Oh look, another person making a tail

[Elle]

Okay everyone, so!
just like a whole lot of other people, I too am making silicone tail (feel free to yawn :) )

Scale Mold
I used craft foam. I know there has been a lot of issues with people using craft foam, but it’s what I went with. I probably spent a grand total of 2 days cutting out all the foam circles, I just did it in little lots. I started with using a fiskars squeeze punch (with a 1 inch circle) that my hubby modified for me so that the foam actually fitted in it.
That was okay for maybe the first 10 foam sheets (A4 size) but the punch went blunt and despite my best attempts of sharpening it (I spent a lot of time on Google to work that one out) It failed miserably.
So I went out to buy another one, when I came across fiskars lever punch (same size).
The gap in it was just the right size for the foam, so I didn’t have to modify the punch at all and managed to get through the remainder of the foam sheets
(Okay I lie. It was a pack of 50 sheets and I probably didn’t use about 8 or 9 of the sheets at the end because they were slightly thicker than the rest and didn’t fit in the punch)
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I stuck all the foam circle on a piece of MDF board that I got at Bunnings Warehouse. I had the board cut to a little bit wider than me and it came up to my armpit. I know that seems really long and it is, but I figure I’ll have some left over to muck around with at the end of it all if I want. I’ll find something to do with it.
It took about another 2 days to stick all the circles in place (just with PVA glue, kind of annoying as you have to wait for the glue to dry between rows). I had some issues with keeping the rows straight so I ended up drawing lines across the board so they stayed even (kinda). I then spent another day and a half coating all the foam/scales in PVA glue. I did this because obviously the foam is porous and I didn’t want the resin going into all the little gaps and holes.
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I did a couple of test patches on a bit of scrap MDF, one with just the scales coated in the glue and one with the glue and a thin coat of wax furniture polish on top (Carnauba Polish; also from Bunnings). The scales with the wax popped off really nicely, the ones without I had to peel all the scales out by hand and the edges got stuck in the resin – I couldn’t get them out at all.
Hubby and my dad help put together the scale box which is just a second piece of MDF underneath and a couple of lengths of wood.

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[Echidna]

Looks like you're off to a good start.
Good luck!

[Ilyena]

Pretty colours :D. Good luck with it all.

side note: love how all the rows are random colours but the last 4-5 >_<

[jazz2453]

Good job so far~!!! And I totally agree @Ilyena !!!!!

[Elle]

Thanks guys....The last few rows weren't planned that way :) it was just something I ended up doing at the end

[Mermaid Julz]

you are headed in the right direction! will be following to see your progress.

[MermanZen]

Can't wait to see your progress

[PearlieMae]

Your scale sheet master is a work of art! I can't wait to see your progress!

[Elle]

I can't wait to see my progress either!

[Elle]

So update time :)

I've just finished laying resin on my scale mold. I started first with a detail layer, which is just a plain layer of resin left to set til it goes firm.
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Then I lay out the matting as per the instructions in the kit. I used Diggers Fibreglass Resin (from Bunnings).

Accessory Fins (pectoral, ankle)
Again I just did these on some MDF board with a basic white air dry clay from Spotlight. It was just a case of choosing a design, sculpting them out and letting them dry.
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this is an image of the detail layer on the fins. I wish I hadn't gone with this method.

It took me forever to remove the clay from the mold. If I was going to do it again, I'd use monster makers or plasticine - anything I could pull out easier.
I highly recommend wearing some kind of non permeable glove (vinyl, silicone, latex) before you handle fibreglass matting. The fibres can get under your skin and really irritate. Same goes for when you’re playing with the resin; it’s a pain to get off and is not skin safe. I probably used up about 2 or 3 pairs of gloves with the accessory fins.
I put contact (that sticky plastic stuff for covering books) on the board as during the first lot the resin attached to the MDF and tore it to shreds making it very hard to remove. Unfortunately the contact went funny when the resin was on it and bubbled so the resin got underneath it. But it wasn’t thick so I was able to snap most of it off with my fingers and what I couldn’t a screwdriver worked quite well.

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[Elle]

Sorry about the huge pictures :)

[Ilyena]

I love the shape of the extra fins ^_^

[MermaidMyrthe]

Oh i love it! Keep up the good work!!!!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Awesome! So great to see another Aussie mer making a silicone tail! :D

[shimmygoddess]

looks great, cant wait to see more progress. I am contemplating doing a silicone tail this year, since it looks like fun. After a couple years of looking at threads and watching clips, I feel I finally understand the process :) It takes a while sometimes...;)

[Jessica]

This is so awesome Elle! You're off to a great start and I can't wait to see more!!

instead of fiberglass matting, you can use fiberglass cloth! I use it in my molds and it's very easy to work with and cheap too. It's also stronger than matting and not as messy :)

[Elle]

instead of fiberglass matting, you can use fiberglass cloth! I use it in my molds and it's very easy to work with and cheap too. It's also stronger than matting and not as messy :)

There's a difference? I've looked at both matting and cloth and they're both basically in sheet form. The only difference being I can tear matting up quite easily....
Matting is definitely messy, I used a pair of tweezers while I was doing the fins because my hands got too fluffly. And got hubby to lay it down on my scale box (I'm great at task delegation!)
Maybe for when I get to my fluke?

Thanks everyone for the support :)

[Jessica]

Fiberglass cloth is woven, so you have to cut it with scissors....you can't tear it. Here's a picture for reference:

[Elle]

I shall look into it for my fluke.

[Elle]

I just took my scale mold apart. I'm very tired :) it was a lot of effort. There were a few places where the scales stuck (in little clusters) and the edges aren't very pretty. But I'll post some photos when I've finished cleaning it :)

[Elle]

Here's a close up from my scale mold. Because I'm working with my phone, the photo of the whole thing came out blurry so it's just this one
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as a point of interest, the pink spots (if you can see them) actually came from the dark blue foam.....work that one out?

[Ilyena]

That looks pretty good :D . Pink from blue....odd.

[Aino Revontuletar]

I'm having trouble deciding what to use for my molds. How much was the fiberglass you used, and did you have any problems with the clay becoming too hot and melting while the fiberglass is curing? It's looking fantastic by the way! I am excited to see more of your progress!

