Eeeeee you are getting so close!
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Eeeeee you are getting so close!
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Watching your progress is amazing, I am so falling behind! Seeing your progress is totally motivating me!
Oh wow, those big scales are so cool!
Lovely job so far! I'm really into those large scales too. It looks really cool from a distance! I'm a big fan of blue and copper color schemes, too. So lovely <3
Thanks!! :blush:
Visiting the folks for a few days, so work is on hold. But look at what my mom dug out of the attic! Anyone else have one of these?
Attachment 31033
:yay:
*call upon the sea ponies when you're in distress*
*shoo be do shoo shoo be do*
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Back home again...now comes the terrifying prospect of gluing on all those scales. Yikes! I started a top but I've realized it's just me avoiding the next big step.
In other news, still haven't been able to try out the finished fluke due to THIS ENDLESS RAIN!!!
That tail is gorgeous.
Lol! Lunette introduced me to the Sea Ponies.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4TedkQP_hM
Oh, and I absolutely LOVE your tail design!! I need to get to work on mine, but I'll have to buy all new materials because Texas decided it was going to throw the craziest weather ever on us all at once this year.
How did you do the fluke and scales so perfectly?? This is your first time, right? I'm so impressed!! <3
Hahahaha! Omg how cute, my daughter's going to make me find all those cartoons now...
and gosh, thanks, Lotus Blooming! It is looking really cool-- better than I'd hoped! I'm a bit of a perfectionist so I'm trying NOT to spend so much time getting everything perfect, or nothing will ever get finished. :) there are plenty of little lumps and drips and fingerprints and cat fur that show up when you get close, though. I'm sure it's the same with any tail!
I got a chance to swim with the new fluke! First thoughts: compared to a Fin Fun original, this thing is HEAVY, unwieldy, and surprisingly stiff. Clearly they were using a much thinner Lexan (I know they switched to something new-- we bought ours last year) than the kind you find at Lowes. But I've also been training on a Finis Rapid, and it's comparable in stiffness to this crazy thing I've created. Bonus! I get massive propulsion in this thing! Zooom! After about ten minutes I felt perfectly comfortable swimming in it. It looks phenomenal in the sunlight!!
Downside: I apparently have bony feet. I nearly gave myself blisters where my own feet were rubbing together. And I probably made the Lexan part too big, so there's not enough, well, flop. It's extremely stiff, apart from the flowy ends. Those flowy ends save it from being entirely too stiff, I think, but I would've liked the whole fin to be a little more floppy in the water. But thank goodness I listened to my husband when he advised me to make the whole thing smaller. :)
So, for the next fin: smaller Lexan, separate foot pockets. And smoother powermesh pocket; there's lumps of air inside my fin that I can't get rid of. But for my first tail, this is all going, dare I say it, quite swimmingly! ;)
Here we go! Final scale placement!
Attachment 31346
Looks gorgeous! Are you going to stick the whole scale down, or just the base? The 3D effect of the scales that aren't fully stuck down is cool, although I imagine a lot more drag in the water!
I love LOVE your scales! You're doing such an amazing job!
Mermaid at <3
Thanks! I did consider that, but some of the scales tend to curl up a little awkwardly. I'm going to glue them all the way down. The colored tips dilineate the scales at a distance, and their edges are clear up close. Besides, biological fish scales are rather sleek looking. I might be candy-colored but I was going for a fishier look. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mermaid Kate Silverfin
Thanks, Sabie! :)
Fair enough! Can't wait to see it finished!
That is beautiful
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It's so prettyyyy! I'd love to see you make a betta fish inspired tail with those big scales!
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It's so cool! It reminds me of a traditional style painting of a Japanese koi.
Attachment 31358
Those big scales are so lovely!
I just found my box full of the old MLP ponies the other day...
Looks great!
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Your silicone tail is fabulous. Cannot wait to see it finished. Absolutely beautiful work.
Me today: Attachment 31446
Body is done! And WOW does it sparkle and shine in the sun.
Attachment 31447
I wrestled the thing off the dummy, rolled it up, crammed my feet in...and was promptly impaled by four pins that I'd missed. OWOWOWOWOW. After removing the little devils, I tried again. THE SUCKER FITS ME. OMG. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS. EVERYTHING IS ACTUALLY WORKING. I am literally bouncing around like a crazy person and now I must share with the world my joy. MY JOY! HAVE SOME!
(Tempered with the realization that my belly really IS that big. Sigh.)
