future. I get the 91% isopropyl solution and put it in a spray bottle, then keep that and a big roll of paper towels on my work table. It cleans up uncured silicone really well but is safe for use on cured silicone.

[AnnaAbyss]

They are Johnson's Face Wipes. I did use isopropyl alcohol but eventually ran out of it. And I've been using acetone...

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

From what I understand, acetone is very bad for silicone, it eats away at it. I think that may be the source of your curing problems unfortunately :(

[anceos]

Acétone is not good for silicon, cause you can use it to wash paint or other things from silicon... So that is thé Best explanation

[AnnaAbyss]

Damn. ����

[SIF]

"Yeah I know it looks kinda trashy and amateur in parts but I'm really happy with it over all!"

Just say something tried to eat you, you got caught in a trashbag as a guppy or a boat ran over your fin.

[AnnaAbyss]

"Yeah I know it looks kinda trashy and amateur in parts but I'm really happy with it over all!"

Just say something tried to eat you, you got caught in a trashbag as a guppy or a boat ran over your fin.

I fixed it up and both fluke halves are normal now :D

[AnnaAbyss]

*Le giant sigh* :(
I probably need to wash both fluke halves down really well and let them sit out in the sun or something because acetone could still be on there. So if I try again to glue the sides together and it doesn't work, I will have to find some sort of glue that sticks to silicone, or maybe somehow shave a reeeeally thin layer of silicone off them and re-glue. Welp.

GRRR I swear I'm actually cursed! The URL for this thread has '666' in it! HAHAHAHA.
;-; *Cries from frustration*

[AnnaAbyss]

YAY I poured this tonight and am waiting for it to cure. It's been about one hour. 6 more to go. Hahaha. I know it looks unfinished but I'm going to add more silicone to the end because the scale board isn't long enough to accomodate my legs and it's also warped.

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[OceanWhisper]

That link doesn't work :(

[AnnaAbyss]

@OceanWhisper: I fixed it :D

Great news! My fluke isn't neatly as sticky anymore! I was convinced the curing process had been inhibited by acetone and polyester resin moulds but really it just hadn't gotten enough heat to cure properly. I was having a really crappy day and was cutting off bits of chunky silicone inside the fluke then I rage quitted. LOLOL a few hours later my parents and I had an argument about what would help it cure so they put the fluke inside really close to our fireplace. That thing is literally like a furnace. I was seriously pissed off that my parents wouldn't listen to me but they happened to be right after all... I accept defeat. LOOOL.

[PaolaMF]

amazing !!

[AnnaAbyss]

First side of the tail's body is almost finished! I just need to elongate the part at the bottom. I'm getting more silicone tomorrow. :)

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[Keiris]

It's really looking great Anna! :D

[PaolaMF]

why the tail have diferent colors? problems whit silicone? :(

[AnnaAbyss]

No, because I over-pigmented the tail skin with blue. I am going to paint over it with a bit of green/white/blue.

[AnnaAbyss]

Well, looks like I'm going to have to buy some caulking silicone since this damn platinum cure silicone won't adhere my two fluke halves. It's been about four days since I tried again but it still hasn't cured. Sighhhh. I have a feeling the caulking should work!

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Ooh looks nice!!

[Trident True]

did you use a different brand of silicone for the scale sheet?

[AnnaAbyss]

No, I didn't. It looks different because it's over pigmented.

[Trident True]

I was referring to why it wasn't sticking. other brands of silicone can cause silicone's not to adhere to one another. so ideally there shouldn't be a reason why it wouldn't stick to your fluke.

[AnnaAbyss]

I haven't used any different brand of silicone to adhere the fluke halves. I think it musn't be curing because my Finis Foil monofin has touched the inside. Also I'm pretty sure that platinum cure silicone is more sensitive that tin cure silicone.

[Theobromine]

If the rubber of your Foil has touched the inside, that's most likely why it's not curing :-/ Most other rubbers inhibit the platinum silicone curing. The best chance you have of salvaging the situation is to wash any pieces the Foil has touched VERY thoroughly with Dawn blue dish soap or equivalent (make sure you don't use a soap that has aloe in it, aloe also inhibits silicone) then clean it all down very thoroughly with isopropyl alcohol in the highest concentration you can find. That MIGHT be enough to get rid of the contaminants that are inhibiting the silicone. In the future, make sure you don't let the foil touch anything you need to cure more silicone to!

[AnnaAbyss]

Derp >-< Thank you so much!!!!

[Theobromine]

No problem! I've had cure issues before, they suuuuuuck (mine happened when part of a top I was working on came into contact with some duct tape residue on the table).

Luckily, the Finis Foil (I am pretty sure) is not made out of natural/latex rubber, in which case your fluke halves would be toast. I have a pair of Finis Zoomers which I think are the same rubber material as the Foil, and I did some testing with them, including putting a couple blobs of mixed Dragonskin on them to see if they would be fully inhibited or not. Surprisingly, the Dragonskin actually cured almost all the way through, only remaining tacky where the platinum silicone was actually in contact with the rubber of the fin. So the cure inhibition with that material isn't anywhere near as severe as it could be.

