Thanks a lot lili it does for a future dorsal style but with this one it's tricky because of the spikes they will always stay separated and I can't hace that! Lol
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Thanks a lot lili it does for a future dorsal style but with this one it's tricky because of the spikes they will always stay separated and I can't hace that! Lol
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Aha I see what you mean....well...that's a problem lol, hm...velcro could do it maybe, I don't know whether that would create a weird bulk though...there are those metal things people use as an alternative for buttons that snap together, I don't know just throwing ideas out there lol
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Will you have a base of neoprene or another material? It would be virtually impossibke to add a zipper otherwise. Silicone does not take to sewing, lol. Silicone stretches so much anyway that if the body is made of silicone you shouldnt need a zipper anyway.
I have considered Velcro but as you said it would look weird especially at the tips that are skinny, and I did consider de buttoned option but that's more for like the center of the dorsal if you know what I mean, but I'm considering making the whole dorsal detachable and caving the zipper hidden beneath
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rett
Yes the tail will have a double layered neoprene base for positive buoyancy as the tail will be rather thick and I don't want the extra weight to make me sink.
And your right I probably won't need the zippers if I abandon the idea of having belts of the inside to minimalize weird bending of the tail in areas like behind the knees while swimming.
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How about using magnetic strips in them? You should be able to hide those in the spikes and you can align them. Maybe even embed them into the silicone, so you have smooth surfaces.
Just throwing out ideas
Quote:
Originally Posted by Azurin Luna
OMG that's genius Azurin I can't believe I didn't think of that thanks!
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I just spend a good twenty minutes going through this thread.
Best "wast of my time" I've ever done.:p
I'm glad you feel that way cause them twenty mins ain't coming backQuote:
Originally Posted by Aurora Celestia
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A great friend gave me a sculpting tip that may be useful to everyone who is making a silicone tail, when sculpting the detail lines or membranes of the fin one can use the plastic from sandwich bags lay over the smooth surface of the clay the proceed to mark the indents or lines this will make the lines smoother wayyyyy smoother...
Method without the bag:https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a6e80807e2.jpg
And with the bag...https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d6f54bbee3.jpg
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I know I don't have the plaster yet and that I wanted to sculpt the dorsal on the tail body but I'm done with my fins and I just can't resist the urge to sculpt this bad boy https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...6d629aab8a.jpg
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So as it is typical of me I went and destroyed my dorsal and altered the design in size slightly just a few things that were bugging me and to change it and have my dorsal still be symmetric I'd have to re draw the whole thing so I drew it up and now to resculpt the first side!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...4f470621fa.jpg
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My first reaction was 'you did WHAT?' but then I was relieved to see you're just improving it. x) It's looking good so far!
LOL yeah my OCD tends to get the best of me but not this time I promise you see the lines connecting the spikes I didn't have those marked when I first started this dorsal 3 months ago I think it was I was a bit more ignorant back then lmao so I addressed this mistake and readjusted the center making it a few inches longer I feel it looks better that way but that may just be meQuote:
Originally Posted by Marriih
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I agree it does look better. :)
Thanks a lot!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marriih
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Oh the second one does look a lot better - it's more fierce, which I love!
Also, the sandwich bag tip is genius! Loving it!
[QUOTE=Marinus Mortimer;274899]
Oh my goodness I have the same picture on my phone for inspiration. We should make tails together!!
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[QUOTE=jamminhippie06;275160]If your referring to my profile picture yes it totally inspired my dorsal I've had the picture for a few years on every phone I get lol it's just perfect to me I'm going to make a secondary dorsal like that one for my 2nd tail for sure. And we totally should one day I'd be lots of fun I love sculpting!Quote:
Originally Posted by Marinus Mortimer
Thanks I was going for wild and dangerous and my first dorsal was a bit flat and fish only flatten their dorsal sin fear and they spike them up to intimidate so I was like nah I'd rather intimidate any fish willing to come against me lol and no problem the tip was handed down to me so I thought I'd share and maybe help some one out here with the same or similar issue with the way their lines are turning out.Quote:
Originally Posted by moniee
Here's a pic of the revamped dorsal now still lots of smoothing to be done! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f5ac414f64.jpg
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Wow, that plastic bag tip is genius!
And I love the new dorsal! I agree it adds a bit of extra 'umph' to the tail :)
I know right I'm loving it
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Finally got some plaster now I won't have the fear of the sculpts getting messed up in any way I feel better once it's molded lol
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...b2e8c1eb3a.jpg
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Just curious, how does the price of the plaster compare to shell shock? And how is the durability? I am thinking of trying plaster for my next tail since shell shock is pretty expensive, but I am worried about the moulds cracking or shrinking.
