dat fluke :swoon:
I wouldn't be able to decide whether to make a truly invisible fluke for a snake tail, or a glitter-laden flashy glitterfluke.
yep, I love glitter too lol.
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dat fluke :swoon:
I wouldn't be able to decide whether to make a truly invisible fluke for a snake tail, or a glitter-laden flashy glitterfluke.
yep, I love glitter too lol.
Sounds like a nightmare! I havd a "Mouse" sander...is that orbital?
On the other hand, I might try some 3M 9627 Transfer Tape... It seems promising on the face of it, and when I go over to BF Goodrich Aerospace, maybe I can get an engineer or two to help me out with my mermaiding quest. :D
Otherwise, I'm just going to buy a thicker sheet of Makrolon.
Finally read the whole thread lol I'm using this method on my tail now that I've read it through very excited :) (will be using a premade mono fin however and possibly skipping the slime coat)
Thank you for posting the steps of your process. I was searching the forum to see if anyone had any luck with individual or small sections of scale on their silicone tail, because it seemed like it would work, and i'm beyond impressed with your work.
Thank you! It's a lot of work, though. Be sure you want to go down that road! :)
I like the look of the individual lift plus I mostly use my tail in pools so less debris would get stuck under them :) I was between scale sheet and this but I think this works better for what I want and the space I have to do it :)
Oh, it looks like a daunting challenge, in the best of ways... in much the same way that my overly complex sewing tends to be. :-)
Excellent! Mermaid Odette also does individual scales that lift, so you might ask her for tips, too I had always planned to seal mine down.
I can't wait to see new tails come to life! Good luck! :mermaid kiss:
I just realized if you sanded the sheet into a taper you'd have to polish all the material to get the clear back.
Ya know if the tail areas less maybe a single sheet will work like you originally thought.
Never over till it's over.
Do what I would do...BOTH!!! :DQuote:
Originally Posted by caltuna
..a glitter-laden flashy glittersnake fluke? :rotfl:
Why not? Just say 'it's mythical'! :thumbs-up:Quote:
Originally Posted by caltuna
Holy carp! I just got this in my email:
We are excited to inform you that your proposal for World Maker Faire, Bespoke Realistic Swimmable Silicone Mermaid Tails, has been accepted. Congratulations, we are delighted to have you participate in the 5th Annual World Maker Faire New York 2014.
WOOHOO!
I applied on a whim, never thinking I would be accepted! Now I have to come up with a presentation! :yay:
OHMYGOSH CONGRATS!!! That's amazing!!
The faire looks amazing too...good thing I'm in the area, I can check it out. If you need someone to help you for demos or presentations (ie sit around in a tail and hand out stuff), I'm around to volunteer! XD (I do have trade show model experience!)
Thank you! I may just take you up on that, but I only have the one tail, so far! And I probably outweigh you by a hundred pounds! :lol:
Congratulations, that is awesome news!
I think you're ready and you have a ball. Good for you! :dance:
LOL! Well yeah, and my own tail is latex so it wouldn't help much to advertise :) But if you finish your presentation design and find yourself needing another mer, I'm always available as a last-minute option! :3 I'm sure whatever you come up with will be AMAAAAAZING anyway!!! XD <3<3
Congrats!!
How exciting! Congrats!
Congratulations! It sure will be exciting. :yay: :dance:
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How can you keep the shiny/fresh wet look? Will do the single scale method myself, just need to figure out a scale shape.Quote:
Originally Posted by PearlieMae
Is it ok if I send you a note?
I imagine just wiping your tail down with a little coconut oil, or tanning oil, maybe, but I don't think you'll be able to coat your tail in anything permanent for that super shiny look all the time.
Sure, send me a message anytime!
And on another note: Good news, I just got back from a swim with the new monofin design - Stubby Shortiefin - and it's sleek, sturdy, maneuverable, and comfy as ugly sandals! What little I lost in propulsion, I more than made up for in maneuvering! Hahaha! I'm tempted to stick it in the prototype fluke while I finish the new one just to see how she swims under rubber!
Congratulations, Pearlie! How awesome that your tailmaking skills will get such great exposure! Fame and fortune coming your way...
Congrats :)
After trying out every shape and size of fin, I found shorter, smaller ones with just the right grade of floppiness give me the most propulsion with very little effort.Quote:
Originally Posted by PearlieMae
I actually prefer a stubby, sleek and slightly floppy fin to the competitor, which feels like a whale and kills my ankles after a while :p
Grats to being picked for the Faire!
I bet your tail will be one of the prettiest.
:gah:
:::unrelated to thread:::
WOW, this looks awesome it turned out really well, the flipper looks great not to floppy. The tail also looks light in weight. what i mean by this is, when is saw you swimming in it, it looks almost weightless on the body, not to mention it fits you like a glove. compared to most silicone tails in looks lighter then these. your tail design is definitely a more advanced design than others on here. supa-dupa work.
Thanks so much! :mermaid kiss:
With the monofin, the whole thing weighs less than 20 pounds! It fits so well because I built it on a mannequin of my lower body - cling film and packing tape, and I made it snug so the tail would grip me. When my legs are outstretched, it looks like a smooth tail body - not too tight at the knees - and the ankles fit really well, too...snug, but with lots of flex. When I bend at the knees, there is a wrinkle, but not like some I've seen...and you won't see a seam BECAUSE THERE ARE NONE! And absolutely no gapping!
I mentioned it before that I have to add more to the top for a bit more modesty, don't need the girls making an appearance, and I might go ahead and fill in the tum area with my see-through-tan scales, which will make it a full coverage tail...think Chicken of the Sea coverage. I can't lay still long enough to tan my belly!
I am very happy with it, and tonight - good lord willin' and the crick don't rise - I'll be sandwiching the fluke halves over the fin! :yay:
Well, the sandwiching of the fluke halves was postponed a little, but the flukes are now curing in the sun while I prep the monofin.
Here's the new fluke, curing in the sun:
Attachment 23446
Attachment 23447
Attachment 23448
WOW. What nice big pieces of glitter!!! <3
I love the chunky holographic glitter. The trick to keeping it from cutting its way off the tail is to seal a layer of tulle over it with a thin coat of dragonskin.
Like Rarity would say: Ho!!! Shiny ^_^
Totally. The chunky glitter looks gorgeous. I'd love to see a tail with such big glitter it was used as scales, which I guess is like a sequin tail, but. xD
Yeah, at some point, I think glitter comes out of its cocoon and becomes sequins. :D
And the final form is rhinestones.
There are only TWO rhinestones. Light amethyst teardrops about an inch, one on each side of the fluke, under the big heart.
I mean, c'mon...I'm not a Lady Gaga!:rollover:
You're not?
No, I'm the ghost of da Vinci. ;)
With glitter.