Separating fingers and toes

fingers can be seperated on any dolls. Get an exacto blade and cut slivers of sandpaper and you need to work at it. There's a tutorial around here somewhere, but heck if I know where I saw it (not even sure if it's this board.)

 

it might. but I'm so picky, I'd try anyway. XD;

 

I didn't have nay problems in seperatng the fingers of my BF boy's hands. It took a bit of patience, and I'd definitly recommend doing it very carefully and slowly as to not cut away too much. As for it making the fingers more breakable.. it probably does to an extent, but you're really not removing THAT much resin, so it seems to be that the increased chance of breaking isn't that much higher for seperated fingers IMO.

 

I haven't recieved mt DOD's yet so I can't tell you :cry: In pics, it looks like the fingers are cast spaced aren't they?
I did seperate Enola's(SD13 Megu) fingers. I used a jewler's saw with a very fine blade,VERY SLOWLY, keeping an eye on both sides of the cut to make sure the saw didn't wander.Very unerving work!Once they are all cut,I round them off with cut strips of sandpaper. here's a pic:

 

Earlier in the week I decided to work on my MSD Maggie that I hadn't previously had time to do anything with. After sanding down the seams, the next thing I decided that she needed was seperated fingers and toes. I hadn't read any tutorials (are there really any?) for doing this. So I decided to wing it. I have a jewlers' saw left over from a class I took, and decided that this would be the best way to go. It took about an hour of gentle sawing (boy, do I wish I'd been able to get a picture of me taking a saw to one of my girls... ops: ) and then about another hour of sanding between the fingers and toes with some cut-down strips of jewlers' sandpaper, but I'm now quite proud of how she turned out. As soon as I get my hands on a digital camera, I'll post some pics.

For people who have seperated fingers and toes.... what did you do to seperate them? If I hadn't randomly had a saw sitting around in my apartment, I don't have any idea how I would have done it.

 

http://hohodoll.iwhdoll.com/sanq/sdprocedures01.htm

Separating fingers at the very bottom:

Preparation:

pen knife
extra fine sand paper/water sand paper

Use the pen knife to cut open the fingers. You need to be brave and careful. After you cut them open it'll be rough around the edges, but don't worry, we can sand them off.

When you sand fingers, follow the fingers' angle so that you won't sand the fingers into a rectangle.

On the right is the unpolished fingers, which looks very rough. But no worries, we can always sand them with the sand paper, then it'll turn out just fine like on the left.

I hope this helps! ^_^

 

Humm... interesting. The pen knife looks like an Xacto. Somehow, I could see myself slipping with that and cutting my baby's finger off. I think I'll be sticking with the jewlers' saw. The blade is so thin - maybe 1/2mm x 2mm tops, if you gently pull it back and forth and guide it slowly, it's like a hot knife through butter. It's so small it's very easy to control, and shape between the fingers and toes.

 

Jewelrs saw was how I was going to do it . I have some 4-0 blades and smaller that should do it. I am still working up the nerve though. I have a lot of hands with fingers curled into the palm (luts). I dont know how to do these though. I guess a craft knife or leave them alone

 

Do you NEED to use an exacto knife to cut the resin away, or is it possible to just sand it away? I'm really paranoid about the idea of putting a knife anywhere near my girl's hands, but the resin between her fingers is starting to bother me a little bit...

Thank you! :grin:

 

Im not sure you can seperate the fingers with sandpaper ,
I would imagine it to be very hard though ops:

Ive seperated my girls fingers using an exacto knife , it isnt as hard or scary as it sounds , just run the blade between the fingers slowly and gently numerous times until the exacto knife could go in between the fingers , THEN you will need the sand paper to smooth it and round the fingers up

Good luck!

 

I stabbed the heck out of my thumbnail while separating Vi's fingers >.>

You can get it started with the knife then move to sandpaper if you want.

 

I seperated the fingers on my boys really easily with sandpaper.

