Kae's Silicone Tail, Step by step.

[Kae]

Okay! Finally started! As I've mentioned before I'm going to be posting videos of every step in the process. This way people who want to make their own tail can watch and not make the same mistakes! Here's the video of me working on the scale mould. Sorry about the camera angle/lighting. I'm still really new to shooting videos, I'll get better!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5-GLE7M_BE&feature=youtu.be

[Mermaid Julz]

Yeah, i did a video of putting them down. That E6000 messed me up. Miyu and I would talk when i was working on it, and my typing just got worse and worse.... The elmers also makes a nice barrier before you put down your release agent(like Vaseline) it make my board seperate great. I also used a heat gun to melt down the vaseline(you can just use a normal hair dryer) to evenly spread it if thats what you plan on using.

[Daphne]

Hey Kae, Golden Pearl mentioned you used some Lexan material for a custom mono fin? How is it performing and holding up in terms of durability? I'm considering using it over a mono fin for my tail.

[Kae]

So far I LOVE the lexan, I haven't been able to swim in it much at all because it being winter and all. I highly recommend you try making one though.

[Daphne]

Thanks for getting back; I have nor will have no time at all to make any tails (my own business kinda exploded, see Merfest...) but Golden Pearl is making my tail and I let her know to switch to the lexan.

[AniaR]

fun fun!

[Kae]

OH. MY. GOSH. :jawdrop:

I just finished my scale mould and I am TERRIFIED it wont cure! I ended up with more of one of the parts of the shell shock and now I'm worried it wasn't mixed right. *hyperventilates* I'm not even going to look at it until tomorrow. If it's not cured I might have to start all over. I should have been more careful.

I'm charging my video camera now because it died in the middle of me struggling with the shell shock. So video will be up as soon as possible. Sadly, it doesn't show me getting the hang of shell shock, because the camera was dead.

[Jessica]

Which part did you have extra of? It's fine if you have extra liquid mixed in (if I remember correctly this is part A). The liquid is the catalyst and the ratio is more forgiving than if you had extra of the goo/part B in the mixture.

[Kae]

I had extra of part A. :(

Now I'm praying it comes out of the mould.

[Jessica]

Don't stress! :) I've used shell shock several times before and it's a great mold material. I don't usually measure once I get down to the last bit in the bucket and I usually just pour the remainder of the catalyst/part A right in the bucket and mix it up. The final batch always turns out darker than the rest and I think this is because there is a little extra part A left over. This has happened to me every time and my molds have turned out just fine :)

This is just my observation and I've never measured all the way to the end so I'm not 100% sure, but your mold is probably fine as long as you don't have a lot of part A left over :)

Shell shock slow sets up really fast if it's warm and most of my molds are ready in just a few hours at the most. You can tell that it's fully cured when you press one of your nails in the shell shock and it doesn't make a noticeable dent :)

by the way...I'm excited to see how your tail turns out! I love tailmaking threads! :)

[Kae]

Thanks Jessica! I'm really good at stressing about stuff, so that makes me feel better. Hopefully if it doesn't work out I will be able to peel off the uncured shell shock and recast.

[Kae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4QtmI8j9d4&feature=youtu.be

Sorry about all the sniffling! Not very lady-like. I did get the hand of mixing/pouring/smoothing on the shell shock AFTER the camera died.

[Aino Revontuletar]

So great that you are showing the actual pouring part in your videos! Shell shock looks like it is really difficult to work with

[Kae]

I'm trying to show all my steps so that people can learn from my mistakes!
Shell shock was hard to work with. depending on how it turns out, I may not use it again. I got a little better at mixing and pouring but it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be.

[Aino Revontuletar]

Yeah, I have heard that even the shell shock slow hardens ridiculously fast. I don't plan on using it when I eventually make my silicone tail. It's just way too expensive here and I tend to be slower than a snail when it comes to pretty much everything, so I am afraid of ending up with a great big hardened blob because I can't smooth it out in time, lol

[malinghi]

I love the time lapses so much, and you've got so much great info about these materials. These are a big help. And congrats on your other project!

[Nicoseamus]

This thread is going to be SUPER helpful when I make my silicone tail! Thanks! :D

[Kae]

I love the time lapses so much, and you've got so much great info about these materials. These are a big help. And congrats on your other project!
I'm still learning how to use the video editing software, so thank you! I'm glad these videos are some use! And thanks! Both projects take up all my time!



This thread is going to be SUPER helpful when I make my silicone tail! Thanks! :D

That's what I was really hoping, I know if I had step by step videos I probably would have started sooner. Hopefully this will give people confidence to do it themselves!

[Mermaid Kassandra]

I just saw this...
It's Amazing!
Can't wait to see it finshed!

[Kae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xngn2nD97WU&feature=youtu.be

There are a few reasons demoulding didn't work. It could have been it wasn't mixed right in the first place (with the leftover part A), it could also be it was cast pretty thinly over a large scale sheet. I've decided to go over the back with resin and fiberglass strips and see if that will reinforce it enough. That video coming soon!

