SirenaEma Silicone Siren *Tale* ^-^

[SirenaEma]

An opportunity to share my work with my fellow Mers and interact with like minded finfolk .I will share links, sources,ideas, and my story :mermaid kiss:.Lots of love, positivity and encouragement to be found here :)

[SirenaEma]

The siren has always been a creature of wonder to me. The siren can be dangerous, beautiful, hideous, kind, but above all, free and in essence; magic.
I actually found my love for the mermaid and siren through opera. The siren gave a face to the sound in my heart. I wish to one day write and direct operas, and will not stop until I do. To me mermaiding is like opera; a living work of art, something tangible yet ethereal and ever-changing.
I have been an artist all of my life, and hope to one day become a living work of art.
After years of research, life lessons, the heartache of my life, filling a sketch book, and a year of healing with the great Veronica Varlow though her blog(http://dangerdame.com/diary/), and admittedly bingeing on sessions of Oprah’s life class, I threw caution to the wind and dove in. (Pun intended)
The fruit of my effort is days from being harvest.
………….
I am here to pay it forward. Give all a window into my journey with my first and definitely not last silicone mermaid tail. And perhaps inspire or save you a few headaches on your own adventures.
Though I am by no means perfect in opinion/methods/or experience, I have put countless hours into researching what there already is available as far as information, been an avid artist since I could hold a pencil, made my own costumes and been a costumer for several theatrical productions and as I’ve stated successfully crafted a silicone tail on my own accord with a measure of grace (if I do say so myself XD).
Be warned that this is a costly and time consuming task ,a labor of love that with even the simplest and most cost effective methods cannot be completed by a novice in a short time frame( less than a few weeks considering you have everything you need).
Yes, it’s hard. But look around, were here for you, Mers must stick together ^-^
So please join me, interact, share your knowledge, and opinions with us, or…. Jump in! The waters fine. :)
Do what you will with love,
-Ema

……………………..
Shout out to Pearlie May whom without I and several other Mers would have not mustered the courage to make our first tails when we did, Love ya <3.
I encourage you to check out her thread while I’m building this one. She’s nearly done with her tail and its beautiful: http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?6109-PearlieMae-s-Silicone-Tail-Journey
……………………………..

[SirenaEma]

It’s a jungle of info out there, here’s what I’ve found most useful:


Useful links:
Making foot pockets to attach to Lexan polycarbonate monofin: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsk5oqGNbbw&feature=youtube_gdata_player
*there are a faux pas this vid*:
-never cut such an angled arch on your monofin, it should be smooth and rounded like a “U” not a “V”
-I am not sure how durable this is though once I test it I will let you guys know
-you shouldn’t pour silicone right onto clay for a smooth product, but assuming this goes inside of a tile there is no need to fuss much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq8MFgEn0XM
(This one explores more of the cutting the Lexan polycarbonate sheet and another method of attaching foot pockets, there are also other great vids on this channel.)
Type of platinum cure silicone:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDlc_w-3m50
( kanti has some other useful vids on her channel as well)


If you want to get really fancy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMVEYS7Gc-4
This really illustrates the steps to making a tail in general.
Measure body or make a cast of the body -> sculpt in whatever method you choose -> make a mold out of that -> pour silicone -> put together.

As I find more useful vids I will post them, these guys have other Mer related project tips on their channel, check them out J
……………………………….
General Materials: much of your material choice will be dictated by your budget and how many times you intend to use your molds. (How many tails or parts you want to make)
Silicones:
Smooth on platinum cure dragon skin-10, 20, 30, FX pro, Eco flex, etc.
http://www.smooth-on.com/Silicone-Rubber-an/c2_1115/index.html
Review your options and Kanti’s video.
Remember that each silicone has a specific use, though you can manipulate the material at our will, it is only guaranteed to act stably for its intended use. This is basic chemistry you’re dealing with here.
DO NOT MIX PLATINUM AND TIN CURE SILICONES!!!! Many things can inhibit (make the parts not come together and solidify properly, A&B) the cure .Something else that can inhibit your platinum cure silicone is sulfur.



Clay: many clays will do, but they must be SULFUR FREE. AP and Monster clay are good options because they can be melted in the microwave thus are easier to manipulate and are reusable.

