DS Doll repair of bent foot HELP :0

[TheIQF++]

I've been very unlucky that both my DS Dolls arrived with such oddly bent feet. It makes me upset every time I see someone else's DS doll with perfectly shaped ankles. I can't live with the odd looking bent feet any longer! I gotta try to fix them.

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The good news is that after seeing pictures, DS agreed to send me replacement parts for my 163! This is more than a year after I bought the doll, so I am grateful for the good customer service. It looks almost like the arch was installed upside down. DS says that the doll must have been put in the wrong position during shipping and the "foot bone" got bent. My dolls spent way too much time in limbo at the shipping company and showed signs of collisions on the boxes, the neck, and the feet. (Very frustrating to have to deal with damage due to improper handling on top of shipping delays and other mess ups , but i digress)

Note that the silicone is not damaged, only the skeleton or "foot bone". I hope there is not further damage to the joint hardware.

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^DS provided some pictures of the foot skeleton. The have a repair kit that would be free for me but unfortunately they can't send liquids so I'll have to improvise.
They directed me to this repair video but some things are left unexplained. I'm going to do this repair and take pictures along the way. I want to start with my older 163 for practice and then move on to my 167. If anyone has some advice or ideas I would be most grateful!

[TheIQF++]

I have tried to do some research but didn't see a problem exactly like mine. Thanks to all who have helped me work out a plan of action through PM's.

Here are the steps I intend to follow and the tools I'll use:
Tools:
fiber free cloth
"foot bone" parts from DS (in the mail)
nitrile gloves
socket set and wrenches (not sure what size yet)
scalpel (have x-acto knife)
dish soap to coat blade
small flat head screwdriver (think I will use to pry away silicone from the inner parts)
clear tape and plastic wrap to hold the seam together
Glue options:
smooth-on? (DS recommended this brand but I heard it felt too hard)
permatex (already used on DS before and it worked great, tried on different brand doll and it never seemed to cure, weird)
mystery glue (special glue that works great with plat silicone, the seller would not tell me anything about it but it is high quality)
toothpicks to spread glue
acetone to clean seam before resealing it with glue (also have alcohol)
cotton swabs to clean the excess glue
luck (wish me some please!)
------------------------------
Repair steps:
1. Clean the area. Soak fiber free cloth in a dab of acetone, clean thoroughly and wait to dry.
2. Make the incision. Coat the xacto blade in dish soap and carefully cut into seam along the foot. Must cut open both sides of the foot. (I won't cut very deep at first so I can make the cut as neat as possible, then I'll cut it the rest of the way open.)
3. Unscrew and remove the damaged foot bone. Not sure how the silicone will be attached to the foot bone. Think I'll have to cut it all away or press it off the metal with a flat head screw driver. Hopefully none of the other hardware is broken so I can reuse it. Take pictures beside new parts to see how different they are
4. Replace with new foot bone. Hopefully the new ones go in smooth using the same hardware to put them back on.
5. Glue the foot bone to the silicone? This is where I am unsure if I should put glue around the new part or how much glue to put in. I think I should glue all exposed metal to the silicone so it doesn't feel like it is moving around when I'm done. I'll leave the foot pointed to make sure it looks natural. I think the permatex should be fine to use. *see questions*
6. Clean outer seam with acetone cloth and let dry.
7. Reseal the seam centimeter by centimeter with permatex, using as little as possible applied to both sides of the cut with a toothpick. Gently wipe away excess glue with cloth lightly soaked in alcohol. Tape the seams shut with tape, checking often for any drips. Blow warm air on it to dry and leave it alone for 24 hours.
8. Pray it doesn't look like crap.

*My question for 5 is:
should I attempt to re-enforce the feet with more silicone or something while I'm in there? Can they be modded to stand up safer?

[Obin]

I wish you success.

It can't hurt to PM Titman for advice. Titman is the manufacturer of Maidlee dolls.

