hehe, awesome

its going nicely

Oh wow, I see now. It seems this tail is going to be really collapse-resistant, and easy to form a covering for. Good work :)

Dude you're already going to work on the head?? *whines* I wanna work on my suit, but can't even find the materials here I don't think...

And now I see what you mean by reverse double helix, the wires intersect every half turn, instead of intersecting never.

That's gonna have a really nice bounce to it.

Here's hoping! But that's what I want - a tail that moves with me, curls around me when I turn, sways when I walk, etc - rather than just sticking off the changing angle of my butt when I walk, like a lot of them do. ;p

Yeah, that's why I don't make mine like most folks do. I had an experimental tail made somewhat like this, and a lot of people thought I had animatronics! It's great.
Only other thing I would suggest is possibly another support where the "spine" would be.
That, and when you make the attachment for it to wear, make sure you connect the armature *directly* to what you will be harnessing it to. i.e., make a special belt or strap that is part of the armature. It will move exactly how you want it. If not, make sure you connect it to more than one place on your belt.

Hehe, I apologize if you knew this already(I'm not familiar with your projects), just some helpful advice (and some of my technique).

I'm planning on having a fairly rigid surface or plate that the coil bolts to, and putting a nylon belt with one of those nice plastic clips on it. Granted, this isn't a standalone tail, it's gonna be part of a whole suit look, but it will need its own support. I'm also probably gonna try to rig something to sit in it like my hand is in the picture, 'coz otherwise it bends down *way* too fast.

Ed's still promising me the design for mine. ^_^ I may or may not have it THIS COMING anthrocon.. but I *WILL* have it by next October, if I have to figure out how to make it myself.

Pfft! You can design your own. I don't think it's that hard. This coil was a real breakthrough though, because if you recall, at AC07, I was trying to figure out how to make articulated disks that were attached somewhat rigidly, yet not too heavy, kinda' like vertebrae. And suddenly (two days ago) it occured to me that two opposing springs attached at the cross points would behave exactly like I needed, with minimal fabrication. And I started on this that night, since I had the wire for it. :D

Ah. but yours isn't going to be Animatronic. :P

I was worried about cost and batteryweight. :p

It should however transmit the slight changes in angle as I walk, and make the tailtip go *flik-flik-flik*

With any luck, it'll "wander" a bit too, like those handheld snakey things. :D