Maintenance How to remove a face-up: materials and techniques (part 2)

i just now tried the Winsor&Newton cleaner on my DD head....... i used the head cap, just in case.... i painted it with acrylic, i used pastel, and water color pencil...... i then took a Magic Eraser, and dipped it in the W&N cleaner.... rubbed the head cap. all of the materials came off, and left no staining.... the vinyl was not affected. i did not leave it on very long, and rinsed immediately. i think it would be ok to use..... i also think the Magic Eraser might be enough by itself. don't hold me responsible if anyone uses the W&N cleaner and has a bad outcome. if you have any doubts, please do not use on your DD head........

 

Quickly, before I go back to work: W&N should be ok on a DD head and body, as I've managed to accidentally remove part of a faceup with it on my DD2 girl[] and stripped her old body blushing with it. It's the only thing I've ever used on any of my dolls.

 

So my wife decided to go ahead and clear coat her Dragondoll Xi while he was still strung. I'd like to disassemble him and clean him off properly but i'm unaware of what to use to remove the clearcoat. I would assume you can use nail polish remover for it but i wasn't sure if there's a better method for gonig about this. Little help please?

 

This sticky should help. Winsor & Newton brush cleaner is the best option. You do NOT want anything with color in it, and acetone is tricky and has melted some resins, so I'd either avoid it or research it carefully first.

 

I am in the process of removing a face up and it has to be the roughest job that I have encountered in *any * of my dolls.

This girl was clear coated till the cows came home and I havent been able to finish it all in one day

Anyhow the last bit is the lips and I am having trouble getting the paint out . I dont want to scratch the resin.

I am using cotton balls, pirreto (sp?) sponge tissue , non acetone nailpolish remover, water but I feel like I need something else.

I am getting tired and frankly frustrated any help would be appreaciated.

note* also it was done in waster based paints since it is coming off a portion of the lips.

 

Could you use a toothpick or something to squinge a paper towel around in there? Or something?

 

Try using a toothbrush to scrub the lips, the bristles will get into the crevices better. Of course, make sure it is a toothbrush you will never use. XD I got a two pack of Peanuts brushes from Walmart for a buck or two and they work great.

 

Lupusdarlmoon-I'll try the toothbrush method I think I have an extra tooh brush...thanks!

nk-chan- Your icon reminds me of Breath of Fire main character one of my favorites!

 

I use acetone for my cleaning operations; I use a very small amount on cotton pads and rinse it immediately - but be careful of the fumes if you're going to use this method. Coloured removers will probably stain, and you don't want that xD A damp piece of Magic Eraser will also work, though it might be a bit taxing and time-consuming.

 

I recommend Windsor and Newton brush cleaner, like AmyAngel suggested. It won't harm your doll.

 

Windsor and Newton and a Mr. Clean eraser.

 

I've been able to use just plain rubbing alcohol with no ill effect on a friend's doll. Apply some to a cotton pad, or unstring him and let him soak.

 

When I was removing a default faceup I used rubbing alcohol, with no problems. I soaked her head in a cup of it for about 45 minutes and then gently rubbed it off with a soft-bristle toothbrush. I'd stay away from acetone anything if I were you. It's fine on some resins but will melt others, and is best avoided on principle.

 

Hello. My doll's face up was simply done with some chalk pastel and MSC. I wish to remove it asap. I have read many of the threads explaining different cleaners and techniques but I wanted more opinions specifically for my situation. The threads suggested asking for others' opinions and results before proceeding. Once again I just blushed with chalk pastel and covered the face with about 2 coats of UV protection MSC.

Should I remove the face up with Mr. Color thinner?

What would be the safest way to remove it?

Can someone also provide more detailed examples of how to clean heads, including whether or not to submerge it in soapy water and if so for how long and with what kind of soap?

I really wish to clearly know exactly what steps I should take.

As always, sorry for the very noobie questions, but no one wants to ever ruin an expensive doll because of lack of experience/knowledge.

Thank you!

 

...you really need to look at all the stickies at the top of this forum.

The very first one is all about faceup removal and what to use for it.

Seriously. Read the stickies. They answer most basic questions.

 

Windsor and Newton Brush cleaner. Hands down THE BEST! Mr. Color thinner will kill you before it removes a face up. *Choke* *gag* *gurggle*.

 

I did read the stickies and on that sticky it read "Identify what you are cleaning off and read-up on other experiences on cleaning them off" (which I did mention). That is why I wanted specific instructions or advice on how to clean up my light face up.

