Restringing stories: how do you feel about the process?

Haha. Yeah, I know the feeling! I took apart my El a few days after I got him, sanded down all his seams, gave him a little bit of blushing and put him back together. I've done the unstringing/restringing thing several times now... also sueded and wired him. I do feel more bonded with him... I also know it isn't at all scary to take him apart. Do you have one of the doll restringing tools? They're like $6 or something from various shops and well worth it. I can restring my El completely on my own.

 

i restrung chiei recently for the first time... very gratifying experience.

 

I just got my doll and restringed him last night, and had a kick out of it *no kidding*.

Some people here seems to cringe at the sight of spread-out doll parts, but anyone here thinks that restringing and taking a doll apart is just as much fun as posing them or dressing them?

I don't know. Maybe being an engineer has something to do with being excited by taking things apart and putting them back together, but I am seriously thinking of restringing my boy for the third time right now XDD (he had another restring session after I took him apart for a bath this morning, and seems to be slightly tight in the legs).

(Just wait until I try my hands at modding, lol)

 

xD I like to restring my boys to a degree, I'm more calm when I'm doing it, while if others are doing it to my boys I tend to get nervous and spazz >_>;;

 

Hiyas

It doesnt bother me re-stringing.. tho love it when do as they stand so much better lol...

 

I actually don't mind it, its just the fact that it gives me blisters and bruises on my hands that makes me cringe.

 

I can't say I like it like it, but I don't cringe away from it - and, if my boy pose better from it it makes me happy - but I can't say I love it, no.

The first time was fun, though, I remember

 

I don't mind restringing Karo. But SULTRA on the other hand..

Ohhh that neckpiece. @___@; He's the new body type. I'd do anything to keep from restringing him. XD;

 

I like restringing, well now that I know what I'm doing. I've gotten to the point now where I don't get my skin pinched.

 

when I first read about restringing, I kept hearing stuff like 'its really hard' or 'you need someone to help you' and 'its really scary!'. There where loads of complicated instructions on how to do it as well... and when I got Lucien, my first doll, I ignored them all xD. Literally the first thing I did was take him to pieces, and I was so pleased, because it was easy to see how to put him back together again! It didn't bother me at all... until I realized I didn't know how to put him back together xD;;; so, I grabbed a piece of string, and now I unstring my dolls and other peoples dolls all the time. I wouldn't say I love it, but there is something satisfying about finishing a job - and also, I like taking things apart

 

I love restringing Hayes. Not the whole "Got you finger!hahaha!" part of it. It makes me feel better about owning him, does that makes sense. Closer to him. And I like taking things apart, putting them together and seeing it work...still ^^

 

Not particularly :/. I value the feeling in my fingertips.

But, I do like sanding them xD;. Strange~

 

I haven't tried yet...I'm a bit nervous, though my Sharmin could sure use it.

 

I was one of the "omg it sounds so scary! I'll never take apart my dolls" people. However, I tried it and its waaaay easier than I thought! I can't wait to suede my boys. :3

 

...personally, I love restringing. I love taking my boy apart and scrubbing him (multiple times--first with soap, then with some baking soda, and last with mildly soapy water) and putting him back together again, retouching his face-up and redoing body blushing. Maintenance is absolutely my favorite part of being a BJD owner, even over taking pictures. I've never actually hurt myself during restringing either; it was always really easy for me.

I love restringing. XD

 

^^ At first I didn't like it....But now when I actually get the time to do it
I kind of find it relaxing...^_^ and bonding.

:P but then I'm odd....the tools I use for stringing is a necklace and some
wool-string....heh....

 

Now that you mention it . . . no. XD I don't really enjoy restringing, but sometimes it can be a mildly diverting activity. Unoa kits are nice to string since they come with everything you need and have such clear directions. But if you don't have exactly what you need it can be a PITA restringing a doll.

I hate restringing big dolls though. My wimpy arms and little fingers make it hard to get the tension good. >.<

 

I like to, I've done it at least 4 times now. Only once I didn't like it and that was becuase I was restringing my friends SD10 she has no waist joint and it was hard getting the string threw ><
But other than that I like to take them apart and get them all nice and clean.
I still have restring a couple more dolls but I need new elastic first.

 

I think its fun n___n I love seeing how my boys are sculpted and how different they are and how theyre put together and such... -loser-
Its really not hard at all, i dont understand how some people think it is

 

I thought it would be hard, but I love it. I'll take them apart for the heck of it!

