Lorelei's First Silicone Tail Attempt!

[Kanti]

I hate those plastic cutting knives >8(
They never work for me at all, especially not making something like a mermaid tail that needs
curved cuts. Either way, how did your monofin come out? Or are you still working on it xD

[Mermaid Momo]

if the plastic knives don't work for you then maybe a glass knife will? i've heard that they're very nice but i have yet to actually see one so perhaps you have to buy them online somewhere

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I went ahead and went with the jigsaw because of the need for curved cuts. Then I sanded it down with my dremel.
My monofin came out very well. I have to fix a problem with the foot pockets, but other than that, it's done. :>

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I has pictures of my silicone color tests.

and,

The gold, purple, and blue also have a sparkle to them, but it's kind of hard to see in this light and this size.

[Kanti]

How did you paint them! They look super cute :'D

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I mixed the color into the dragonskin part B. Once I had the color I wanted, I mixed the part A into it and poured them into the molds. :> I tested four different mediums (none of which are the technically correct methods) but unfortunately I'm not going to be giving out that little secret. :'P

[Kanti]

Haha everyone's so secretive around here :'P
That's understandable~ I appreciate that you've shown
so much of your progress anyway!

Also how do you find you're fairing on the amount of silicone you have?
How many gallons did you get and how many do you think you'll need
to finish the whole tail?

Sorry about all the questions xD I'm just super curious

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Don't be sorry! I made this thread to ask and answer questions. :>

I ordered one gallon and so far it's gone a pretty good ways. It's also incredibly easy to work with once you know what you're doing. XD I'm definitely going to have to order another gallon though. Probably two, just to be safe. I'll let you know as I start pouring scale sheets and such.

[Kanti]

Cool :'D
And cause yea, I've never worked with it before so I'll probably need a little bit for testing xD
And umm can you make molds from the same silicone you cast with?
I assume so, you'd need a release agent but I'm not entirely sure either. Seems like
dragonskin makes awesome molds too but I dunno if I want to shell out the extra for
more of it unless I'm 100% positive it won't stick to itself

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I haven't actually tried making molds out of it yet, but I've heard that you can cast with it and cast into it as long as you use a release agent. I cast these shells in a premade silicone mold, though I don't think it was dragonskin.
I just used a touch of release agent to be sure the shells came out and didn't have a problem at all.

[Mermaid Rillia]

That drawing looks absolutely amazing! I love the intricate fins. Very creative. This will be an absolute work of art when you are done with it. If you dont mind me asking....What clay did you use and how much did you get?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I use Monster Makers clay. http://www.monstermakers.com/product...ium-grade-html

[Mermaid Lorelei]

I've started the process of mold making finally. Hopefully I'll have a process photo or two soon. I think I'm getting to a turning point with this whole thing.

[Kanti]

!!!! Awesome Lorelei :'D
Can't wait to see what you come up with~

Also whatre you making the actual mold with?
Mold Max, Dragonskin, etc?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Actually I'm trying Shell Shock at the moment. So far it seems to be working well. I'm testing it on a small side fin, so I should be able to have some pictures soon.

[Kanti]

Bahh! sweet jesus that stuff sounds really useful @_@ I wish I had known about it like 2 days earlier xD
I just ordered some other product and this sounds a lot better xD

But either way, isn't it plastic? Won't the mold be hard to store?

[Mermaid Lorelei]

It should be easier to store than a heavy stone mold. Shell Shock is light weight and stron, so as long as I store it flat (like under a bed) it should be just fine. I'll know more once my test molded side fin is done. I've gotten the base layer down, now I just need to get the rest of the backing bulked out. And I believe it is a type of urethane actually.

[Kanti]

Yea it says brushable plastic o:
Either way, can't wait to see progress photos
I'm so excited to see your finished tail! I know it's going to be so awesome @-@

[Mermaid Lorelei]

:P 'Tanks. I'm doing my best to make it awesome. XD My faraway hope is to rival Raven. Her awesomeness is inspiring.

[Mermaid Dottie]

:P 'Tanks. I'm doing my best to make it awesome. XD My faraway hope is to rival Raven. Her awesomeness is inspiring.

I hear ya. So sad that my silicone experiments are failing... but maybe I can simulate scales with the material somehow....