[Kae]

I just saw this...
It's Amazing!
Can't wait to see it finshed!

Thanks! I can't wait to either! haha

[Mermaid Lilium]

good luck! Can't wait to see your progress - I'm going to be going through the same adventure this summer hopefully! x

[Kae]

good luck! Can't wait to see your progress - I'm going to be going through the same adventure this summer hopefully! x

Thanks! Maybe these videos will give you an idea of what not to do! haha

[Mermaid Lilium]

Thanks! Maybe these videos will give you an idea of what not to do! haha

I'm sure it will show me more of what to do right than wrong :P We all make mistakes but we it's great when we get the chance to learn from them as a community =)

[Kae]

Video of reinforcing shell shock mould with resin and fiberglass.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYPWMyX56S0&feature=youtu.be

[Aino Revontuletar]

Awesome thanks for showing us that!

[Kae]

You're welcome! Hopefully the next video will be a successful demould!

[Kae]

17887

Just finished coating the other half with resin and fiberglass matting. The side I did yesterday has cured very hard and seems extremely stable! There were even places where chunks of shell shock broke off altogether and it made it one solid piece again. I'm really looking forward to demoulding tomorrow now.

[Mermaid Dottie]

:thumbs-up:

[Kae]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDYWDcdj1V0&feature=youtu.be

Successful demould!

[Kae]

The bottom part of the mould (the part where I originally added the shell shock and did a horrible job) is unusable, but most of it is fine. I mentioned in the video that it is a large scale sheet. So not too worried.

[Kae]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSqBQ_1Ks7A&list=UUOvCmzLP3uQnqWN_ftyM0kQ

[Kae]

My phone is not very Mernetwork friendly. Ill have to try embedding the video on my laptop.

Does the link work?

[Mermaid Dottie]

Yep! Took me straight to my youtube app. Looks good!

[PearlieMae]

It works if you remove the tags.

Can't wait to see it cleaned up!

[spottedcatfish]

I posted a question on the last video, but I'm wondering how resin and the fiberglass could make a mold without using shellshock, and if it will be as successful?

[Kae]

Sorry! Didn't see that question! The latest video I posted was a mould using ONLY fiberglass resin and fiberglass mat. I don't recommend it. Although it did seem to work okay, it was far from perfect. I will not be doing it again. If you attempt it, my advice would be to go slow and work in very small bathches making sure to fill every nook ans cranmy with the resin and disolved mat.

[Kae]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lee-pUEwVmM&feature=youtu.be

Sorry the video cuts off suddenly! Camera died. :/ So I also didn't take a video of the demoulding process. (All I did was gently pull it up and it unstuck beautifully) Pouring the silicone was extremely nerve wracking because each pour was about $75 of product! YIKES! It turned out beautifully and I am so excited! All the pieces are complete and I will try to film the "sandwhiching" of the fluke later today.

[Mermaid Julz]

Kae, I finally got back around to reading your thread. Looks like things are coming along for you. Looking forward to seeing more of your progress. How long did it take for the silicone to set?

[Kae]

I used Dragon skin slow, so it took 7 hours to fully cure. But it didn't seem like that long!

[Mermaid Lilium]

Looking good Kae =) did you have any issues with airbubbles in the silicone with just pouring it straight on without vacuum chambering or brushing the first layer(s) on? xx

[Kae]

I really didn't! Maybe I just got lucky? I did work it with my ruler A LOT while it was curing. If my mould wasn't clamped to the table I might have picked it up and dropped it a couple times to knock the bubbles to the surface. But when I unmoulded it the scales were fine!

[Kae]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D3XivHbtLU&feature=youtu.be

[Kae]

I did the other side of the fluke as well, but apparently the camera wasn't actually recording that part. Am I totally technologically illiterate? Sheesh.

[Kae]

So I had a little extra silicone from seaming the tail and, not wanting to waste it, I colored it and painted the fluke. I must have done something wrong because I could peel it off! Is it because I mixed it after parts A and B were already mixed? Does anyone know?

[PearlieMae]

What did you use to color it? I've pigmented silicone after it was mixed with no problems.

[Kae]

Pearl Ex powdered pigments. I'm not sure what happened! Oh! I cleaned the brush with orange oil! I wonder if that had something to do with it.

Did you thin your silicone Pearlie?

[PearlieMae]

The orange oil might have has something to do with it. I usually use a palette knife instead of a brush, and no, I don't thin my silicone, but I'm usually not painting with it.

[Kae]

Thanks for your help Pearlie!

[Mermaid Lilium]

hiii hollannddd *waves* lol you have such a cute little one <3 And the fluke is looking awesome!

[Kae]

Aww thanks Lilium! I can't wait until everything is done!

[Onyx Jewel Catfish]

Any more progress on your awesome tail, Kae?

[PaolaMF]

you tried your monofin? silicone for aquariums work?It has not been taken off? you know another type of glue or otherwise attach the monofin to thesilicone fluke ?
thanks