 

Oh, I have the tools, due to my dad's former job. He worked on copiers and stuff from Pickney Bowes and he had string hooks. They work perfectly for restringing. Heck, if I could charge for it, I'd open up shop!

 

Oh! me! me! me! me!!! *raises hand and waves it wildly like a deranged 5yr old*

 

I have never understood why people are afraid of doing mods, suedeing and restringing, I did them ALL the first da i owned my first doll, and I had never even seen one in person before. It was fun, and I still like restringing, or anything else to do with them really.

 

Not to say not like or like it... I restring my girl hand once only... But that really took me long time to restring and attach back... Kinda worry actually that time.

 

I'm with Kimie, I enjoy restringing! ^_^ It's not hard to do, soothingly familiar, and there's the satisfaction I get from a better-posing doll afterward. Having some tools helps greatly. I also used to like washing my doll...back when I had one. Now, with four, it's a bit more of a daunting task...XD;;

 

I'm afraid of modding a doll...mainly because I am afraid of totally screwing it up!

 

I love to restring my boys XD;; Take them apart, sand them, seperate the fingers and toes, then put them back together again. It's fun to make something so realistic even more realistic. I'm also really picky about the tension in my boys, so to pull and loosen until they're just right is fun for me.

It also makes me feel closer to them, to help them become a tiny bit more like the characters they're supposed to be ^_^

 

I love it, myself. I don't know why, but it's very satisfying. However, when it comes to restringing the one piece torso of an oldskin SD10, my enjoyment ends.

 

I am looking at restringing my hounds arms because the elastic seems a bit stretched and his wrists are floppy....don't mind it too much...it can be a little painful on the fingers though..thank god I have alot of hemostats..

 

Once I did it, I keep thinking "what took me so long?" It was not big deal if one has the right tools.

And the result--wonderful!

 

I do and then I don't

the do - everything.....
the don't - when it comes down to putting on the headcap...>_< my poor hands!!

I'm so...weak!!

 

I *love* putting together doll kits. But that's just the kind of person I am~~ like I love to cook, even though I'm not much of an eater.

I love doing 'hands-on' things~ XD I think it takes certain types. I'm not an engineer, but I am an artist, and I certainly take after my engineer father in my 'craftiness'!

 

I was scared at first.. I feared that I would break my doll or something..x.x.. Or try and put him back together and him not be right at all. But now I find I like it, it is oddly relaxing. ^^

 

I kinda like restringing. It's neat to see how my doll is put together; plus, I keep not-stringing him properly anway. This time he's too tight, last time too lose... It never ends.
But I find it easy, maybe because there's no pain involved- I use ribbons and a larger-than-average, heavy, sewing needle (for embroidery, maybe?) to get the elastic through, and the ribbon doesn't hurt when you're pulling away at it.
The only thing I dont like is untying the elastic itself. It takes forever. But otherwise, it's sort of relaxing. "This goes here...pull this...add that..."

I am afraid to restring his arms though. Dunno why.

 

I do enjoy restinging and sueding. I love seeing how the different dolls are engineered, and I enjoy learning more about them. It's like any other hobby. You like doing it, and you love the results.

BOY, my Volks pureskin bodies spoil me for any other dolls, though!! LOL! Love the engineering.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

oh god. no.
it' such an ordeal.

 

I've only restrung once- and it took me nearly 5 hours to do it. I loved the experience, however, I feel like I didn't do it correctly. I only had pics I found on the internet and my common sense- which I doubt it 100% correct.

I'm hoping that I can watch someone restring in real life.

My poor boy- I don't know if I caused him more harm than help.

 

I don't love or hate it. It's easy and fast for me, and all I use is a piece of thick string to thread the limbs onto the elastic. I like having my dolls in one piece, though — so I guess I like stringing in the sense that it means I am about to have a doll back together again.

 

I love restringing my boys It's a kind of meditative experience. I always feel better about them knowing exactly how they fit together, and seeing the way they are all a tiny bit different. I find I bond more after they've been in pieces on my bedroom floor once or twice >w<

(Though, my immensely tightly strung SD13 requires quite a bit of strength to put together again heh)

 

I had restung a doll about five times now. Two times I had help. Restringing by myself makes me wish I have a extra hand.