 

Iseparated Nola and Lolli's fingers all with sandpaper. I tried an exacto knife on Lolli's, but accidentally sliced into her fnger. So! I will never try that again. x.x I'm sure if you have patience and a sure hand you could do it, but be very careful... You could always try sanding first though, just to be sure. ^.^

 

I used a very small jewlers' saw to seperate my girls' fingers and toes, and then moved to fine-grade sand paper to round them better, because I found I had better control with that than with an xacto. Though I think my roommate freaked out when she came into the living room and saw me taking a saw to one of my girls. ops:

 

I knew I HAD to attempt finger separation. Eeek. Taking a knife to her precious little hands was a bit unnerving, but I did it (well, just the left hand so far) and am AMAZED at how much better her hand looks! It took me about 30 minutes with an X-acto and some fine sandpaper. Well worth the effort! I must find a ring for her cute little hand now! Off to finish the right hand...thank goodness only one cut is required on this hand...but those toes are calling me next!

LEFT HAND BEFORE SEPARATION (last 3 fingers were FUSED together...ick):


LEFT HAND AFTER!!!!!!!!


UPDATE! I just did her right hand and it took me, like, 5 minutes! So, if you are nervous about attempting this on an Asha, I suggest doing the right hand first as it was ~much~ easier than the left. Off to work on her toes!

I was on a roll and went ahead and attempted toe separation and her little feet are looking sooooo much better! I did cut my finger, so be careful with those sharp X-actos! Oh, I left the pinky toe "attached" since it kind of hides under the 4th toe on the back side.

Now, she is going to need a pedicure, too! Any suggestions?!? Nail polish or paint?!? Do you seal after painting? If I want to change colors, how to remove?!? Please help! Thanks!

 

Thanks I haven't gotten brave enough to paint those tiny nails yet.

All I used was the Xacto and some sandpaper. I got a couple different grades ... some very very fine to do the finishing touches. After the pic above was taken, and I attempted the other foot, I did end up cutting a little too much off one toe and had to sand down all the toes to make them match. I tried to do all the toes in one sitting and got tired. So, my advice is to take it slow and stop and come back if you need to. The fingers were much easier and went much quicker than the toes. The fingers seemed to be a straight cut from front to back, BUT the toes were more curved, if that makes sense. OH, I used a sort of a back and forth scrubbing motion in the grooves between the fingers and toes rather than trying to make big cuts through. Just take your time and don't rush it...I also cut my finger once.

I'd love to see pics when you are done!

 

Voila Kim's new hands! I slipped once so one of his index fingers has a little gouge out of it, but it's not too noticeable . . . I hope. ops: But overall I think his hands look so much more elegant now! (His pinkies were already separated.)

No sandpaper for me, because I'm a lazy bum. I also managed to separate my own fingers a bit. ops: I must have been putting too much pressure on his hands too, because one popped off and i had to restring his arm! He's got these curious half-s hooks that screw into his hands.

 

Thanks for the pics! I really think the separation makes such a difference...such a small thing, but it really does! So, you didn't sand at all?!? My doll's looked terrible before I sanded!

 

Nope, no sanding. It could be because of the way his hands were originally; there was a thin web of resin between his fingers, so it wasn't too hard to get a clean cut.

 

Wow...that's great! The resin between my girl's fingers and toes was almost as thick as the fingers and toes...ugh.

 

Wow, and it still only took you 35 minutes? I spent two hours on my boy's hands! The fingers were connected along the whole length though, is it the same with Asha?

 

Thanks for the information! I have been considering doing a big toe separation so my big guy can wear geta.

How did you sand between the toes?

 

Very fine thin sandpaper I am not completely happy with how the toes ultimately came out. I think I sanded too much. My girl doesn't go barefoot very often, so it's OK. But, now that you mention geta...hmmm....she might need a pair! Good Luck!

 

My SD10 girls come with fingers which stick together and I've been thinking of separating them so they don't look so fat. But the thing is, because the fingers are so close together, it doesn't really seem possible to separate them entirely...? But to just err, make the fingers look slimmer, I guess.

However, I am really scared to death of doing it just like this haha since I have never done anything vaguely similar before... so I was wondering if anyone has made any tutorials on SD10 finger separation that you could possibly share?

Also, I am too cheap(!) to buy a ceramic knife, what with the added shipping fees and so on, so would a normal penknife/cutter work OK as well?

For those who have successfully separated fingers, especially for those SD10 hands in particular... could you please share your experiences?

Thank you!

