Resin + MSC + Cleaning solutions. Tested methods for face-up removal

The doll was a WS dyed tan. I used Rit dye, so it wasn't paint . After a few days of soaking the parts, the dye is only a few shades lighter. I soaked some parts in alcohol and some in W&N, and the W&N stripped the dye faster. I gave up on soaking and now am using sandpaper (the dye was more permanent than I thought!).

 

I'm so glad I read this thread!

I've planned to do my first face-up in a few days and it's very important for me to know a safe way to remove the pastels/acryl color and MSC, if I don't like the result. I think I'll be on the safe side by using Isoprophyl Alcohol and a Magic Eraser Sponge. I'll go out for lunch in a few minutes and I hope I'll get the alcohol.

 

Hokay, so noob question time...

I got myself some Winsor & Newton Brush Cleaner and Restorer for Dried Acrylic and Oil Colour (that's exactly what it says on the bottle, hehe). Since it can remove dried oil colors should I not use it? I know somewhere in this thread it was mentioned that one should only use products meant for acrylics.

Perhaps a silly question, but I figure I'll be safe rather than sorry later. ^.^ Thanks!

 

In case anyone was curious, I just popped into my local Fred Meyer, checked the pharmacy and they had Swan brand 99% Isopropyl Alcohol right next to the regular 70% rubbing kind. I bought two 16oz bottles at $1.59 each.

 

Well, finally got up the nerve to try last weekend- 91% rubbing alcohol (pharmacy section of my local grocery store) applied with a cheap white terrycloth hand towel.

Subject- DollZone Lola with factory body blushing, which looked great on her incised wings, but looked like a really nasty case of sunburn everywhere else.

Results- excellent. The 91% is strong enough to remove the paint with gentle rubbing, but not so strong that it strips bare anything it comes into contact with. Was able to leave behind a gentle blushing over her collarbones for a more natural look, rather than removing it altogether, but was also able to remove unwanted blushing altogether.

I get the hand towels at Walmart, something like $3 for a pack of 10. Absorbent, reasonably soft but well-textured, no dyes, durable enough to re-use when possible, cheap enough to throw away when needed.

 

Thank you! This is all very useful! I'm a first timer. I'm second doll, a SOOM MD Euclase will be coming. I bought him second hand. He has a body blushing I'm not quite sure will work for me. The previous owner said that his body blushing is "acrylic professional paint, applied with airbrush." She suggested using acetone free nail polish remover, but after reading the first post, I think Isoprophyl Alcoho would be better.

I have some questions though.

1. What would you recomend for body blush removale? The Isoprophyl Alcoho? Its pretty much the same as face up removale, just more area to cover....... right?
2. Will the Isoprophyl Alcoho work on acrylic professional paint?
3. Noting that the Euclas is a grey resin doll, would any of these product harm him? I've heard colored resins are a little more difficult to work with.
   

I'd hate to do anything that would harm my new Euclase. An information to removing acrylic paint from a grey resin bjd would extremely helpful!

Thank you!

 

That's what I was planning to do, to test on the inside of his headcap. That way if any discoloring occurs, no one will see it.

Thank you for your advice! It is very much appreciated! I will definitely keep an update on what happens, what way others may have a chance to learn from this.

And thank you! I'm very excited about my incoming Euclase! He shipped from Paris last night, while I was probably sleeping..........

 

Maybe a ridiculous question, but i stumbled upon a 70% alcohol bottle of vodka... is it any good for face-up removal??? my standard faced-up AOD is hideous and since i am scared of using toxics around my house due to my daughters sensitive skin, i was wondering about using ethillic alcohol from drinks?

 

Funny you should say that as as I didn't have any rubbing alcahol / de-natured alcahol around at home thismorning I ended up using Rakija for removing a face-up, the Croatian home brew version of Slivovitz and it worked quite well. I made a little botch on a face-up that was otherwise perfect annd in trying to fix it consequentially made it worse. Hence, the rakija.
I'd give it a try... you'll need a toothbrush to help with the scrubbing though as the removal will need some asistance.

 

Just adding my several cents - I've been wiping faceups off dolls and putting on new ones for about 4 years now with great success and no disasters yet.