It's not perfect-- it's not high enough on or snug enough around my waist for my taste, so I really do need to extend it a bit on all sides. I expected that I would. It's going to be just simple flat powermesh covered with skin-tone silicone from here on up, without any attempt at blending, because I kind of like how the top turned out. Well...MAYBE a second layer of the little scales. 'cause they're cute. Aw, heck, I dunno. I'm too amazed that it all came together so brilliantly! And I can easily roll it down enough to reach the heel straps (the benefits of being a wider woman, I suppose) so I don't have to worry about never being able to tighten the monofin.
Next step: slime coat, inside and out....then attach the fluke!
But, seriously.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKWpGJ4Xhw8
And I'm ultimately extremely happy I added the blue, because otherwise my butt would resemble a very shiny pine cone. *giggle* Thanks again for all the compliments, guys! :) I would *love* to do a betta fish inspired tail with these big scales. :)
Now with fluke! Woohoo!
Attachment 31449
It's so beautiful!!!!! :swoon:
WOW!!!! WOWEE WOW!!! :swoon::swoon::swoon::swoon::swoon::swoon:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dancing Fish
Ouch, too! I should have mentioned somewhere to go over your tail with a magnet to make sure you got all the pins!!!
This is WONDERFUL! I am so excited for you!
When you extend the top, make it tight so it holds in...stuff! I did mine to fit me initially, then went back and snugged it up and I'm SO glad I did! Built in girdle and no muffin top! No mer-crack, either!
When you do the slime coat inside, seal it all generously so there's no place for mold to hide, but don't push it so much that it oozes out the front between the scales...you'll seal all that when you do the outer top coat.
I LOVE YOUR COPPER AND LAPIS LAZULI TAIL!
PS: I don't know about you, but every time I see my mannequin hanging in the studio, I still groan over the size of my massive ass! :fallover:
I don't know if the magnet would've found them-- they were well sealed-in, supporting one of the side fins at the bottom. I had to make a small cut in the mesh to get them out. (Bonehead)Quote:
Originally Posted by PearlieMae
Thanks, will do!
I don't mind the big ass...it's the big belly that gets me down. Next tail will definitely have a tighter waistline. On the other hand, this tail is extremely comfortable, light, stretchy, and I managed to get into it without using lube. I can even still bend my knees! (I engineered in a slightly bent knee just in case, as you can see). Hopefully it's not TOO loose!
Question: did you add more scales to cover the heel region than you used on top? Or did you just rely on stretchiness? I had my daughter take a bunch of pics of the region and I think I'll be adding more scales to compensate for bendy heels. There's no way I can swim in this thing without occasionally standing up in it, and I don't want to stress the heel region too much.
ETA: also on my third bucket of silicone. Yikes! This took far more than I thought it would!
So are you/have you attached the fluke or are you going to have it removable? This has been a wonderful tail making thread to follow. I just love your colors and design and I think your tail is my favorite tail with big scales.
You have been such an inspiration! :hug:
Thanks! I do plan to attach it. I need to make even more scales first... :doh:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mermaid Alea
Fantastic!! Can't wait to see you have your first swim in it!
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OMG it is sooooo pretty!!!! :jawdrop::swoon:
But you make such a lovely shiney pinecone! make all the boy pinecones go WAAAAAAAHH!
in all seriousness, your tail is absolutely amazing! I'm so happy for you that it's turning out the way you want. :)
Very awesome. Normally im not a big fan of large scales but you did a mind blowingly good job with this tail where they look believable. The tail Reminds me of a koi but I'm guessing that's what you were going for. :D
It's magnificent!
Not any more than what I needed to bridge the gap between tailbody and fluke. I had a bunch there initially to compensate for standing, but it looked bunchy, so I took out about half. what I DID do was reinforce the area on the inside with a couple extra layers of powermesh and silicone!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dancing Fish
OMG. This tail is so glorious. :'D It's just so beautiful. You're seriously talented, Dancing! Omg. I can't stop staring at it! Seriously! GORGEOUS!!! I can't wait for your first swim video!!! Omg. :'D LOVE IT!!!
Well, argh. My lovely girl's glitter project exploded all over my tail. Hmm. Water isn't washing it off, and neither is alcohol. Anyone know a better way to deglitterify silicone? LOL. I'd also love the secret to washing off cat hair. Should've vacuumed before flipping all over the floor!
And that's another great suggestion Pearlie! You have literally saved me tons of time and grief!