Silicone dolphin tail

[spottedcatfish]

I have only seen one of these done, by Eric a few years ago, and I'm sure it was in latex not silicone. But I'm curious if it's possible to do a dophin tail, or some cetacean design, in dragon skin silicone? I don't see how it couldn't be done. it may even be easier to do, as there does not have to be a silicone scale pattern made, and the fluke is less textured. Post your thoughts and ideas?? I'm curious.

[MermaidBrittany]

I would think it would be a bit easier... since dolphins are smooth and details would be few. But then again, a tail could be made to look like an older adult dolphin with scars and such. I have always loved the idea of a marine mammal tail instead of a fish's scales, it just seems like a more "scientific" mermaid, or rather realistic. I liked the one Eric made awhile ago. He defined the butt cheeks rather prominently. xD

[Nicoseamus]

I think a dolphin tail would be really cool. It's something your barely see here, and it would catch eyes. It would also look really cool in the water, as grey tends to easily tint with the colors of the water around it, going it a cool effect.

[spottedcatfish]

I think a dolphin tail would be really cool. It's something your barely see here, and it would catch eyes. It would also look really cool in the water, as grey tends to easily tint with the colors of the water around it, going it a cool effect.

My thoughts exactly!!

[SeaSister]

Dangit, I was hoping no one else would think of this hahaha.

I've put a lot of thought into how a dolphin mermaid would look, and it's something that I feel very strongly about. The only thing is that I'm torn between wanting a colourful, "traditional" mermaid tail vs. how I imagine a "real" mermaid would look. I've done a lot of research into how a dolphin-mer would behave, what they would look like, how their body functions, etc. etc. It would be cool... just not as pretty as "traditional" mers.

[spottedcatfish]

Dangit, I was hoping no one else would think of this hahaha.

I've put a lot of thought into how a dolphin mermaid would look, and it's something that I feel very strongly about. The only thing is that I'm torn between wanting a colourful, "traditional" mermaid tail vs. how I imagine a "real" mermaid would look. I've done a lot of research into how a dolphin-mer would behave, what they would look like, how their body functions, etc. etc. It would be cool... just not as pretty as "traditional" mers.

Don't worry! There can be many variations of a dolphin tail, just as there are many different species of porpoise. If you do go the silicone tail route, I'd love to see some pictures of it and video in action!

[Anahita]

The only thing I could think of that would make it a bit "difficult" is that without the texture of the scales your knees, heels, and leg-line might be a bit more visible/harder to conceal. But I think just a thicker layer of silicone, or a neoprene backing might remedy that.

[spottedcatfish]

I'm wondering if thr silicone could be thicker because of the lack of scales. Really I'm curious to see if this would work in silicone or not. I don't see how it couldn't work. However, with a harder dorsal, as a dolphin or orca, that might be more complicated to create. I think the leg-line would be remedied once you swim in it.

[Anahita]

I'd make the dorsal out of lexan... I think that can work (I don't know first hand though, just guessing).... And yeah, probably because of the lack of scales the thickness could be greater because how uniform the "flesh" is. I would think too that the seams would be easier on a cetacean-style tail as well.

[Merman Arion]

We are talking about this dolphin tail right? :)

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[Merman Arion]

More pics

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It looks like a whale tail more than a dolphin actually. I may be wrong then.. :(

[spottedcatfish]

Yes that's the one... i think it's more latex than silicone now that I look at it. Looking at it now, the back of the tail is weird. :p

[Merman Arion]

Yes that's the one... i think it's more latex than silicone now that I look at it. Looking at it now, the back of the tail is weird. :p

LOL yes! We can see the shape of Eric's butt. :lol:

[spottedcatfish]

I think it's molded into the tail! :lol: anyways, would a true dolphin / porpoise be possible in silicone??

[jazz2453]

I definitely believe it can be done in silicone! For this tail, Eric made a body cast of his legs, sculpted clay on top of that, and made a two part mold of the full tail sculpture. I was originally going to make my tail like this until I came here and found cool stuff on one scale sheet and all.