[Elle]

For the actual scale box I probably used 1 and a half cans (1 kg cans) maybe a little less...but I reckon I should've used 2. Also my scale box was big! as in 1.4m long.
I didn't have many issues as far as heat goes. I spilt it on the back of the rubber glove I was wearing and didn't really notice it. It was warm (higher than body temperature) but that's about it. I used air dry clay, which I won't use again, but you could always do a test on plasticine? it melts pretty easy and diggers resin comes in a 250g can I think, so you can do a test run with it. (be warned family members complain about the smell)

[Aino Revontuletar]

I guess it wouldn't help to buy some and test it. Did you just use the resin with fiberglass matting? I was going to use ultracal for mine since it is cheap but I am afraid of breaking it

[Elle]

yes I got matting, purely for stability and that's what came in the kit. Jessica suggested cloth instead of matting because it's stronger and less messy. and Matting most definitely is messy making it annoying to work with

[OceanRose]

OoooOO!!!!
I'm doing something similar, Elle, I'm stoked to find your thread.
My box is big too - actually I think it's as long as yours ... I made mine big in case I wanted to make another tail for someone much taller than me.
I am in the process of gluing in the foam scales, using PVA glue but I haven't been waiting for them to dry and have had no issues yet. One of my cats is obsessed with trying to get in the box, and one time when I was away she succeeded and I have some scales with tiny kitty claw holes lol

I was planning on coating in Vaseline, I'm hoping that won't be a bad idea. And, planning on using UltraCal 30 but after reading your thread I'm wondering if fibreglass resin may be a much better idea.

Best wishes and I'm cheering you on from across the ditch! xx

[OceanRose]

I guess it wouldn't help to buy some and test it. Did you just use the resin with fiberglass matting? I was going to use ultracal for mine since it is cheap but I am afraid of breaking it

Hi Aino Revontuletar,
I think we could reinforce the Ultracal using some matting or cloth? I'm trying to research right at the mo

[Elle]

Mermaid Star made a latex tail a while ago, I think she used ultracal and she had heshen (or something similar) in between the layers. She used vaseline as her release agent, and it worked well for her.
I made my box long because I wanted my tail to come up high....I just went over the top.

Resin lasts longer than ultracal. It's less susceptible to damage. but also more expensive. As long as you take care of your moulds however they last a while

[Aino Revontuletar]

I just watched Mermaid Star's YouTube videos and yes she used ultracal. Mermaid Mizuko used ultracal for her scale mold as well and it seemed to work for her. The problem I have is I intend to sculpt the scales out of clay and put a lot of work into them and if my mold failed that would be a huge setback. I like the sound of ultracal because I have used plaster before (not sure whether it was ultracal or not) for a sculpture and it seemed to be easy enough to handle. I know it captures details well too. I just don't want it to break before I have a chance to use it at least twice (for either side of the scale sheet since I will be using the double seam method)

I also know that Mizuko used fiberglass and it melted her clay, so I am hesitant to use it

[Elle]

using a polymer clay maybe the way to go....they are more heat resistant. Or talk to PearlieMae....I'm pretty sure she used clay for her scales and her molds are resin (or some of them are), she might be a voice of wisdom in this area.

[Ilyena]

I though vaseline was an inhibitor for silicone curing?? either that or I think it was bad for silicone.

[Elle]

vaseline to stop the foam sticking to the ultracal :D silicone only sticks to silicone, so you're usually pretty safe with whatever you pour it on as long as it isn't silicone (don't quote me on that I'm not a pro!)
I know it won't stick to the resin, so I won't be using a release agent when I get to that point.

[Aino Revontuletar]

The resin PearlyMae used was an expensive resin, I don't think it was the same as fiberglass though I could be wrong since I am far from being resin-savvy

[Elle]

In other news my fingers are killing me as im hand sewing my neoprene at the moment. I've also stabbed myself with the needle a few times so I've stopped for tonight as its too hard to keep going with tissues wrapped around your fingers :(

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[jazz2453]

Looks great! What resin are you using?

[Elle]

The resin PearlyMae used was an expensive resin, I don't think it was the same as fiberglass though I could be wrong since I am far from being resin-savvy

Im not resin savvy either. I think it'll be a case of doing trial runs to see what works best for you


Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[Aino Revontuletar]

You are right of course. I will do my first tests with ultracal and just go from there most probably

[Elle]

Best of luck!! I hope to see your own tail making journey one day :)

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[Aino Revontuletar]

It will be a little while before I start my actual tail. I am going to start off making little mini tails for my dolls I think. Then perhaps make a top

[jazz2453]

I use ultracal for my silicone mermaid tail molds. It is heavy, messy, but cheap, and strong. There will be undercuts and it won't last too long. But it's the cheapest option and works. I recommend saving up for some resin and fiberglass.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk (http://tapatalk.com/m?id=1)

[Aino Revontuletar]

As long as it works that's what I am worried about haha

[jazz2453]

Also you need to back it with burlap strips for extra reinforcement. It pretty fun to work with though especially when you mix with your hands!

[Elle]

So I'm waiting for things to arrive. While I wait I figured now was a good a time as any to start making my mermaid bra.
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[Aino Revontuletar]

Nice! Where did you get that netting?

[Elle]

It's actually a string bag. I couldn't find netting anywhere so I ended up buying a couple of string bags, using some old brown dye on them and just cutting them up as needed

[Aino Revontuletar]

It looks pretty neat. Where did you buy the string bags? I don't think I have seen anything like that before.

[Elle]

I got them online. From estringbags.com.au

[Elle]

I just finished the top now anyway... here is my very wonderful husband modelling my shell bra for you all!

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[Ilyena]

It suits him very well >_

[Elle]

hahaha :)
I've just this second finished pouring my first lot of silicone!
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If you're wondering why it's blue, it's cos it's pigmented. I used True Blue pearl ex. Here's a close up
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[Aino Revontuletar]

Awesome!

[Ilyena]

Pretty blue :D

[Elle]

Thank you guys!! It's just started to go gluggly. The curing time is being sped up because of the nice hot weather :)

[Ilyena]

Nice. But I do have to ask, why is there an electric mixer beater on the fin??

[Elle]

It's an old beater I used to mix the silicone together with. :) I was going to find a cordless drill and stuff, but I was able to do it by hand easily enough. It also helped with spreading the silicone alone the molds. It's in the shot as it's currently weighing down that mold so it doesn't fall off the table :D :lol:

[Ilyena]

Smart cookie ^_^. My dad used an old one and welded it to a metal rod to mix paint with a drill XP

[Elle]

yeah.... I was just going to stick in the drill and see how I went.

anyway I just uploaded these from my phone.
Here's me poking some uncured silicone.....just because.


http://youtu.be/meIGZWtDmB8

and what the silicone looks like in the sun :)


http://youtu.be/DexS0N6mYeM

[MagickalDJ]

Oh my goodness! What a marvelous blue! And it looks like it's turning out so well!
I'm inspired!

[Elle]

Thank you. I hope when I get to pulling them out of the molds they don't go all funny.... But I've got to wait about 2 hours before I can do that :( *patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue, patience is a virtue,*

[OceanRose]

OMG hehehehe! nice picky of your husband Elle! I wonder if I can get my husband to pose similarly ... I bet I could actually lol.

