Jessica's Second Dragonskin Tail

[Jessica]

Thanks Dottie, mermaidm, Mizuko, and Dominique!

Mizuko,
I'm incredibly excited right now! I think I just figured out a really great way to do seams! It's easier than the way I did them last time....and I'm hoping it turns out well.

i will be posting in detail how I did my seams so you and others can learn and hopefully improve on my methods! We can all learn from each other

First things first....you have a big rectangular scale sheet, now what?

Here's what I did:
i made a pattern of Eva's body just like I was going to make her a fabric tail. I didn't add any inches or subtract any. The body pattern was exactly her measurements(which I checked against the duct tape body mold) I also included an extra seven inches of scales at the bottom to cover the monofin and meet the fluke of the tail. I have a good bit of experience in pattern making(I'm a quilter!) so if anyone needs me to explain this step in detail, let me know.

after I finished the pattern, I carefully and selectively cut the scales to size, leaving a seam allowance around the entire pattern. For the most part, I included one scale length outside the pattern. This is hard to put into words, but if you look at the pictures below you can see how much of a seam allowance I left. It is important to note that the seam allowance is not consistent. It varies slightly because of the scale pattern and because I cut the scales selectively to have a better seam. ****i make my seams overlap 1" or less. Other people do more, some do even 3-4". This is really a personal preference and it depends on what you're comfortable with. I think it's easier to overlap just an inch or so because it seems to give you more control over the sizing. If you decide to have a bigger seam allowance, make sure you extend your seam allowance the correct amount!

One thing in you may be wondering....why didn't I just include a seam allowance in my pattern? You can certainly do this, but since I selectively cut scales, I need to see what I'm doing! If I had added the seam allowance to the pattern it would have been in the way.....unless I had just cut a line through the scales instead of cutting selectively.

i have to to run, but I will be posting more seam info soon!

[Mer_Adella]

Thanks Dottie, mermaidm, Mizuko, and Dominique!

Mizuko,
I'm incredibly excited right now! I think I just figured out a really great way to do seams! It's easier than the way I did them last time....and I'm hoping it turns out well.

i will be posting in detail how I did my seams so you and others can learn and hopefully improve on my methods! We can all learn from each other

First things first....you have a big rectangular scale sheet, now what?

Here's what I did:
i made a pattern of Eva's body just like I was going to make her a fabric tail. I didn't add any inches or subtract any. The body pattern was exactly her measurements(which I checked against the duct tape body mold) I also included an extra seven inches of scales at the bottom to cover the monofin and meet the fluke of the tail. I have a good bit of experience in pattern making(I'm a quilter!) so if anyone needs me to explain this step in detail, let me know.
!

You said to ask for help...help! lol . When I did my fabric tail, my mom basically just traced my shape onto tracing paper to get my "size". Other things I have ordered (tails, dresses, clothes, etc) when asked to give my measurements, I give them, and things are always too big on me. If/when I start to make my own silicone tail, should I just have my mom trace my body again to get that perfect fit? or what would you suggest?

Also, do you only use pearl-ex pigments in the paints? cus if so I am in luck! I work with polymer clay and have a carp ton (pun) of pearl-ex pigments anyways. Another question...when painting the silicone, I assume that you add your measured pigments into the silicone and then use a paint brush to apply??? I am getting excited because you seem to understand completely about giving all of us the chance to learn from you, and giving us all advice. It makes me want to pull my top mold out from the basement and start working on my silicone top again. Thanks deary and keep up the amazing work.

oh and btw....I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THAT FLUKE!!!! I WANT !!!! LOL YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB AND EVE IS AWESOME FOR WANTING SOMETHING THAT LOOKS SO NATURAL.

[Jessica]

I forgot to mention...in the pic ^ with the silicone buckets....I used them to hold the paper pattern in place while I was trimming the scales.

i just took the clothespins off the scales and the method worked pretty well! My seams aren't perfect and I still have a few places to fix and quite a few edges that need to be sealed.

Here's what I did:

instead of using the body mold like last time, I used a pool noodle! The problem with seaming over the body mold is that the scales tend to slip and they start sliding around.....it's tough to get them secured where you want them! The pool noodle holds the top layer of scales up high enough to give you space to work, but not so high that it causes the scales to slip around. You could also use a partially full roll of paper towels, a rolled up towel....lots of things really.