Mofins: Again, this varies by the design of the tail.
Popular models are the Finis models: http://www.finisinc.com/equipment/technical-products/monofins.html
Oceanikas care also popular :http://mahinamermaid.com/merfin
An independent custom monofin maker: https://www.etsy.com/listing/190795340/free-shipping-custom-mermaid-fin-classic?ref=sr_gallery_32&ga_search_query=monofin&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery

If you want to make your own monofin you’ll need a sheet of polycarbonate Lexan (can be found at home depot or online) a bit larger than your drawn out monofin. And a bit of extra silicone (about two starter sets of silicone equivalent) or foot pockets:
http://www.finisinc.com/equipment/technical-products/training-fins.html
Something like this and materials to attach them to your polycarbonate (this varies with the foot pockets)

Molding Materials: This is what you will pour over your sculpture to make a mold to pour your silicone in.
Commonly used:
-shell shock: must have exact amount, has a short pot life (can’t manipulate it too long, it dries quickly after mixed), brittle.
-Bondo: heavy, can brake if weight is unevenly distributed, is a pain to get clay off of. But it’s great for one time use price wise.
-Fiberglass and fiber cloths/mesh: similar to bondo, must be careful with mixture, can be terribly itchy, must be used in layers between fiberglass. Short term use.
-Ultra Cal: heavy and brittle, I’ve heard it worked once but you might as well use bondo.
-The possibilities are vast, just make sure that whatever you use will not inhibit your silicone.
-Silicone: rebound 25 platinum cure silicone is best for industrial use but will double the price of your project.IT must be coated with a good release though, silicone loves to stick to itself.it must also be powdered with talk if you want to paint the tail you’ve casted(the part you pull out of the mold) afterwards.

Release spray/sealant: platinum cure silicone like Vaseline, it is a great option, just don’t overdo it. Mann 200 release is a safe bet for pretty much anything.
Color:
-powder pigments (pearlex, makeup, pretty much any pigment powder, skin safe is always better)
-silc pig: http://www.smooth-on.com/Silicone-Rubber-an/c2_1128_1190/index.html, mix it in with silicone or bush over your piece with a bit of silicone.
-brush on paint (seal with a layer of silicone for best result)
-Air brush (seal with silicone for best result)
Or combine tactics. If you don’t like it you can paint over it ^-^
………………..
Remember to purchase for your purpose, no need to overspend. Your budget will depend on your needed materials. You get what you pay for, so try to save up a bit more if you can for things ivital to your design. Weigh your options carefully.
…………………………………….
General scale Methods:
One by one; make molds of individual scales and a kind of sock form your hips to your ankles out of power mesh. This allows you the greatest gradient of color, shape and size of scale. When you have enough scales place then on your body model over the mesh, just pin it to be sure of placement. Then starting from the bottom up coat the back of the scales with silicone and secure then to their placement.
Group by group: power mesh is recommended for this but depending on the size of the groups and scale shape you can get away with using more silicone for backing but you’ll have to place, fuse the groups to each other, turn inside out and then coat with silicone, preferably clear.
Scale sheet segments; make trapezoid shaped sheets of the vertical measurements and horizontal measurement of each segment in a fabric tail pattern. Make sure you calculate slope and cut diagonally to avoid overlap. Four trapezoids total. Pour silicone and attach to each other in sequential order to your body. This allows for some gradient. Biggest up to and smaller as you go down to your ankles.
Scale sheet front back: make a giant rectangular mold that will suffice for half of your lower body measurements, then make two silicone pours of your flat body pattern ( same pattern for fabric tales) , bring in the knees and calves a bit for a close fit and then fuse the sides.(there are many vides depicting this process)
You could also do a full sculpt of the tail but this is very advanced and I don’t feel that I can adequately convey even a generalization of the steps for this method.
……………….
Measure around:
Waist
Hip
Top of thigh
Mid-thigh
Knee
Half of calf
Ankle
Fabric tail measurements:
Length from waist to ankles: total length
These are the segments:
Waist to hip, hip to thigh
Thigh to mid-thigh
Mid-thigh to knee
Knee to half calf
Half calf to ankles
…………………………………..
Fluke attachment methods:
With scale built into fluke: this is what I did, there will be an example later on. You pretty much set your scales even to the body as you’re sculpting the fluke and then continue the process. One the monofin is in the fluke and sealed you seal the top with the bottom of the body and have one solid piece.
With only fluke mold: make an area of scales from your mold to cover the top of your fluke in the pattern you want, then seal with the top of your fluke with silicone and once that is an entire piece seal with the body. Make sure to use enough silicone, too little at the fusion sites will cause tears.
…………………….
Sandwiching the monofin between both halves of the fluke:
Lace: make a close fitting pocket for your monofin out of lace, the porous fabric will help hold your monofin (best for custom or rubber) to your fluke sides.
Silicone foot pocket monofin :if you have made a foot pocket out of silicone it will fuse with the silicone on your fluke you may have to pour a bit more in on the sides to fill in the space and prevent bubbles and gaps in your tail( be sure you have sealed the edges properly.)(This is a theory I am still testing)
Rubber monofin (purchased): most straightforward but if you have an opaque tail you’re better off using the lace method to be safe. Simply; cut into shape if you want to, sandwich between the sides and seal well.
In all methods it is an effective tool to leave channels on the fluke for water to escape once it seeps into your tail.

