That is a nice fluke Mizuko
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That is a nice fluke Mizuko
Mizuko,
your fluke is just so perfect for you! I love the design....especially the swirled ridges! It's going to be a stunning tail :)
I love it! So cute and magical!xD
Thank you everyone! :D
I wanted my fluke to be 1. girly and 2. recognisable as MIZUKO. haha! Hence the swirly design :3
Ugh, so my trip home has been delayed by 2 weeks -__- I am really going to die of impatience waiting to finish this tail!!
Fluke and extra fins have been molded, still working on the scales, but I'm hoping to have them fibreglassed this weekend (if all goes to plan!)
Thanks everyone for being patient with my erratic posts >.<
Been testing out mold materials- I started with fibreglass, but unfortunately it still left in-dents in my clay as it was too hot for the clay to stay rigid. Here was a test mold I did (a basic Ariel bra):
Attachment 15061
It can be saved- I can sand down the inside of the mold. But for my tail molds it would just destroy the details :P
So I sucked it up, and went and got some Shell Shock (at $70 a Trial Kit, and $200 a Gallon kit- yup, they really slug us hard here in Australia).
OHH man, I'd been warned multipule times to 1) mix well and 2) work fast, but you never really understand until you have to do it!! The Part B needed a thorough mixing as it had kinda separated. If my partner had not been there to help, I wouldn't have been able to do this myself. It was like dealing with hardened glue. He spent at least 20 minutes just mixing Part B until it was uniform! Then we measured, and mixed Part A with it. Again, I was glad he was there to help, because this stuff hardens faster than I'd expected. I think we only had about a minute (and this was the Slow Shell Shock) to cover the two fin molds before it was too gunky to use. Maybe we put too much Part A in it? Not sure, we both checked the measurements!
Anyways, after pouring the Shell Shock I did three layers of fibreglass over the top, just to make it sturdy.
Here's a photo of one of the fin molds after I'd cleaned it:
Attachment 15062
I am REALLY happy with the details it caught. However, you may notice that this mold is silver... eh, yeah. That was the mold release I was told to use. Its a silicone layer that is meant to peel out. Well, its not peeling out- I've even scrubbed it in the sink with hot water and soap, and its not budging. So, I'm hoping (praying) it wont effect the Dragonskin onces its poured in. I will use another mold-release (a proper Smooth-On one, to be sure!) when doing this, so please cross your fingers and fins for me!
I've yet to do the fluke or the scale mold in Shell Shock, but I'll also be buying proper mold-release before I do these: it'd suck if my side fins dont work because of this silver silicone, but it would be a tragedy if my fluke and scale mold failed!!
Anyways, Its only two weekends now until I go home! I'm excited and nervous XD I just want to get these molds done, then I can relax for a few days before the even harder stuff starts!
$200 a gallon?!!!! That's absurd! I swear you just need to have a tailmaking holiday and come visit me in the us.....it would probably be cheaper to buy a plane ticket than pay so much for silicone and shell shock!
Shell shock is awesome....but it does begin to harden almost immediately. It's worse depending on the temperature! The hotter it is the faster it thickens. You can extend the pot life by keeping the shell shock cool as long as possible.....try keeping in an air conditioned room for several hours, pre mix it inside and take it out at the last minute. You're lucky you had help! I had a horrendous time getting the liquid can open and that was after I had already measured the other part....
Your fin molds look great! If you use manns ease release..or any kind of release agent, just be sure to clean your molds thoroughly. If any release agent stays in the mold, it can get on your scales, fins etc. While this won't cause an issue with your silicone curing, it can prevent your silicone paint from sticking. I ran into this problem in a few areas of my tail, but my biggest issue was with the rubber monofin.
Good luck! I'm so excited for you!
Thank you Jessica! :)
Haha, yes, I worked out with how much I've spent I could've purchased a performance tail from Merbellas XD but I'm really determind to do this myself! I am still terrified of screwing up and all the hard work/money going to waste, though >.< lol! I'm going to grab Manns Ease release tomorrow when I pick up more Shell Shock :) then I can hopefully complete the molds this weekend!! :D
How much Shell Shock did your fluke and scale mold use, Jessica? :) my fluke is quite big so I'm worried the gallon order mightn't be enough! Eep!
