Repairing Several Tails (Have A Few Questions)

[Mermaid Morgann]

Anyone who's been following reviews lately knows that our pod's Mertailor tail has some issues that need to be addressed. On top of that, Mermaid Diona's used tail is on its way, and will need some repairs as well. We haven't yet done any major fixes like these, and I wanted to make sure that we did things the right way the first time in order to prevent more issues down the road.

To repair dorsal and side fins on the Mertailor tail, and to fix / reseam Diona's tail, we ordered Dragonskin Silicone in 10 slow (which is what Diona's tail needed per the maker's recommendation) as we were told this would be better for fixing seams and tears than something like Sil-Poxy.

Diona's tail, however, also needs a repaint as some paint is chipping a lot in places do to frequent wear. We just received our pigments from Pearl-Ex (in varying shades of gold) to mix. We wanted to obtain some Psycho Paint Silicone Paint Base for the job, since it is Smooth-On approved / recommended, but we were not sure if there would be a better option available? Also, for a clear topcoat, can the paint base be applied over the finished product without pigment mixed inside to create a better seal on the paint and possibly help against paint flaking off / chipping?

<3 Merin

[Merman Arion]

@ Merin

Maybe it would help that you show some pictures to figure out what exactly needs to be done with which material.

[AniaR]

^I agree. I know how to repair some of those thing sbut for best help I need to see.

Just to remind you if you upload the pics to fb or photobucket you can copy the direct link. On FB right click, copy image url. On photobucket you go to the links on the side, and copy direct link.

Then here on mernetwork you do:

[ img ] insert your link here without anyspaces [ / img ] and do the whole thing with no spaces, and the image will show up and auto-resize :)

[Mermaid Morgann]

I'll have to add photos when I get off of work. Diona's coming tail needs to be entirely repainted as she wants it to be solid gold, but I will include some photos of the tail for reference regardless. It's full Dragonskin Silicone.

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Mermaid Diona's new tail is my old one. It was a prototype (the first I've ever made) so it inevitably had some issues. Here's a picture of the tail in question. :3

https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1235358_530330147049908_1467603875_n.jpg?oh=3dcf78 07c20f2fd3faea7eed387a5dc2&oe=54C93B99

I sent a message to Diona, but I'll say it here as well. I suggest adding a layer of powermesh to the waist of the tail (if not other areas) to help strengthen the new seams. Unfortunately, a seam is never as strong the second time around, so giving it something extra to hold onto might be helpful.
As for your last question, a layer of clear silicone over the finished paint job is a good way to evenly seal everything. It can also help to achieve a shiny/wet appearance on the scales (which seems to be a highly sought after look).

[AniaR]

yup exactly what she says. Whenever my waist wears down that's EXACTLY what I do.

[Mermaid Dottie]

You guys got Lorelei's old tail! That's so exciting! I can't wait to see it!

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I can't wait to see what they do with it either Dottie!