I'm excited to see how your silicone turns out! Already it looks very pretty :-)

I got my resin today :=) Mine is epoxy resin, the man in the shop said he thinks polyester resin would eat away at foam.
I only got enough to make the scales, haven't even begun a fluke. I got 4litres plus 800ml hardener which is mixed in. I didn't get reinforcing mat, he didn't seem to think it was necessary - I really hope he's right.

I hadn't realised you were doing a partial, Elle ... I appreciate you and this thread more and more every time I read it <3
I don't know much about neoprene but I think E6000 will glue it, it says so on the tube I have here. (if you need to know that, ever)

To anyone who wants to know about Vaseline ... it will inhibit the cure of latex, so don't use it as a release if you're making a latex tail.

[Elle]

Yay! congrats on your resin! Epoxy resin is a better quality than fibreglass resin I'm fairly certain. I hope he was right about the reinforcing matt too!

Yes I'm doing a partial tail....I guess I must of mentioned it :) I don't remember haha. I'm so glad your getting lots of out this. I know I'm learning something new very regularly!
As far as the neoprene goes, I've already finished sewing the sides...bummer.
I'm waiting for a really really big zipper to come in the mail, so I can get in and out with a little less struggle than those in pure silicone tails. *Fingers Crossed*

[Elle]

I pulled a fin out! I shouldn't of done it as it hasn't quite finished curing (it's a bit sticky) but it solid and I couldn't help it I had to see it

The lines on the paper are just so you can see how transparent it is

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With a flash, so you can see the pretty colour!

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Obviously I still need to clean up the edges as I made a bit of a mess when I was pouring :D

[Aino Revontuletar]

Omg that looks amazing! When I eventually make my silicone tail I am hoping it will have translucent fins like yours. Well done!

[Elle]

translucency was a fluke (haha) but I'm glad it happened.

[MagickalDJ]

Oh my word! That color with the translucency! Brilliant job!

[PearlieMae]

using a polymer clay maybe the way to go....they are more heat resistant. Or talk to PearlieMae....I'm pretty sure she used clay for her scales and her molds are resin (or some of them are), she might be a voice of wisdom in this area.

I was catching up on threads and just saw this one...I used a plasticine clay to make my scales and plastic resin for my molds. Then again, I am making my scales individually and my scale molds are small. My fluke mold is large and it took a lot of resin! If I was paying full price for it, it would easily have been $50 or more. Doing a full size scale mold could get pricey, but if you are going to make more than one tail, it's worth it. Another plus, the resin does not smell!

Hope this helps!

[Elle]

yeah, the resin I used had a very strong smell which took a few days (after it had cured) to disappear. But on the plus side, my silicone doesn't have any smell at all :)

[PearlieMae]

I love that the two part silicone doesnt smell! When I was playing with the silicone caulk, the acidic vinegar smell was terrible! But it was warm enough to work outside.

Also, your hands stay clean and cleaning up cured silicone is super easy!

[Elle]

Yes, it was such a great suprise. I opened it up, bracing myself for the impact of a very strong smell and there was nothing!! I practically had to stick my head in the bucket to check as I didn't believe it

[Jessica]

Beautiful fin Elle!!! It's so fun watching your progress!! :)

[Mermaid Oshun]

Oh Elle that is so pretty. You're going to have such a lovely sea blue tail! Good for you lady!

[Elle]

Thank you both! I'm pulling out my scale sheet today :) fingers crossed it goes well?

[Elle]

So I got my first scale sheet!!!! The side that is scaled though didn't seem to cure well...I'm hoping that now that I've pulled it out and it's exposed to the air it'll finish curing and stop being so sticky

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This is the same spot photographed with and without a flash

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[Mermaid Oshun]

Looks great Elle

[Mermaid Adriel]

*.* that colour...

[Mermaid Julz]

I know this is a bit late, but I used a Fiberglass resin. As Jessica stated, the cloth is so much better to use. I had first made plaster molds. They broke. So the fiberglass was what I went to. Vaseline works great as a release agent , but when you go and coat your sculpt , make sure to hit it with some heat from a hairdryer or heat gun. This melts it and turns it liquidy. This helps give an even coating all over the sculpt, and so you won't end up using as much.

Love the blue color. Things seem to be coming along well for you :)

[Mermaid Oshun]

We want updates! I need my fix of creativity and beauty!

[Elle]

My silicon is still sticky! I've got it in the sun at the moment (I'll be bringing it in very soon) in hopes it'll help it finish curing. I won't be able to do another sheet yet as I have to go out and get more pigment (I can only get it in little bottles)
I will be starting my sculpts for my fin soon I guess. It has too be done regardless. The only issue I have at the moment is the heat. It's going to get up to 33C today (91F for you all trying to do the maths) with humidity at 75% and a strong chance of rain and I don't know how much fun I'll have trying to work with the monster makers in that. But we'll see how we go

[Jessica]

I've only worked with dragonskin, but I would think all platnium cure silicones would be rather similar.....how many hours has it been since you poured the silicone? For dragonskin if the silicone hadn't cured within the time frame, then it won't cure. It cures very fast when it's hot, but cold can slow down the cure time.

Did you wash your mold? You might be experiencing cure inhibition if the silicone is still tacky after the cure time has passed.

[Elle]

It's been over 24 hours. It's more tacky than anything else, like it sticks to my hand if I lay my hand on it, but it's not shifting or anything. I did wash my mold though. I used warm soapy water and a scrub brush. Also the inside on the mold is still sticky too :(

[Jessica]

That's awful Elle! :(

You probably already thought of these, but here are a few things you might want to check.....

Is there any latex or rubber nearby? Like latex gloves?
Some types of wood will stop silicone from curing
did you measure exactly? It's ok with dragonskin to have extra catalyst (part b) but not extra part a. This is probably the same with your silicone, so you might want to double check your measurements and ratios
what soap did you use to wash the mold?
Check your mixing containers too :) sometimes it's something weird that can cause inhibition!

Its a good possibility that there's surface contamination in your mold since the scales are tacky near the mold surface. You might want to wash your mold again and rinse really well.

To figure out exactly where the problem is, you can do a few tests....mix a few teaspoons together and put a little in your scale mold, leave a little in your bucket, put just a bit on a paper plate in a different room, and pour a little on the surface you're working on...table etc...

if it cures in one place, like the bucket or paper plate, then you know the silicone isn't the problem. It's also a possibility that your silicone could be old....dragonskin generally only has a six month shelf life, so you might want to check the manufacture date.

how long does the silicone you're using usually take to cure?