[SirenaEma]

A lot of information Ladies and gents i know, but i want to throw out some basic knowledge to those who might have stumbled upon Atlantis just now. I know that when i started this venture there was much less information out there, i could have certainly used it at one point .I am also a full time college student and a musician at a preforming arts school so please forgive me if i take a day or two to reply to anyone. Feel free to ask questions ,comment and share. pics of my tail to come shortly along with my process.Just a peek ^-^:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112739865506337269615/albums/6048246691785688033/6048246695555532370?pid=6048246695555532370&oid=112739865506337269615

[PearlieMae]

Wow! What a lot of great information!

And thank you for the shout out! I'm blushing! :blush:

[Mermaid Adriel]

Thank you very much for these infos! ^^

[Fifi Tigg]

A lot of information Ladies and gents i know, but i want to throw out some basic knowledge to those who might have stumbled upon Atlantis just now. I know that when i started this venture there was much less information out there, i could have certainly used it at one point .I am also a full time college student and a musician at a preforming arts school so please forgive me if i take a day or two to reply to anyone. Feel free to ask questions ,comment and share. pics of my tail to come shortly along with my process.Just a peek ^-^:

https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112739865506337269615/albums/6048246691785688033/6048246695555532370?pid=6048246695555532370&oid=112739865506337269615

Sirena Ema you are a legend! All the info in one spot makes it so much easier and I love love your tail scales! I cannot wait to see more! :D

[SirenaEma]

Thank you sooo much //^-^// i am also very much in love with your scales on the Dori tail(http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?8831-Blue-Tang-(Dory)-Tail-Making-Adventure).
They look like waves,super cool :cool:.But like Pearlie mentioned on your thread do find a way to thicken your material if you plan on using dragon skin over neoprene,it is very runny on its own and will spread. It is very much like an Elmer's glue consistency when just mixed .Once it starts to dry it cant be manipulated easily,its not like a glue gun or e6000 kind of material.Your best bet might be to contact someone from smooth on and ask how to thicken the silicone without inhibiting it, it can be pretty fickle in terms of consistency and cure .i would also suggest you work in tiny batches ,again due to cure time.
contact these guys at Renolds advanced materials before you pour your money and mix, they are my local smooth on supplier and have decades of experience of material between them.I doubt there's anything they couldn't answer over the phone.
http://www.reynoldsam.com/orlando/
Toll-Free: (800) 328-8786
Local: (407) 856-6115
Fax: (407) 856-6116
Im also curious about what material you've been using for your tests .I couldn't find it on your thread and you said you squeeze it from a tube .If you don't mind, could you tell us what it is?

[Fifi Tigg]

Thanks I cant wait to start! :D
I used Selleys Glass silicone sealant for aquariums because I thought if its safe for the fish it should be safe for the mermaids ;)

[Drake]

Guau, Ema.. thanks for all the information:thumbs-up: Already making use of it to plan for my future projects

[SirenaEma]

Lol. Very clever Fiji Tigg XD who'd a thunk?
If you don't have to wear gloves it probably safer than some of the urethanes some mers have used.
During this process you will encounter products that aren't completely skin safe ,it's part of it.A good rule of thumb is If you can smell it it's probably not great to touch with your bare hands or inhale.
Thanks again for the info, I will definitely be looking into that material ^-^

[SirenaEma]

Just letting everyone know, I am completely bilingual and thoroughly disenchanted in the south american region of the member map.Hailing not to far from the Amazon i know it holds some of the worlds best swim places,scenery,specialty material craftsmen and artists .Just imagine what else the whole of south america has to offer to the mer community!
Im guessing there are some warm blooded mers out there who may just be inhibited by a language barrier. As such i will be making a mirror of this thread in Spanish.It should be out in two to three weeks .Please invite your friends ,family and fellow mers to check it out ^-^

*I challenge you Mers;Be it in whatever other language you can communicate in, Share something with your non English speaking sea folk!
As we all know Google translate doesn't cut it sometimes :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bVAoVlFYf0
Lots of Love,
-Ema:thumbs-up:

[SirenaEma]

Alright, with no further preamble: Here is my Tale, Chapter one ->

I began physically working on my tail with paper and pen. I had an idea of what i wanted but refused to settle on the design until i was positive it was what i would love.
from the start i knew i wanted a fantasy tail. Not something real and gory like my usual artwork but something to satisfy the little girl in me.I kept two designs to later decide on one. I even considered a front /back monofin design, which would have been great for an opaque tail but i decided on a translucent fluke.

I would now recommend that someone making their first tail work with an opaque color pallet and pastel shades which are much more forgiving. (disregard if you are going to airbrush your colors on, I choose to mix my silicone with pigments, there isn’t a drop of paint on my tail.)

**I ended up sculpting and casting both designs but .............Let’s say that due to circumstances that i will later elaborate on, they ""broke the mold"(ba dum chh)**

https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/KvA13FYauza?pid=6048558496156711634&oid=112739865506337269615

From a Sea-mstresses perspective I knew i had to lay the groundwork too. I first took into account the dimensions of the sheet of polycarbonate Lexan i had ordered and made a patter pattern to fit the rectangle at the perimeters that would also fit the aesthetic of the tail shape i wanted and give me the most lexan possible (I wanted a big fluke). This took all of twenty minutes.
I got a huge piece of poster board and drew the shape with the measurements i had of the Lexan sheet, cut half and traced the other so i would have a more symmetrical pattern. I also made sure to leave space around the planned polycarbonate Lexan monofin lines for design and sealing purposes (like seam allowance) and cut HALF of the internal monofin segment to later be able to trace it over to the polycarbonate.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/KvA13FYauza?pid=6048558072444736802&oid=112739865506337269615

my inspiration was this digital art rendition of a koi type neon fish: Fantasy even in design
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/c7KKt1JqfBT?pid=6048575488296170290&oid=112739865506337269615

I wanted to make something a princess would wear. Feminine and playful but elegant and royal.
Shoot for the moon here, you must be sure of what you want if you’re going to pursue it for months. Whatever challenges that arise will only make you better prepared for future pursuits.

[Drake]

impressionante :) y me encanta los colores

[SirenaEma]

Chapter 2-->
After having my first fluke sculpt lost and the bondo cast broken during moving i was discouraged because i had lost about a weeks worth of work and about seventy five dollars ( i used two gallons of bondo 20$ a piece) .I cound bare to do it exactly the same way again, my hands where red and sore XD (i recommend a softer clay for someone who is an inexperienced sculptor and doesn't have many tools on hand).
So for the second sculpt and cast i decided on a hybrid of both designs. I drew it to the same dimensions, colored it and started sculpting over the paper design with clay ,the hearts at the center where there highest part and only about half an inch thick at its peak.

https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/8WTY8S5szuo?pid=6050829054311886434&oid=112739865506337269615

I used AP plastline in medium and hard i ended up using about five pounds of sulfur free clay but i made segments of scales and then used all of it for the fluke. Take your time here ,it pays off ^-^.
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/agrrWgEPLBT?pid=6050821613101010546&oid=112739865506337269615

this is the picture of finished second sculpt , i planed to attach the fluke with built in scales at the top and later fit the scales, this worked great with my design .
this was coated with epoxy grey, a kind of liquid plastic that does wonders for detail
http://www.smooth-on.com/Laminating-Epoxies/c1335_1366/index.html
and backed with free form air epoxy
http://www.smooth-on.com/index.php?cPath=1384

it was a hundred dollar investment total ,for a large fluke. However i didn't have too much small detail my tail and don't think it was worth the price. bondo is just about as heavy and much less expensive and about as brittle. it wont brake if you kink it but it can definitely break at sharp points in your design or pressure points in the cast so for an elaborate and big piece i would not recommended it. This combo would better suit a small yet intricate sculpt , like a fancy fin.