[Theobromine]

Oh, and if the dish detergent/isopropyl cleaning still doesn't do the trick, you can try sanding the surface down with really fine-grit sandpaper to remove the contaminated top layer. After doing that, clean again with detergent and isopropyl. That should get rid of any contaminant residue.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Let us know if that works!


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[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks again, Theobromine. I'll give that a go. :)

[Theobromine]

You're welcome. I hope everything works out! Let us know how it goes!

[AnnaAbyss]

So I don't think we have Blue Dawn dish soap in Australia...
BUT!
I've used caulking silicone to glue the fluke together and it worked!!! So far I've glued down the end of the fluke where it wouldn't properly adhere when I used platinum cure silicone. Now I need to sandwich my monofin in it and glue around it. I'm starting to think I shouldn't have bought a Finis Foil, because it's quite thick along the edges and I'm having a hard time getting it in the right position. Nevermind, it'll work.

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

We do in certain stores, have you got a Spud Shed near you?
Yay, so glad you've found a work around!!

[Trident True]

:cheerleader:
glad things are going well.

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks guys :D @Kate: Not that I know of.
Sooo there's another dilemma (ugh they never end with this mermaid tail) and that is the thickness on the sides of my Finis Foil (it's meant to be thick on the sides for reinforcement). I can't properly glue the top of my fluke together because of this issue. But I'm not sure if I should modify my monofin to make it fit in there because it could either work and my fluke would be done, or it could fail miserably and I'd have wrecked my monofin and it still wouldn't fit well in the fluke.
I swear I am jinxed. >-> Whatever.
In other news I'm laying down foam scales for another scale board which is gonna be made of epoxy resin. Yay for my dad who bought me some tins of it for my birthday! They'll arrive soon. Oh by the way... I TURNED 18 ON MONDAY! ;D

[Trident True]

Ok ive had a look to see if i can come up with some suggestions.. being that its structural its probably not wise to cut it or skeive it down (make it thinner). the finis wave may be a better option as the sides are thinner. http://www.aquashop.com.au/finis-mono-wave-fin.html if not perhaps you could attempt to build your own monofin? let me know if this is something you want to try and i will PM you will materials and so forth.

troubles with the tails. im still having troubles and its been nearly 4 years. hang in there it is all a learning curve and once you get this tail down the next one will come a lot easier.

Happy 18th....:cheerleader:

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks Trident for the advice! <3 :D I've been thinking more about what to do and I think I might buy a pair of swim fins/flippers to make my own Lexan monofin or just put them in the tail on their own. I just want my fluke to have some propulsion power but also be floppy/fishlike at the same time. Dad knows a shop which sells and cuts Lexan to any shape you like. I can get PolyZap glue from Bunnings since I've seen it there before. :D
This shall be good because I can keep my Foil monofin for swimming and knowing my sister she'll probably want to use it. x'D

[Trident True]

well a positive to the fluke is because its thick once the two are placed together it will add propulsion so the flippers should work fine. you just get like....... i just want it done already.... I'm the same and as its warming up i will be doing more on my tail...

[AnnaAbyss]

You're probably right. And I know that feeling. I just want my tail finished already!!!!

[AnnaAbyss]

Yay! My epoxy resin arrived yesterday!

[MermaidDalni]

It's cooling down here so I'm a little worried about continuing work on my tail

[Theobromine]

FYI, silicone will cure more slowly when it's cold, but it's not inhibited or ruined (like latex). You can still work with it, you just may have to wait longer for it to cure (it will even cure in the freezer eventually, after a few days). You can speed the process along by using a heat gun or heat lamp to warm the silicone.

--person who lives in Seattle and works with silicone :P

[MermaidDalni]

Silicone actually takes way longer to cure adhered to itself (about 16 hours as opposed to the 4 normally) but if you pull apart the silicone pieces during that 16 hour process they won't cure together even if you put them back together, the bond has to be fully intact for those 16 hours. I came across that issue with my tail too

[AnnaAbyss]

Why is this on my thread? Lol

[AnnaAbyss]

Finished my scale sheet! :D
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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

Whoo, congratulations! Don't forget to seal it really well, otherwise it will be hard to demould later :) What are you going to use to mould it?

[Merman Jamie]

Awesome

[Trident True]

looking good, things are looking up... can't wait to see this finished. :cheerleader:

[Luna Dreamtide]

Yay! Great job. Hope things work out a bit better for you with this one! :)

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks guys! I'm using epoxy resin this time.

[AnnaAbyss]

Did this like 3 months ago but for some reason didn't post it here
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[AnnaAbyss]

It's been a long time since I last updated this thread! that's because there's been almost no progress... Haha. But I did get the first layer of resin down on my scale board and today I'm putting the last one on. I also have to glue the scale board down to chipboard today because it warps when the weather is cold. Weird.

[Mermaid Wesley]

Keep it up! It'll be worth it when you're done! You'll be able to look back at your accomplishment and be proud! Go! Go! Go!


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[Luna Dreamtide]

Good luck on it. Hope you don't have any more delays and problems...

[Mermaid Clara]

Good luck Anna! My original fiberglass scale sheet warped so I have to make a new one. So I hope everything turns out well!


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