[Elle]

There was no rubber or latex nearby.
I'm not sure about the wood bit you've put in there :S
I was very exact with my silicon. I went and bought digital scales and everything! sometimes there might have been a bit extra of part b as my ratio is 10:1. But that's the catalyst so that can't of been it.
I just used hand soap to wash the mold and I rinsed it out thoroughly afterwards.
I used a plastic bucket and a metal mixing bowl, I know it's not the bucket cos the stuff I pulled out of the bucket was better set than anything else.
I think it may of had something to do with the molds. When I pulled my extra fins out they were tacky for about 4 hours after.
Like I said the scale mold is still tacky too. much worse than the scale sheet.
Vario has a 12 month shelf life, and it's fine to use. It's supposed to take only 6 hours to cure. I pulled the fins out at 6 hours but at that time when I went to look at the scales they were still wet underneath (like coming of on my fingers. Now it's just tacky.

[Jessica]

Some types of wood can cause cure inhibition....like if your silicone was in a mold on top of a wooden table. It's not that common though, and most types of wood are fine :)

I can't remember what you used for your molds....I'll have to go back and look....but with shell shock you can wipe your mold down with rubbing alcohol to remove surface contamination.

Did your extra fins cure completely?

[Elle]

yes the fins are fine now. I used fibreglass resin for the mold. the mold was on a pine table that have a vinyl layer on top to protect the wood surface

[Elle]

This is what I mean by tacky. the mold I'm most definitely sure has uncured silicon in it. I think.


http://youtu.be/O360-t1A0NQ

[Elle]

I found the CULPRIT!! (kind of) IT'S THE BLOODY VINYL TABLE TOP PROTECTOR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. I just went and looked at the mold and the inside has gone tacky now but the underside, the side that was touching the table, where silicon leaked through it has barely cured if at all. I went and touched what was left on the vinyl, and it's all still wet!

All in all that might explain what has happened but I'm not 100% sure. I will be doing a massive clean of the mold today instead of my fluke (it's too hot for flukes today I think)

[Mermaid Dottie]

I'm sorry it took me so long to find your thread, Elle, but OH MY GOODNESS! That color is so lovely!

[Jessica]

I'm so glad you figured it out! Sometimes it's just something weird causing issues! :)

[Elle]

Thanks Dottie!
And thanks Jessica. Talking to you regularly puts me at ease. I'm hoping now that everything is separated, it'll all start working better :)

[Mermaid Dottie]

Uh, oh... My table has vinyl on it. This will probably have an affect on my current project. :thinks:

[Elle]

Uh, oh... My table has vinyl on it. This will probably have an affect on my current project. :thinks:

I don't know if the state of the vinyl makes any difference. This protector is very new, and feels like it may have some kind of coating on it??? I'm not sure I don't have any experience with it. I have to leave it on the table as the top is getting scratched and marked from my work. I was going to get a thick painters drop sheet. hopefully that provides enough of a barrier.

[Miyu]

Ah! I was wondering if it might be the vinyl. As soon as you said it... But I don't know hardly anything about plastics :(

A drop sheet could work, especially if you could fold it a couple of times to put more space between the vinyl and your mold... I would say try to find a cotton drop cloth if you can (or just some old bedsheets), in case one of the plastic drop cloths ALSO inhibits cure :P

[Mermaid Dottie]

0.0 Now I'm getting paranoid. Does any of this information apply to latex (since that's what I'm working with first)?

[Winged Mermaid]

Took me a while to find this thread! But looks like things are going awesomely! Well, besides the sticky scales :/ Silicone is so cure-touchy! Sometimes you forget or don't notice small stuff, like wearing latex gloves instead of nitrile gloves, or in this case the vinyl, or having some latex matting in your garage.. X_x Also I think Julz mentioned using vaseline for a mold release, but you can't do that with silicone becuase it's petroleum based (am I right or am I losing my mind? lol). I really hope the scale sheet is salvageable somehow!

Dottie, as far as I know none of that should affect latex. I don't read as many of these threads as I should (too many other admin duties- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, haha) but silicone is a chemical reaction cure and that's why other things around it can affect it so much. Latex is an evaporation cure- the water evaporates off and that's how it cures. That's why it takes so much longer. However if it's humid or cold it can take forever for the stuff to cure.

[Aino Revontuletar]

Elle, I'm so sorry to hear that happened! It's one of the things I am really scared of for when I finally get to make my silicone tail.

[Elle]

Thanks everyone for the support. the scale sheet is still a little sticky but definitely less sticky than it was last night or even early today. So I think I still might be able to use it *Fins Crossed*
Silicon is cure touchy! But hopefully my trials and errors help some other people out there with their tails!!

[Aino Revontuletar]

Well you have definitely helped me! Even though I am deciding to go with neoprene first and putting off my silicone tail as something I will do in the future it doesn't hurt to stay up to date on everyone's threads and learn things that I will eventually put to use when the time comes. I guess with silicone you just have to do tests, tests and more tests!

[Elle]

I think I've worked out how to deal with the sticky/tacky nonsense! as it's still not setting. I took a very small bit of the sheet (2 and a bit scales in total) and wiped them with a bit of eucalyptus oil. as soon as I did that I washed them with a bit of water and a soft cloth. it's gotten rid of the stick! I'm waiting until the morning to see if I've been able to maintain scale integrity.
eucalyptus oil is great for removing residue off almost anything (I usually use it to remove the sticky stuff left from price labels on CD cases). Hopefully it works, but I'll let you all know in the morning so about 12 hours from now.... Fins crossed mers!!!

[Jessica]

I think I've worked out how to deal with the sticky/tacky nonsense! as it's still not setting. I took a very small bit of the sheet (2 and a bit scales in total) and wiped them with a bit of eucalyptus oil. as soon as I did that I washed them with a bit of water and a soft cloth. it's gotten rid of the stick! I'm waiting until the morning to see if I've been able to maintain scale integrity.
eucalyptus oil is great for removing residue off almost anything (I usually use it to remove the sticky stuff left from price labels on CD cases). Hopefully it works, but I'll let you all know in the morning so about 12 hours from now.... Fins crossed mers!!!

I'm not positive about this, but I think the eucalyptus oil will seep into the pores of the silicone----silicone has pores that close 48 hours after it cures(this is why it's best to paint immediately after it cures).

Anyway, I think there is a very good chance that the oil will not come off the scales completely and act as a release agent when you try to paint your scales. This can cause the paint layer either to not cure or cure but peel off later. I really recommend doing some small tests before using the oil on the entire sheet :)

[PearlieMae]

I looked at your video and I'm not sure that isn't the regular tackiness of the silicone. Were you getting residue on your hands when you were doing that? Otherwise, it could be cured!

[Elle]

no nothings it coming off on my hands.... but my fins that I have completed have absolutely no tackiness what so ever.

[Elle]

silicone has pores that close 48 hours after it cures(this is why it's best to paint immediately after it cures).


does that mean that because it's been longer than 48 hours since I pulled it out of the mold I won't be able to paint it :confused:

[Mermaid Dottie]

Dottie, as far as I know none of that should affect latex. I don't read as many of these threads as I should (too many other admin duties- that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it, haha) but silicone is a chemical reaction cure and that's why other things around it can affect it so much. Latex is an evaporation cure- the water evaporates off and that's how it cures. That's why it takes so much longer. However if it's humid or cold it can take forever for the stuff to cure.