Personally I've never tried shell shock cause I get this plaster at my local hobby lobby store but this is net weight 8 pounds for $7.99, I wouldn't use anything else for now just because the clay comes out in one perfect piece no having to dig it out no cleaning the mold a thousand times it just peels of and none of my molds have broken yet I don't handle them like a glass doll I mean I don't throw them either but there's been a few times where I thought they were or should have been broken and held up with no cracks, also I mix a little extra plaster to make the end result stiffer. Let's see how the hold up when I move if there are no casualties I'll stick with it. Hope that helps!
And speaking of molds i maniged to finish my last fins now all that's left is dorsal scales and fluke.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...07341b164d.jpg
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How much does one 8lb bag make? Do you think that would be enough for one fluke and a scale tray? That is significantly cheaper than shell shock, haha. Also, have you used any silicone in it yet? I think I remember one mer having trouble with silicone seeping into her plaster moulds and permanently bonding to it because it was too porous. It was years ago though, and I doubt its the same plaster. Just curious if you had tested that yet.
No i have not tested it with the silicone yet. An it took one bag to mold almost all my fins and the molds are pretty thick.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...f359ba5130.jpg
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This was my least favorite part of the process by far, I hated working with plaster how are yours so clean...clay free
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To be honest Lili I don't know why they're so clean I've never had to clean then after molding cause the sculpture always peeled right off the mold I have a video on it above that's another reason I've continued use of this plaster.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lili
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Ahh
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So you think one bag would be enough for a fluke?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rett
It depends on the size of the fluke and its thickness, because for me I have the top part of my fluke that is very thick and my fluke ir relatively large so I estimate that I'll need one and a half bags minimum but I could be wrong because one bag makes a substantial amount. When I make the mold of the fluke in a couple weeks I'll let you know how much I used.
But keep in mind my fluke is for my extended tail so it's especially thick so if your making a fluke for a regular tail that is not very thick one bag should be sufficient, just be sure to make the clay walls at least one inch from the sculpt all around so your not wasting much plaster in empty space!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rett
Silicone will not stick to Plaster done and tested. however if you feel that it may stick you can always just apply a release agent.
The thicker you make the molds the better they will be for holding up over time and not cracking.
when it comes to Quantity it can be hard to determine. I used 2x 4KG bags on one of my flukes. Keep in mind the thicker the mold the more you will need.
when dealing with a large area it is best to mix up two buckets. (helper) and pour at the same time. its impossible to mix and pour such a large area in the time you pour your first batch, even if you have the plaster and the water already measured out and ready to go. speaking from experience.
Thanks for your input Trident True, I've been researching a method for making silicone harder I've found a few ways but I can't say for sure until I have tested these theories...
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You cpuld just order a harder shore of silicone to make it harder. I dont know of a method that doesnt weaken the silicone and expose it to potential crumbling.
The hardest A shore of dragon skin is A 30 and that's way too flexible with the method I found it becomes closer to a A 70 I've seen it done it did not crumble I don't know how it would any ways.
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Well I wish you luck then :) Ive only seen two attempt a method like that. On one the silicone got very hard and began crumbling when it was flexed. It was like old dried out rubber. The other attempt was unsuccessful and the silicone just wouldnt cure. I would be interested to see if you are able to get it to work. :)
Can I ask why you want the silicone harder?
Good to know thanks Rett! The reason I want it harder is only for the fluke I'm going to use lexan for my extension piece/monofin and the lexan available at home depot is one size thinner than what I'd prefer being that the thinner the lexan the more bend it'll have which is not what I'm going for I honestly dislike flowy or bendy flukes at least if the tail is for myself also I feel it's better to have a fluke that can provide effective propulsion in ocean and river currents which is what I mostly swim in, a flexible fluke provides less propulsion...Quote:
Originally Posted by Rett
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Ah, gotcha. Well I hope you are able to figure it out. Maybe you could try a different material for the blade? Fiberglass (like the Finis Competitor) perhaps?Quote:
Originally Posted by Marinus Mortimer
Small update!
Lots more work to do on my fluke sculpt but I'm almost done adding thickness to the bones after Thad smoothing everything down and then to add detail.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...07025740e8.jpg
Little tip! I learned that legos can be used to create mold walls all one needs is tape to hold the legos in place. It's brilliant!
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Unfortunately I don't have the technology to make a functional fiberglass blade like that it's not a simple thing at all! But I've figured out how to make the silicone harder all is left to do is try it and see how it goes for me but I'm sure it'll work and if it does uff i wouldn't even need a monofin for any of my tails...Quote:
Originally Posted by Rett
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