making a doll: how much does it REALLY cost?

It's a lot more than I anticipated it being. And My own girl is only 7in tall!

Clay: $9.95
Assorted clay tools, sandpaper, craft stuff: $24
Gesso + Primer: $20
Casting Starter kit + resin dye: $93.00 (including shipping)
Eyes: $11 (including shipping)

I'm up to $158

And this is for a tiiiiiiny doll! I shudder to think what the costs will be when I have to start casting my SD boy. Silicone costs over 100 dollars for 5 lbs I think, and about that too for resin by the gallon.

 

Hehehe, do you really want to know? It could be scary!

 

Yes, please enlighten us! How much did it cost to cast your beautiful Sd sized boy? *grimace* I am scared to know, but I kinda gotta! *shudder*

 

It's a really good question, and actually I haven't thought about it, but just spent what was necessary (it will probably be a shock ).
My doll is 32 cm tall (~12,5 inches)

So far I think I spent (approx.)

Clay: (2 packages of paper clay): 15$
Silicone: (so far 1 litre, will probably need 1 or 2 more): 64$
Various tools (sculpting tools, foil, sticks, wooden beads, a LOT of sandpaper etc): 45$
Gesso: 9$
Resin + pigments (3 colours, 1 litre of resin, shipping included) 110$
=> all in all 243$

EDIT: Since I wrote this post I've had to buy 2 more litres of silicone (to finish the same doll, - not for new projects) being 64$ each, so now I'm on 371$ in total.

 

I have spent a disgusting amount XD I don't want to say. and i haven't even gotten to casting yet. just different types of polymer clays, tools, small oven to bake my sculpey so i don't kill my food oven, etc. armature stuff, sanding stuff, (dremel omg.) <-- although i got a cheap knock off dremel imitation for 12 bucks. the plastic wrapper shattered and went into my eye T_T bleedy

although i will say, i'm swapping to making my dolls in porcelain, and so the mouldmaking and casting materials are insanely cheap

 

50 bucks worth of LaDoll clay to play with
20 bucks worth of Super Sculpey
300+ on Silicone
100+ on Resin

This doesn't include random stuff like exacto knives and wire armatures.

*sigh* So much money.

 

Okay...ahem...I haven't even told myself how much it cost...
premier clay $30
mr.surfacer $40 (lots of cans)
silicone $400
resin $200 thereabouts
vacuum chamber $500
pump for that $275
pressure tank $40 parts to transform it into the dalik wonder it is $20?
Then I have supplies like gloves, mixing containers, etc. you know the things you find to make your casting life easier (or less dangerous?).

I'm going to go curl up in a fetal position now and cry. I should have walked away from this thread.

 

aww patpat dont cry dollist
it is very expensive to make a doll
it kind of makes me want to cry too lol

 

Awww... I'm sorry dollist! Maybe I shouldn't have asked... ^~^;;

If it's any comfort... your beautiful boy is worth every penny and he is going to be the first bjd I ever own! ... As soon as I get the money for him. T.T;

 

Lets just say I had money ready for this little project of mine. ^^ But the $ is some where in the 150-200. Give or take a few.

 

OK, I know that this thread is about cost but what do you need a vacuum chamber a pump and a pressure tank for? I was reading this thread because I have been thinking about making my own doll for a while now. But ummmm, these things so large and I live in a small appartment.

TIA

Hermionegranger

 

Did anybody REALLY think that artists create art to make money???
Like any hobby/sport/passion it costs money! There are the rare few that hit the comercial jackpot, but what it really boils down to is the love of creating something and the uncontrollable drive to see it completed. .

 

well said, elljaye~
<- another one of those pouring money down a bottomless pit...that has no sign of end or completion in sight >_<

To answer your question, HermioneGranger (and shouldn't you know everything already? XD), pressure pot and vaccuum chambers are for casting in resin. Pressure pot is where you put things after you poured the resin. The vaccuum chamber is to suck bubbles out of silicone, before you pour the mold for the resin.

 

^Of course ther are lots of people who cast resin without pressure pots etc., which means making more casts before it's perfect.

My spending list (afraid to think of it really) in Euros (multiply by 1.35 to get a dollar amount), for a 10" tiny:
-Super Sculpey 4 boxes (turned out I only really needed one and a bit): 4x14.99 = 60 euros
-various stuff for sculpting and molding (straws, tinfoil, wooden beads, fine grade sandpaper etc): 5 euros
-basic dremel (I had to go get the real thing which I ended up using only once, and not a cheap clone) : 55 euros
-mixing cups in different sizes: 10 euros
-electronic kitchen scale: 15 euros
-primer (not including the other types that didn't work out) : 8 euros
-clay (playdoh, NOT recommended, I need to go get new plastiline now, about &#8364;40 worth) : 3 buckets of 2.50 each = 7.50
-gallon of silicone (MoldMax 30) : 112 euros
-3 pints of resin (SmoothOn SmoothCast 300) : about 60 euros
-respiratory mask+gloves: 42 euros
-moldrelease: 10 euros
-colorant for resin: 10 euros a bottle (I had red and yellow cuz the store didn't have skin color, but I found skin color online later) so 30 euros
-S-hook+magnets for headcap: 2 euros
-pair of 24mm eyes: 20 dollars/15 euros

And that's not counting all the face-up and stringing materials I bought for my little one because I didn't have any other BJDs at the time, nor the stuff I already had (sculpting tools, steel wire, cardboard etc) or the $125 package with glass eyes and MSC that got ripped open, the MSC taken out of and flattened/crushed in the mail. And I suffered so much delay that I'm gonna have to purchase new resin. The old stuff has no doubt gone bad and needs to go out in the chemical waste bin unused.

