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WIP BJD OMG!!! (New Head Cast, Page 6)

Aug 29, 2008

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    1. OH I love it. Hope to see her when she's cast in resin...
       
      #61 aneemal, Nov 1, 2008
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    2. A product that I used to avoid sanding the last coat is actually a spray putty for cars, you can buy it from any hardware store or place that sells auto parts. Ask for a Spray Putty, and shake the can for as long as it takes to boil the kettle (no cheating!!) The stuff I used was self levelling and gave a gorgeous silky smooth velvet finish that didn't need a final sand and its acrylic so it wont bugger up your existing paint job :) oh yeah and nice... um.. LOL assets?? She looks fabulous!!
       
      #62 whitewings, Nov 1, 2008
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    3. Ending Fatigue is setting in. I am so SICK of doing those damn knee joints over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over.

      That and the nose, which I can't seem to get the sealing primer to stick to. I really want to get this done but it seems like a Sisyphean task-- I keep on having to repeat the same things over and over. I don't understand how most of you can stay motivated through this kind of project.

      (Not posting pics because I've made NO progress since last time. NONE!) -_-
       
      #63 AmethystAngel, Nov 7, 2008
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    4. Awww, poor dear! We're here rooting for you and your pretty girl!! I'm sure when you get it right, she will be perfect. :)
       
      #64 Miss_Pygmalion, Nov 7, 2008
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    5. Take a break to regroup then get back at it. Your sculpt is amazing. I took sculpting in high school and I couldn't even carve a round ball. Sculpture is very difficult. The fact you have done this well is nothing short of amazing. Although, you probably need a break and some time to come back to your project with fresh eyes. I am really impressed and I don't impress easily.
      Don't give up. Your so close.
       
      #65 Tsukidoll, Nov 7, 2008
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    6. I agree, taking a break is the best thing to do.
      And I agree, knee joints are the hardest. but what kind of problems are you having with them? ^^
       
      #66 VictorianWinter, Nov 7, 2008
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    7. I have two words for you....."Naturally Gifted" that exactly what you are.
       
      #67 meru_kitty, Nov 8, 2008
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    8. Is it the sealant what give it that gray color? what do you use? I'm really ignorant about the products that I need to make a doll or to seal it.
       
      #68 Aredhel, Nov 8, 2008
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    9. Well, to begin with, I had no idea how they were structured --I pretty much had to make them using trial and error and from looking at other people's work. (Getting them to appear symmetrical and still fit into the sockets of the upper thigh pieces is the problem I'm grappling with now -_-...)
       
      #69 AmethystAngel, Nov 8, 2008
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    10. I'm using an automotive spray-on primer to seal the doll. (It works well, but you have to apply many layers and sand them thoroughly so no clay shows through. It's tough to sand areas around the nose and eyes, even if the primer IS meant to cover dents and uneven areas by design.) I've had some people tell me about something called spray putty, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere so I'll just have to make do with the primer.
       
      #70 AmethystAngel, Nov 8, 2008
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    11. you should be able to find spray putty where they sell car spraypaints and stuff.
       
      #71 fairydancer, Nov 9, 2008
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    12. You're doing an amazing job! I'm sure it's frustrating, having to do it with trail and error. I can't even imagine taking on a project like this. She's really beautiful already. I can't wait to see her finished.
       
      #72 bitofajungle, Nov 11, 2008
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    13. Still plugging away... I noticed tonight that one of the lower legs looked a little bent, so I broke it and reattached a section at a different angle. (Hopefully she'll stand better from now on.)

      Also, I got a new can of primer for my project, but when I sprayed it onto a few pieces, it dried all sticky. Hopefully I can recoat it with a different primer or sand it away, but it kind of pisses me off that something that looks like regular old primer could behave in such a way...-_-
       
      #73 AmethystAngel, Nov 15, 2008
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    14. Wonderful work!! i cant wait to see more!
       
      #74 salasandra, Nov 16, 2008
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    15. I can't wait to see her when she's done. Keep up the great work!
       
      #75 Kasey, Nov 16, 2008
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    16. I gotta see this! It's looking great!
       