I do searches before I post new threads and usually want more detailed advice, opinions, or examples for my particular project. It's not worth just trying something on my doll if it destroys it because I didn't get enough info or didn't ask for help. If there are people who know the answers to my questions it's a lot more helpful if they explain it to me. And I also greatly appreciate the help.

If my questions are too noobie or annoying you don't have to reply. I always apologize in my threads if they are. I'm not only a beginner doll collector but I'm also a beginner in this forum. Rudeness doesn't help me at all and only hurts my feelings. Seriously.

 

I read "Some People have advocated using W&N Brush cleaner as a "safe" alternative to acetone - I STRONGLY advise against using this product on resin. It is not meant for plastics, and event though it is water soluble - DOES leave a slightly oily reside. It is hard to say what the long-term effect of sealing that residue under a layer of MSC would be"...

That's why I'm afraid to use this product...

 

Missimissi --

W&N is safe for use on dolls; I've heard several cases of dyed dolls being left to soak for 6 hours without any ill effects.

I like 91% isopropyl alcohol (the kind you find in first aid sections at drug stores) for removing faceups. It is very safe, will not stain your doll and works well.

Non-acetone nail polish remover and acetone are more risky.

A few general tips: No matter what you use, apply it with a clean cloth, cotton balls, or q-tips. You may want a toothbrush to scrub out the lip and eye crevices.

Rinse your doll well after any chemical application.

Never use a nail polish remover or acetone that is tinted blue or green, they will stain your dolls. Some people use pink although it's still risky. Clear is best.

All you need is to clean off the MSC -- most face up products, especially pastels and watercolor pencils, will come off easily.

Finally, yes, you can submerge your doll. It won't harm the resin in the slightest -- you can use either a mild soap or just scrub with Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and use clean water, which is what I do. However, you must unstring your doll. If the elastic inside gets wet, it will not dry properly and can mold. Yuck.

 

That sounds great. Any suggestions on what soap I should be using?

 

Just put some W&N on a cotton ball and rub. If something is being stubborn, you can soak it for a few minutes then rub some more. For tiny stubborn crevices I use a toothpick. I put a dab of W&N on a Magic Eraser and go over it again at the end to make sure everything is off. Then I rinse it very well with running water, and sometimes wash with a dab of plain soap. Plain meaning no moisturizers or colors, I use little of it and lather it in my hands before it touches the doll. You can submerge it in water or not, doesn't matter.

There really are no exact steps, and it's not that complicated. Each faceup comes off differently, and everyone does it slightly differently, anyway! These dolls are really not THAT delicate, though I know it's daunting to do anything to something this expensive.

 

Thanks for understanding my paranoia and making me feel a little more confident.

 

Oh I hope I didn't hurt your feelings with my reply!

Seriously though, from a lot of experience I only use W&N. It is oily to the touch but comes off when I rinse the dolls to where they are squeaky or rough feeling(using light oil-less perfume-less soap as well). If you still feel oiliness you didn't clean it off well enough. You will be amazed how fast your light face up will come off. You can use a Mr. Clean eraser but I saw those as a waste of money. They crumble and fall apart rather easily.

I have tried to use Mr. Color Thinner, and I was serious before! Haha, the face up would not come off and the fumes were horrible!!! Mr. Color Thinner is to work with Mr. Color paints, which also have a horrid fume .
Like AmyAngel said, each faceup is different and may need different things to be done.

Now, there is also the problem of the pastels staining the resin. This is because there was not enough MSC coating between the resin and the make up. If that does happen try soaking in the W&N a little longer and using a toothbrush, or you may have to resort to lightly sanding if it really bothers you that much. That shouldn't happen though. I hope this helps. I am trying to set up my blog for helping people customize dolls, you can check there....but as of now there isn't too much because I've gotten lazy.

 

W&N brush cleaner is perfectly safe to use on BJDs, don't worry! Once I've wiped a face-up, I just soak the head in a small bowl full of lukewarm water for an hour or so and a tiny drop of dish soap (I happen to use Caldrea but Dawn is most often recommended) to remove the greasy residue. Rinse it well in running water and let it dry (don't dry it with a linty towel!) and you're ready to coat it with sealant!

 

I'm thinking of using the 91% isopropyl alcohol to remove all the pastel and MSC. And after reading this posts I'll try to find colourless, oil-less dish soap. Does anyone at all think this is a bad idea? The alcohol sounds like the safest and even though I do believe you all about the W&N brush cleaner, I don't want to risk using somehting the main sticky on this subject suggested not to.

If I use this how long do you recommend I soak it in soap for?

Keep in mind the blushing on my doll isn't dark.

