I made a tail!

[@punishedprops]

UPDATE: That foam wedge I made at the end of the video--I tore it off, removed the stitch on the red fabric underneath, glued the foam wedge back on, and wrapped the red fabric over the wedge! So now the foam wedge can't be seen. It sure would have been great if I did that before getting hot glue on the fabric, hahaha

[@nicholyer]

you could use isopropyl alcohol to remove the hot glue from the fabric

[@coopervanbonn7525]

It’s so cool!

[@markfergerson2145]

The wedge really helps lift the tail to keep it off the floor. The whole tail moves naturally, better than I was expecting.

[@thomaswakefield6889]

If you're into things like Warhammer 40k or any type tabletop gaming those left over rivet stems can be used to create miniature flag poles, lances, fence posts, arrows for ballistas, trap pits, over the fire skewers dungeon cells and so much more. They can also be used as alignment pins for 3D printed parts

[@punishedprops]

I love all of these ideas!

[@LootGoblinPenny]

A font of knowledge I will graciously steal for the future, thank you.

[@HawkWorley]

If it drags again, you might want to thread something like paracord along the top under the fabric to act as an anchor point to stop it from drooping.

[@fasfan]

If you attach it at the tip and run it through loops along the top, you can adjust the tension to adjust the curve of the tail. Maybe. Lol

[@neonistic]

The cord could also go through the foam dowel. If you left it loose you could adjust the tension on the go, giving the tail up and down movement in addition to side to side.

[@punishedprops]

These are such great ideas! Instead of a foam dowel, I could attach a flexible tube with a string inside. It would give the same look and allow for tail tensioning!

[@apoccooking4364]

I use rivet stems as hinge pivots whenever I have to make hinges for a project! Aluminium is super easy to cut+shape but the thickness of the stems means it's still sturdy in that use! I have also used rivet stems to make hammered rivets! It's a pain in the butt but it works decently well lol. Not as well as brass, due to brass being harder, but the things I've rivetted with them are not meant to see a lot of wear that might cause shearing. It's a useful part. For hinge pins, you do have to gently file the texture left from popping the rivet, but that's something that can be done on the fly and won't be necessary for every project you use them on.

[@Echowhiskeyone]

The rivet stems can be used for flag poles in miniature dioramas. And various other things in miniature figures and dioramas, when you need something heavier than wood or plastic.

[@punishedprops]

That's so clever!!!

[@coreyennis9411]

Great job Brit!! When I did upholstery we'd put a very lightweight plastic film between the fabric and foam. That way the fabric can move freely and won't stick to the foam!

[@punishedprops]

Woah, that’s so clever!

[@kirinfire9960]

I might try to use this method to remake my Tom Nook tail, I used faux fur and poly fil but it came out too heavy. The movement of this tail is so cool, love how it came out!

[@punishedprops]

Thanks! Good luck with your tail remake!

[@jmorv8866]

9:08 OMG, is THAT an OG Sears Vice??? Wow, an antique!!!

[@punishedprops]

The vice was already in the basement when we rented this place! It still works great.

[@hanguhbur]

Thanks for the tip about using a turkey cutter for upholstery foam, but maybe don't cut toward yourself. I would hate for the knife to slip, and I'm glad that didn't happen. Also, I had no idea you could sand upholstery foam. That made it so smooth.

[@punishedprops]

I was thinking about that when I was filming-“I shouldn’t be cutting toward myself, but it’s fiiiiiine” which is the mindset right before an accident 😆

[@QuantumNightmare]

For an even lighter tail with the same movement, I used to make tails with that same ‘wooden snake’ type movement with the core made of out of carved Eva pieces sandwiching nylon webbing instead of plastic and fabric. Holds a curve far better. Also, a layer of wadding over the foam helps with the lumpy appearance.

[@Deadbrokemine]

If you want to put the side ridges on the tail you could try puff paint. It is pretty flexible and gives a nice low relief.