 

i have seperated yo-sd hand if that helps? I used an artknife(pen knife works too) and carving knifes(better for bigger dolls though..) + some mini files and sandpaper to do the job. I.. basically just cut from outwards in for the fingers seperation. Do it slowly in a sawing motion. and don't use too much strength or if things go wrong there is no way to save it >.<

 

er, be careful, i say use a really slim file not a knife. that way you don't cut you or your doll or mess up bad(i have had stitches twice in my hands and cut a gash in my doll's hand by using a knife...lol)

 

When I separated my SD 10's fingers, I used an X-acto knife and various grades of Testor's sanding films (check yer local hobby shop). I started by holding her hands up to the light to check where the thin parts of the resin were. Then I began carefully and very lightly scraping those areas with the X-acto knife. People have suggested also starting from the tips and cutting backwards to the palm, which might be a better option. When I had broken through the thin bits between her fingers I used the same slow, light technique to get her fingers to the thickness that I wanted. I didn't fully separate the pinky that is curled up against her other fingers, but I cut around it so you can't tell it's still attached. Then sand between them till they are as smooth as you want.
My big caution is that on my girl's left hand the mold was not properly aligned, so her fingers on that hand are at a different angle than they should be. I don't know if it is something that happens to all SD10's, or if it was just mine; but I was really unhappy about it, and almost ruined her hand. . .
I will say that the other one looked great though!!
Just go slowly!!

 

I separated my SD10 girls fingers with an x-acto blade also. I also scraped the resin very slowly and carefully. A ceramic knife won't work for this- the blade is too thick, and it is not meant for slicing, but rather shaving off the resin from the side of the blade. (That probably makes no sense! ) ^^

It does make a huge difference with these girls! Good luck!

Laura

 

i was told at con to through the hand in a bowl of boiling water or zap it in the mircowave for a few secs when it's soft take a exacto knife and slide it between the fingers

 

This is in finnish but if you're looking for photos...
http://www.off-switch.com/hartsilapset/viewtopic.php?t=290

That's me separating the fingers of my Dollmore Calvin ( MSD size )

T'was fairly easy. Just keep steady hands and follow the things others have written.

 

I'd like some advice.

What's a good way to separate fingers and toes on any resin doll? Eris (a Luts Delf Miyu) has her toes almost webbed together and I'd like to separate them (I've ordered hands from Luts; they should be in soon.).

 

I'd assume a dremel rotary tool, to get them apart in the first place, then you could weave some regular sandpaper in between the cracks to smooth it out at a slower pace.

 

I've heard of people using a manual Exacto knife to carefully cut between the piggies. Then sand carefully to desired separation.

A dremel would be really hard to control. You really want to slice and cut, not drill, and I think even the finest drill bits would produce too wide a separation and may injure the toes...

 

The whole thing with a dremel is, I think if you can't control it you shouldn't use it. Definitely not for the faint at heart I tell you! There is one made specifically for nail technicians and it has the slowest speed but its hard to find. It would be perfect for someone with a steady hand who wants to do this. Probably not as exact and an exacto knife but much faster

 

I used an exacto, it is slow work but well worth the effort, here are before and after pics of my Unoa hand

 

Did you sand in between her fingures afterward? If so, what grain of sand paper did you use? (I wanna seperate my LF's hands ^^)

 

I used an Exacto and sandpaper to separate Seine's fingers (AR Tan Kai). Very slow and careful work, but easier than a dremel. I used some 120 on the webbing itself, a bit of...500 (I think) to make sure it was even with the fingers, and then something crazy like 1200 to smooth it out.

 

I did sand in between, carefully though so as not to take detail away from the knuckles. I used 400 wet/dry. I like wet sanding - no dust that way

 

Yeah, my 500 and 1200 were wet/dry. My 120 wasn't. Yay for masks.

silverlightstar: You can find 1200 or something close in the automotive section of Wal-mart, I think.

 

I know this sounds like a total "duh" comment, but be careful! Of course don't chop off your own fingers but once you get going in resin it can go quick. Lolli has a groove in the side of one of her fingers because I got too blade-happy and it went in too hard. I suggest doing as little as possible with the xacto and more with sandpaper. Cut into little strips, sandpaper works miracles. Also, try to envision what it will look like first and make sure the effect will be what you want. After separating some little toesies myself I discovered that they really should have been left together for the proper look. Of course you learn from your mistakes, but not making the mistakes in the first place is much better. ^___^

 

I use the Volks ceramic knife for any outer major jaggies, an exact-o to divide the digits, and then sandpaper for the final touch. I like to go little by little so I won't slip and take too much out the doll or myself. I have a dremel and I'm pretty good with it, but I've never tried using it on my dolls. I'm not sure what bit you would use for resin either.