      #76 megan_rosefox, Nov 19, 2008
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    17. Alright. For most intents and purposes, construction is done:

      [​IMG]

      Now comes the hard part: the fine-tuning. I've got some symmetry issues to work out with the eyes and the bridge of the nose. I also have to refine the hands and feet. And then, most difficult of all--I have to smooth out the skin to get rid of the little pockmarks and abnormalities that stick out like sore thumbs no matter how much polishing I do. This is what I've been up to for the past month to the point where I'm starting to wonder if I'm actually getting anywhere, or if I'm perhaps obsessing over nothing. (I know what stands out in an object with a hard, shiny gray coating might not be so noticeable once it's cast out of flesh-colored resin, but I want to make sure everything is perfect before I do any casting.) It's HAAAARD.

      Anyway, I'll be working on this project for a long while yet...
       
      #77 AmethystAngel, Nov 22, 2008
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    18. Love the doll!
      And about symetry, don't make her totaly symmertrical because she'll become bland. I realy like her nose and eyes, and I can't wait to see her with a face-up!
       
      #78 ikke777, Nov 24, 2008
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    19. wow she looks so professional im very impressed8-)
       
      #79 xaraxn, Nov 27, 2008
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    20. Geez, STILL working on the knee joints after all this time (gotta get 'em symmetrical don cha know?) Ugh.

      Anyway, I want to start casting of the head. It's in two parts, of course--the head and the headcap. I did something unusual in that I put notches into the head to help line it up with the headcap:

      [​IMG]

      It works great---except now I have to figure out how to cast the head this way. I can't just plunk the head onto a flat surface and pour the mold around it--I'll have to figure out a way to accommodate the notch, as well as create the corepiece that will be in the center of the mold as it's cast in resin. I'll need to make two holes in the front and back of the head to insert small magnets into as well. What fun. Anyone got any ideas on how to approach this?
       
      #80 AmethystAngel, Dec 1, 2008
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    21. See prior entry...

      (Sorry. Just trying to see if I could edit the title of this thread. (Is there a way to do that without starting an entirely new thread?)
       
      #81 AmethystAngel, Dec 1, 2008
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    22. Can't you just cast like a normal head? Laying it on the flat part of the inside of the head and surround with clay covering the notch oh the headcap, fill with silicone, remove the clay, and flip it so that it fills the core/inside? Or is there something I'm not thinking of? like this: http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61538
       
      #82 Emberly, Dec 1, 2008
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    23. OH EM GEEE.
      Sorry, I hadn't checked back with this thread in quite some time, but SNAP you've got an adorable looking mini girl on your hands! :D She's utterly beautiful, perfectly symmetrical, and even with all of the frustration she's caused you, she has turned out perfectly IMHO. ^,^ I really wish I could help with the casting process, but alas, I am naught but a noob regarding such matters. Still!! *THREE CHEERS FOR AN AWESOME PROJECT!!!!*

      Have I mentioned how much I love her face? A lot of first-time sculpts look really dead to me, but your girl has a soft, sweet expression. It's great!
       
      #83 muse, Dec 1, 2008
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    24. WOW!!!!

      That awesome!!!!
       
      #84 Athena Genesis, Dec 1, 2008
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    25. Have you tried editing the first post? That should have the title and let you edit it XD;

      Though, I have to say, you have some awesome talent! O-O I envy your skills >w< Congrats, I can't wait to see the fully cast doll :)
       
      #85 GothicHinata, Dec 2, 2008
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    26. Wow! This doll really looks like original bjd. Great work!
       
      #86 HerrZog, Dec 2, 2008
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    27. Thanks for the encouragement, everybody!

      I have a question. Where can I get some decent doll elastic for a 55cm doll? (I've been using store-bought elastic for my test stringings and it leaves the doll all floppy and loose no matter how tight I pull it.) I need elastic that's going to be strong enough for the doll AND I need a source that will accept paypal as payment. (I no longer have a credit card--otherwise I would order it from the Volks USA site.)

      Hope to mold the head and headcap fairly soon. Stay tuned...
       
      #87 AmethystAngel, Dec 2, 2008
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    28. If you look on other doll sites you could probably find elastic that you may be able to just trim.

      I know Dollmore accepts paypal and sells elastic http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step_s...ode=B20050603012757&m_code=&c_code=&pagenow=6

      Luts also accepts paypal and sells string.

      I dont think it'd be hard to find string for your girl, you just have to hunt for the doll sites that accept pay pal and should be able to find string. :)

      You're doll is turning out beautifully btw, cant wait to see her in resin!
       
      #88 alogue, Dec 2, 2008
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    29. Jo-Anns. :D Go to the clerk at your JoAnn Fabric and ask for the elastic isle, should be by trim. They sell round elastic big enough to restring SD, so it'll no doubt work for your doll! However, if you're not in the US/near a JoAnns, Dollmore or Luts or etc works. I last got some from Pupapa Dolls, because they have nicely priced glass eyes.
       