 

Until it's clean enough for your standards? Honestly, this is not brain surgery, there are no right or wrong answers here and eventually you'll learn what works for you. Many of the people replying to your threads have been doing this for years using things that the stickies will tell you not to use, you really have to make some educated guesses on your own and just try this stuff. Resin is not as delicate as you seem to imagine and whilst it CAN have adverse reactions to certain things, it also MAY not. There's really only so many opinions you can take from threads like this before you just have to bite the bullet and give it a go yourself. I'm sure you're perfectly capable of finding out what works to the standard you're happy with and reading too much into everyone's personal approaches is going to cause you a world of contradiction.

 

I just want to know everyones opinions and I don't think there's anything wrong with that. It's not brain surgery but I still love my expensive doll and don't want to just jump into things without getting the most information. Isn't asking questions what this forum is for? I thought there would be a specific or general time for soaking the head. I don't know. I don't want to leave it in too long or short.

On a side note. I found 70% isopropyl alcohol. How much of a difference is this from 91%? Will it still take off the MSC? Honestly I don't know much about rubbing alcohol or chemicals so I hope I don't get penalized for this question too.

Finally...I cannot find any clear dish soap. All the Dawn dish soaps I saw were dark blue or green. What's the next best thing?

 

The color of the dish soap isn't going to matter at all (you may have been thinking of someone talking about colorless acetone). Any dish soap that does not include hand softeners (oils) will work just fine.

You can use different percentages of rubbing alcohol, obviously you will be scrubbing a tiny bit harder using the 70%. None of this stuff is going to harm your doll so just go for it! Asking questions in fine, but there are a lot of things you'll never know until you try for yourself.

 

I think there is a thread about that has information on soaking dolls and giving them a "bath" in soap and water that might give you more examples of how long or short people have soaked their dolls for without issue.

As for the rubbing alcohol. 70% is weaker then 91% and will take you far, far longer to remove a face with. Both are utterly safe to use so really going with the higher % is just saving you time.

If you're concerned with the color of the dishsoap and the resin lather it in your hands before applying to your doll as Amyangel said. Then your soap is bubbly, white and you should hopefully not worry as much.

 

Thanks guys ^^

 

There's nothing wrong with wanting to know everyone's opinions at all, it's what the search engine was designed for but in the end, you're going to have to go out on a limb on your own and just TRY these things so that you can find what works best for you. All the opinions in the world won't change that everyone is different and uses different methods and chemicals.

Honestly, just relax and enjoy your experiments and dolls now you know what's safe to use.

 

I don't use alcohol either because a. it didn't remove face ups well enough (91% alcohol) and b. the fumes.

 

The only issue I've ever had with alcohol not removing a face well was my megi and in his lips, and that simply needed some help from a toothbrush to get deep in his mouth because nothing else would fit.
I've also never had an issue with alcohol fumes or many others for that matter but fumes are a person to person deal anyways.

 

Agreeing with Oizys - In my experience, the hardest part with alcohol is getting through the MSC the first time. Once you do, it comes off very quickly. It takes slightly more scrubbing than W&N or acetone, but it leaves less residue.

Really, all of this is a matter of preference. Like many people have said here, resin is far less delicate than you imagine. There's plenty of information in the stickies and the posts in these forums about what is safe for use on dolls -- that's really the best information you're going to get.

At some point you just have to take a leap and start working on your doll. I know it's scary -- we've all been there. But that's the only way to get the experience you're looking for.

 

Just want to ask...
Is there any ways that i can remove the faceup inside his lips?
I can't seems to remove it...
Is it fine to leave it as it is and do a new faceup?

 

Hi! I don't really do faceups or anything, but I did have to remove bits of a previous faceup on a head I bought once. To remove bits of a faceup in small areas, I would recommend taking a bit of cotton (like a tiny piece from a cottonball), dip that in your cleaning solution (Windsor & Newton, or whatever you're using to remove the faceup), and putting it on the end of a straight pin (like you use in sewing) or a toothpick, and very gently use that to get to the small parts.

I imagine you could leave it as it is and do a new faceup over it, but the old faceup bits may still show on the new faceup, depending on what you're using. But again, I don't do faceups, so I don't really know. I hope that helps some!

 

I see... Thank you very much^^
I'll try that later.

 

I use an old childs toothbrush dipped in your removal substance (brush cleaner etc)... works a treat

 

Old paint brush or tooth brush should do the trick, no problem.