Iona, you must be a super hero! Thank you! My brain does not function sometimes, LOL

[Elle]

I'm confused if I have the right tackiness or the wrong tackiness. So hopefully this helps provide the answer
the silicone I touch first it stuff that cured in the bucket, it has the same stickiness that the fins have - none whatsoever.
The second is a cut off from my scale sheet,


http://youtu.be/CkpMSxdLDIg

[Jessica]

does that mean that because it's been longer than 48 hours since I pulled it out of the mold I won't be able to paint it :confused:

You can still paint it! It's just ideal to paint within 48 hours according to the technical info. I paint things past that all the time without any issue and there is no noticeable difference :) sorry to confuse you!! If you do use the eucalyptus oil, it would probably be a good idea to wait the full 48 hours so the pores are closed though...just to be safe! I'm still wondering if it would act as a release agent though....

based on your video, I think your scales are not fully cured. They shouldn't stick to your finger like that. :(

[Elle]

Well it's been about 12 hours since I did a eucalyptus test. The shine, I guess that's what you could call it, that is the stickiness is gone - the scales have a matte finish now. The scales are intack and haven't been eaten through. There is a very faint smell of the eucalyptus still around, but the scales aren't sticky and feel like all my molds that have gone right hahaha. I was going to leave it for at least 24 hours before painting. it's actually going to be longer than that because I'm waiting for a wetsuit zip for my neoprene and was going to paint once I had the tail body altogether. and I'm going to have to buy more silicone as I only bought a 5.5kg amount (about 12 lb) and at the present time can't afford more. I only have enough silicone to do the second scale sheet - but I need more pigment first, lol.

So it maybe about 1-2 months before I can acquire more silicone, damn budget issues

[OceanRose]

Whew.... I'm so relieve it appears to be ok now
I wonder what caused the tackiness, did you use anything different for the scale sheet? You used something to coat the foam circles perhaps different to the fin molds?

[OceanRose]

I'm sorry if I missed it somewhere in the thread, Elle ... but do you mind me asking what silicone you are using, if it's not dragonskin?
Smoothon do not ship to New Zealand, so I'd have to get dragonskin via Australia which means I get their distributor mark up, plus I have to pay shipping fees, and probably a customs tax too.

Nobody in NZ makes silicone, it seems. So I was wondering about an alternative from Aussie, and I came across Dalchem, but I can't understand their products and customer service was not helpful.

[AnnaAbyss]

I was just looking through this thread and I saw how you made your scale mould. It's awesome :D I haven't had any idea how I would go about making a scale mould myself and I think your method looks really fantastic. You wouldn't mind if I tried that too?

[Elle]

I was just looking through this thread and I saw how you made your scale mould. It's awesome :D I haven't had any idea how I would go about making a scale mould myself and I think your method looks really fantastic. You wouldn't mind if I tried that too?

It's a fairly commonly used method, you're more than welcome to it :)


Whew.... I'm so relieve it appears to be ok now
I wonder what caused the tackiness, did you use anything different for the scale sheet? You used something to coat the foam circles perhaps different to the fin molds?

It didn't work as well as I hoped, it's still quite tacky. But the sheet is being stored until I get the second sheet done and start putting it all together. The foam have a PVA layer to help fill up the pores and then furniture polish (basically bees wax) as a release agent. next time I might just splurge on a proper release agent, as I'll never be sure it that was part of the problem as well.


I'm sorry if I missed it somewhere in the thread, Elle ... but do you mind me asking what silicone you are using, if it's not dragonskin?
Smoothon do not ship to New Zealand, so I'd have to get dragonskin via Australia which means I get their distributor mark up, plus I have to pay shipping fees, and probably a customs tax too.

Nobody in NZ makes silicone, it seems. So I was wondering about an alternative from Aussie, and I came across Dalchem, but I can't understand their products and customer service was not helpful.

I used Vario 15 that I purchased at Barnes. They don't have any stores in New Zealand, but they do international shipping.
But I'm really happy with what I got, I bought 5kg which based on estimation is going to get me through the 'body' of the tail and all the fins with a touch left over
I'm going to have to get more to do the fluke and possibly again to glue everything together. It comes in 550g, 1.1kg or 2.2 (I can't remember which), 5.5kg and 22kg. 22 seemed like a lot so I didn't get it, (it was also slightly out of budget). I'm wishing I had waited so I could've done the whole tail at once though

[Aino Revontuletar]

Is the Vario 15 all that much cheaper than Dragonskin? (I would try and work it out myself but the weights and measurements and all that confuse the hell out of my poor brain, so I figured I would just ask someone who knew already, haha). It would be nice to have a cheaper alternative for when I eventually get around to making my own silicone tail. Dragonskin is so ridiculously expensive here that it makes me mad

[Elle]

Is the Vario 15 all that much cheaper than Dragonskin? (I would try and work it out myself but the weights and measurements and all that confuse the hell out of my poor brain, so I figured I would just ask someone who knew already, haha). It would be nice to have a cheaper alternative for when I eventually get around to making my own silicone tail. Dragonskin is so ridiculously expensive here that it makes me mad

It's cheaper for me because I'm not paying shipping. I can drive to the store and buy it. I paid $264 for the 5kg which includes the 500g catalyst (Vario works with weight rather than mils and litres, and you need to be pretty exact)
for the 22kg barrell is $800 and something, where as the 550g is only $30 odd.
seeing as it's estimated that the average silicone only tail required 2 lots of 1 gallon dragonskin (4 gallons in total as each lot comes with 1gallon of part a and 1 of part b), and I'm estimating that I need about 10kg of the Vario to finish my tail.....

To get dragonskin here (2 lots) would be over $920 (from SA and anywhere from $30 - $100 as a rough estimate) and the Vario is going to cost probably close to $600 as I need more silicone for glue as my tail is going to be partial. So there is potentially almost a $400 difference for me.
There is a Barnes in Newtown NSW, Richmond Victoria and Wooloongabba in QLD. If you can get to one I recommend it. They have a lot of options than just Vario, Vario just happened to have the feel I wanted.

[OceanRose]

D'oh :-( still tacky. I hope the experiments work out with eucalyptus or that we get some advice come up.
You know ... PVA is 'polyvinal acetate' ... wonder if that vinal is no so good for the silicone. I used it to glue my foam too, though I did not coat mine in PVA.
Perhaps I will purchase a small amount of silicone and do some experiments, and post here.