 

Hello everyone!

I am sure this debate had played out before, but what do you guys think of this topic? I am debating doing this with my new sist but I am not sure if I should go through that. Will the doll's fingers/toes can break easier after separation? She will be handled quite often and I don't want her fingers/toes to break if that might happen. Thanks!

 

Basic handling, changing clothes, taking pictures, usually will not break fingers/toes. Falls, making them hold props if the props don't quite fit, and shoes that make them unstable (ie, heels, flip-flops) are the common ways I've heard of for fingers/toes break. The fingers and toes are more fragile after they're separated, just because then each one is on its own instead of a mass, but they're plenty fragile before that too. There is a chance that they could break anyway, unseparated, under the right (wrong) circumstances.

Whether you separate or not is really a matter of preference for what it looks like.. If you really like the way that hands/feet look separated, go for it. If you are unsure of your skill or don't particularly care, I'd say don't risk it especially if you haven't done much modding yet.

 

It depends. In most of my dolls I wouldn't bother separating their toes or their fingers are already separated.

But my Angelregion Little Fairs... are a different story, because you can see the resin that's holding the little fingers and toes together very clearly, and it bugs me. But then again, it's my personal preference

And even after doing that, they don't seem to be more fragile than the other dollies that had separated fingers to begin with.

 

OMG SEPERATE!!! *rantrant* I -personally- couldn't stand them stuck together. It reminds me of Barbie. Lol. Fingers and toes look much more elegant seperated.

 

I am afraid to do the smaller toes, for fear they would break when being shoved into too tight shoes. But I'm ok with fingers though.

 

I really want to separate my Mimis fingers because they are sorta weird looking like they need to be sanded on one side.. I dont know how to explain them they look "rough" and I bought her new even... so I was thinking about that and also so she could wear a wedding ring since she is going to be married to my Shiwoo...

 

Does anyone have pics or advice on toes?...I want to separate the big toe from the rest on a DZ Pet doll...which are actually paws hence are quite thick...

Anyone?

 

I separated Hiro's big toes from the pack, so to speak. Here is the before pic:

I used an exacto knife and not too much coffee. The resin was quite thick and it took me about 45 minutes of very slow work to get through. Then I took some random sandpaper I had laying around my craft room (probably fairly fine grade, as it came with some wood bobbins for my spinning wheel). A little light sanding and done. Here's the after pic:

I did the toes first because I really wanted to separate fingers. It has always bugged me that Hiro had fused fingers on each hand. it took less time because there was less resin to contend with, but still quite slow work and about 30 minutes per hand. Also, his left hand has the index finger curved and a bit under the middle finger. I go it his "go hand" (as the game of go, it's the way one holds a stone...it's not a euphymism)

Here are the before and after pics:

 

Oh, and I forgot to thank those who came before me to share their digit separating advice. I added this task to my Hiro Mod weekend.

so, thanks!

 

Did you guys spray the hands with MSC after you guys were done?

 

I did finsih with a coat of MSC but that was because blushing was next on the Hiro Mods Task List. But thinking of your question, if i were to do the procedure again minus a blush, I would 'seal' them with MSC. It evened out my not so perfect sanding job.

 

I was trying to separate my yo's fingers earlier, but they're so close together that I don't see how I will be able to stick a piece of sandpaper in to smooth it out afterwards.

 

I'm bumping this up because I have a 16cm DL Lian her for fingers are one piece. I would like to seperate them but she is so small is this possible? Thanks

 

I'm giving my Iple girls finger separating surgery right now. I wish I had a jeweller's saw! All I've got is a simple craft knife ... it works on the option hands, they've only got some webbing, but the default SID hands are fused together for real. -.-°

 

A real "duh!" question, but...
Would wet-sanding without a respirator be okay? Or do you need one?
I'm thinking about separating my DZ boy's toes so he can wear tabi/waraji, and there's only a thin webbing between his toes.

Thanks!

 

I vote go for it. If you mess up you can always buy new hands right?

 

Wow well done everyone for your brave work The results are amazing! I'm not confident enough to attempt doing this & I would most likely do harm to my poor doll