I added a THIN layer if silicone to the edge of the bottom layer of scales. I then laid the top layer where I wanted them and pinched the layers together. I used clothespins to secure the layers. You can see how I clipped the edges in the pictures.

One thing to consider.....in some places my scale seam got a weird crease. This is fixable, but it is also preventable. When you clip the clothespin in place, make sure the top layer of scales is on top and not wrapped around the edge of where you're putting the clothespin. This is hard to explain.....the way you secure the clothespins does impact how your seam looks though. I got the hang of it towards the ankle and the ankle seam is much better than the hip! I'm going to have to go back and fix the hip seam a bit so I'm happy with it.

pictures! In the picture with the paintbrush I was trying to show where I was applying the silicone along the edge....tough to do when you only have 2 hands and you're taking the picture yourself! Also...the seams will look much better after I smooth them out...they're pretty rough in these pictures!

[Jessica]

(Mer-Adella): You said to ask for help...help! lol . When I did my fabric tail, my mom basically just traced my shape onto tracing paper to get my "size". Other things I have ordered (tails, dresses, clothes, etc) when asked to give my measurements, I give them, and things are always too big on me. If/when I start to make my own silicone tail, should I just have my mom trace my body again to get that perfect fit? or what would you suggest?

Don't trace your body! the best thing you can do is first make a duct tale body mold. It needs to come exactly to your bellybutton and exactly to your ankle bone. This is important because there's a lot of measuring and you need to be consistent. I had eva do the duct tape body mold and measure two...maybe three times?! It was a lot! I'm going to get my notes out and explain how I had her measure and how I made my pattern for you. I'll have this ready for you in a day or two!

Also, do you only use pearl-ex pigments in the paints? cus if so I am in luck! I work with polymer clay and have a carp ton (pun) of pearl-ex pigments anyways.
Another question...when painting the silicone, I assume that you add your measured pigments into the silicone and then use a paint brush to apply???

You use pearl ex powdered pigments (not liquid) you mix it right in the silicone and paint it with a paintbrush. I also recommend tinting the silicone when you pour it in the mold....it makes painting much easier!

I am getting excited because you seem to understand completely about giving all of us the chance to learn from you, and giving us all advice. It makes me want to pull my top mold out from the basement and start working on my silicone top again. Thanks deary and keep up the amazing work.


I'm really happy to answer any questions! Let's face it....many of us will never be able to afford to buy a $3000 silicone tail....and some of us would just rather make something ourselves than buy it!

I've learned so much from other people on here like Lorelei that i think it's really important to give back and share what I've learned. I don't think sharing information is going to stop people from buying tails from tail makers....making silicone tails is really hard, time consuming work! I think most people wouldn't even consider tackling a project like this anyway, but for the people who do, I think it should be easier to find the information they need. I did like nine months of research...and I still made mistakes! It takes a lot of time to learn and it's just so much more fun to have people making tails at the same time as me so I have people to share the experience with!

I really hope hope you make your silicone top! Your tail is just beautiful by the way


oh and btw....I AM SO IN LOVE WITH THAT FLUKE!!!! I WANT !!!! LOL YOU DID AN AWESOME JOB AND EVE IS AWESOME FOR WANTING SOMETHING THAT LOOKS SO NATURAL.

i really love this tail too! The fluke is just so pretty and I'm having so much fun!

[teeth4u]

Aaaaahhh!!! I can't believe this is all coming together! I've seriously only dreamed having a tail this awesome. Thank you so much Jessica for all your hard work!

[drucilla]

Those scates ROCK!!!!

[drucilla]

scales** sorry

[Mer_Adella]

Which tail are you referring to? In my mernetwork pic is my old fabric one my mom and I made up. I guess I haven't put up pics of my silicone one yet lol. I will get right on that tomorrow

[Stefani]

hello, I have a question, dragon skin 10 medium is suitable for your skin?

[Jessica]

Aaaaahhh!!! I can't believe this is all coming together! I've seriously only dreamed having a tail this awesome. Thank you so much Jessica for all your hard work!

I'm so excited to see this come together too!

Drucilla, thanks!

Mer adella,
i was referring to your fabric tail in your picture....it's an awesome fabric tail!

Stefani,

Yes, dragonskin silicone is completely skin safe! It's commonly used to create prosthetic body parts.

[Mermaid Julz]

wow, in the time it has taken me to not even finish one tail, your on your way to completing two! Happy for ya though... its looking really good.

