The nail is done!!! I think it turned out so well.
I was planning to use a PVC pipe but my roll of pattern paper had just run out and the tube was exactly the right size so I decided to use it. It ended up having a weird texture, so I'll probably use PVC if I remake it, but I do like the spiral design in it.
The base was just circles, two made of thick foam that the tube went through then one made of thin foam to cover the end. I tried a few sized but 4 inch looked best. The tip was a little more of a pain. I had to mess around with a cone pattern. I found a generator for the pattern (not AI) but I still printed out a bunch before I got the right size and shape. Then I cut it out of the thick foam.
I just used contact cement to glue all the parts together and waited for it to dry. The longest part of this process was honestly waiting for stuff to dry and cure. Then I used a hot knife (not very well) to even up some of the edges. I got the hang of it part way through but part of the head ended up a little lopsided. You live and you learn! And know I have a cool new tool. I'd like to get a heat gun at some point too.
Then I tried to fill in gaps with caulk and sanded the edges with the dremel. I sprayed a few coats of plastidip on it then a few layers of gray spray paint. Finally I added a clear coat. This process would have taken a few days but with waiting for things to dry, it took over a week haha There are gaps I didn't fill well, parts where the texture is weird and the stray cats that eat on our patio got cat hair stuck in places, but overall I'm very happy!!
This was the first real prop I've made on my own and I think it came out great :3