My fluke is about 26" x 23" I used just one gallon order of shell shock and layered fiberglass cloth(not matting...the matting isn't as strong) for my fluke mold. How much you use will really depend on how high your fluke sculpture is. You have to build the shell shock until its 3/8" high in order to have a strong mold. My fluke has high ridges so it took about the whole gallon to cover the ridges and make the mold strong enough. If I remember correctly, your ridges weren't as prominent as mine. I think you should be fine with one gallon if you layer fiberglass cloth in the mold. Just brush on a layer or two...make sure you cover every bit of clay...and then lay the cloth in the mold. I cut my cloth into strips so I could get between the ridges and it worked well. If you layer a good bit of fiberglass cloth in your mold I don't think it would be absolutely necessary to build it up to 3/8" but I would try to get close to that. Keep in mind that the 3/8" should be above the highest point of your fluke sculpture.
If you run out of shell shock, you can do what jazz did and back it up with some sort of fiberglass resin. You should check with her...I'm not 100% sure what she used but I think boating supply stores carry it.
One more thing....make sure you pour/brush layers across the entire fluke mold and don't focus on just one area. Smooth on told me that its very important to get a good base coat down across the whole mold or you could wind up with a crack or seam if you poured one half, waited and then poured the other. I used a paintbrush to brush the shell shock up over the ridges because it tried to settle down in between them for my base coat.
I know you've spent a lot of money, but you tail is going to be amazing! It's so incredibly rewarding to make your own...I'm really glad that I did. Also, didn't you order 4 gallons of silicone? My tail would have only used one gallon if I hadn't run into problems. You look about my size so you should be able to make 3 tails + maybe a neoprene lined one or a couple tops! It really depends on how much silicone your fluke uses.
I'm so excited for you!!!
Thank you! My fluke mold is quite big... its made to fit a competitor monofin so its around 28"x28", I do have some of the Trial Kit of Shell Shock left, so maybe I can mix that together with the gallon order and it will cover it nicely. It has occurred to me that I will now need 2 gallon orders of the Shell Shock, though!! Because I also need it for my scale mold! Boo! Ah well, I dont really have any other choice. (time to sell a kidney! haha!) I'll still be covering them with fibreglass/resin too, just to guarantee they cant be damaged easily :)
You've actually answered two of my questions! hehe! THANK YOU! I wasn't sure if I could pour one side then pour the other, but you've answered that for me :3 I'll have to recruit my partner again for the extra set of hands!
Yes, I got 4 gallons of silicone! LOL! I figured I'd use up about 2, with my big fluke and scale mold, and then a little of the 3rd for extra fins- with a whole gallon left over! That way I've got room for mistakes! lol! And if I dont make a mistake, I might be able to make another tail! :D (I've already decided on an Ariel tail! lol! Its very clique, but I love her and I know I'll get a few gigs as her :3 )
Thank you so much! I'm excited and nervous and impatient all at once! lol! Its only two weekends to go! I hope I can make a pretty tail to be proud of :)
I just wanna say Mizuko that you have such a great, bubbly personality, I can just tell omg. I love just how your excitement translates online. xD
haha, thank you Emma! XD I'm kinda hyperactive in real life, it can get quite tiresome for people around me (but not me... haha!)
I can't wait how your it will look when your tail comes to life!! <3
Wow, go Mizuko! About the silvery mold--My suggestion is to do a test. Or few. Even poring a tiny amount of A & B to see how it goes. For the Delphine Tail I did many tests, and 2 of them were for the scales (by the time I got to the mega-sized fluke, I knew what to expect, haha). Some things, such as this type of casting, you have to DO it, to get a feel for it. Anyway, best of luck. I'm happy you are working & sharing photos! Keep on swimming, ladyfish!
