100% acetone, or no acetone? That is the question.

When I used to get full sets of nails at the salon, and I wanted to change the polish myself, I had to use non-acetone fingernail polish remover or the plastic nails would actually melt. I would vote for non-acetone, but I don't have experience using it on dolls.

Laura

 

Some people will say to use non-acetone but I know for a fact that 100% acetone will NOT deteriorate the resin. A couple of my friends that constantly repaint their SDs, such as Tasha Neko, have always used 100% acetone and have not seen any change in the appearance and consistency of the resin on any of her dolls.

I use both 100% acetone for both my SDs, DD and 1/6 dolls. I find that non-acetone either smears the paint or doesn't get it off completely, especially with vinyl.

You should be fine using acetone as long as you rewipe the area with water and let it dry before you paint over it again.

 

You should alter this thread's title so people know you're talking about DD and not SD.

Different materials.

 

I think she's asking about both.... ^^


I'm still waiting to see on SD's, but I've never had any problem with acetone on my 1/6 vinyl dolls, apart from mistakingly using a really cheap yellow remover and having the dye stain the vinyl once. ^^; Bad idea.... so use quality remover always. ^^

 

Acetone, if you remove it immediately, will do no lasting damage, to dolls OR to nails. 100% acetone is used on false nails to dissolve them by sticking the nail in some and letting it sit for a while.

So wash your doll (and your hands) immediately after, and I should think you'd be fine. :grin:

(I say wash your hands, not only because of obvious sanitary reasons, but also because 100% acetone can seriously damage your natural nails.)

 

Acetone is very volatile and evaporates quickly, hence the cool sensation when you get it on your skin. I might recommend using bi-carb soda and water to clean the area where acetone has been used. This because the bi-carb will neutralise any remnants of acetone. Regular baking soda would do the same trick. However I don't think acetone would damage vinyl OR resin, as long as you use the 100% pure stuff you can get from the chemist/drug store.

- Therese

 

I have had no problem with acetone-based nail polish remover on my SD's, but it did seem to damage my CP boy's head a little when I went to take his default eyebrows off.

I switched to Volks Make-Up Remove for the other one, and he was fine.

 

I don't see bicarbonate of soda or baking soda as neccessary.
Acetone is not acidic; it's a somewhat polar organic solvent.

Now, baking soda will not harm the doll & is a good, mild cleanser.

So long as you are not soaking your doll in the solvent, I think it ought to be fine.

Try small washings-off, with a cotton swab of solvent dabbed on, if you are nervous.
Then, if there is any problem, it will be a small one.

Ann in CT

 

From all my wanderings and seekings around the internet and beyond, it seems like most "professional" repaint artists recommend NON. I think it just makes sense to use the gentlest thing possible. The brand I have used and found to be widely recommended by those who know more than I do is called "ONCE REMOVED" and is available at Wal-mart.

 

Hey! I have a little bit of experience with this... regretably.

Ive found acetone to be harmless on my msd yume, however you have to be extra cautious that you dont get acetone with dye in it. I used purple tinted acetone on my yume's orriginal hands and they were bleached lighter than normal and tinted purple. it was impossible to fix and I had to get replacements. However, I use the pigment-less variety and it works great without changing the color or consistancy at all!

Hope this helped

~Brittany

 

I use 100% acetone on my little ponies, who are made out of a much softer material than an SD and they are completly unharmed by it, i'm assuming MLP vinyl is close to what a DD is made of. i would think it would be okay as long as you washed it off when you were done. I used paint remover with acetone on my unoa while i was painting her face and she was unharmed by it, but i also only used very small ammounts on a Q-tip and washed it off when i was done.

~Erin

 

I saw Doogi's "caution" post today, and it said one of the things to watch out for was "Donot erase doll's make-up or dust by Acetone.
Acetone might melt the skin meterial."
I'd been using 100% acetone polish remover exclusively...I'd thought that was the best option! I removed my doll's makeup twice so far and she has not had any problems because of it, but now I am scared to do it again. So, I wonder if this is true, and if I should switch to non-acetone nail polish remover? Or is there an even better option?
Thanks if any of you can help me out.

 

Did Dougi say what we should use?

Also, can you provide a link to the "caution" post?

 

(if that doesn't work, it's near the top of the notice board)
Unfortunately he didn't mention what should be used. ^^;;

 

acetone is pretty agressive.. i would not use it on any of my dolls <_<. I don't think it melt the resin, but it may leave some shine on it.

 

I read that right after I had removed the face-up on my Chiwoo head...I thought, "Oh great!" but I don't see any problems with it...


Az

 

It will only melt the resin if you leave it on there. Make sure and wash the doll's face with soap and warm water after you use it and you should be fine. :3

 

There was another thread about acetone here very recently, and xiaomimi suggested using Windsor & Newton Brush Cleaner instead...