So don't anyone think for a second that making your own doll is cheaper than buying one. It is, but only if you don't cast it.

 

Has anyone looked into having their dolls cast professionally and how much that costs?

I imagine the prices would be high, but would obviously save one the cost of buying pressure tanks and pumps. Those are things a caster would have in their studio regardless.

Though.... Since dolls have so many pieces. I imagine the fee would be based on how many molds had to be made, as well as time, as well as the cost of the resin used....

Eck.

 

I agree and couldn't have said it better myself

 

that is what i plan to do. but haven't finished my scuplt yet. i plan on first just doing a head having a mold and cast made of that.

 

I think its an ideal way to go for casting just heads, since you'll only need a single mold made.

Good luck! You'll have to let everyone know how it goes for you. I know the rates will vary but it should at least give everyone a good idea.

 

LOL I am cracking up. WOW!!! I didn't know this much went into it. But it will not detour me. I guess what might is the sculpting. I am not an artist by any means but You all have inspired me.

So I will add my costs so far.

Small block of sculpty $5.00
Dential tools such as two different types of tooth picks $10.00
Xacto knife and blades $6.00

Thanks for the info.

Hermione Granger
(Gryffindor know-it-all)

 

oh i forgot i didn't add in my prices :P.

ok first head is a $10 block of air dry clay.
second head is $15 of scupley. :P. second head has no detial (it's not soposed to and it's kicking my butt. it cracked during baking, but it's also blue, and not being cast in resin.

 

Egads, I'm almost afraid to sit down and list my costs thus far, especially when I know that still going to have to drop some more serious money to get better resin, get a real air compressor, and buy more silicon before I'll ever be able to finish and cast a proper completed doll.
A lot of money went into unnecessary or unsatisfactory products that I either no longer use (not as useful as I had hoped) or desperately want to replace (resin), or have HAD to replace & upgrade due to safety issues (half-respirator to full-face respirator and hazard suit), because I've been teaching myself as I go, and screwing up a lot along the way. Not to mention the medical bills, which in my history have been next to nothing, just $150 as opposed to when I had to go to the hospital for slicing my hand open during a home improvement bungle (over $1000 after insurance)
I'm not going to sit down and itemize everything right now, but I do know that I need to.

 

I'd spend money for my 2 kids [ you can see them in my signature]
It all about... 250 USD, Davey is 50cm and Lawrence is 58cm they are boy.
1. clay to sculpt
2. Eyes : glass and Acrylic eyes
3. Pastels and Acrylic colors
4. Wigs : 4 fur wigs from Ebay/ 2 fiber from Luts
5. Shoes and socks from Ebay
6. Thier dresses[My mom made them XD ]
7. Other accessary.....
8. forgot about Modeling paste, Gesso and also Mr.white 1000 spray
if not use Modelling paste... I can't remember what I miss...

This is not include silicone, and resin cause I didn't cast them yet...
and it isn't include many tons of my junk work when making them too.

 

wow, they look really nice kesschan!. BTW, the ones make of ladoll or other airdry clay weight a lot, right?

 

Mmmh... I've started to calculate the cost of Mew.

What I bought:
- Plastiroc Airdrying Clay 1kg (4,90€)
- Sculpting tools ( 1,95€ )
- Styrofoam ( 4,90€ )
- Sanding paper ( 2,95€ )
- Strings ( 8€ )
- Gesso ( 12,50€ )
- Medium Matte ( 8,50€ )
- Acrylic paints (6 €)

What I borrowed or already had at home:

- Xacto knife
- Pencil
- Sanding tools
- Dremel
- Glass eyes (free, I received them with another doll)
- Hooks (made with hair clips and an old necklace)
- Wig (bought for another doll )
- Clothes (home made)

Without counting the hours I spent on her ( probably more than 100h ) or the tools I alsready had home she cost me 49,70 € ( around 72 $ ) but if I cast her she will cost me three or four times more

 

I will add to the crazy doll making $$$ totals:

Doll type: SD size (60cm)

- Sculpey: 6 boxes x $10.00 (Including clay used on mess up pieces) = $60
- Silicone for molds: 4 gallons, at $135 per 2 gallon kit = $270
- Random moldmaking supplies: $20
- Resin 2 gallon kit: $75
- Dremel bits, EXTRA long/large drill bits, etc tools: about $25
- Wet/dry Sandpaper: $6
- Headcap Magnets/nuts/s-hooks : $10
- Caffine: $6
- Countless hours time spent molding, sanding, drilling, sculpting: priceless

ROUGH estimate

$ 472

 

That's what I was thinking, too. I'm hoping to someday make a BJD of a Jrocker and I think I'd be decent at sculpting the head for a purchased body - but this casting stuff scares me, besides I'd probably mess it up XD

 

Wow! I had no idea silicone cost sooo much. I thought resin would be my biggest wallet breaker. [I'm still a total n00b in this make-your-own-doll world]

So far I've spent:
$12 for two boxes of super sculpey [I plan to mess up a lot]
$5 for foam for making a foam core

I just take tinfoil from my mom...and I got sculpting tools for Christmas.

So far I've gotten off cheap. And so far it looks like it will be staying cheap.
I won't have to spend any of the big bucks for a while, since my doll isn't halfway decent enough to even consider casting >.<

 

Sorry for reply tooooo late.
Yes other air dry clay is weight a lot when compare wiht Ladoll
and Ladoll is more softer and easier when sculpting.

my 2 doll is made from homspun, they're so heavier more than a half of the one which made from Ladoll.