Check this sticky for a topic related to your question. Each topic listed in the posts below links to a discussion thread or tutorial. Members are encouraged to post their question in an existing thread on the subject, no matter how old the thread. ^__^ The Basics: Cleaning and Restringing Face-ups and Body Blushing: Materials and Techniques Repairs: Damaged or Yellowed Resin Modifications: Making Hybrids, Altering Sculpts
Basic Maintenance Wiki: What is a BJD? FAQ: Basic Doll Care Do's and Don'ts FAQ: Care and Cleaning of Tan or Dyed Dolls FAQ: Care and Cleaning of Vinyl Dolls FAQ: Seam Lines Discussion: Is Resin Toxic? Discussion: What is that "new doll" smell? Discussion: Eyes: how to remove and replace Discussion: All about Eye Putty Tutorial: Eye Placement Using Silicone Ear Plugs Discussion: Squeaky creaky joints __________________ Cleaning Products and Methods Discussion: Dolls in water for cleaning or photoshoots FAQ: Cleaning Sponges (Mr. Clean Magic Eraser & equivalents) Discussion: Removing Hot Glue and Hot Glued Eyes Discussion: Removing Super Glue Discussion: Removing Incorrectly Glued Magnets Discussion: Wig Cleaning (links to Sewing Workshop) Solvents used to remove face-up sealants: Discussion: Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner and Where to Buy it Outside the USA *Winsor has changed the US formula so it no longer works the way it used to* as of 2020ish Discussion: Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol Discussion: Nail Polish Remover (Acetone Free) Discussion: Acetone Pros & Cons of all of the above: Stripping a Doll Down to Bare Resin Stain Removal Discussion: Clothing Stains - Prevention & Removal Discussion: Wig Stains - Prevention & Removal Discussion: Old Face-up Pastel Stains ___________ Restringing Discussion: Restringing stories: how do you feel about the process? List: Household items used as restringing tools Discussion: What elastic to buy? Discussion: Is restringing necessary? Discussion: Too loose or too tight? Even tension? Getting it right! Discussion: Elastic wearing out during storage? Discussion: Can tight stringing damage dolls? Improving Posing Capabilities Tutorial: Sueding using pliver or moleskin Discussion: Pliver (Leather) to use for Sueding Discussion: Pliver vs. Hot Glue Discussion: Hot Glue: Fast, Easy, and Cheap Sueding Alternative Tutorial: Hot Glue Sueding Discussion: KIPS disks and Silicone Washers as Sueding? Discussion: Process of wiring Illustrated Restringing Tutorials: Photos: DollZone 70cm boy Photos: Dream of Doll Dream of Child Photos: Volks SD13 boy (offsite blog) Photos: Soom Gem (Soom site) Photos: Dollshe Original 77 Bermann (requires Yahoo Group membership) Illustrations: Angel Region Unfinished Kit
Failing at painting your own doll >_>and how it made you feel Face-ups fading over time WHAT? Tools and Materials General Discussion of Face-Up Materials Links to shops that sell sealants Games Workshop Purity Seal Acrylic Matte Varnish Respirators: FAQ, Discussion Cleaning Sponges Sanding Sponges and Papers MSC Removers Paints Paint Thinners Pastels, PanPastels Human Makeup (discusses what can and cannot be used) Colored Pencils Watercolor Pencils Watercolor Paints Markers Gloss Glitter (discusses Volks Shine Pearl Powders and others) Airbrushes Airbrush Paints Paint Brushes Practice Heads HOW? Techniques and Problem Solving Solutions to common problems Sealant Turning White while coating - while removing a face-up Faces Removing Faceups and blushing ((Part 2 here)) Partially Removing a Face-up Adding to an Existing Face-up Blushing with an Airbrush Applying Pastels Eyebrows Eyeliner Painted (Lower) Eyelashes - Paint or pencil, Airbrush Applied Eyelashes - Doll Lashes - Human Lashes - Hand Making Lashes - Lower Lashes Freckles Bodies Coating an Entire Body for Blushing - all sizes, includes techniques for coating with or without unstringing the doll Full Body Painting on Vinyl Tattoos - pastels & watercolor pencils for a more realistic effect, temporary tattoo decals, acrylic paint, watercolor pencil Manicures, Hands, Jointed Hands Applied Body Hair SHOW ME! Face-up Tutorials (start to finish) Vinyl Head by Englemech Unoa Face-up by Araki Volks LA Dolpa Makeup Class with Saifa Acrylic & Pastels by Belladonna Acrylic & Pastels by AngelToast Video Tutorials by Andreja
Repairing Damage Chipped resin Cracked knee joints Loose screw eyes in heads hands and feet Cracked piercing holes Broken fingers Reattaching eyelashes Resin Yellowing Minimizing Resin Yellowing Lightening using Baking Soda & Peroxide Method Bleaching Resin (or Why You Can't) Yellowing Resin Intentionally Dyeing Resin
Additive Modifications Scars: Illustrated with Materials Used Discussion: Enlarging breasts Tutorial: Adding Rotating Thigh Joints Adding Vampire Teeth Adding Claws, Fake Nails Adding Elf Ears Lengthening a Short Neck Closing Open Eyes Tutorial: Filling Eyewell Gaps with Apoxie Tutorial: Adding Magnets to a Headcap Removable Horns Adding Magnets for Wings Making Custom Colored Acrylic Eyes Making resin eyes Temporary (glued on) Piercings Subtractive Modifications Breast Reductions Discussion: Removing Vampire Teeth Removing Elf Ears Opening a closed mouth to show teeth Opening a closed mouth and creating a removable tooth plate Opening closed eyes Discussion: Piercings Removing Hot Glued Eyes Beveling Eye Wells Separating Fingers and Toes Thinning Cheeks Tutorial: Reducing the Height of a Headcap and Replacing Magnets Allowing doll to look up/down and hold the pose Repositioning fingers Full Doll Modifications Dyeing a Doll Various Dye Comparisons: Part 1, Part 2 Making a Two Piece Torso into a Three Piece Torso Crobi M-Line, Lati Red Modifying Single Joints into Double Joints Gender transformations: Girl to Boy, Boy to Girl Conjoined Twins Hybrids Blushing a head to match a body Some common hybrid threads: Resin head on Dollfie Dream vinyl body Resin head on Obitsu vinyl body Delf Type Two head on Type One body Delf Type One head on Type Two body Modifying a head to fit an Elder Iplehouse boy body Modifying head/neck fit If you need to inquire about a new hybrid please format your title like this: "Dream of Teen head on Dream of Idol body?" Spell out the company names so they are searchable. A keyword search (set to Titles Only) will show existing discussions of any two particular doll type hybrids. Tools & Materials Respirators Dremel Rotary Tools Sandpapers & Sanding Sponges Files Carving Tools Air Dry Clays Apoxie Sculpt and other epoxy putty types Magnets: safe types of glues