[jazz2453]

Heres the sculpture-
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You can see them adding the texture

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Here's the dividing wall to make each mold half-
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After that you make the mold on one side, then the other. You usually have keys so the molds fit back together. The molds cure, you paint silicone on each half, let it cure, close both sides together, using a paintbrush connected to a yard stick brush the seams. Once it cures you open up the mold and have a seamless tail (you will need to trim excess silicone on the seam). Then you paint xD and get this:

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[spottedcatfish]

WOW! Thanks Jazz!! I'm wondering if it could be done using a silicone sheet (as scales won't be necessary). Also I don't have a full size sculpture of a tail yet...

[Jessica]

Yes it can be done with a silicone sheet!! This would be very neat! All you would need to do is get a large sheet of something that silicone won't be inhibited by....plastic sheeting, cardboard...etc it just has to be perfectly flat! (I think it might be best to try spreading out a sheet of plastic and taping it to the floor so it's nice and flat) You just build a clay wall(sulfur free) and pour your silicone in to create a smooth sheet.

If you wanted just a little bit of texture, you could always make a mold of something like a yoga mat....they generally have tiny bumps that could look neat.

once you have your two sheets finished, you seam the tail as usual! :) such sn awesome idea!!

although Eric's tail is nice, I'm not a fan of defined butt cheeks in a tai! :)

[spottedcatfish]

Yes it can be done with a silicone sheet!! This would be very neat! All you would need to do is get a large sheet of something that silicone won't be inhibited by....plastic sheeting, cardboard...etc it just has to be perfectly flat! (I think it might be best to try spreading out a sheet of plastic and taping it to the floor so it's nice and flat) You just build a clay wall(sulfur free) and pour your silicone in to create a smooth sheet.

If you wanted just a little bit of texture, you could always make a mold of something like a yoga mat....they generally have tiny bumps that could look neat.

once you have your two sheets finished, you seam the tail as usual! :) such sn awesome idea!!

although Eric's tail is nice, I'm not a fan of defined butt cheeks in a tai! :)

Wow! thanks for the advice!! I'm looking forward to actually creating this!

[Seatan]

LOL well he does have a nice butt. I guess he wanted to show it off... Either that it he has a saggy butt and this is the merman version of Spanx!

[Mermaid Cecelia]

I've always wanted some type of dolphin or porpoise tail. Like, the spotted dolphin or something. The whole human/fish thing never seemed very likely, but human/dolphin seemed more natural cuz both are mammals.

[PearlieMae]

I think it would be completely do-able! I wouldn't use Lexan for the dorsal, though, it could be dangerous. I would use a harder rubber, then coat it with dragonskin. The hardest part would be to get the whole thing smooth like a dolphin. I would definitely make a body cast, then sculpt a two part mold over that instead of trying to make it with sheets. And I would make a very streamlined Lexan monofin to keep the narrow ankle area as smooth as possible. It would take a lot of silicone to get it truly dolphin-like. An interesting challenge!

I wouldn't make it gray, though...I would keep the colors very close to my own skin tones, and that might just be too radical to swim in in public! :jawdrop:

(just my opinion, and it has nothing to do with how he runs his business or life, but something about Eric creeps me out!)

[spottedcatfish]

I like your thinking PearlieMae.

[Echidna]

I really like that tail, the colour is maybe a tad too grey but that's just my personal preference.
The shape is very dolphin-y, great for a merman.
We could use more "realistic mer"-tails!

The question is just; what monofin is inside?
Guess the Lunocet fin would fit, but it's designed for trekking shoes, so that's a problem.

[spottedcatfish]

The question is just; what monofin is inside?
Guess the Lunocet fin would fit, but it's designed for trekking shoes, so that's a problem.

Yeah the lunocent would be ideal, but with the way it works it would have to be hanging out of the tail on it's own, and look pretty weird and mechanical. There is a dolphin shaped monofin that could work, but the silicone may have an inhibition reaction with the rubber and not stick to the rubber. The fluke would really need a cut monofin in the shape of a dolphins fluke.

[PearlieMae]

I wonder what they used to make the prosthetic tail for that dolphin that lost his, what, last year? Do you remember seeing that in the news? I think they even made a movie about it.

[deepblue]

I wonder what they used to make the prosthetic tail for that dolphin that lost his, what, last year? Do you remember seeing that in the news? I think they even made a movie about it.


They created a new material they call Winter's Gel, after the dolphin they made the prosthetic for. ETA- Here's a link about it, there might be better. http://www.hanger.com/prosthetics/experience/patientprofiles/winterthedolphin/Pages/WintersGel.aspx - but it looks like that's just the liner, sorry! I don't see anything about the fin itself.