- Therese

 

The CP resin seems much more prone to be affected by acetone than other resins I've worked with. A BW Lishe I worked on had her face become super-smooth from having her face-up removed with acetone (more than once). Fortunately all it took was a light sanding with a fine-grade sandpaper to get the resin back to 'normal'.

As always I recommend the Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner as a substitute for acetone. There should still be a photo of what the bottle looks like in the "About Face-ups" sticky at the top of this forum. ^-^

 

Hi everyone!
I talked to Nick Hill of Twin Pines about Polyurethane dolls recently, and I specifically asked about Acetone harming the dolls. He said that Polyurethane is inert and that acetone does NOT harm it. It does harm vinyl dolls though (like Dollfie Dream).

Although Nick is extremely knowledgeable, I'd be super-duper cautious just outta paranoia!.. after cleaning paint off with acetone (or any other chemical) I'd rinse it off with water.

I'll post soon, what Nick said about the BJDs.
Good luck!
Raven

 

I have used pure acetone on all my dolls many times and have never had a problem (but not a Luts doll). I just wash it immediatly with warm water and soap. It is the only thing that seems to completely and cleanly remove paint from my dolls.

Deborah

 

I just got some to get the stains off Xavier's oints and near his goodies, but I'm a bit paranoid.. I washed him off, but I was thinking of doing it some more or something...

I washed him so much his elastic got a bit wet... and Im kinda worried.. I could always get him a ne wbody.. but still...

 

If you got the elastic wet, don't worry! You certainly don't have to buy a new body. Just replace the elastic. I think the only thing bad about getting elastic wet is that it could effect the elasticity. Oh, and it's probably hard for it to dry inside the body.

 

I'm more worried about the resin than his elastic.... he doesn't really smelll like acetone... but I'm still worrried.. It's inside of his joints, so it'll have a while to make any difference... will it just pit it or something?

 

Could you type slower (or more carefully)? I'm not sure I understand that.

 

Well, from all I've heard and experienced I've come to this conclusion. You don't need to worry - that much. No sense being careless and leaving it on him, but acetone won't melt resin on contact or anything, it won't do any harm in the short term. I've removed my girl's face with it multiple times before I ever heard about warnings concerning it, and she was perfectly fine then and afterwards. I've switched to Windsor and Newton Brush cleaner instead because it was available and works great, and y'know, to stay on the cautious side of things, but I wouldn't be too adverse to using acetone again if I had to. Chances are your doll's fine. Washing quickly afterwards in warm water is good.

Now, if you're asking this because something's HAPPENED to your doll, i.e. noticeable resin softening/pitting/holes/cracks/etc., please disregard everything I just said and don't use it again. ^^ But it doesn't seem too likely.

 

acetone will only hurt your doll if you basically soak your doll in it for a while. I would only use swipes of it, etc,... not let it sit in acetone. You should be fine. ^_^

 

i'm trying to tan my AR LF boy...using the rit dye method someone had posted a tutorial for. it turned out...okay, i suppose. it'll do for now...but once i get some better supplies, i wanna redo him entirely. but scrubbing the color, acryllic, MSC, and pastel off the entire body and actually getting it all off cleanly is a huge pain in the ass and takes forever... i already did it twice when i was unsatisfied with the initial results of the dyeing.

so i'm wondering...would it hurt my doll body to soak him in the acetone that would remove the MSC and etc? or does anyone have any suggestions for an easier removal method? please advise. thank you~

 

Yes! Soaking in acetone is baaaaaaaaaad. Using it and then washing it off immediately is alright, but leaving him in there would kinda... melt him. Slightly, that is. At least, if it were a CP doll. I haven't heard about other doll types. I still think it's a bad idea in general, though.


EDIT

Then again, all of those sorts of reports come from faceup removal. Doll bodies don't have as many fine details, so you might be alright.

 

mrr...i was afraid of that. is there any easier way to get color off the resin than scrubbing at it with acetone for...ever? my hands will stink for weeks at this rate... ~___~

 

oh god, soaking him in acetone is literally sentencing him to his death

 

Tru white spirit/ non-acetone brush cleaner. when I was going the face-up on my Juri, that cut through everything like a hot knife through butter....

 

Soaking ANY resin in acetone is bad. Don't do it. It farks it up, and will ruin it. Keep your resin 90% or under too for safety of the resin.

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43110&highlight=soaking+resin+acetone

There's a thread that in the last post has some tips about removing, at least from the head, stubborn paint. There've been a few other posts about resin and acetone in general, so you might find a few more relevant results that way.

Other then that, I guess you're just going to have to keep on scrubbing. I don't know personally another way unfortunately.

 

when you're using acetone you MUST wear gloves! Its more concentrated than nail varnish remover...enough soaks into your skin and it will begin to poison you...seriously, I saw a girl who had soaked her hands a few days before while cleaning up a lot of clay dolls, and she was practically GREEN...ech! Use it in a well-ventilated space, or with an air con fan on.