Regarding the mould release, I can tell you what product I DON'T recommend for foam, and that's 'soft mould wax' (used primarily as a release agent before Gelcoat or Fibreglass). It just sinks in, and if you don't wipe it off properly it leaves a crusty layer which is really annoying to remove.
I'm in that process right now with cotton buds and some Vaseline and it's taking me a long time and I feel pissed off haha.
It may be ok as a release, but it doesn't leave much of a layer, so I have my doubts.


Thank you so much for the advice on what silicone you used, I will definitely look them up, thank youuuu!!!!!!!

[Elle]

And I forgot to add; Dragonskin has that white colour to it. Vario cures completely clear, so it would probably require more coats to colour it than dragonskin, unless you're pigmenting it first. In saying that, because my silicone is quite thin you'd still need a lot of layers. That's why I'm making a partial tail, my silicone will be thinner and I won't need as much. And because I'm not slim it seemed like a good route to take :)

[Aino Revontuletar]

Vario sounds like it would be really great for achieving a really translucent effect in your tail, which I think would look really cool and very fish-like

[Mermaid_Dominique]

Glad I found your thread! I'm planning on finishing a silicone tail before the end of the summer and your process is really helpful. I feel sorry about your scales, being all tacky and stuff, I'm sure everything will turn out just fine. Your fins look great so far :).

[Elle]

Yeah ive had no problems with my fins just my scale sheet. So I definitely think it came down to me using pva glue as a sealant on the foam scales and not taking appropriate measures to clean out the mold. Im re cleaning the mold with some alcohol based cleaner when I have time so I can finish this thing off

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[Ashton]

What brand of Fiberglass resin did you use?

[Elle]

Diggers Fibreglass Resin. It was the most readily available to me

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I asked a special effects artist about this, describing exactly what happened to you and he thinks it is actually to do with the fiberglass! How long did you wait between lifting the fiberglass mould and pouring the silicone? Apparently you have to wait one day to a week to use it, because the fiberglass is still releasing chemicals from its curing process that will affect the curing of the silicone. He also thought that the glue shouldn't affect the curing of the silicone.
Hope this helps!

[Elle]

I asked a special effects artist about this, describing exactly what happened to you and he thinks it is actually to do with the fiberglass! How long did you wait between lifting the fiberglass mould and pouring the silicone? Apparently you have to wait one day to a week to use it, because the fiberglass is still releasing chemicals from its curing process that will affect the curing of the silicone. He also thought that the glue shouldn't affect the curing of the silicone.
Hope this helps!


I probably waited a day....it was very excited. I'm currently unable to continue with the tail because of uni, work, cost and health issues.
hopefully as summer rolls around I will be able to at least finish the scales. The fluke is something that will have to wait unfortunately.
Thank you greatly for your input. It's given me something to consider :)

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I'm sorry to hear that, I hope everything gets better for you soon!

[Elle]

So I've bee quite lazy and poor lately (damn you Christmas) and done nothing much lately.

But today I thought it was about time I started attaching the giant zip on my skin.

Hand sewing again, just like I did for the side seams (glutton for cruel and unusual punishment apparently) and I already know this is going to take me a long time



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[Elle]

also, my scale sheet is no longer tacky. I'm not sure when it happened, because I rolled it into a sheet and put it under the bed after about 6 days of it sitting outside undercover waiting for it to stop being tacky.
So as long as I go through all that again, it'll be fine right?

The mold is still sticky though :( Nothing seems to work when it comes to cleaning it

[Elle]

I started making my dorsal yesterday. I decided to go with fabric, just because. So it's just a piece of fabric doubled over with fabric paint on it.

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[Mermaid Danielle]

I can't wait to see this when it is finished! It is coming along so beautifully already!

[Spindrift]

This is both exciting and fascinating. Keep up the fantastic work Elle! :) I love your fabric dorsal!

[Mermaid Leira]

Looking great Elle : )

[Elle]

Thanks Danielle, Spindrift and Amy. I decided to be brave and cast the remaining silicone for the body and then it started raining. It stopped but now it's ridiculously humid.

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[Mermaid Leira]

Good on you, humidity and cold sucks for tail making, had a hot dry day here the other day and wow dod it help with casting and seaming :) dry time more than halved and things "stuck" better

[Elle]

So guys I need some help with a decision. Here are my two scale sheets. A less pigmented one is the more recent cast and that comes down to the fact that I simply didnt put as much pigment into it as the first one. An over sight on my part. But basically one needs to go on the front and one on the back. The less pigmented is slighty rougher in texture but other wise they are fairly similar. I'm also adding a really basic picture of what I intend to do paint wise to see if you can help me to decide which one will go where

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[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

I would say put the lighter one one on the belly, as it will help in painting (trying to make it lighter is so much harder than making it darker). It's a bit hard to see the difference in texture on my phone, but remember that painting will even out any imperfections. It's looking really good!

[Elle]

added a silicone layer to my dorsal today. As well as my accessory fins. When the dorsal finishes curing and I've tidied it up I'll post up some pictures

[Elle]

So the weather is being a pain and my dorsal hasn't cured entirely yet so I am yet to cut it out but I figured I'd show what I've done since I'm going to bed soon.

These are the ankle fins
2759127592

Pectoral fins
2759327594

Dorsal
2759527596

And the colour of the silicone that was used. 27597



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[PearlieMae]

Wonderful! I can't wait to see it altogether and swimming!

[Elle]

Thank you :) I just cut out the dorsal and wouldn't you know it. The sides don't match up. So I think I'll lay them on top on each other and work out how to cut them so there is minimal loss as I need coverage for my zipper

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[Trident True]

you have come along way, it looks good and you have mad really good progress. your scale sheet looks good to. in regards to the vinyl protector cover, I bought a plastic shower curtain and used that to make my silicone skin. it was an underlay and the silicone cured perfectly. good to see that things are going well for you. nice job your sewing in your zipper too No way could i hand sew it in :) love the blue colour it reminds me of a sapphire.

[Elle]

I'd definitely never do another zippered tail (unless I bought a sewing machine that could handle it).

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[AnnaAbyss]

Hi Elle, nice progress. I have two questions.
1. Is Vario silicone skin safe?
2. What did you use as a release agent for your silicone scales?

[Elle]

Vario 15 is a platinum cure silicone and I was told it was skin and marine safe by the lady who sold it to me who has been working in special effects for over 20 (she also worked on Aquamarine and h2o) so I do trust her a fair bit :). I have very sensitive skin and I have made several messes with this stuff, which usually ends with me getting it all over my hands and then waiting 2 hours for it to cure while I pull it off, and I'm yet to have anything occur.

I haven't used any kind of release agent. Being that silicone only sticks to silicone, and my molds have been fibreglass resin I have no trouble removing them. However if I was going to do it over again, I'd wait several days after making my mold to let it de-gas, (so there are no odours coming off it, and you'd know when that is as resin stinks) something that was a major issue with my scale mold, I was impatient and used it before it was ready.