(Cool, this site is the site of the people who made her prosthetic, now I'm getting sucked into it. http://www.hanger.com/PROSTHETICS/EXPERIENCE/PATIENTPROFILES/WINTERTHEDOLPHIN/Pages/DolphinTale.aspx)

I love the idea of tails made to represent dolphins people don't often think about. And if you wanted, you could both have a lovely dolphin tail and raise awareness to anyone who asked about what kind of tail it's supposed to be.


Risso (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rissos_dolphin)'s- a number of whom were killed in Taiji last month- are a beautifully patterned dolphin.

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As are Commerson (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commerson%27s_dolphin)'s.

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[drucilla]

Chinese white dolphin and amazon river dolphin both have pink if someone wanted to do that.

[Mermaid Aglaia]

Wow, the dolphin tail looks very amazing. and the shape of the fluke, i love it.

Thats a good idea for a second tail :). Maybe with the colors of a short-beaked common dolphin or a killer whale.

[Mermaid Tula]

Hahah Eric's tail looks like it would feel like a constant wedgie!

[PearlieMae]

I am going to have to dig through my paper archives to find a monograph I wrote and illustrated on the existence of what I termed "merdolphs", dolphin-esque mermaids!

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[spottedcatfish]

Lovely monograph PearlieMae! There are many different types of dolphins. I do like the Amazon river dolphin and another species of porpise (I can't remember the name of) right now... but overall there are hundreds of tail designs, even ones that don't exist, that can be done with a dolphin tail structure, instead of the regular mermaid tail.

[PearlieMae]

:)

The monograph is a pretty long essay, that's just a bad cellphone pic of one of my mermaids!

[spottedcatfish]

:)

The monograph is a pretty long essay, that's just a bad cellphone pic of one of my mermaids!

Still it's a wonderful picture for reference! I've decide to create a silicone tail this year in a dolphin style and shape and/or create a silicone sale bra. I want to create something using silicone this year!!

[Azurin Luna]

I would love to get a silicone dolphin like mertail. I have the dol-fin monofin, which I love, but since it's fully rubber, I think that would give problems when using it with silicone... if I remember the stories of other mers right.

[spottedcatfish]

I think it's difficult to set any monofin in a tail. Usually where the foot pockets jut out is where the narrowest part of the tail is and that holds it in place if it does not set. However. I think that with the design of the dolphin monofin, besides your feet there is no part which juts out, so that could be a problem if it does not set. The fluke shape should be in the mold which might add some weight to the fluke, with a cut monofin in there. That's the best idea I have so far.

[Mermaid Shayna]

I might do this if I ever make a silicone tail lol

[Mermaid Oshun]

This can be made very easily and cheaply with raw neoprene that is not fabric coated. Just paint it gray shades

[PearlieMae]

Easy, cheap, and good are rarely found in the same item.

I'd rather do the body cast and invest in extra silicone to fill in the spaces where ankles, heels and even possibly knees make themselves apparent. Scales and side fins and bright colors are very forgiving when it comes to a mermaid shape, but for a human/dolphin chimera, careful sculpting would make for an excellent end result.

[Jessica]

Easy, cheap, and good are rarely found in the same item.

I'd rather do the body cast and invest in extra silicone to fill in the spaces where ankles, heels and even possibly knees make themselves apparent. Scales and side fins and bright colors are very forgiving when it comes to a mermaid shape, but for a human/dolphin chimera, careful sculpting would make for an excellent end result.


Well said pearlie! I think silicone would work great for this type of tail.

If you chose to do sheets....It would take time, but you could actually make it appear completely seamless by brushing thin layers over the seams until they completely disappeared :)

Also, if your knees/ankles/heels were too prominent, you could always cast an extra small sheet and "glue" it inside the tail in the problem area with some silicone :)

[Mermaid Melanie]

Hey guys - PearlieMae suggested I share my new mono fin on this thread its pretty mammal ! Im in love with it and can't wait to try it out tomorrow !

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[PearlieMae]

That would make such a perfect dolphin tail!

[Gem Stone]

Where did you get it? it looks neat!

[Echidna]

That would make such a perfect dolphin tail!

