Mermaid Claire's silicone tail in progress.

**Prince Calypso** · 04-24-2013, 07:52 AM

my only question is about the foam scale board. how do you go about making it or do you buy it or what
it seems a lot less time consuming then making a completely clay mold

**Claire the french mermaid** · 04-25-2013, 06:23 PM

@Shymer : I'm not sure but I think i'm the first mermaid who tried polyurethane mold ^^ I think its a great mold for scales and fluke ! if I had known this material earlier, I would have used it for my fin ! it's a flexible and resistant material, even after many uses (according to the instructions ^ ^).I live in Paris so I buy the material on a french website, but it's Smooth On brand material imported from the United States. Have you see the thread "tutorial for silicone tail" ? This could help you !

**Claire the french mermaid** · 04-25-2013, 06:29 PM

@Prince calypso : i made the foam scale's board and I think it is as long to do that clay's scales ! You must cut the scales one by one into the foam and then stick them on the board, this is what took me the longest time to do !

**ShyMer** · 04-25-2013, 07:29 PM

I'm not sure which thread you mean, do you remember who created the thread? I'm having trouble finding the product you used on smooth on's site, could you post a link?

I'm surprised that no one has used this before.

also I assume you simply used a craft punch or a craft blade to cut your scales, correct? Cutting out the scales takes so long any way you do it, it seems.

Tangent alert- when i was in Spain for a few months a couple years ago, I was asked to bring some craft supplies because I was told they don't really have those stores. Other than a findings shop I saw once, i don't think I ever saw stores where you could purchase craft supplies.
I was curious if you have basic craft stores in your area in France, or would you have to order online to purchase things like craft punches or whatever. Maybe you have more specialized stores where you are? Just wondering how easy it is to find many of the materials we have here

**Kanti** · 04-25-2013, 07:49 PM

polyurethane just means the material you used.
generally theres urethane epoxy or silicone.
Im prwtty sure she just used a urethane rubber rather than a platic which is fine its just less lightweight and more flexible.
Shell shock is a urethane so it has basically similar properties its just thinner and lighter. Poly just means its multiple urethanes in one compound. Thiz usually makes polyurethanes more durable and flexible..

**Claire the french mermaid** · 04-26-2013, 05:12 AM

Yes Kanti is right ! My translation french-english was not complete, it is indeed urethane rubber, you will find this under this name

By the way, it's Kanti who did an amazing work about silicone's tail tutorial

In France it's not easy at all to find material, and we are late on molding products compare to the USA.I spend a lot of time on internet looking for what I need. For the foam scales's, i'm not sure how you say that in english but it's a "perforatrice" and you can find that on scrapbooking's websites.

**Kanti** · 04-26-2013, 09:09 AM

You did a wonderful job, Claire!
It's a gorgeous tail and the scales are flawless. The fluke is also very cute looking. I can't wait to see some photos of you in it~

And yes I always hear that it is very hard to get the materials outside the US which is unfortunate, maybe soon they'll realize there's a market outside and try to start selling them in other places?
The "perforatrice" is probably just craft foam it sounds like. Craft foam is often used in scrap booking?

**Claire the french mermaid** · 04-26-2013, 01:22 PM

Thank you Kanti, it makes me happy

I do not know anything about scrap booking but it's on a specialize website about this hobby that I found my craft foam.

I finished my tail one hour ago !!!!! You can see a dorsal to hide a zipper