Printable View
Dragonskin is great because it's from Smooth-on and they have great customer service as well as all the technical info for their products.
I looked around for an alternative for silicone before and I found that there is really no other place with quite as much info out there, or at least, I never found one.
I'd stick with them because you have the info and if you need more you can call them!
Hmmm... I was just looking up shipping rates for surface mail from the US and it said that USPS has discontinued their surface mail shipping option :O I couldn't find any other services that look to be similar
there are quite a few... I know DHL does shipping also, and some smaller companies. I wasn't looking too much into it until I had the right amount of money for the silicone anyway :) But I know there are alot of private shipping companies :)
I can't wait to see this when it's done :D
I literally just discovered a place nearby that stocks flat boxes that if I join them together it will be big enough to make one single scale sheet... I'm going to stop by there tonight after work and investigate! :D
I just found this store that sells platinum cure silicone and liquid plastics that's a lot cheaper than buying the smooth-on products from the other place http://www.dalchem.com.au/
I wonder how their silicone compares to dragonskin, and if it really would be that much different or more difficult to use. Their liquid plastics also seem to be a lot cheaper than the other place.
Looks interesting, although looking briefly I dont think it cures clear? I'm sticking with Dragon Skin still, I'm more confident with it :)
(don't mind me, i am just continuing to hijack this thread with my research...) I just looked again at a few other casting and moulding sites including barnes.com.au, another one I found, and all the silicone suppliers that I have found here tend to sell platinum silicone in 10kg batches, for about $550- $600 per 10kg. A "gallon" of dragonskin apparently weighs 16 pounds, just over 7kg, so really if you were going to buy two gallons of dragonskin, that would cost $800, and you would get 14kg, so really you would be paying pretty much the same amount anyway no matter what brand of silicone you use. That's Australia for you
Nice find Aino!
That website has a technically bulletin that shows a LOT of info.
It also does have transparent silicones, but the problem is that their softest silicone (well at least what I was able to find) was 18A which is almost as hard as Dragonskin20 which I wouldn't really recommend for a tail.
Not to mention it's actually MORE expensive than Smooth-on's price.
Smooth on brings 16lbs (around 7kg) per order of $180.00
This website has 5kg for $300, and it's not even really explicitly saying whether or not it comes with two gallons like Smooth-on does. It says "only one piece per order" so I assume the 5kg includes both parts.
This is an exciting feat! I would love to be able to see your pink tail turn into something amazing, it was already so beautiful and will probably be even more beautiful when brought to it's fully glory. Good luck :D
Thank you Mermaid Saphira! :D
Update- I got sick last week with a flu and spent all week in bed... ><; So no progress on the scale sheets!! I am in the process of selling a bunch of my clothes (I'm into an expensive Japanese fashion that luckily resells really well) so if all goes well I'll have enough $ to purchase a Competitor Monofin by the end of the week, and have a little left over for supplies ^^ *crosses fingers and fins*
ANOTHER update! haha!
I started my scale mold but had some trouble. The foam I got was a wee bit too thick for my cutter (I could fit it if I shoved it in, but it warped it and was so time consuming). I took apart the cutter and tried to see if I could use it like a cookie-cutter, by pressing the sharp shape into the foam- but with no luck. I was THIS close to purchasing some thinner 1mm foam from overseas (yep, another thing no local stores or local ebay seems to stock, ugh!) when my best friend mentioned she might have a solution...
There is a craft workshop here in my city which lets you use their machines for free- you just have to pay for the materials you use. They have a 3d printer; and a lazer cutter. So I'm now looking into getting all my scales cut out of the foam using the lazer cutter! It'll be some hard maths- as I'll need to make sure I have more than enough scales- but it will be alot less time consuming as I can CREATE my own shape for the scale and get them all cut out at once! That will make my scale mold unique, which is really exciting.
I'll be exploring it this weekend, so I'll let you all know how it turns out! :D
:O OH! great thinking Watson! :D I didn't even think about that.... there's a lazer cutter in my University building! :D Didn't even THINK about that!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mizuko
Are you a lolita by any chance? I am a lolita, but I just can't bring myself to sell any of my clothes because I'm just too attached to them! Except I did sell one skirt which was a little bit too small for me, and it did get me the extra cash to buy my competitor monofin.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mizuko
After all that research I eventually decided I will be sticking with dragonskin too, shopping service or no. Ah well.
It's cool that you found a laser cutter, what sort of foam are you making your scaled out of? I was just thinking of using styrofoam for a mold box and then using craft foam that I will just cut with scissors to make the actual scales
Yep, I'm a loli :) I've been wearing it for 7 years now, but mermaiding is more important to me. I've got a whole wardrobe full, but unfortunatley nobody is buying sweet style at the moment so I've got about $900 worth of dresses waiting to be sold! XP it sucks!
My scales will be out of craft foam also :)
I've been wearing lolita for about 2 1/2 years or so. If I sold all my clothes I would probably have enough to make my tail but agh I don't wanna I want both!!! I would rather save up and make the money another way. I have been thinking of starting my own little 'brand' for a while now to help me get money for things like this tail, but I haven't got that idea off the ground yet I have been too busy with other things. But its ok, I know I can save the money for a tail without selling my clothes if I just concentrate on it. If I wasn't saving for a tail as well, I would ask you what you have to sell!
Good luck with your tail.
I've been out of luck Lolita clothing wise... they don't sell it here, and if you want to order online, it is never in my size :( I do like the style alot though
Ah, so you must be the mystery mermaid in Australia that Aino mentioned to me. Hello! As someone who has nearly completed her first silicone tail, please feel free to ask me questions about dragon skin silicone, if that's what you use. As a side note, go for the two seams. I did one large scale sheet, with on large seam, and it was the hardest part of my entire tail, and literally fights back!!! XD I'd love to see some updates and photos when you have 'em. Sounds like a great project you've embarked upon. YES! Use the resources you have! What shape did you decide on for scales?
Hi, Aino. I see you've been researching silicones. Great! :)
Hehe, hello! :D Thank you so much! I think I will need a bit of help with this one. haha! I've only just got all the info needed to start lazer-cutting my scales out, so I hope I can get started in a few weeks! :D And my competitor monofin should be here today (YAY! Cant wait to try it out!). I have actually decided on a simple shell-like shape for my scales; like big versions of the sequins everyone uses! I figured it would add something very different to my tail and future tails I might make :D
Hrm, I might have to go with just a half sheet of scales then! I just loved the idea of one big thing I could cast once and then move on. haha! I've got a fibreglass body mold, which I thought would help with one big sheet, but I know you did the same for yours too. I'd hoped it make it easier, but I guess not! haha!
I really hope to have photos up soon! :D I work full time and at night I just crash so I've been super behind ><; Now that I've got my new monofin I can start molding the fluke and extra fins though! :D
I am planning on having two seams too, I just think it would look more even to have a seam on each side than to just have one seam. I have been really busy lately and haven't gotten around to even thinking about gathering my supplies yet, but I have been saving up and I'm getting there! Yes, I did research silicones and came to the conclusion that dragonskin is the way to go :)