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Strangeness with stringing: Ever heard of this? (doll in storage)

Feb 19, 2007

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    1. I had put my DOC Yen in his box after the December meet because I honestly didn't have time or space for all my dolls to be out of their boxes at that point.

      He was lying out flat in his box, in his pillows. When I put him in, his stringing was fine.

      Fast foward to Feb, when I take him out again for the Valentine meet. He flops around like he were a rag doll, not a BJD. When I took him apart to see if he'd lost a knot in his stringing, the elastic is utterly shot. Like, if you have ever owned a pair of elastic pants where the elastic has given out, and they become one-size-fits all. It's like he were strung with string, not elastic. I tied a new knot two knots length down, and he's still a limp noodle.

      So I'm wondering, to avoid this with my other dolls... anyone heard of a doll lying flat having it's elastic go bad in storage? Anyone know what the potential cause might be?
       
      #1 DeadLegato, Feb 19, 2007
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    2. Was it very damp--or very hot? (well, December-Feb, probably not hot, but ya never know XP)--during the months you had him in storage, or was he stored in a place that was damp or hot? I could see either kind of condition/weather/temperature possibly damaging the elastic.

      I suppose another consideration would be what kind of elastic he was strung with. I've heard differing things about doll-specific elastic vs elastic bought from a sewing/craft store, even if it's heavy duty elastic...
       
      #2 shizalent, Feb 19, 2007
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    3. Dry rot? O_o How old is he/his elastic? Was the storage area damp in any way at all?
       
      #3 Solo_Arcana, Feb 20, 2007
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    4. Well, once I was messing with Elastic (like the ones for dolls) and I left it stretched for a while. Since it was all stretched out, and wasn't moved, it began to to loose its elasticity, and the elastic inside began to wear out as well as the covering.
      It seems this is what happend to your dear. Since the elastic is stratched in the doll, adn the doll was stationary for a while, the elastic wore out is all.
      I hope you can get more elastic, and restring him *hugs*
       
      #4 okamishoujo, Feb 20, 2007
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    5. I actually had this happen to a halloween prop in my attic. It was a grim reaper type thing, and the hands had latex gloves on it. We stored it up in the attic, and by the next year, the gloves had melted. I imagine the same would happen with elastic if it was in a damp/warm place for too long.
       
      #5 pawpaw, Feb 20, 2007
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    6. Does the elastic finally wear down? I have a Luts Juri 06 and I wonder if her elastic might need changing?
       
      #6 honestrabbit, Sep 15, 2008
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    7. some elastic do wear down. the elastic in my boy's favorite shorts has worn out in less den one yr and I have yet to replace it 8D
       
      #7 Sochii, Sep 15, 2008
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    8. sadly all elastic perishes... combination of the rubber components, it only has to be damp once and other environmental factors... it breaks down. Its a good idea to keep checking on it... it rarely happens quickly but if the original "stringer" ie person who put the elastic in the doll, had sweaty palms or even natural body oils from their hands is enough to start the rubber in the elastic decomposing :)
       
      #8 whitewings, Sep 15, 2008
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