[@punishedprops]

That’s a great idea!

[@a.a.werding2620]

I use the cutoff rivet pins as alignment pins for smaller 3D prints

[@punishedprops]

Yaaaaas!!!

[@duncanjones744]

The rivet stems are good for making support structures for other things that’s what I do

[@punishedprops]

That’s great to know!

[@TheCreativeWill]

The rivet pins could be useful as alignment/support pins for gluing 3d prints. They wouldn't be as sturdy as threaded rod or steel rod, but they are free and it feels good to find a use for them.

[@bornakreca2625]

i use them for 3d printed stuff, either as hinge shafts or to give small models some rigidity

[@punishedprops]

Awesome

[@JonathanMorley]

I wonder if putting a tention string through the top spine of the tail would keep it curled upward slightly. Like the tention string or cord that is used to make mechanical fingers bend. I've used the stems of the pop rivets as armature, axels, and pivot joints in various projects. They do come in handy for all sorts of use cases.

[@punishedprops]

Tension string cord is a great idea! I’ll have to seep my rivet stems for all these cool uses.

[@Shae_Sandybanks]

Looks so awesome! Can't wait to see the whole thing together!

[@Major_Major_Major]

Hi there, fursuit maker here! Sorry to reply to a less-than-recent video (not sure if this'll be seen lol), but having done a few dragon tails I can definitely say that getting decent sway out of a longer tail is surprisingly difficult, so well done! I actually tried that same blog pattern several years ago but wasn't entirely happy with the motion and the tail's tendency to lay over to one side or the other instead of hang in a normally straight back position. Over the years I've come up with my own basic design based somewhat on Neffertity's Super Motion tail design (definitely recommend her videos and templates). Here are a few ideas I'd recommend if you might have interest in making more tails in the future: -Ditch the ABS plastic (or any rigid core material) entirely. ABS is fairly light, but in this case it just adds extra weight and makes the motion more stiff and robotic without really providing any benefit. -Instead of using multiple segments, I personally think it's better to go with one large piece of upholstery foam (or several pieces glued together) cut into the desired tail shape. Then using that turkey carver cut V grooves along the sides (wider at the base where the tail is thickest, tapering thinner till you're just doing straight cuts at the end) roughly 3/4 of the way to the middle. Also I tend to do some straight cuts along the tops and bottoms of curves so it can have a bit of vertical bounce as well. -Using one piece of foam rather than segments eliminates a lot of the sag from the middle connecting cloth, but if it's a larger and heavier tail I do like to add strips of elastic glued to the foam that span two or three of the motion cuts on the top and sides, just at the main motion points (tail base, tip, and curves). That helps keep the tail from drooping especially as the foam ages. -For dragons and other creatures where a smooth surface is important, I've had good success using a sleeve of neoprene scuba fabric over the upholstery foam instead of the elastic strips. That does add a decent amount of weight and you have to be careful not to pull it taut or the tail will have a hard time swaying (when doing this I have found that adding some extra weight to the tail tip with some ball-bearings or similar helps maintain the motion), but I find that it really helps keep bumps and inconsistencies from the upholstery foam from showing through a short-pile or shear outer sleeve. Also this method can help the tail maintain its overall form. -For the attachment point, I've found two options that seem to work best to keep the base of the tail in place so that it doesn't pull away from the belt and your back (which causes a lot of that droop, and tends to make the tail either lay over to one side entirely or at least favor swaying to one side when worn): 1) If the base of the tail is not meant to be visible and can be entirely hidden under clothes or in a suit, I like to attach the tail a backplate of a reasonably stiff material like medium-thick EVA foam (the heavier the tail, the thicker the foam--very heavy tails get a rigid core such as ABS added to the plate). I've usually made the backplate about 2x the width of the tail itself, and then either use some reinforcement to add belt attachment points to the sides of the plate. For very heavy tails I typically add attachment points to the top of the plate for suspenders. The plate helps distribute the weight of the tail to make it more comfortable to wear while also more firmly anchoring the base of the tail to your back for less droop and more natural motion! 2) If the base of the tail is meant to be somewhat visible, instead of the larger backplate I typically cut two pieces of 10mm EVA foam to match the shape of the base of the tail (or one piece of 6mm and one piece of 10mm if size is an issue). I contact cement the two pieces of EVA together but leave a gap large enough to slip a belt through roughly an inch from the top of the tail, and then mount the tail as firmly as possible to the EVA base. This way the connection point stays mostly hidden but the stiffened base and integrated belt slot help keep the tail in the right place at your back. I hope that might help (and doesn't come across as too preachy x.x), love all of your videos and the Foamsmith books!