      #89 Emberly, Dec 4, 2008
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    30. I don't know of the JoAnn website accepts PayPal, but if you check around the site you might just find the kind of elastic you're looking for. Also, you could always have a friend order it for you and pay said friend back in cash for the purchase. :) Elastic can't be too hoplessly expensive, can it?
       
      #90 muse, Dec 5, 2008
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    31. Wow, this is a really interesting process to read about. Fantastic job-- I hope you work out your elastic issues soon.
       
      #91 labeth, Dec 5, 2008
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    32. Well, I managed to find a place on ebay that sold doll elastic at a reasonable price. I've hit upon quite a different problem now, however. I have no place where I can cast this doll. I've asked around every local school, art club and professional studio I could think of that might have well-ventilated studio space but their answer is either "No, we don't have it" or (in the case of the college where I got my BFA degree from) "Fuck off, it's for our current students only. We've already squeezed every last dime we could get out of you, now get lost. Oh, and sorry about the half-assed, 'not preparing you very well for the real world' degree that we gave you. How were WE supposed to know that COMPUTERS were going to play such a large role in the future of Graphic Design anyway?"

      (So yeah. I'm a bit bitter about all that....)

      So, short of packing up all of my stuff and moving to a warmer state for awhile, how and where do I cast my doll? I don't want to do it in my apartment. I hear so many nightmare stories on how toxic polyurethane resin is and I don't want to expose my cats to it. Is there anywhere in the State of Minnesota where a person can actually cast things in a well-ventilated, weather-controlled environment?
       
      #92 AmethystAngel, Dec 5, 2008
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    33. Well.... Do you know anyone with a shed that you could try it in? If not, maybe try asking someone crazy, like the local hardware store, for help. Sometimes they are willing to help with that. Or ask a school (elementary - highschool) if you could use their art room/wing. That way the students could see the process of making 'professional level work'. Which yours is.
       
      #93 Faokes, Dec 5, 2008
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    34. Hello again, and thanks for the help everyone!

      Well, I've got a new problem--the elastic I ordered (4.0mm ) is just waaaay too big for my project. (I won't be able to loop it through the limbs if I double it over.) I wonder, does anyone know what a good diameter cord would be for a 55cm doll?

      Also, I've decided to tear apart the knee joint AGAIN and am rebuilding it to make it easier to cast. (I'm making a hollow bean-shaped piece to go in between the two joints. I'm going to have tons of fun casting that, I'm sure... ) I'll get pics up as soon as I have something worth posting...
       
      #94 AmethystAngel, Dec 13, 2008
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    35. I am amazed at what you have done. I sure hope you find somewhere to cast her. I can't wait to see the finished girl.
       
      #95 CynicalSim, Dec 14, 2008
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    36. Hmmmm, what about Gunze Mr. Dissolved Putty? I think Emory sells 40ml bottles for $6?

      http://www.junkyspot.com/modeling.html

      *lurks back into topic*
       
      #96 kd_230692, Dec 14, 2008
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    37. Thanks. I'll have to look into that. (The primer and sanding method seems to be working well so far, but I may need it when I start casting pieces...)
       
      #97 AmethystAngel, Dec 14, 2008
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    38. Okay. I finally found some good quality elastic and did some test-stringing. I had to go back and redo the knee joints yet AGAIN, but I think I've hit upon a system that works finally. I'm pleased with how well she can stand and sit up. Here are some pics (pardon the fuzziness. I hadn't noticed my flash was off.)

      [​IMG]

      [​IMG]

      [​IMG]

      [​IMG]

      [​IMG]

      Her knee joints lock into place quite nicely. Her feet do seem a little small, but that's because I want her to be able to wear all of the 1/3 scale Obitsu shoes I've bought (and those tend to be a little smaller than other brands.)

      I have a bit of repair work and finishing to do with her yet, but I think I've worked out most of the major issues. (At least the knees won't be driving me crazy anymore...hopefully...)
       
      #98 AmethystAngel, Dec 26, 2008
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    39. wow! really great poseability! good thing to think about the clothing - that is one thing i always forget about. she is wonderful!
       
      #99 patl, Dec 26, 2008
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    40. Very nice! Your knee joints look great!
       
      #100 Isabeau, Dec 27, 2008
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    41. Ohh wow, great job! She's a cutie..can't wait to see her cast..OwO
       
      #101 Frozen1, Dec 27, 2008
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    42. FIRST TEST CAST OF THE HEAD

      (Well, the lower part of the head, actually...)