[AnnaAbyss]

Ahh thank you! And ergh I made a dumb mistake in the second question. I meant to ask if you used a release agent for the foam circles and resin, not the silicone and resin. FFS. Sorry. -Facepalm-

[Elle]

haha, that's cool, I did coat my foam in pva glue and then put a layer of caruba wax over that. Again if I was to do this over I think I'd pick a different method, as small bits of foam where stuck in the resin when I removed it and they are still in it (nothing I did removed them). I've heard that vaseline works well, you paint it on then hit it with a hair dryer so you get an even layer. But check the threads see what methods others used.

[JamesGunnels]

So excited to see the finished product!

[Elle]

Me too!!

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[JamesGunnels]

Is it silicone that you are painting onto the dorsal? I was wondering if I could do something like that, but wasn't sure.

[Elle]

I caution using this option, just because I have issues with bubbles. If I was going to do over I'd make a very shallow mold, pour in the silicone, place the fabric down and the pour the tiniest amount more on the back. My method is definitely not a pretty option as the back of the dorsals look like swiss cheese

[AnnaAbyss]

Thanks for clearing that up for me! :D

[JamesGunnels]

Okay, well that is good to know at least. I won't be making my tail for a little but now, as my friend Cindy wants me to make a tail for her. It'll be much easier as it's a latex/spandex hybrid tail. But I am really excited about my silicone tail!

[Elle]

Thanks for clearing that up for me! :D

No worries, happy to help


Okay, well that is good to know at least. I won't be making my tail for a little but now, as my friend Cindy wants me to make a tail for her. It'll be much easier as it's a latex/spandex hybrid tail. But I am really excited about my silicone tail!

Well I hope my errors help you with what you hope to create

[Laureen French Mermaid]

Wow good job ^^ i love your ankles fins. So cute ^^ Color is perfect ^^

[Elle]

I will be receiving my monofin within the next week (I'm getting the hydra) and I'm very excited as I'll be able to start molding my fluke!!! Only one problem I don't have a monofin design. Like I've drawn a few things up but they look like other tailmakers flukes! I don't want to be done for copying, even if it only is for my personal use. I'm really at a loss of what to do :(

[JamesGunnels]

You will love the Hydra! I have the Minos and I love it. I have only been able to use it once, but it's fun. They're actually kind of large, too. Beautiful work you're doing :D

[Elle]

That's good to know. I'm going away from the 6th to the 8th and there is a rather large pool where I'll be staying so I'll be able to get some use out of it before I cover it in silicone, if I can work out a design for my fluke; otherwise it's just going to be a plain monofin for a while

[Elle]

So trying to design a fluke that isn't infringing on someone else's design. I need some extra opinions.

A)
27871

B)
27872

Or C)
27873

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[Merman Arion]

I vote for B! I love it! :D

[Mermaid Waverly]

I like A a lot, it complements the shape of the fins. :)

[Yulia]

I vote for B too, lovely!

[Merley]

I like B and C. I think I like C more. But B feels like a nod to Ariel.

[Mermaid Pickles]

I like B. To me, it seems more natural and flowy.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I like B too.

[Elle]

okay so the general consensus is for fluke B. Because I have pectoral fins that are slightly more flicked out at the ends I've been editing the edge of the design. Nothing is set in stone yet because I don't have my monofin yet (it'll be arriving this week sometime) but I'll show you what I've got. (feel free to leave opinions, I'm very indecisive so if it helps me make a decision I don't mind at all)



27875

[Mermaid Pickles]

That is gorgeous! Love it!

[Mermaid Julz]

B

[Ashton]

I like b and c. But be careful, the b design might get heavy.


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[Sabrina the Selkie]

Utterly gorgeous work. Love it.
B is my favorite, and I have to say, heavy might be a good thing. Was really frustrated over buoyancy today, so the heaviness might be more of a help than an hinderance.

[Elle]

Utterly gorgeous work. Love it.
B is my favorite, and I have to say, heavy might be a good thing. Was really frustrated over buoyancy today, so the heaviness might be more of a help than an hinderance.

Yes I'm not too concerned about heaviness purely because the body has a neoprene base, so it's going to be a bit floaty. Having something to weight down the end a bit will help a bit :)

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Good luck!

[JamesGunnels]

I really love this! It is going to turn out beautifully!

[Elle]

So my monofin was shipped on the 6th at some point, it arrived in Heathrow on the 7th. So hopefully I will be getting it within a week or two. Fins crossed

[Elle]

Recieved my monofin today. So I thought I'd show the packaging and the size. I'm comparing it to the large child's merfin

28043280442804528046
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[Sabrina the Selkie]

Looks very nice.

[Elle]

Drawn up my fluke pattern. I'm trying to decide how big I want to do this thing
28071

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[JamesGunnels]

It's lookin' really good!

[Elle]

Fluke is ready for resin. 2807428075

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[Sabrina the Selkie]

Oh that's fantastic.

[AnnaAbyss]

The raised line parts on your clay sculpt are way smoother than mine. xD

[PearlieMae]

Great! I can't wait to see it done!

[Ashton]

:thumbs-up::thumbs-up::thumbs-up::thumbs-up:

[malinghi]

the fluke looks great. can't wait to see more.

[Elle]

The raised line parts on your clay sculpt are way smoother than mine. xD

I'm totally not happy with it's smoothness. I wish it was smoother than I managed to get it.

[PearlieMae]

Once you cast it, put on a topcoat of silicone and it will be glass-smooth!

[Elle]

I hope so. I look at some of the lumpy areas and my brain puts on its mad face. I put it in my room in the aircon as cold as I could get it. Now it has been covered in resin and I'm waiting for it to set.

Behold a giant lump of resin28146

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[AnnaAbyss]

Pearlie to the rescue! :phew:Yay Elle, this is so exciting! Nice resin mold.~

[Elle]

Thanks anna. Its ridiculously heavy. I used more resin than I did with my scale mold to make it more stable (my scale mold is quite flimsy in comparison).
I started cleaning it out last night. The clay smells strongly of resin 28156

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[JamesGunnels]

Well, it looks really awesome. I cannot wait to start my fluke mold.

[AnnaAbyss]

You're welcome. :) I just bought my resin and mold release 20 minutes ago and am using your thread as a guide. Sorry for bombarding you with questions, but how much Vario 15 did you buy and was it enough?

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Looking good!

[Elle]

I bought 5.5kg (5kg of part a, 0.5kg or part b.) You need to be careful with the ratio as if you don't get enough of part b it won't cure.

no it wasn't enough, bare in mind my scale sheet was huge, but I don't think it's enough to do two scale sheet and two sides of a fluke [regardless]. I'm purchasing more next week when it gets ordered in.