[@philabot]

Super cool project and design! Thank you for sharing your progress with us Britt!

[@punishedprops]

You’re so very welcome ❤️

[@brendaschmidt9411]

Such a great way to make a tail. Thanks so much for the tutorial!

[@ttonygreybeard]

What a fantastic tale of a tail & its maker, I need to keep this in mind for when I do a tail myself. Good job Brit💯

[@punishedprops]

So glad you liked the tail tale!

[@DanielCooper1]

Nice work, Britt! It looks amazing!

[@trailagob]

it looks sooo good, can't wait to see it finished !

[@radar9790]

The way you’re documenting this process is awesome. You might even say it is quite a tail.

[@punishedprops]

A tall tail tale!

[@LootGoblinPenny]

The North of the Border ref at 21:46 is a nice touch.

[@punishedprops]

He’s so quotable! 😆

[@Justrex01]

The tail came out amazing. Now I want to make my own just to wear to the game shop for Friday Night Magic. There's a very talented girl called Arboreal Key who makes some amazing cosplay tails as well. Thanks for sharing with us, Miss Britt!

[@punishedprops]

You're welcome! I love Arboreal Key's work!

[@KPGiggles]

Love this so much! Looks great!! Can't wait to see the whole cosplay together!!!

[@punishedprops]

Thank you!

[@crafterlex]

I’ve needed this tutorial forever!

[@Dishyg]

I save the stems for registration/reinforcement dowels for assembling 3d prints

[@punishedprops]

This makes so much sense!

[@RainMakeR_Workshop]

You could melt the rivet tails down and use them for aluminium casting.

[@jaspergoesrawrr]

Epic! Love these kinds of tails!

[@punishedprops]

They’re so much fun!

[@AustralianMurderTurtle]

Some might say that this is some riveting content.

[@raven5279]

I'd definitely do stretch tests before doing it to the tail sock, but I do wonder if a spray rubber- like plastidip or the spray on flexbond- could give the fabric a more skin-like appearance and fill in the seam line. My first instinct was actually liquid latex bc I know you can make creature hands over gloves with liquid latex to create a skin texture, but that would be _way_ too heavy and hard to apply on a whole tail (not to mention the fact that it would discolor + become more prone to splitting over time)

[@heathertait4918]

❤🔥 your tail is great! Love the movement you got

[@punishedprops]

Woooooo thank you!

[@rickywhyte7601]

That turned out pretty cool

[@punishedprops]

Thanks!

[@paulpardee]

I have no need for a tail... but now I want one! I'm going to have to come up with a cosplay that requires a tail now :D

[@zraashaq]

This is a fantastic video, I love it. Also, holy heck, I didn't know how tall you were til I saw the door frame!

[@punishedprops]

Thanks! Yeah, I’m over six foot tall 😆

[@jeffreycutler7364]

Looks great! Thank you for sharing!

[@punishedprops]

You’re welcome! 😊

[@afletra]

nice timing! just when I need to make a tail!

[@punishedprops]

Good luck with the tail build!

[@meckleyprops2902]

I use the rivet stems as pegs for model kits

[@blizatrex]

Your tail looks great. Is the 'It's not good; it's good enough' from North of the border?

[@punishedprops]

North of the Border is so quotable 😊

[@AleksandrMotsjonov]

10$ genuene rivet stems on ebay made me chuckle! soo good =))

[@punishedprops]

No one has taken us up on our offer!

[@radar9790]

This has me wondering if you could add a little servo at either end to add little random twitches.

[@punishedprops]

That would be so coooooool

[@BioCosplay]

It looks great! Now I kind of want to make a tail...

[@ALittleNerdToldMe]

Rivet stems necessitate a Pinhead costume surely?!

[@punishedprops]

Ahaha oh dear 😆

[@billbucktube]

Never thought I’d say this to another woman, “Can’t wait to see your tail in action…”

[@punishedprops]

You too! Er, I mean…

[@LexLuthorJr]

Save the stems for a Pinhead cosplay!

[@punishedprops]

Bahaha oh no

[@silverdragon1314]

I've just started this video- You:I'm making a teifling tail Me: awesome I love tail tutorials You: I found this tutorial on Tumblr- Me: ...wait do I have this pattern already? You: -its for nightcrawler*shows image* Me: I have the pattern and the materials already ~ yay~

[@punishedprops]

You were way ahead of me!

[@cobrachicken36]

This tail would be perfect for a Helluva Boss Blitzø cosplay.

[@neilperry2224]

Ever thought of using pipe cladding for making the padding on a tail. Now watch out for nice tail jokes at you comic con lol

[@punishedprops]

It would be interesting to try pipe cladding!

[@neilperry2224]

@@punishedprops thanks for responding guys all the best from the UK

[@DelcoRanz93]

I'm curious about the choice to use a turkey carver for cutting the upholstery foam, does it not hold up well to hot wire cutting?

[@punishedprops]

I actually haven’t tried a hot wire cutter-somehow we don’t have one in the shop!

[@raven5279]

I saw the thumbnail and went "It would be crazy if she used the Tumblr Nightcrawler Tail tutorial for this while I'm in the middle of making my Nightcrawler tail from the tutorial" and lo and behold lmao

[@punishedprops]

Hahaha it’s such a small world!

[@Peacheschan1]

Can I used this to make tails for me and my friends oc characters. My oc character is half dragon and half human.

[@punishedprops]

Yeah! This would be great for Dragonborn-like tails

[@bretlemieux2489]

Try to make them in to chainmail rings then you can make her some armor

[@dapperprops]

Yay, tail time! Can't wait to see ya whack people with it at DragonCon! lol How many burns were taken during the tail construction?😆

[@punishedprops]

Woohoo! Stoked to see ya there!!!

[@punishedprops]

Oh and, surprisingly no burns! This time 😆

[@dapperprops]

@@punishedprops Now THAT'S impressive! lol

[@GavinMogan]

Glue the rivet tails into a tail and do a patreon give away. Or open sauce

[@ProtoHadron]

punished props academy furry arc

[@billionsmustfight]

The moment furries get their hands on motorized tails and eyetracking headpieces, it's going to be so over

[@punishedprops]

Tails on every future cosplay

[@nicholyer]

@@billionsmustfight you mean Costails and Cosears

[@paulbecket7399]

1) find some body who melts scraps down for recasting ! 2) give them rivet stems 3) profit ?!

[@riuphane]

I have a friend who melts them down for casting, but i don't know the details.

[@punishedprops]

That's so cool!

[@andybobandy641]

That is quite a tall to tell........... get it?........ I'll show myself out.

[@punishedprops]

Bahahaha

[@Tangent.]

Beans

[@gustonzimasheen]

Next build could be a tail holster for those times you're going into and out of elevators or going on escalators. jk

[@aprilblackregentart6647]

I hope you don't get your tail stuck in an elevator LOL

[@punishedprops]

I’ll do my best, hahaha

[@JonMadsen70]

:)

[@ProtoHadron]

:)

[@armypanda]

Wish I could’ve gone to DragonCon to see this in person! Someday my partners and I would feel comfortable with going back