[PearlieMae]

I love that we both have pairs of hearts in our flukes!

I was taken aback once I started my SECOND version of my fluke when someone sent me a picture of a Barbie mermaid whose fluke LOOKED STARTLINGLY LIKE MY ORIGINAL DESIGN! I had never seen that Barbie before! (They said "look, they made a Barbie of you!)

Your fish inspiration is an arawana. That's not a digital rendition, that's a real photo!..there should be a couple nice more images of them in the early pages of my tailmaking thread!

I love watching your progress!

[OceanRose]

So very pretty and original ♥ I love what you've done so far!
And thank you for all the details too, they're very helpful :-)

[SirenaEma]

Thank you sooo much pearlie ^-^ I can't believe the fish is real !
im obsessed with the arowana now.
Photo-manipulation and digital art are some of my favorite visual mediums and while browsing deviantart one day, I found it there .It was so amazing I assumed it couldn't be real,just goes to show ya how unexplored the ocean really is XD.
And I totally agree about the barbie tails. At one point I had 83 barbies as a girl, five where of the mer variety XD.ive always been a little....Obsessed.


When I saw your fluke hearts I thought of the dolls and wanted to incorporate that vibe into the tail.I always thought that the mermaid had two hearts ,one like ours and the other at her fluke. Part of the lines of my design are glamed up Vains.
I also read ("hail queen pearlie") and thought (I want to be a part of that court!) XD


http://www.malaysia-arowana.com/images/arowana_about.jpg


eeeep! I'm in love with this fish <3

[SirenaEma]

Hi fellow fishiest,
I’ve been MIA I know, I’m currently overcoming some obstacles to transfer universities ,apply to music programs and honors programs but with my transcripts finally in hand I should be about more often. As an apology ya’ll get an extra chapter today;

CH3: Mix and pour
I used Dragon skin Fx pro for my tail. A good 3 gallons for trial and error, patch tests and some non-fabric backing.
My biggest ordeal was finding a good price for dragon skin and though it may seem tempting don’t buy in smaller batches unless you’re willing to waste some time and money for the sake of experimentation. If you don’t know how to handle Part A and B silicones you can waste a lot, especially in smaller cans.
I bought my first round off of amazon, it came in four separate kits
http://www.amazon.com/Smooth--Dragon-Skin-Fx-Pro/dp/B00DVO499A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411089284&sr=8-2&keywords=dragonskin+fx+pro
but when i weighed the quantity and price i realized it wasn’t as good a bargain as I had perceived when taking shipping into account.
I later found a distributor about half an hour from me:
http://www.smooth-on.com/p103/Find-a-Distributor/pages.html

and though it was a bit of a trip it was totally worth it, they were super friendly, answered every question (have decades of experience) i had and offered seminars and classes which i now frequent ( i will be making tails in the long term, education is key to execution in any art form). I got lucky, maybe you can too. It’s worth looking it up, you could save yourself shipping costs wait time and headaches. This stuff is pricy, do your research before you pour.
($183.72) for a gallon unit. Here’s where you most bite the bullet in tail making

When i did start to pour (new year’s day) i mixed about a cup at a time to fill several small scale patch molds. I mixed my pigments right into the silicone and threw in some glitter too (one inner detail layer of light blue with glitter and one top (backing layer) of a richer blue with darker glitter) pigment mixed scales look amazing in the light in my opinion. When i demoded the pieces i would mix a teaspoon of silicone with gold pigment and coat the ends of the scales, one by one. a delicate and pain staking process but definitely worth it.
(ps: you can separate layers of silicone but it is stressful work, that’s how silicone molds themselves work, you just put a little powder on the original pour and some release spray, but that’s another story)

when i had enough patches in the colors i wanted(blue ,gold, mix and flesh) i started pining the sections to a form id made of by body previously. I stuck it on my mannequins base and pined in a symmetrical mirrored pattern so that there would be a clear and orderly scale gradient (like on a fish ^-^)
once they were in place i fused together the ends of each segment to those around it with silicone (clear)and waited. Of course there where holes at this point but it was solid enough to take off the form turn inside out and place back on the form. So the cosmetic end of the scales are facing your legs if you tried to put it on. Then i gave it four coats of silicone (infused with a darker color, in my case a violet shade) all around (took six hours total) and tried it on. No holes or spills in the cosmetic body and the pattern i wanted had been achieved. From my waist to my ankles i now had a continuous piece.

CH4:
now it was time to pour the fluke. (this will be done twice ).though most professional tail makers pick simple fluke designs i had to be crazy and go for a Barbie like fluke with glittery veins and two hearts. So after careful sculpting and pouring (for the second time) I started with the finest details, poured into the crevices on the mold in order of color and waited in between layers to correct any over pouring. I then poured a gradient of neon oranges and pinks to give fluidity to the colors and transition on the fluke. The backing colors are coral, neon pink and orange and thanks to this they blend into a sunset like fluke J If you’re going to undertake a complicated fluke; power to ya! But please take your time in between layers and work in small batches.
When detail and backing colors are done pour your base over enough to reach a flat surface of silicone then ....repeat Xb
i hate doing things twice in regards to tails. if i do it once i do it right and on to the next thing. There needs to be diversity in the mer community, carbon copy work just isnt my thing as an artist in general.

When both sides are complete;
Sandwich your monofin where your have decided to placed it . This should have been thought out and measured during your design phase.
Mine was placed in a way where lace was not necessary or constructive so I fused the fluke ends to each over and fitted the monofin inside .My monofin was coated with silicone previously(its made of polycarbonate and silicone only) and fused it with the silicone on the fluke back. (take your time. You don’t want a crooked fluke)
My fluke design held into account the foot pockets and so when the fluke itself had been fused I fused the sides where the pocket would be encased (blue) and then the fluke was one solid piece I attached it to the body. All of it fell into place because of the planning done during the sculpting phase (make sure your pieces fit harmoniously when you sculpt them to avoid seams!)
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/PtHLXLNYofq?pid=6060601248685962418&oid=112739865506337269615
then (while hyperventilating over the world cup during summer and working on summer trig class (No one ever try to learn trig in a month, it will consume your life) ) I mixed some gold pigment to smooth on the lower half of the scales( fading to the knee area and blending with the fluke to foot attachment) to give my tail a more royal and gilded finish and to fill in details on the fluke (spirals and hearts within hearts) . I then trimmed the excess silicone of the ends of the fluke and touched up any imperfections.
You can see the color transitions here, however some of the detail has been blurred by the light on the water; https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112739865506337269615/albums/6060604170251574273/6060604168813089138?pid=6060604168813089138&oid=112739865506337269615

Finally I added the gradient flesh toned scales to the top of the tail to have it blend in more with the skin. I left some at if the scales where growing from the skin and others as if it were growing on it (like coral).

[SirenaEma]

would you guys like a more in depth explanation of my mono fin making? i mostly followed the videos ive posted here to a t as you can see in these pictures:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/X2Tg5vTmrsF?pid=6060606457801992530&oid=112739865506337269615
all i did was use two layers of poly-carbonate instead of one.

ps:
detail pics to follow soon and photo shoot will be up by Monday ^-^

[SirenaEma]

hey guys ,just a heads up:
i haven't found much traffic on this page and seeing all the new threads and stories recently poping up, i feel there is sufficient material out on MerNetwork to help any Mer with a DIY silicone tail; certainly more than what i had when i began my research four years ago. Ill be selling my tail to help begin work on inventory (molds,designs, market research) and then begin creating tails for others next summer(2015).This is a big process , it requires paperwork and numbers and all that jazz, so i need to get started ASAP. This is something ive wanted to do for years and will be pursuing now.If you have any silicone tail making questions ill still be checking back periodically and be keeping active on MerNetwork.I hope ive helped you in some way, pay it forward and just keep swimming!
-SirenaEma

PS: My finished tail :
https://plus.google.com/u/0/112739865506337269615/posts/7v6BLQAckWN?pid=6069457669471588738&oid=112739865506337269615