Here are the doll types on which I have successfully used 100% pure acetone:

• CP Luts NS
• CP Luts BW
• Obitsu WS (vinyl - be quick, gentle and rinse very often or it WILL melt!)
• Obitsu NS
• BBB NS
• BBB Lt Tan skin
• BBB Blue skin
• BBB Pink skin
• BBB Lilac skin
• BBB WS
• AoD NS Yellow
• AoD NS Pink
• AoD WS
• Elfdoll NS
• Dollzone NS
• DOD NS
• Iplehouse NS (older/yellow tone)

I always first do a test on the headcap or other inconspicuous area to make sure that the resin can withstand acetone. There are plenty of horror stories of people damaging their doll because they didn't test first and had an incompatible resin.

Three things I would never try acetone on: french resin, dark-colored resin, and dolls with additive mods. It's just too risky and there are too many unknown factors.

If I only need to remove MSC and not paint, I use 99% isopropyl alcohol instead. If a painted head has a heavy coating of MSC, I'll use alcohol first to remove the coating, let it dry overnight, then go for the acetone for the painted areas. I haven't yet tried alcohol for removing an entire acrylic faceup, so I can't vouch for it personally.

While using solvent, I rinse the head in clear, cool water about every 15-20 seconds (every time I swap in a new cotton pad), and then blot away excess water and let it dry overnight before finally going after any stubborn pigment stains in the resin with wet 2000 grit automotive sandpaper.

Hope someone finds this helpful; thanks to whitewings for the informative post!

 

Regarding acetone on grey skin... DO NOT DO IT! I don't know about others but I can definitely say first hand Grey skin and acetone just don't mix...just ask my now blotchy Resinsoul song head which I will now have to replace ...not worth it. And I was being very careful...never leaving the acetone on the resin any longer than a few seconds at a time before rinsing and when I'd finished giving a thorough wash. The damage didn't appear immediately but over the following hour... even with numerous attempts to try to rinse further....too late. Seems to be a chemical reaction with the resin/dye combo for grey skin resin from what I've heard from others with similar grey-skin issues. I'm going to attempt a blushing "mend" but don't hold out too much hope.
That's whhat comes from trying to cut corners because isopropyl alcahol just doesn't seem to be available locally here anymore. Might have to just go back to the family moonshine instead next time for cleaning solution

 

It does seem like darker-skinned dolls and acetone are a poor combination... maybe the higher proportion of colorant weakens the resin or something.

How long have you let your doll dry? If more than 24 hours, then the damage is probably permanent. Maybe you could try a good sanding and see if the blotches are only superficial? Good luck and I hope for the best!

 

um...you're supposed to mix W&N?? i had no idea. what is the ratio?

 

This is the most useful thread ever, thank you whitewings and everybody for useful advice!
I hope this can contribute to the "experience" part.
I mostly use isopropyl alcohol, it worked fine (with toothbrush and rubbing) on pastel, aquarelle pencils and water-based acrylics on:
Dollmore ns resin
luts ns resin
Dream of Doll ns resin
Customhouse ns resin
Volks pureskin resin
dbdoll normal pink resin
and!
isopropyl alcohol and Mr.Thinner (bought from Coolcat) were used briefly (I washed them fast with warm soapy water) on dollstown dark tan, and nothing bad happened, to my relief

 

I have noticed that removing the factory faceups on BBB Lt Tan and Lilac skin did lighten the resin just a bit, but it was on a par with what coating it with MSC does in the first place, so I hadn't really made note of it. I also sanded them both with 2000 grit afterward (the BBB eyebrows tend to stain), and that probably helped even it out. Hmmmm... (Also, I recently used acetone successfully on some other resin types, so I updated the list in my previous post.)

JenKat, what mod did you end up doing? *curious* Glad to see you were able to at least get something out of the experience, egads!

Whitewings, what attachments do you use on your dremel, if you don't mind my asking? I usually sand by hand and it is SUCH a pain.

 

I'm attempting to remove a company faceup on an iplehouse doll - but I am having trouble removing the paint from his lips! How do I get into those little crevices. I don't want to soak his face but I need him to be completely clean before I start his new faceup.

 

Well... I just finished coating my blank DOD Libra head with MSC... and it left a white streak on his nose (I think it didnt apply/dry properly... *is n00b attempting first faceup*) ... just wondering if I'd be able to remove said streak using a cotton bud (Q-tip for the Americans) dipped in rubbing alcohol without removing the whole coating of MSC on the rest of the face...