      [​IMG]

      I cast it using some epoxy resin (actually some clear Pour On tabletop varnish that I had left over from another project.)

      It's notoriously bubbly; you can see the many mini-bubbles trapped within the thickness of the resin, (although the surface of the resin is actually very smooth. Well, except around the top of the mold where most of the larger air bubbles chose to gather.)

      [​IMG]


      Here's the mold I used:

      [​IMG]

      The core piece/top of the mold only has two small holes in it--one for pouring in the resin and one to let air escape. I think what I need to do is carve away the silicone covering most of the top of the head (except where the magnets and fitting notches are placed,) and that way bubbles are less liable to be trapped inside the mold. (I'm so glad I did a cast with cheap resin before moving on to the more expensive, hard to get stuff.)

      [​IMG]

      The eyes fit pretty well into the eyeholes:

      [​IMG]

      Although I really want to get myself an eye beveller:

      http://store.volksusa.com/matlab0001.html

      I don't want to pay ten dollars shipping for it though. (Is anyone else planning on ordering anything from Volks soon and want to share shipping costs?)

      I used 30 dollars (1 pint) worth of silicone to make that mold and I don't even have enough left over to make a headcap! Why must this stuff be so damned expensive? (I may need help financing the rest of this project, as I am flat busted broke and will probably need at least three more pints of silicone to finish this mold. Maybe I should hold a raffle - have people buy a ticket to win a completed doll once I've completed it....or something...)*shrug*
       
      #102 AmethystAngel, Jan 2, 2009
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    43. Hi,
      This is amazing :) Have you tried ebay for an eye beveller? I'm sure i've seen them around for less in post.
       
      #103 nyxx2, Jan 2, 2009
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    44. Ooh. I managed to find an eye beveller at http://www.jasminescottage.com/ (I guess I needed to search for sites that sold tools for all kinds of dolls, not just BJDs...)
       
      #104 AmethystAngel, Jan 2, 2009
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    45. I couldn't resist surfing around and I found some string on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com.au/CoolCat-Elas...hZ005QQcategoryZ84635QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

      and I was sure i'd seen a bevel tool there too but now i dont see it. You'd be able to get them at other sites though and then check their postage at each.
      http://www.dollsoom.com/shop/step_s...ode=B20050331045832&m_code=&c_code=&pagenow=5 (bevellers and sizers)
      Junkyspot supplies are here: http://www.junkyspot.com/modeling.html (no bevellers though)
      Dollmore but I think post is dear: http://www.dollmore.net/shop/step0.php?b_code=B20050603012757&c_code=C20050607065830
      Denver Doll should have stuff too
       
      #105 nyxx2, Jan 2, 2009
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    46. Wow that looks amazing! You should do a raffle, idk if it breaks any DoA rules? If you could id totally buy a few tickets :3
       
      #106 kasumiii, Jan 2, 2009
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    47. Wow. It's been a long time since you last heard from me. I got a friend to help pitch in with the silicone costs and I bought some urethane resin off of ebay to start casting with. Here's my first rough cast of the head, done in urethane resin:

      [​IMG]

      Results are mixed. I noticed a lot of flaws in my mold that weren't evident when I cast it with the transparent epoxy. (Things like microscopic holes that would be hard to fill, and I STILL get air bubbles trapped at the top of the head in spite of the new air channels I cut into the mold.) I want to make a new mold of the head--but first, I want to do some redesigning of the head itself. (I notice her ears seem a little flat whereas most BJD heads I see have ears that stick out a bit more from the sides of the head. I know it will be a pain in the ass to make the changes, but I figure I've put this much work into it--I might as well make it just the way I want it.)

      I just wish silicone weren't so damn expensive. >_<
       
      #107 AmethystAngel, Jan 25, 2009
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    48. oh cool! it's really coming along now, great job and good luck on the next round :) can't wait to see what you do next..
       
      #108 nyxx2, Jan 25, 2009
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    49. Your girl is really coming along! I've been working on some of mine for over a year, so keep on plugging! And I don't intend to cast mine!
       
      #109 Isabeau, Jan 25, 2009
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    50. I really like the way she looks in the clear resin. Wouldn't it be neat to embed leds in a clear resin foot or hand? Anyway, the new cast looks great, too. I'm sure you'll get where you want, with all the work you've put into her so far.
       
      #110 PearlZenith, Jan 25, 2009
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