How to : Fursuit Claws

This guide was written to be used with Portly Possum resin fursuit parts.  The information will likely work with any brand of resin parts, however you should check with the manufacturer to be sure.  I will not be responsible for damage to other brands of parts or your project.  Please use appropriate safety equipment and work in a ventilated space if your paints, primers, glues or other supplies specify

Preparation
I recommend washing all resin fursuit parts with hot, soapy water to remove any residual mold release.  Scrub gently with a washcloth or other soft, non-abrasive cloth and let air dry completely before continuing.

Installation
If you are happy with the current colour and don’t intend to paint or modify them, claws can be installed as-is.  The easiest way is to cut a slit in the fabric, apply some glue to the base and push it through.  I recommend a quick drying gel-based super glue such as ‘LePage Ultra Gel Control Super Glue’.  Make sure you do a dry fit before applying the glue to ensure a good fit and look.  

Alternatively, you can remove the base entirely, put some glue on the end and press it into the fursuit.  This method is not as durable and you may lose some claws over time if you are not gentle.

Modification
Resin parts can be sanded, carved or dremeled if needed.  Do this outside or somewhere you can safely contain the dust, and wear a face mask.  You can shorten, hollow out or completely remove the base if needed.  It’s usually worth washing them again afterward to remove any dust.
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If you would like to add onto the existing claw, you can use any air drying sculpting compound.  I prefer ‘Fixit Sculpt Epoxy Clay’.  Do not use a compound that requires baking such as ‘Sculpey’, as heat may damage the original resin and potentially release harmful vapours.

Painting
Resin claws can be painted using artist grade acrylics (such as Golden), good quality model paints (Vallejo) or any spray paint designed for plastics.  It may be tempting to use cheaper paints, but you will need many more layers and may end up rubbing off the first coats.  Additionally cheap paints do not tend to be colour-fast; your beautiful paint job could end up turning muddy greys and browns.  If you are doing a very complex paint job or changing the base colour drastically, use a coat of plastic primer first.  
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When you are done painting and everything is thoroughly dry, apply one or two coats of spray acrylic sealer. 

Claws with transparent resin bases (generally the special effect parts) are less suited to painting since the special effects and light will not show through.  For example,  UV-reactive colours, or glow in the dark parts should not be painted if you want to maintain their original qualities.

Useful Products
LePage Ultra Gel Control Super Glue 
E6000 Craft Adhesive 
Apoxie® Sculpt
Krylon Colormaster™ White Primer 
Golden Heavy Body Acrylic 
Krylon Acrylic Crystal Clear 
You can find most of these at local arts & crafts stores, hobby shops or home improvement centers.