 

I went to the Volks shop looking for makeup remover and they recommended Mr Color Thinner...so I guess it must be safe XD

 

Thank you whoever recommended earlier in this thread using an electric toothbrush! I have a fairly old DOD boy and the paint at the corners of his lips and eyes just was NOT budging - but after some quality time with the electric toothbrush and some isopropyl alcohol, I managed to get rid of all the black staining.

I didn't notice any scratching, either, which is fab. *happiness*

 

Hi, I dont want to wash the faceup off my doll its just got really grubby where its had clothes put on and off of it, should i still use the same thing ?

 

Heya I use those special shape q-tips that are in the make up area for people you can also find them at beauty supply stores (or drugstores). The ones with a pointy end and rounded flat end, the pointy tip is great for nooks and crannies, and the flat end is great for general areas. I always buy a pack (they usually aren't in a pack that is as abundant as the regular q-tips) and keep them on hand when I do face-ups and removals. Sometimes, if you're bold enough, if the paint is stubborn, I'll use a needle point (can be from any kind of tool) and lightly scrap the paint off.

 

Does anyone know whether white spirit is suitable for removing a face up?

 

would Mr.Tinnier work okay on an Iplehouse doll??? I'm really scared of ruining a $650 doll...

 

I've read through the thread, but I've been trying to clean my poor girl's face for forever. Does anyone have any tips for cleaning that horrible white residue and actually getting rid of it - especially in tight spots like the inside corners of the eyes?


(Cell phone picture, sorry.)

Also, this is probably not the proper place to ask, but what is a good substitute for eye putty? Hazelle's pretty much dried up and crumbled so I tossed it, and once I redo her faceup she'll need her eyes back in :\

 

I have questions, because my country does not sell any W&N brush remover and restorer. Just the Gel brush remover.
So I decide to use Mr. Tamiya Thinner.
since I found that in the nearest hobby shop.

or maybe next time I use Mr. Color Thinner instead? =_=

question,

Is W&N gel brush cleaner can be used as doll face up remover?

Next,
I got a luts head, which got a previous make up and sealed lightly.
and when I clean it with Mr. Tamiya Thinner, it cleaned perfectly. which after that, I wash the head using dish soap and running water.

But.. after I spray my first MSC, which... I made a mistake... I think I accidentally spray it too thick. I said maybe, because when I spray it, I tough there are parts which I forgot to spray, so I spray it. Now to think of it, MAYBE it was sprayed but had dried.
then... when the MSC is not dried yet, accidentally it touch a side of the paper I used to hold the head.
which making 'mark' well not on the resin, but on the MSC =_=a

stupidly, I waited for it to dry before I clean it up.

Then... I try to clean it using Mr. Tamiya Cleaner. seriously, it's like cleaning for vain at the first 30 minutes.
use water in between the cleaning, cotton butt.
but I haven't been able to lift the msc inside the ears, lips, between nose-eyes even I had used the cotton butt.

But still I have clean it using dish soap and water.

Next question is.. does soaking in a warm water before/in between using the thinner help to clean those ears, lips, between nose-eyes?
does using magic cleaning sponge help removing the MSC (without using the thinner on the sponge)?

thankyou

 

Chiming in: acetone is A-OK on Dollmore Model F resin as well.

ETA: Back in, I think 2007, when I was last active on these forums, people swore by W&N Brush Cleaner... that did more (thankfully reversable) damage to the resin than acetone.

 

I use acetone, as well. It's funny the amount of people that will say to use W&N over acetone to avoid damage. I'm glad I know W&N can damage dolls, now.

 

I always had a bucket of water to immediately do a clean wipe with, and every couple of minutes I'd scrub the head in dish soap and water when I was doing faceup removal. You just can't let the acetone linger, especially on features like eyelids and ears (I did a linger test inside my doll's head, and the only thing I noticed was a slight discolouration. No melting.).

Nothing, IMO, gets rid of sealant and paint better. It also works well on sulphur compounds in laboratory glassware, but that's kind of irrelevant here.