And yes, it will dissolve resin. It's acidic, and dissolves quite a lot...if it can dissolve nail varnish in its diluted form, imagine what it can do to varnish, sealant, glosses....

I dont know abou tanning dolls, so I cant help you there...but I heard that DOD say they 'ruin' some dolls whilst trying to tan then, thats why they charge extra. The resulting tan can have holes in it and areas of damaged resin.

 

Acetone is NOT ACIDIC!! It is Neutral pH. I
t dissolves paint, nail polish, etc., because it is non-polar, as the paints, etc. are--like dissolves like.
There are other characteristics to chemicals than their pH.
Which pH is SEVEN (7) neutral for acetone.

Two--the person who was green from using lots of acetone was breathing the fumes.
Acetone does not penetrate skin; very very few things do (DMSO is one of those). Acetone does sting like anything in an open cut--I used to be a research chemist & went through gallons of acetone over the years while washing glassware. It was one of the least harmful chemicals I used.

Don't drink acetone, don't snort it--I'll never say no to ventilation, and more air is better than less, but don't panic over it either.


To remove acetone from a surface, wash the surface in plenty of water. Water & acetone are 100% miscible, and the acetone will go away.

I wouldn't recommend soaking any resin doll in acetone, as it might leach out the short chain polymers & change the polymer for the worse.
Small amounts of acetone applied for short durations & rinsed off. Let dry & repeat as necessary.


If you choose to wear gloves, get nitrile gloves, as latex doesn't protect against any organic solvents (though pretty good against water solutions of acids, & bases, too).


Ann in CT

 

I use acetone to remove face-ups and MSC. I have tried other things such as paint brush cleaner, etc, and nothing worked like acetone. It never did anything to the resin, then again I never just let it SET in acetone either.

I suggest taking a washcloth or some paper towels, dampen it in acetone and start rubbing off the dye. Then, once you're done, or once the acetone "evaporates" and feels "cold" on your papertowel/washcloth, rinse off the body part with dish soap and water.

 

Oh and be sure to use industrial acetone, NOT fingernail polish remover...
that stuff doesn't work as well, and can stain your doll if it's colored.

Good luck!
Raven

 

Has anybody ever tried brake fluid (As what goes in real cars)? This has been used in other hobbies to remove old paint including enamel. It doesn't harm polystyrene. Don't know what it would do to resin.

 

Okay I'm confused, Ive seen people say use a pure acetone to remove face up and some people not to. Which one is it?

Dame C

 

It's best to use something NONacetone. CP Delf dolls are reccomended to NEVER use acetone on them, and there have been instances where the resin will melt. IMO, if it can happen to a Delf, I'd rather not risk it on my other company dolls.

 

It'll melt any resin if left on long enough . . . . In my horribly early days of inexperience I melted a small piece on the back of my Yen's head . . . .

 

I used acetone on my VYNL girl and it didn't melt her, it just made her plastic feel funny, but then it went away and I can't even tell where I used it. (Sadly though her stains are still there >:O)

 

NON-acetone works well or isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Try 70% though. Also try to make sure it's clear and has no sort of coloring, sometimes it can dye your dolls skin

 

Acrylic remover from your local art supply store. Which by the way is not a paint thinner and is made from a high concentration of alcohol (at least mine is).

 

acetone is bad for anything plastic or resin or wood IF u don't know how to use it properly. u can use acetone to remove face ups IF u only apply it where u need it and in small amounts and if u have baking soda. after u apply the accetone like 5 10secs tops later u have to cover the whole head in acetone. WATER will NOT stop the chemical reaction u have to put baking soda on ur dolls face first then rinse it off. the face up should rinse off with the baking soda or a little wiping will remove the rest.

 

I've used Acetone on my CP Ttory with all of the approx. 20 faceups I've given her in the past year or so. I've never noticed any adverse effects at all. Not even discoloration.

So... I'm wondering if my doll is just a fluke, unintentionally extra resilliant or something XD

 

I'd definitely reccomend 90% or higher rubbing alcohol - otherwise you'll be doing a lott of rubbing.... There is absolutely no risk for the resin, isopropyl is resin safe.

I also hear people reccomending Windsor & Newton brush cleaner, I haven't used it myself though.

If you are careful - and lucky! - you won't melt your doll. What does happen is that the acetone residue - which acetone leaves behind if you don't clean the resin well afterwards - builds up. This may result in very small flecks of a whitish somewhat gooy substance gathering on the resin surface. In the end this will probably be noticable by itself, but most people first seem to notice the fact that colours won't adher to the resin like they used to.

To my mind the choice is clear: why risk melting the resin or at least building up residue on the surface with acetone when there is other faceup removing agents at reasonable costs where you won't risk either?