Not really, a dolphin's fluke is much less broad, it's almost sickle-shaped- very much like the Lunocet.

With that cut monofin up there I don't see a difference to most monofins used by mers and tailmakers, it's a normal monofin with a cut-out.

[Echidna]

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just to compare.

[Merman Arion]

Not really, a dolphin's fluke is much less broad, it's almost sickle-shaped- very much like the Lunocet.

With that cut monofin up there I don't see a difference to most monofins used by mers and tailmakers, it's a normal monofin with a cut-out.

Sometimes, Caltuna, I would say that you're negative... :p


Envoyé de mon iPhone à l'aide de Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

[SeaNymph]

Anatomically, Caltuna is right. This monofin has to be cut again a little to be really dolphin-like ;-)

[New York Mermaid]

My friend JV made a smooth orca tail, a while back before getting the new one made, I know quote a few mers on here that want to make or in process of making a cetacean tail. Im planning on one myself. I personally believe the closest fin specially to a dolphin fluke you can get is a dol-fin monofin http://www.dol-fin.net/products.html

[Mermaid Melanie]

Just making clear Im not making a cetacean tail ...just thought it had a bit of mammal in it - and yeah very negative tones there caltuna glass half empty much?

Gem Stone - its a custom made special fins mono fin - they make the foot pockets to your exact size and custom cut the fluke shape also :) very happy with it going for a swim very soon with it to try it out :D

[spottedcatfish]

Just making clear Im not making a cetacean tail ...just thought it had a bit of mammal in it - and yeah very negative tones there caltuna glass half empty much?

Gem Stone - its a custom made special fins mono fin - they make the foot pockets to your exact size and custom cut the fluke shape also :) very happy with it going for a swim very soon with it to try it out :D

I didn't know they cut the monofin too! Yes to achieve an actual dolphin fluke more molding is necessary, but it would weigh down the fluke... Probably best for a competitor stiffness in a monofin.

[Mermaid Danielle]

My friend JV made a smooth orca tail, a while back before getting the new one made, I know quote a few mers on here that want to make or in process of making a cetacean tail. Im planning on one myself. I personally believe the closest fin specially to a dolphin fluke you can get is a dol-fin monofin http://www.dol-fin.net/products.html

This fin is awesome! I absolutely love it!

[Gem Stone]

OK, so I've been working on an actual dolphin shaped monofin lately. the prototype worked wonderfully until I slapped the concrete wall and broke it. currently working on a better version, but the propulsion was great. I'm making this for my friend, who wanted a dolphin shaped fluke in her tail. pics will come eventually when I get the monofin built and in the tail. but it is shaped like a dolphin tail, and it does give me good propulsion given how small the first one was. the second one will be bigger. and when pictures come, I must warn, the foot pocket is made of colored Duct Tape, so be prepared

[lynsea]

Melanie, where did you get that monofin?! It's the perfect shape!

[MysticMerman]

I was thinking about doing similar for my shark inspired tails. Maybe using sand paper or something like that for a rough but barely noticeable texture... I'm having my first silicone made though. I'll eventually start making my own as I gain experience and knowledge in tail design. (It's just an expensive project to mess up on, needless to say)

[jazz2453]

I just found out something! The mertailor whale tail is actually silicone!

[PearlieMae]

I don't think Caltuna is being negative, she is being precise. It's not easy to interpret inflection from strictly text, something I think we need to remember. :)

[Talia]

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just to compare.

Actually, if you'll forgive me, dolphins (at least bottlenose dolphins) have a "general" shape for their tails, but as human hands, each dolphin has its own fluke shape. Some are narrower, some are wider, some don't have the middle dent very deep, like in the picture.

I worked with 5 dolphins long ago, and you could tell which one was just by the shape of their fluke. The more characteristic one was the one of the male, which was kind of serrated in on of the sides (not made like that by an accident), and the two fluke sides kind of mounted over one another in the middle. I have never seen a fluke like that in any other Tursiops.

Regarding Eric's tail, I wonder why they wanted to give the tail a "grainy" texture. After all, marine mammals are wonderfully smooth...

[jazz2453]

Maybe it was a hump back whale, you know how they have those bumps and kind of texture. Who knows...

[Mermaid Wesley]

This is a really old thread but I just had to pop in and say wow! I loved Erics whale tail and I never though about how it was made! Sounds intense!