I'll be getting probably 2 lots of 5.5kg. In hindsight maybe I should've bought the 22kg lot, But I don't want to have loads of left over silicone at this point, so I'm just buying as I require it.
The fact that I have to wait a while for it is a good thing, as at least my mold will de-gas this time, and I shouldn't have to worry about uncured silicone.

[JamesGunnels]

Quick question...how much does it cost per kg in Australia?

[Elle]

Quick question...how much does it cost per kg in Australia?


That depends on the silicone. platinum vs tin cure and what kind of applications you could use it for, I guess

What I'm using, it's $264 for the 5.5kg, but I'd pay $847 (I think) for a 22kg drum

[Elle]

30% off storewide at spotlight so I bought powermesh (that's blue) for my fluke to reinforce the floppy areas. I may add some to the back of my pectoral fins as well for safety's sake


2829228293

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[Sabrina the Selkie]

Very pretty. Love the color.

[JamesGunnels]

That depends on the silicone. platinum vs tin cure and what kind of applications you could use it for, I guess

What I'm using, it's $264 for the 5.5kg, but I'd pay $847 (I think) for a 22kg drum

okay, so that is pretty much what we'd pay for a 10 gallon drum...so...basically 22kgs. As soon as Firemaid is capable, she and I are gonna split a 10 gallon drum...so about 400 or so dollars per person. It would otherwise be much too expensive for me =/ currently working with latex and also, I have that same scale print fabric. I am making a tail for a friend. It's a hybrid latex/spandex tail. I am super excited to make it. Your tail is gonna be awesome.

[Elle]

okay, so that is pretty much what we'd pay for a 10 gallon drum...so...basically 22kgs. As soon as Firemaid is capable, she and I are gonna split a 10 gallon drum...so about 400 or so dollars per person. It would otherwise be much too expensive for me =/ currently working with latex and also, I have that same scale print fabric. I am making a tail for a friend. It's a hybrid latex/spandex tail. I am super excited to make it. Your tail is gonna be awesome.


The scale fabric is for a bag, like a tote bag or something, just for carrying all my stuff with me :)

[JamesGunnels]

The scale fabric is for a bag, like a tote bag or something, just for carrying all my stuff with me :)

A bag is always a good idea.

[AnnaAbyss]

Excited to see more progress :D

[Elle]

Yep. Right now I have bought more silicone in preparation for the fluke. But unfortunately it has been very soggy weather lately so I havent done anything

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[Elle]

So here is the first half of my fluke. There were small imperfecting in my mold so I have little tags on it so I'll be going over it with a xacto knife so my fluke doesnt look diseased

2879428793

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[AnnaAbyss]

Wow nice!!!

[Sabrina the Selkie]

Very pretty.

[Ashton]

I love the color!

[kat.hendriksen]

Hi,

Did you have little gaps between your scales that you had to fill up before casting it? And if so, with what did you fill it? :)

Greets,

Kim.

[Elle]

In the mould yeah there were some holes. Big one I filled small ones I didnt bother. I used clay
In the silicone cast yeah there are holes as I casted it thin.

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[Elle]

It's been a really long time since I worked on my tail. And now I'm trying to get it finished by the weekend as I have a mer-meet happening and I need a tail come Saturday :P (procrastination is a cruel mistress)

Anyway to recap what's happened

I had my slightly sticky scale sheets, that I rolled into some old bedsheets. They are no longer sticky so I'm very happy. Cause of stickiness; not leaving the scale mold to de-gas.
I poured the second piece of my fluke. The pigment is off because I never measured how much pigment I put it. (my bad)
So with two scale sheets and my delightful neoprene skin I decided to prep my silicone to start attaching it all

39414 39415

The wonderful split you see there is because of the gigantic zip in I decided I wanted to have.
Anywho - I decided I'd just start off small and just do one section of attaching the silicone sheet to the neoprene and guess what slipped my mind!?! Rubber inhibits silicone from curing.
So I pulled it apart 24 hrs later and have sticky residue all over my neoprene and on the back of the split scale sheet!

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So a little bit of googling later I find an old thread (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?3161-Dragon-Skin-on-Neoprene&p=40281&viewfull=1#post40281) And decide that I'm going to need some lyrca. So I went out, bought that, made a new skin and prepped the second scale sheet buy pouring silicone on it, waiting for it to become slightly tacky then sticking my new skin on top of that. and I have just finished sticking the of scale sheet on (that I had to reinforce with some scrap netting because of the big split I put in it).

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Now I'm going to call my husband, ask him to bring home a large bottle of wine because the last 5 days have been hell, I'm gonna try and work out how I'm going to do my seams, stick my fluke together (because my monofin has rubber foot pockets, JOY!), have drainage and then make it all look passable when I'm done!
At this point I don't even want to think about the extra fins I've made, they can take a long walk off a short pier.

Also to everyone else using Vario, I'm really impressed with the progress you're making. Hopefully you're not making stupid mistakes like me!

[Mermaid Keena]

Ooooh your power mesh is pretty! Was it actually called "power mesh" in spotlight? 😂

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[Mermaid Tami]

I'm not positive about this, but I think the eucalyptus oil will seep into the pores of the silicone----silicone has pores that close 48 hours after it cures(this is why it's best to paint immediately after it cures).

Anyway, I think there is a very good chance that the oil will not come off the scales completely and act as a release agent when you try to paint your scales. This can cause the paint layer either to not cure or cure but peel off later. I really recommend doing some small tests before using the oil on the entire sheet :)

I'm also using shell shock and Dragonskin, do I need a release agent for this step?


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[Elle]

Ooooh your power mesh is pretty! Was it actually called "power mesh" in spotlight? 

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I'm not sure, but if you go look through the "Lycra, Dance and Swimwear" fabrics you'll be able to find it. They usually have it in black, white and nude as well as a few basic colours

[Elle]

I'm also using shell shock and Dragonskin, do I need a release agent for this step?


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Silicone really only sticks to silicone. I don't know much about smooth-on products, but if your mould isn't silicone, you will not require a releasing agent.

I had issues because I didn't allow my mould's to de-gas, and I was trying to work out how to get rid of the sticky surface that I got on my scale sheets - effectively cleaning them. Which I tested on one of the corners to no avail and I washed the oil off after that (just because oils really aren't good for silicone).

[Mermaid Tami]

Silicone really only sticks to silicone. I don't know much about smooth-on products, but if your mould isn't silicone, you will not require a releasing agent.

I had issues because I didn't allow my mould's to de-gas, and I was trying to work out how to get rid of the sticky surface that I got on my scale sheets - effectively cleaning them. Which I tested on one of the corners to no avail and I washed the oil off after that (just because oils really aren't good for silicone).

Thanks!


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[Mermaid Keena]

Awesome 😊 Thanks Elle 😙

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[Aurelian]

It's looking great so far! Love the color! :swoon: