Re-tailing: call to experts to share!

[rosietrot]

Re-tailing: No, not like at the mall, but putting a tail back into a pony that needed to be de-rusted, cleaned, or replaced...but there is the trick of putting it back...

1. How do you put an old tail back without messing it up?

2. Sometimes metal elements cause rust so, what do you use to anchor a tail when you have removed the metal elements? Beads?  Crimps?

3. Is there a good technique to take the metal elements (like the crimps) off of a tail?

How do YOU re-tail?

[Lollipop]

Tbh I wouldn't remove the metal clip  if you have got rid of the rust now & left it to completely dry it will be ok (you could put an anti-rust spray on it maybe)

Getting the metal clip off will be tricky, be careful if you do try to

But if you want to take it off use this tutorial to re-tail
http://www.mlparena.com/archive/Forums//viewtopic/t=262864.html


I kind of used this to do my first re-hair last week. I didn't have those ties though so I used bag ties & the original washer worked perfectly

I also used needle & thread instead of the metal wire

Hope this helps 

[lunar_scythe]

I never thought of it before, but large beads would probably work *very* well for holding tails!

[rosietrot]

Some tail sites I've found (thank you authors of these sites) and they sometimes have amazing tips on other elements of restoration.

Tails: http://www.aikarin.com/mlp/customs/tail.html

Tails: http://ponycustoms.com/73/my_little_pony_tutorials/hair/rehairing/how-to-rehair-my-little-pony-tails/

Very Basic Tail Rust Fix: http://www.instructables.com/id/Tail-Rust-and-Body-Stink/?ALLSTEPS

Post Merge: February 07, 2014, 11:10:54 PM

UPDATE re: crimps (what I am calling the little metal holder in the G1s, G2s and some G3s)

Since I just want to make sure that all of this work to un-rust a tail will last and not just rust over again, I De-crimped a tail today in order to remove all of the metal. Replacing the crimp with something else (a twisty-tie, zip-tie or bead) after I had taken the crimp off wasn't an issue but the crimp itself is REALLY hard to undo. 

Also, when messing with the components and removing the washer, I noticed that even though the washer was rusted, the crimp doesn't seem to be rusty at all.  I've seen metals interact like this before and think that the crimp is probably made out of aluminum and washers are probably zinc or steel (as they typically are) and since aluminum doesn't rust like steel or zinc might so maybe the crimp wouldn't rust like I thought it would.  Maybe just removing the washer is enough to halt the affect over time.

[Stormness_1]

I never remove the crimp unless it's so rusty it falls apart. If I do remove it, I put a zip tie in it's place. I also don't remove collector pose washers, it makes the ponies fall over - they're extra bulky to keep their weight right. I use toothpaste to remove the rust from the hair, and wash the crimp (and washer on CP's) with it as well. I then give it a good conditioning treatment, because toothpaste dries out the hair pretty badly. I make sure everything is completely dry and then pull the tail back through and pop a zip tie on in place of the washer. Ta-da!

[kaoskat]

I tie a knot. It holds the tail in fine and causes the hair no problems.