 

Thanks a lot guys!
I managed to remove it already^^

 

Alright, I'm trying to figure something out.
I have been told that nail polish remover does work when it comes to taking off face ups. I've read that using nail polish with acetone does work but then it yellows your doll's face. I used the nail polish with acetone and it never did anything to my bjd. I used it only once only because I'm not entirely sure if really will yellow my bjd but I just wanna make this clear.
Should I use nail polish remover with or without acetone?
Or should I even use nail polish remover?
If not, what should I use?

 

The problem with acetone isn't really yellowing. The problem is melting. Some resins react to it and can melt the head, or cause pitting. If you do a search on removers, Winsor and Newton seems to be the best. I've used a few kinds, but if you put W&N on a magic eraser, one swipe will remove most of the faceup.

There are LOTS of threads on removing faceups, you can find tons of information in them. Also remember to check the stickies.

 

Like Suuchan mentioned, I personally use Windsor and Newton brush cleaner and cotton pads. No damage and the face up comes right off. You can also use a stiff toothbrush and cotton swabs for those hard to reach places. I dont use anything but W&N now.

 

Winsor & Newton brush cleaner. Far safer (and apparently much easier and faster) than the other options, and the smell is not as bad as the others either.

 

Alright I'll check out Winsor and Newton brush cleaner. I live in the US, so where can I get this product??
any ordinary hardware or hobby shop?

 

I recall seeing a batch of it over at my local Hobby Lobby, with the painting supplies. Shouldn't be terribly hard to get hold of.

 

I think we have one here close by > >
I'll try checking that out :3!

 

As long as the shop has a decent-sized painting department, should be no problem. I bought my LARGE bottle (still only about 1/4 down after a year) from a Pearl Paint store. If you're not near one of their remaining stores, they have a website to order from, as does DickBlick. You might find it in a larger Michaels, though, since they seem to have a good selection of paint supplies.

 

Okay, a while ago I sealed my Dollfie Dream with a sealant that didn't quite work out. It didn't damage her but she's left all gunky and sticky. The sealant was a brand meant to seal acrylic paintings and worked wonderfully on both her head and my Iplehouse girl's head. Her head is of a harder vinyl and the sealant dried very well and it isn't gunky at all. It didn't however seem to stick to the softer vinyl... So now I'm looking to remove it from her body and using a different sealant- namely volks' powder spray.

However I can't seem to get it off. I simply do not trust myself using Acetone on her- I know what it can do to plastics and I just don't trust myself with it to not damage her. I have tried Iso Alcohol but unfortunately I could only get my hands on the 50% and it didn't succeed in removing the sealant. The can says it can be removed with Mineral Spirits.... but I saw a picture of what that stuff does to the vinyl.......

So I need some help, what can I use to remove this sticky goo from my girl without damaging her? Should I try a stronger concentration of alcohol? Will non-acetone nail polish remover damage her?

 

What sealant did you use? Just because it can be used on paintings, does in no way make it automatically safe for resin/vinyl.

Try buying a 'Mr. Clean Magic Eraser'. They can take just about anything off without damaging the item you're cleaning.
I'd try nail polish remover last, as it's still pretty harsh stuff and could ruin the vinyl. You could try some on an old Barbie first to be safe.

 

Well the sealant is an art sealant I purchased at an art store (I don't have the can right in front of me to look at it's name)- I looked at it's ingredients and they don't appear to be oil-based nor does it have acetone in it. I asked previously about it in the big sealant thread, and the answer I got was to basically test it. And I did and it doesn't appear to damage either resin or hard vinyl- there's no eating or any other signs of damage from long term exposure (so far)... only seems to have issue with the softer vinyl and just became gunky and sticky.

I'll think try the Magic Eraser. I just don't have one at hand an will have to wait till the weekend to get one.

 

I'd still be very careful with a magic eraser though as they are basically an abrasive sponge. It could scratch softer vinyl.

 

Well it worked and doesn't seem to have scratched her too much- she's now as smooth as she was when I got her and no longer sticky at all.

 

hurrah!!

 

Yay! I'm glad it worked. Thank you for letting us know how it turned out!

 

When trying to remove acrylic based sealants, you either peel it off (if it's thick enough.) Sand it off, or you use paint cleaner. The winsor and newton brush cleaner would have worked really well on it, or a non-acetone fingernail polish remover would have been a cheaper option.

Honestly if it had been me I would have just used non-acetone fingernail polish remover, or brush cleaner. I wouldn't have gone after it with sandpaper/magic eraser... it would have just taken too long, and sanded more than what needed to be removed.

 

It would be good to let us all know what you used. That way no others will use it.

 

Anyone have any suggestions on removing really really stubborn face ups? I'm relatively sure the person who owned the doll before me didn't use MSC or any kind of sealant before putting on a face up along with using something like krazy glue to put on the lashes.