Tutorial: Adding Magnets to a Headcap

My MSD Mika has the most annoying headcap! It is a rubber band that some how loops around the S hook and the resin block in her head. Well, it was always flopping around. I was tired of messing with her for an hour just to change out her eyes, so last week I ordered some magnets. I don't like having to use tape and eyeputty to keep the head cap on just so that she can wear a wig decently.

The magnets came in the mail today and I got to work.

Before:



After:



See how smooth her headcap fits:

 

These are my tools:


The first thing I did eyeballed where I wanted the magnet to sit in the head by moving the magnet around. I then marked that spot by penciling in a small dot where the center of the magnet would be placed. I then used the calipers to measure where the magnet would fit on the head cap so that they would match up. I marked the spot with the pencil. I did this at both the top and the bottom of the head and head cap.

Then I placed the head and cap together and peeked in the crack to see how well the spots lined up. If it was not perfect, I erased it and redrew the dot.

Then I swiveled the tip of the X-acto knife at the pencil spots so that I had a spot for my drill to start in. Having the small starter hole gives the place for the drill to rest, otherwise it will track over the resin and scar the head.

I then used the drill to slowly cut into the resin. I was careful to angle the drill so that it would only cut through the thickest part of the resin and not pop out the other side. It is very important to not go too deep into the resin. I kept pulling the drill out and checking the depth with one of the magnets.

Also, for safety's sake, wear a mask when sanding or drilling resin.

 

Yesterday I showed the magnets I added to my Volks MSD Mika's head. Today I show you how I added magnets to Mike's Soom Kyrie head. Soom's head caps are only gently attached with a twist mechanism that is very easy to pop off, I prefer a more solid grip on head caps, this is how I remedied the situation. This works well for thinner heads.

Since Soom's heads are rather thin, I could not drill holes to install magnets. Instead, I used apoxie sculpt to attach bar magnets inside the head.

Before:


After sculpting in the magnets in the cap, I placed a magnet on the outside of the cap so that I could very gently pencil mark where they would go in the head.



And this is what it looks like inside now that I'm done:


It is a little messier than drilling, but once it cures it does the job nicely. I was careful to position the magnets inside so that the head cap can still twist on and off easily.

 

K and J Magnetics

 

Another Soom head cap I did (excuse all of the eye putty):

 

Thank you! Head caps can be one of the most frustrating things about an otherwise perfect doll. I wasn't enjoying my new dolls as much until I realized that it was the caps that was the problem. I have thought about opening shop, but this thread isn't an appropriate place to discuss that ^See mod's interjection above. However, you can PM me, and I am also working on setting up a thread in the appropriate place.

 

3/16" by 1/8" which is smaller than Bambicrony's magnets oddly enough.

 

If the S hook will sit in the head to hold it to the neck, then so long as the top of the hook does not interfere with the cap you wouldn't need any further mods. If the S hook falls through the head, you will need to either mod a rest for the hook at the neck joint in the head or use a Luts donut. If the hook hits the cap after the magnets are installed, I usually cut out the resin loop.

 

K&J was indeed my supplier. The best ones are grade 52. Grade 42 just isn't strong enough, spend the extra few cents and get the better ones. Bars are better than square when apoxing in magnets that can't be drilled.