I do enjoy have the stringing done by myself because it allows me to have more control over her. But the exactly restringing, is hard for me. So I don't enjoy it.

 

I have to enlist my husband to help with the headcap, but he doesn't mind, and I just really enjoy restringing my girl! I was dying to take her apart as soon as I'd gotten her (oh that sounds awful~:O ), but my hubby promised he'd make me a restringing tool. Once he did, apart she came! But both my doll and my husband are good sports and humor me. :3

Restringing her makes me feel as if she's truly mine. I know her inside and out, and am completely comfortable handling her in every way. We're all a little bit closer after that.

 

I think,no I KNOW I would HATE it!I haven't done a whole doll, but had so many problems just trying to do the foot and one leg of my Odelia doll, and it still isn't right( even after shoving wire down the leg )....The fight I had with that bl**dy elastic!
I'm going to hot glue suede her soon though
Now give me a face up to do any day.....

 

I'm nowhere near as scared of it as I used to be XD And I take an enormous sense of satisfaction from finally getting the doll back together. It's a matter of pride to me to be able to string a doll using only a piece of string :'D

Also, I've replaced irritating DoC-style hand-joints-tied-with-string with s-hooks twice now (once on a DoC, once on a Hound), and I LOVE IT XD There's something really nice about improving on a body's stringing system, especially when it's that annoying.

 

I LOVE restringing. I restrung my El as soon as I got him! XD And my friends have labeled me as their official doll restringer. Heh, I just love to see just how all the joints fit together and the dolls inner workings XD.

 

I've received 2 dolls from previous owners, and both were somewhat floppy when they arrived (I must like tight dolls or something!) so I got to play around with their stringing. with the shiwoo, it was a struggle, because his tension needed serious help... but I actually enjoyed taking apart my lusis, inspecting all of her parts, then stringing her back together. It was definitely a bonding experience.

I'm still afraid of my Saint though... If I don't need to do it, I wont.

 

I've restrung two of my boys and I never pinched my fingers I actually like it though, sort of like putting together Ikea furniture.

 

I don't exactly LOVE to restring my boy, but whenever I bathe him I take him apart. No problems restringing him, exept Cole doesn't really like it when I do it ^^;

 

I enjoy restringing Duckie exept for one little thing- the left ankle piece (the part that goes between her foot and her shin) is almost impossible to get on. No kidding. My dad is really strong (i.e. he maintains our 150 acre farm. We have cows. This means lifting a 10 ft. diameter metal ring onto its side. yeah.) and he had to use all his strength. Yipes!

 

noooooo~!!! not the horrors of restringing!

actually, it's fearing more than hating it for me... I had my littlelest finger injured once when trying to restring my DOD

 

I like restringing a whole lot better since I got that restringing tool. ^^; I also don't string it exactly like Luts says to...too much work and sweat, so I cheat Now Madoka is strung extra tight and can pose better than ever and well, now he can't share his body with anyone since it'll be very painful to us both to remove his headcap to take off his head.

 

I. HATE. it. I don't mind doing the body, that is easy and fun. I hate trying to push the d--ned knot that holds the arms together in the shoulder-hole which is NEVER big enough. Ripped off part of my index finger nail AND got a blister when I redid my Cyndy. (I like my girls "popping" tight.)

 

I love to restring my boys but I have never restrung my mini fee. His neck thing scares me ;.; (I'm scared of not getting it right when I put it back on ._.; )

 

I've only restrung Rooster once (and that was mostly just to familiarise me with the process), and already I can't WAIT until the next time! *___* I just have to wait for my hot glue gun... >D Then I'll restring him REALLY tight!

 

I just restrung one of my Corys...and yes, I LOVE IT!! I need to restring Dimitri, still a little too loose.

 

Restringing is like watching your doll come to life, I LOVE IT!
The only complaint here is getting my boy UN-strung, the elastic is just too big to easily slip out of the s-hooks and so it's SUCH a pain to do (9_9;

 

erm O_0 the first time I did it it was so easy.. but then the third 4th and 5th time I started hating it !

 

I kind of like to. X3
The only times I don't is when I know I need to restring for some reason and...I wouldn't have time to put him back together. I don't like leaving him...in pieces for very long-- BUT, if I have the time then I find it fun. XD It's not very hard if you use materials that don't kill your hands. :B