PearlieMae's Silicone Tail Journey

[Grey Gambit]

Grey, how soon were you planning on cutting it? You might want to hang back until I talk to them, or contact them with a query, stating you've heard bad things about their Lexan and you might want to return it and go to Lowe's. That usually spurs them into some fast action as Lowe's is their biggest competitor.

For an even faster response, go and ask on their Facebook page, because that's public!

I probably won't be cutting it for another week or so. I want to make sure the zoomers I got fit right before I cut into it at all. Plus I still have to find the right jigsaw bit. xD;
Wouldn't mind returning it though.. Their website said it was $20 and I went to the store and it was $25. That alone was annoying.

[PearlieMae]

...Wouldn't mind returning it though.. Their website said it was $20 and I went to the store and it was $25. That alone was annoying.

My favorite four words: GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR!

[Grey Gambit]

My favorite four words: GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR!

Their response was that their website prices shift per week, that what I saw was just last weeks pricing. They said they'd take it down if I could prove it, but I didn't have a screenshot of their website (with me). So yeah.. No price lowering for me.

[Kishiko]

Wait before you return it! If it says polycarbonate it probably is! I was saying that Lostariel's was probably acrylic, but with how much pearlie beat up her fin there's no way acrylic could withstand that. Like I said, it probably just had a high stress point.

[Grey Gambit]

Wait before you return it! If it says polycarbonate it probably is! I was saying that Lostariel's was probably acrylic, but with how much pearlie beat up her fin there's no way acrylic could withstand that. Like I said, it probably just had a high stress point.

Even if I wanted to, I'd have to wait until next month. I can only afford to travel into town that often... I'm out in the boonies.
I'll still probably cut it and see what happens, mine will be a smaller fin as well. But I've got my own thread for really talking about it. xD;
I don't want to take over Pearlie's awesome tail thread.

[PearlieMae]

Considering that I DID bend some of the scraps until failure, and I abused that prototype like crazy, I am sure that it was polycarbonate. I would like to speak with R&D and perhaps partner with them on finding the best polycarbonate for mermaid/costumes-cosplay/special effects usage. Judging by all the new shows on SyFy and such, they could expand their market considerably.

[Lostariel Telrunya]

with tho how long you used yours and tried to destroy it I'm pretty sure yours was polycarbonate. Maybe it just had a high stress point from the inflicted damage. While it's incredibly strong, it's not un breakable. I do think Lostariel's was acrylic however.

I did check before I bought it, and it said it was polycarbonate. There were two separate piles for the acrylic and for the polycarbonate (both said 'lexan' in big letters, but they were made of the two separate materials). Although I made sure the package said polycarbonate, I'm wondering if there was a mix up in the packaging process, because my friend bought the same thing a few days later (she doesn't doing any mermaiding, just wanted some for a cheaper monofin), and it also said polycarbonate. Hers shattered too. Perhaps it really was acrylic, but had the wrong label put on it or something.

[MarkF]

We need to get Makrolon GP, polycarbonate. Turns out that Lexan / Polycarbonate from General Electric is the older version of the product, GE sold that business group to Sabic (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) manufacturing it everywhere. The newest version of Polycarbonate are from Beyer AG in Germany under the name Makrolon.
If that's not enough just the version differences from Lexan is about 50 and the same with Makrolon. Everything from versions that specialize in fire resistant to UV resistant, water resistance. There are differences in how much glass is in it 10, 20, 30 percent. More glass the higher the fire rating.
We are not so worried about the fire resistance, the silicone makes that a silly concern. Mermaids are supposed to say "Fire, whats that?" Get it water... never mind"


Makrolon
Dealer - www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24785&catid=0&clickid=popcorn
Information - www.sheffieldplastics.com/product_info.cfm?nav_id=3,1,1,3
Find local dealers - www.sheffieldplastics.com/distributor_search.cfm?products=makrolon
That was a lot of reading I won't have to do again.

[PearlieMae]

Awesome job on the research, Mark! Thanks! That's a great resource. I appreciate it!

[Kishiko]

I did check before I bought it, and it said it was polycarbonate. There were two separate piles for the acrylic and for the polycarbonate (both said 'lexan' in big letters, but they were made of the two separate materials). Although I made sure the package said polycarbonate, I'm wondering if there was a mix up in the packaging process, because my friend bought the same thing a few days later (she doesn't doing any mermaiding, just wanted some for a cheaper monofin), and it also said polycarbonate. Hers shattered too. Perhaps it really was acrylic, but had the wrong label put on it or something.

hmm mm I have no idea! That does sound like a factory issue though with packaging. Do you have a lowes in your area?

[MarkF]

It still could be to thin to handle the job. Your legs are the strongest muscles you've got and if you really kick you could be pushing with hundreds of pounds with out realizing it. I'm 6' and about 185 pounds, with a single push It's possible for me to create 400 lbs. It will take some trial and error for me to find that balance.
It would be nice to create a table of fin size "tail length and width and thickness." compare to height & weight.
If you go to the store and they are selling Lexan, the paper that covers it should have LEXAN stamped all over it. If it was high fire rated it likely be weaker.

[Mermaid Leira]

Thanks for the heads up on Clay available in Aus, I've been playing with a few different ones just from craft shops but the sulpher free were all too dry or too hard and didn't like being heated. Ta

[Mermaid Melanie]

This is probably the most epic tail making thread there is ! I can see Pearlie exploding into the tail making trade ! x

[MermanOliver]

Wow! That tail is absolutely amazing! Sad to hear about the fluke problems, though. But as I see it, you're going to solve it. Thanks for sharing, it's one of the best threads on tail making and literally a treasure chest of information. Thumbs up, Pearlie!
Sent from my phonebrick using Tapatalk

[PearlieMae]

Thanks, everyone! I am so excited, I can't wait to get started making tails for mers using the Pearlie Mae Method! (I love that I have a method!)

[Lostariel Telrunya]

hmm mm I have no idea! That does sound like a factory issue though with packaging. Do you have a lowes in your area?

I do in fact have a Lowes! However, after THAT little experience, I've decided to just save up for a real monofin. Oh well. I'm still currently working on my tail, so it would have been nice to have my 'lexan' not shattered into pieces. I do have a cardboard cutout of the shape though, so I'll just use that until I can run out and get it.

[angie]

AAAHAHAHAHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OVERWHELMING JOY THAT THIS LOVELY CREATURE EXISTS!!!!!!!!!!! I am so sad you your monofin troubles, but I know you will solve it!

[PearlieMae]

Thanks, Angie! Monofin troubles are opportunities to refine my design! At least, that's my rationalization.

In fact, I am much happier with the new fluke that will be going on...clearer, sparklier, not as solid purple and white as the one shown, this one is light green and purple, gradients into one another!

[Lostariel Telrunya]

OOH.... more picture time???

[PearlieMae]

Yessssssss!!! More pix soon!

I was going to work on it this weekend, but I had costuming duty for my daughter's burlesque show yesterday.