 

Acetone is fine for vinyl. Its recommended for removal of factory faceups and used by OOAK artists.

For resin, though, its a big No-No, and only the foolhardy will use it after being told not to, or recommend it to others.

Way back in the day, it was recommended for OLDSKIN Volks dolls only, but times have changed and rubbing alcohol has proven just as effective, less likely to smear, less likely to stain, and less damaging to resin.

Don't use acetone, OR non-acetone nail polish, especially one with a colored dye in the liquid. Some horrible stories of dolls turning blue.

Go to the store, spend a buck-and-a-half on a bottle of rubbing alcohol and you're set.

 

it's not fool hardy if u know how too use. only people who don't know how too use shouldn't. u can use acetone if u have it. just be carefull and use it properly

 

Acetone hurts some and does fine with others. Considerin there's no list of which are okay and not, I'd go with non-acetone just to be careful.

 

when I bought my CP DES Vamp head, it had a face up on it, I wanted to change , I soaked it in acetone, pure low odor acetone..just long enough to get through the MSC and then scrubbed it with a toothbrush..it took all the face up off and did not do any damage to the head! and this a BW head...it didn't melt, pit or anything...it was perfect...and still is.

 

I've cleaned with my luts with windsor newton brush cleaner and acetone, also non acetone nailpolish remover. none have harmed the resin. But I just use a little and rinse frequently. I have also used a wet Mr Clean sponge. youdo have to scrub hard though, and it is abrasive at a molecular level.
Do not use fingernail polish removal with color in it though, sometimes that will stain.
In the BJD orbyarium one customizer said she always uses acetone, and doesnt rinse after. Another said -noacetone.

 

I use 100% acetone (nothing scented/coloured), as otherwise it would take a crapload of work to get it off... <_<

It shouldn't hurt the resin in any way, just wash the head off on occasion with soap (I use Murphy's oil soap, same as for my paintbrushes). Soap is a base so it should neutralize the acid and prevent it from doing any harm. If you're really paranoid you could dust it with some baking soda as well, and then rinse that off.

Resin is basically a plastic; if acetone is doing instant damage on resin, the resin was mixed incorrectly and didn't completely cure. I asked my sculpture teacher about it and he verified this. Considering he's got a BFA and an MFA and 20+ years experience working with every sculpting material known to man, I trust his knowledge.

I wouldn't leave your heads soaking in it for extended periods of time, as the acid will EVENTUALLY eat away at it, but wiping/rubbing with it for short periods shouldn't hurt. I've used it on several different brands of resins for sculpture projects that I've painted, and I've never had a problem.

 

I see, I braught it up because vynil is softer than resin. I'm guessing it has to do with the structure of the molecules for eatch.

 

Harf. Well I've used acetone (er...nail polish remover) on all of my delf boy's faceups and I can honestly say that there were no negative effects. It just smudges the acrylics a bit and can be messy to work with, but I assume that all depends on the brand of paint/pastels you use. Alcohol is way more reliable though...

 

You can get 99% Medical Grade Alcohol, it is just fine for resin. Acetone is a harsh chemical. It is also toxic to humans, you absorb it through your skin, and no you can't wear anysort of gloves as it will eat through them. Those who have used it with no adverse effects were pretty lucky. Why take the chance, also knowing that enough exposure to it can damage your liver. I work with these chemicals and glues every day, I'd do anything to avoid acetone.

 

pain killers and acholic drinks can dmamage ur liver to and i bet u don't avoid those and i'm better those would do it faster and more readily than acetone. and we use acetone everyday at work.

 

Been doing a lot of hunting for what is good and what is bad on resin since I am in the middle of renovating a Serendipity Sharmin...getting a LOT of mixed feedback.

What I am picking up in all of this is that it really depends on the chemical reactions between the resin and the cleaning material used. Different companies have different resin compositions, and those compositions will dictate their reactions. Same thing with the paints and clear coats we use. It would explain the mixed results that people get.

I would say after all this reading is that I would prefer to try non-acetone options first, as they seem to be the least harmful to the resin. I would save acetone for things that non-acetone items will not get, and when using it, to be careful...small amounts only where necessary with proper washing to follow, and to try acetone nail polish remover (clear of course, no coloring) before pure acetone so that the concentration is lower.

Of course, if you're ever REALLY worried about what something will do to resin, that's probably what the inside of the headcap is for!

 

I was using acetone to remove a faceup that I didn't like. And by accident, my hand tip over the bottle of acetone. a lot of acetone was spilled on the head, and I tried to wash it off as quickly as possible with water, but a lot of damage had been done already. So I now have a head with a lot of damage across the face. The part that is the most damaged is the inner corner of his right eye. Im afraid that the resin might be too thin there. and what sucks is that it was a limited head. so I'm pretty torn up over this head, and I want to see if it can be repaired. can it be done????