[Stefani]

What kind of paint do you use? Acrylic?

[Stefani]

Thank you very much Jessica, your tail is being amazing, it's beautiful!

[Jessica]

wow, in the time it has taken me to not even finish one tail, your on your way to completing two! Happy for ya though... its looking really good.

Julz you'll get your tail done before you know it! You've had a lot of setbacks, but you're working through them! The second one is easier, I promise! I ran into problems with my first tail too....there's just so much to learn!

stefani,
you can't use acrylic paint with silicone....nothing sticks to silicone except silicone! I actually use powdered pigment and add some directly to a little bit of silicone. You mix it well and use a paint brush to paint your tail.

[Mizuko]

Thank you so so much for all the seams info! Your seams are practically invisible!
I cant wait to see it all painted <3

[PearlieMae]

The seams info is fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing!

I was thinking, is there any reason why you wouldn't use straight pins into the pool noodle? You wouldn't get weird creases from the clothes pins, and I doubt the pinholes would adversely affect the tail structurally, our you could go back and dab silicone over them from the inside, no?

[Jessica]

The seams info is fabulous! Thank you so much for sharing!

I was thinking, is there any reason why you wouldn't use straight pins into the pool noodle? You wouldn't get weird creases from the clothes pins, and I doubt the pinholes would adversely affect the tail structurally, our you could go back and dab silicone over them from the inside, no?

Well....I don't think I would do it. I don't like the idea of poking holes in my scales...and it would take a lot of pins just to hold it. You would also have to put the pool noodle right up against the scales. If you did this, you would gave to do small sections at a time because of the natural curve of the body. If you look real close in the pictures, I didn't put the noodle right against the scales. Not that you can't, it's just that anything that is too close tends to cause the scales to shift so you have to babysit it while it's curing! The pool noodle is just hold the sheets apart so they don't cling to each other...and to give me some room to work with. Do you think a pool noodle is dense enough to support a pin? They're pretty airy....you might have better luck with a roll of paper towels in a plastic bag(you need plastic so the silicone won't get imbedded in the paper towel fibers).

If you're really careful you won't get weird creases using clothespins. I had to fix a few spots but it's not a big deal to do it. Between you, me and Mizuko I'm sure we can figure out an easier way to do this!

One more tip! One of my favorite tricks I learned from Lorelei! You can freeze silicone to slow down the cure time. One of the best ways I've found to do seams is to mix a couple teaspoons of silicone and let it sit out for awhile (about half an hour or so depending on temp) I then stick it in the freezer for a couple hours or even overnight. When you need to do a seam, pull it out of the freezer and it's nice and thick! The silicone will still cure in the freezer....just much more slowly! When you pull it out, work fast to do your seams and it stays put! This way it doesn't run everywhere and make a mess! It usually cures in about 45minutes to an hour after I've had it in the freezer. Best trick ever!!!

[Jessica]

Working on the side seam:

[Mermaid Lorelei]

Glad you've had such success with the freezing tip!

Also, I used straight pins for my entire tail. I found it worked much better than any other holding method. And you don't need to worry about holes in the silicone. If you're just using straight pins, the silicone is barely affected at all.

[Jessica]

Glad you've had such success with the freezing tip!

Also, I used straight pins for my entire tail. I found it worked much better than any other holding method. And you don't need to worry about holes in the silicone. If you're just using straight pins, the silicone is barely affected at all.

Thanks Lorelei! i was just testing another seaming method, but I'm glad to hear that straight pins work! I tried it on a scrap of silicone scales and they do hold pretty well....and the hole is much smaller than I expected....almost invisible!

So pearlie....you are a genius for mentioning it...and I'm sorry I didn't test it yesterday! Although I have to admit just the thought of poking holes in my silicone had me going at first!

I've been playing with different seaming methods and I came up with the idea to lay the body of the tail upside down. Meaning.....the front of the tail is on the bottom. I rolled the back of the tail's edges under just a bit, and then I painted a line of silicone on the front side right against the rolled edge of the back. I then wrapped the front of the tail around the back. I laid books on top to hold it in place while it cures.

This sounds more complicated than it is! I think next time instead of using books I will use straight pins to secure the silicone while it cures.

I really love how we are all sharing tips, tricks and awesome info!

Here's a picture so you can see how I rolled the edges under (keeping it flat makes it really easy to check measurements!)