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Initiate
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Last Login: Sunday, July 16, 2006 9:45 PM
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Greetings all,
I'm after any help/suggestions etc on making a tail for a ratkin/ratman character.
Ive had a couple of suggestions that involve wrapping towlels with leather... but Im not sure how well that would work..
Thanks in advance
Ady
I reject your reality, and substitue my own - Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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I do talk a good fight
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I helped make some for the Dick Whittington production at Clwyd Theatr Cymru a few years ago. We used very long thin cones of grey faux fur, sewn INSIDE-OUT so that the faux fur bit acted as a bit of padding. Supplement that bit of padding by lightly stuffing with strips of waste fabric or whatever. You need to ensure your faux fur fabric looks OK on the non-fur side -- this stuff looked great, just like a grubby grey rat tail. The stiffness and bulk of the fur and stuffing on the inside gave it just the right amount of movement too.
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Squire
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stuffed and wraped nylon tights..........
make it about the right shape then put some bands around it loosly to make the shape look better.
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Knight
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An interesting project.
I would strongly recommend using garden hosing as a core to build a tail around. This will produce a very strong and durable tail with stiffness and weight sufficient to give a very nice movement.
*Take a length of hose, from your shoulder to your knee should produce a believable length.
*About leaving the last 6" of hose free cover the rest in between 1-1.5" of quilting stuffing (available by the meter from haberdashers). Take this about 6-8" past the other end of the hose - layer the foam from about 1.5" at the exposed end to going down to nothing (a point) at the over extended end. The stuffing should be gently stuck down to the hose but not so much as there is a loss of thickness. Apply the stuffing fairly tightly so that it is well cushioned.
*Although it depends on the density of the stuffing used you will likely need to cover the tail with an out layer of fabric. This is best made as a long thin sock of slightly flexible material (although as normal tight can to a similar job) - after manufacture trim off the seam allowance so only a small amount remains and will not show. Apply the 'sock' to the tail by slowly unrolling it over the tail piece, glue it in pace as you go - agian taking care not to overly compress the stuffing.
*Using small rubber bands or thread tie rings along the length of the tail for its ridged appearance
*Latex - at this stage further scaly texture can be applied if desired.
*For further believability add some bristly hairs along its length - reference studies will show where these are best placed. A few hairs held in place with a dab of latex will suffice. Normal fake hair may well be too fine for this so I would use coarse animal hair (goat or cow) or commercially available rocking horse tails are similarly coarse.
Depending how you wish to attach the tail the following may change, I would recommend using a belt worn beneath the rest of your cloths (one with elasticated section hold especially well):
*Take a rectangle of leather (3-4mm thick 200x200mm square) and attach the exposed end of the hose to the middle of one half. This is best done by large rivets or very heavy cord.
* Once the tail is attached fold the leather square in half and rivet the bottom edge closed so that a belt will run securely through it (this is like a glorified belt loop).
Finally to cover the join and add a final level of bestial realism:
*Take some long length fur (fake or otherwise) and build a fury cover over the join down onto the latex of the tail proper. As well as concealing the join this fur will look very good sticking out through a pair of split trouser which the tail is worn through.
I hope that you find this useful please let me know if I haven't been clear anywhere in my method.
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Initiate
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Last Login: Sunday, July 16, 2006 9:45 PM
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Ooh.. pretty 
Think Ill be giving that a try come payday.
Thanks for the help all.
Ady
I reject your reality, and substitue my own - Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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Initiate
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| Though rather late - a friend of mine used soft leather (use a light brown tone if available) as the basic fabric, the 'rough' side inside. Then she stuffed it with quilting stuffing (I think - it is this cotton-like fluffy stuff that is used in pillows) and painted it with latex in the preferred colour. Depending on the type of role You should select the lenght of the tail. If the role of Your char does not require very much activity the tail can be long, slithering on the ground. My friend simply knotted the tail to her hips with a cotton band attached to the beginning of the tail - when she moved the slithering tail just went from side to side. Of course, over the time (four or five weekend-conventions) the latex became shoddy and the soft leather showed through the latex coat - which made the tail look even more 'authentical' and 'worn'. After some cleaning she simply added some coats of latex after ripping of most of the old latex. Or You could build another, new tail - which is not that costly. A more active role might require a shorter tail that won't get into the way when moving around. Stumbling over Your tail may be dangerous (but undeniably funny  ). Skaven-group over here, old pictures may be found at 'Gallerie', then select the events. A french Skaven group used the same principle.
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