MAKING A SILICONE TAIL BUT QUESTIONS THAT WEREN'T ANSWERED ON THE PAGES :) HELP!

[Mermaid Leira]

Could anyone kindly help me with the below processes?

Dragon skin with power mesh?- is it a good idea to roll on the mesh one the silicone is partially cured as to prevent sinking? my test was this but the mesh was close to protruding on the textured side of the scales.

Tail thickness- Does anyone pour different areas of the tail (high wear zones etc) thicker than others? and what thickness is your Dragon skin tail? I was planning on casting thinner on the sides to help with seeming too.

Materials for sealing scale sheet board before casting with shell shock for easier removal, I was thinking of contacting over an old door I've been working on, good idea or bad?

Love to hear your thoughts,

Thanks in advance! :)

[Seatan]

Could anyone kindly help me with the below processes?

Dragon skin with power mesh?- is it a good idea to roll on the mesh one the silicone is partially cured as to prevent sinking? my test was this but the mesh was close to protruding on the textured side of the scales.

Tail thickness- Does anyone pour different areas of the tail (high wear zones etc) thicker than others? and what thickness is your Dragon skin tail? I was planning on casting thinner on the sides to help with seeming too.

Materials for sealing scale sheet board before casting with shell shock for easier removal, I was thinking of contacting over an old door I've been working on, good idea or bad?

Love to hear your thoughts,

Thanks in advance! :)

My understanding is that you add the power mesh AFTER the scale sheet cures, though I guess I could be wrong since this was just an assumption. I imagine that laying the mesh over wet silicone would be a messy proposition compared to pinning it and adding it later. But like I said, this is my assumption. I hadn't considered other possibilities so I could be dead wrong.

If you want your fluke thicker in some areas than others, sculpt it that way. You have some very small control over where the stuff goes but mostly gravity takes it out of your hands--if you pour more in one place it will continue to spread until it hits the mold walls everywhere rather than staying in that spot. Then it will start to overflow the mold. So make your fluke sculpt EXACTLY as you want it, with thicker places where you want them.

[Trident True]

my experience with using silicone is its quiet fiddly. your a better off waiting for it to cure before adding the power mesh. this will allow control over what your doing and of course control how much you put on. silicone will bond to anything that is porous. as for tail thickness, a lot of people create it thicker down near the heels and ankles this helps with wear and tear and of course doesn't show the foot pockets of the mono fin. try vasseline, test it first though.