Originally Posted by
K Swim
Before buying a silicone mermaid tail, I attempted to make my own. Before I even started to draw a design, I wanted to make sure I would have all the tools...like a scale mold as you say.
My first attempt was with plaster. I poured a little into a small dish, waited a few days to make sure it was dry, then spent some time with my Dremel. I was able to draw out a basic shape, but gave up before trying to draw detail because I felt that it would absorb silicone and be difficult to remove. Plus it made a dusty mess in my garage. Thinking about it later, I felt like I would accidentally break it halfway through making scales if it was successful. I wanted something that would last longer.
My second attempt was with melted plastic. This was not easy because hitting it with a torch directly as I do when melting lead for fishing weights would make it catch on fire...and I did have a small fire or three while trying this. Instead, I had to kind of "cook" it in a metal dish with the heat hitting the metal from the bottom....like you were cooking some food. The fumes were horrible, and it took a long time because the plastic had bubbles in it. I had to keep it heated for a while to make them all float out of it. When I thought I had all the bubbles out of it, I went at it with my Dremel. I was able to draw a basic shape, but gave up because I was finding bubbles deep down that would not come out. Hitting it in random spots with a heat gun did nothing but start to mess up my shape.
If I try again (I say "if" because I bought a silicone tail), I will just use wood. There are 7ft long whitewood studs at Home Depot for less than $3. Just chop it into sections and I will get multiple tries to draw it out with my Dremel. Once I get the shape I want, I will coat it with a few layers of Polyurethane so poured silicone won't absorb into the wood. If my patience is still holding up after I make the mold, I might try to make something. If not, then I might donate it to another aspiring mermaid.
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