Thank you Ariel! :D
I'm thinking tests will be the best way to tackle this too, Delphine. I unfortunately couldnt get any Manns release- the ONE place in Australia that stocks it was out of stock, and I myself couldn't order it from overseas as its a restricted item and cannot be flown in a plane -___- worst luck! I had a mini-freak out about that. haha. However, using just shell shock on the fluke and scale molds I wont need mold release- so that wasn't a problem- but the little silver fins would be. After researching, apparently a thin layer of vaseline can work quite well with dragonskin too. So I'm going to test that out and hope for the best! Otherwise I might just scrap the extra fins until I can afford more Shell Shock- or get the mold release shipped over to Australia. XD Its been one big panic-fest! haha! Thanks so much for your suggestions, Delphine <3 I really appreciate any info!!
I didn't get to set my fluke in Shell Shock over the weekend as it decided it was going to be wet and humid. >< I'm hoping it will clear in the next day or so!!
Are you using foam or clay for your scale sheet? If you use foam circles, don't bother with manns ease release! I didn't use enough and my mold was a disaster....I would just use Vaseline. The ease release won't stop the shell shock from getting in between the circles, but the Vaseline should.
I just used a light layer of ease release on my fluke sculpture and it turned out great. Honestly though I'm not sure it's even necessary. I would do a small test before pouring your fluke just in case.
So you don't waste much silicone...you could try mixing up a teaspoon of a and a teaspoon of b and brushing a thin layer in your side fin mold. If it cures, you can always place it back in the mold and then pour more silicone to finish the fin. If it doesn't, then you're only using 2tsp of silicone.
I'm so excited to see your tail! I still can't believe how expensive everything is for you...I just ordered shell shock this morning for $64/gallon....I can't imagine having to pay $200. When I talked to smooth on today I was asking about materials to back up a shell shock mold. He recommended fiberglass(you pour it on before the shell shock hardens completely). It really isn't cost effective for me, but you might want to look into it since shell shock is so expensive for you. It would really depend on how much fiberglass costs over there...it would be nice if you could get away with one gallon of shell shock if fiberglass is cheaper.
good luck!
Thanks Jessica! :D
My scale mold is also clay- I've been cookie cutting the shapes out XD haha! I wanted shell-shaped scales, so I thought that was the easiest way to do it other than trying to cut out all the shapes in foam (which I tried but the foam was just a TINY bit too thick! haha!).
I've been using fibreglass over the Shell Shock- I'd initially thought I could do entire fibreglass molds, as it really is SO much cheeper than anything else! But it failed, so I have to use Shell Shock and layer it with the fibreglass/resin for extra strength :)
I poured my fluke yesterday! The Shell Shock has stuck firmly to the card board box, but with some hot water the card board will melt off :3
Hi, Jessica. Did you make your own tail, too? With Dragon Skin? I've been discussing Dragon Skin with other mers interested in tail-making, as it's the one I used for my own Delphine tail project. Do you have some cool shots of yours? Process shots?
You're welcome! Ooo, shell-shaped scales!? Got a photo? I'm picturing yours like.. the outside of scallops. I'm thinking a more unusually-shaped scales for Tail II, too!
Also, congrats on pouring. So exciting! Keep your vision of your tail in your head, it helps keep you into it on those frustrating days (like no Mold Release at the stores!). I think I used Ease Release 200, with the black-yellow label, though I've heard one can use vaseline as a cheaper alternative. I suggest using some kind of release (vaseline or spray or something) even if you don't "think" it's needed. It makes your life easier. Good luck, Mizuko.
Hi Delphine,
I made my tail out of dragonskin and you can check out some pictures here: http://mernetwork.com/index/showthre...in-tail/page10
your thread was really helpful to me and your tail is just gorgeous! I was wondering though....I'm using a wave monofin for my latest tail....did you adhere the silicone to the monofin by drilling holes in the monofin, gluing lace...etc? I know some people have done these things before and I was wondering if its worth the trouble. Does your fluke wrinkle or fill with water at all?
Mizuko,
We need pictures!! I can't wait to see this scale sheet and fluke mold! I used posterboard instead of cardboard for my molds and its a lot easier to peel off the mold. I put my quilting cutting mat under the posterboard when I carry it around so the clay doesn't bend...or you could just put some cardboard under. Anyway..it made things a little easier for me so I thought I'd share.:)