Possibly stupid question - Clear thermoplastic for 3-D scales?

[Agent Dragon]

Okay so here’s the deal: I’m going to get a fabric tail from Finfolk, and I hope to eventually use it for professional mermaiding. I have the acting skills to sell it, but I think kids are likely to be more excited by scales they can feel when they touch the tail.
So I had this idea: what if I get some of those clear thermoplastic pellets (the kind you can heat up and mold with your hands, like polymorph), mold them into thin, individual scales that match the shape and sizes of the ones printed on my tail, curve them a bit to fit my body, and attach them?
Obviously, I’d need to make sure the plastic was flexible enough and could hold up against salt and chlorine. But supposing I do, in fact, find a suitable material, how would I attach the scales to the neoprene? Again, some testing would be necessary, but I don’t really know where I would start with the attachment process. Does anyone have any ideas?


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[TybeeMermaid]

I don't know much about thermoplastics but what if you tried a thin silicone overlay? I know I was thinking about getting one of their fabric tails and piping clear silicone on over top of the tail to make a more realistic texture.

[Agent Dragon]

I don't know much about thermoplastics but what if you tried a thin silicone overlay? I know I was thinking about getting one of their fabric tails and piping clear silicone on over top of the tail to make a more realistic texture.

Oh, I was under the impression that neoprene inhibits the cure of silicone. Was I wrong?


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[TybeeMermaid]

Oh, I was under the impression that neoprene inhibits the cure of silicone. Was I wrong?


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I've seen it done before so I know it's possible I think you've gotta be careful with how you do it or something.

[Mermaid Fenicia]

Thermoplastics aren't flexible nor see-through.

[Toxotes]

For example, nylon, which is a kind of polyamide, is transparent and flexible to a certain degree. And it's a thermoplastic.

[malinghi]

I'm trying to do something similar but with a different method- I want to use a syringe to place droplets of silicone over the scales on a screenprinted fabric tail. So far I did some tests with mixed results. Super excited by your concept!

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[KatieScottArt]

There is actually one transparent thermoplastic called Worbla TranspArt. I've used it before and it has a way smoother surface than the regular Worbla, like a gloss surface. I don't like using it for regular cosplay armor due to the high gloss surface. I would assume you'd totally be able to use thermoplastic parts as scales if you constructed it like the Mythic tails from Finfolk, or any of the regular sequin tails. I think the only thing I would personally be wary of is sewing directly on to the fin fabric since that would immediately make it more susceptible to tears and rips. You might be able to fix this with some sort of reinforcement on the interior of the fin fabric, not sure.

https://www.cosplaysupplies.com/store.php?s=EA9C

[Agent Dragon]

I was actually considering Worbla’s Crystal Art, which is clear like TranspArt, but it comes in pellets that are moldable when melted. That way I could have more control over the shape of the scales (depth-wise, I mean). I think I might end up using silicone, though. Whichever I choose, I’ll tell y’all how it goes.


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[KatieScottArt]

I was actually considering Worbla’s Crystal Art, which is clear like TranspArt, but it comes in pellets that are moldable when melted. That way I could have more control over the shape of the scales (depth-wise, I mean). I think I might end up using silicone, though. Whichever I choose, I’ll tell y’all how it goes.

Ooh that's a good call too! I've always just doubled up the thickness of my Worbla if I needed it to be somewhat moldable. One thing that might be advantageous of using the Transparent sheets is that you could possibly "pigment" them or add a spot of flair. You could cut two identical scale shapes from said sheet, sandwich those over some sort of translucent holographic fabric or plastic (or add glitter?), and heat the edges of the plastic until it fused shut. It would be like a small PBJ sandwich and the color would be inside of the scale. This could add some glittery magic to your scales without risking the paint getting scratched off since it would be stored away safely inside of the scale. Just an idea!! Stoked to see what you end up doing <3

[Mermaid Fenicia]

Ooh that's a good call too! I've always just doubled up the thickness of my Worbla if I needed it to be somewhat moldable. One thing that might be advantageous of using the Transparent sheets is that you could possibly "pigment" them or add a spot of flair. You could cut two identical scale shapes from said sheet, sandwich those over some sort of translucent holographic fabric or plastic (or add glitter?), and heat the edges of the plastic until it fused shut. It would be like a small PBJ sandwich and the color would be inside of the scale. This could add some glittery magic to your scales without risking the paint getting scratched off since it would be stored away safely inside of the scale. Just an idea!! Stoked to see what you end up doing <3

That will be way to thick to use as scales.

[KatieScottArt]

That will be way to thick to use as scales.

They're actually not . I made these really fast to test it out (hence the lopsidedness). One fabric filled, one glitter filled, both thinner than Fin Folk's Mythic scales. I was even able to get some texture in!

[Agent Dragon]

They're actually not . I made these really fast to test it out (hence the lopsidedness). One fabric filled, one glitter filled, both thinner than Fin Folk's Mythic scales. I was even able to get some texture in!

YOU ARE A SAINT
I’m going to do some experiments of my own, both with plastic and silicone, to see which is better. I’m pretty on the fence about which I want to do, so I’m thinking testing it out will definitely help me decide.


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[KatieScottArt]

YOU ARE A SAINT
I’m going to do some experiments of my own, both with plastic and silicone, to see which is better. I’m pretty on the fence about which I want to do, so I’m thinking testing it out will definitely help me decide.

Experiments are the best! This was just to demonstrate my idea, obviously you don't have to use it ;D! Good luck, can't wait to see how it turns out!!!

[Astridia]

Keep us updated on this this Intrigues me XD

[Rett]

Heads Up: Neoprene does inhibit silicone curing, but it depends on the type of silicone you use. Dragonskin, for example, is a professional prosthetic silicone and is the favorite for realistic mermaid tails. It won't cure with neoprene. Most people who use silicone on neoprene use a GE aquarium silicone that you can get at hardware stores. Make sure you ask other mers who have done it which exact product they use, because certain types can leech chemicals or be hazardous to the skin and environment.