ETA: The W&N left the resin on the doll head feeling really... tacky. It wasn't shiny or a noticeable coat of anything, but it felt weird, and paints didn't stick. It's likely I didn't rinse properly, but it lingered even after a dish soap bath. It took fine-grit sanding and a wipedown with acetone to get rid of it, and when I go back to do more customizing (hopefully sooner rather than later!) I'll probably need to do it again to ensure that all of that weird residue is gone.

 

I always wipe doll faces(resin and vinyl) with acetone and it's never damaged them.

Then, again, I've been reading that some people let the head soak which makes me think 'EEK!' cuz soaking is a definite no-no with acetone. A good swipe with a damp(not dripping!) cotton ball works well for me. Then a cotton wrapped q-tip dampened with acetone for the nooks & crannies. I also rinse the face between swipes, just to be on the safe side.

 

Yup. And that's how you gotta do it. A solvent is a solvent is a solvent; soaking resin in ANYTHING but soapy water will, in time, damage it. Period.

 

Got a question about another item. My dad works with Corian countertops and they use Denatured Alcohol to clean them, I don't know how porous the counters are, but I do know they're made out of plastic. I was wondering if anyone had tried it?

 

@whitewings: thankyou soo much for your reply
at the end, I got it off, but I bought and use Mr. Color Thinner instead. I did heard from the store owner that if you use Mr. tamiya, it's better using Mr. Tamiya thinner. if you use mr. color/hobby, better use the same brand.
At first I didn't believe it... but... yesterday I was able to clean the faceup using Mr. Color Thinner.

also thankyou soo much for the tips of how to clean the inside of ears an nostrils etc
help alot

 

Why is W&N Brush cleaner bad? I mean, what does it do? I am hesitant to use acetone because I am a bit of a klutz, so I started out with 70% rubbing alcohol, water and soap to clean my first one off. It worked okay with a LOT of elbow grease and many cotton balls. However B&N seems to work just fine for me. Cleans it right off and doesn't leave it feeling any different than when I started.

But if it's bad for the resin, I don't want to use it. I am just curious what it does and what alternatives are besides acetone, nail polish remover and rubbing alcohol?

 

I think its also important to note that you shouldnt wear nailpolish when removing a faceup, it'll degrade the polish just as it does the faceup and it'll start transferring to the doll.
I found this out after my doll ended up with blue dots everywhere.

 

Would Schmincke eco brush cleaner be ok to use to remove face-ups? o.o It contains: water, ethanol, 5-15 % non-ionic surfactants.

 

I'm not sure if this is right place for this question of mine.

My question is this: how long should I wait (for the remover to dry) before I can proceed with the new face-up?

 

It's colourless. Thank you for the help! :3

 

I'm never sure if I've gotten all the sealant off of the doll. What's the best way to make sure I have it all off?

 

Hmmm... I've always just held the doll part up to the light to see if there's any difference in texture to tell if the sealant is all off or not. Usually there will be tiny ridges where the leftover sealant sits on the clean resin. Then I just use my windsor/newton, rub that spot where the sealant is, and wash

 

Hii.

I've read through the whole thread. and all this information is so useful! I really appreciate the effort everyone's put in to help each other out. I was hoping I could get some advice too...

I'd like to start doing face-ups and looking at the products you can use to remove them i'm leaning more towards the isoprophyl alcohol but i'd be a bit worried about the fact that it can make the doll go brittle with over-use as I will be getting a practice head to play with so it's likely i will be putting on and taking off face-ups a fair bit. I wouldn't want to ruin the head as then i'd just have to buy a new one...

i was also just wondering... i did read the extra comment about the soaps but I keep thinking soap bars, but do you actually mean like the liquid ones? such as used for washing dishes with?

Thanks alot for any help!

 

just wondering if isopropyl alcohol will work without doing damage to a vinyl Obitsu head?
i saw the post on acetone, so i'll take that into consideration, but i'd rather try something that won't potentially melt off anything but Chrysania's current face-up...

 

Hi whitewings ^^

I'm wondering if Helmar's ISO PRO would be a safe cleaning solution for faceup removal. You mentioned Helmar's in your post but is ISO PRO the correct one?

Thank you

 

Hobbyists warn do not use nail polish acetone on plastics. They are so sure of it some even write the warning in capitals. I suppose there's acetone free nail polish (I don't paint my nails) but don't know about that.