[samara78]

I have closed up many silicone dolls and i will be delighted to help when you are ready to operate.

[Xephyr]

Samara will help! She's a doctor.

[mi6c]

3. Unscrew and remove the damaged foot bone. Not sure how the silicone will be attached to the foot bone.

I think the "remove" may need to be done very slowly and carefully.
From the picture of the replacement part I would assume that the silicone will have flown through the holes in the "metallic bone", so after unscrewing it will likely still stick to the foot as such very well and may need to be carved out for lack of better words.
Curios about what you will actually find it to be, but I would think getting it out will take a while unless you're willing to risk damage - still, I might be completely wrong.
In any case, you have my best wishes for a successful outcome.

Kind regards.

[hollows+fentiman]

For recessed skeleton parts the silicone will have gone into the holes and crevices. As mi6c said, do it slowly and use a sharp knife. Make sure the outer skin cut is as smooth as you can do without stopping and putting the knife back in. That helps for the reseal. When into the silicone itself you can do smaller more precise cuts to the skeleton as they won't show later. For my DS mini hip/pelvis part I had to cut to all around the fins and then used a small sharpish screwdriver to prise out the silicone from the recesses. If you do it slowly it should come away but you'll need to cut where it's gone through the holes.
Don't panic! The silicone is quite sticky inside and it almost naturally goes back together afterwards to its shape. I think the problem might be if, as you say, the part may have been put in the wrong way round! I doubt if it would have left the factory that way though as it would have been so obvious. However, it must have taken a mighty force to have bent that strong looking part! It almost looks like the end of the leg 'bone' is bent rather than the ankle/ foot part!
I would use the smooth-on SilPoxy internally and maybe the Permatex towards the outer layer. If you can see the silicone moulding itself back around the new joint I wouldn't use any glue on the skeleton itself as there is none used in the manufacturing process and you do need a little movement there so the joint can be bent without tearing the silicone inside.
Take your time and cover up the area with something between 'sessions' to stop bits getting in! I'm still operating on my mini and she's ready to be sealed up but as the exposed silicone is so sticky it is incredible how it attracts every little bit of dust and hair out of nowhere and I keep having to clean her again!
Samara will help you through this as she's a Wonder Woman!
Good luck mate, Hollows.

[jiayi]

Hi TheIQF++,
Rest assured that you will get all the support you need here at TDF. Several of us, including myself have done skeletal repairs on our DS girls. You get to learn from our mistakes!

After looking at your first photo, I'm not convinced the damage is restricted to just the foot bone.

I would recommend making a long incision on just the inside (or outside) of the foot in the area of the foot bone following the mold parting line. While it may sound harsh, at that point, you should be able to peal the foot flesh off of and away from the skeleton. This way you would not be cutting more than you have to to get at both sides of the bolt. The 2015 silicone is quite soft and flexible. Not sure you could do that with the pre 2015 girls

I can't emphasize enough about keeping the incision clean. Wrenches, despite beeing throughly washed, still tend to leave stains on the skin. I've tried lining the incision with cling wrap, but the turning of the wrenches pulled most of it off. Wrapping the tools in cling wrap might be a better idea.

The hip joint in my 2015 DS 168 was wrapped by the factory in plastic wrap, so I did the same. The shoulder joint was not, so I just let the permatex flow over the metal parts after the repair.

I have said this before and I'll say it again. Before closing the incision, hold the skin together with cling wrap and throughly test the tightness of the connections. I waited over a week before I closed the incisions, testing the joints in all positions during that time, so that I wouldn't have too loose or too tight joints. You don't want to have to cut in again to correct this.

Take your time and keep os posted. If you have any questions at all about how things are going, please pm me or others who have actually made these kinds of repairs on our DS girls.
Regards,
Jiayi

[TheIQF++]

Thank you, guys! I just want to be able to seal up the cut as perfect and smooth as possible. I'm sure getting the glue applied just right is an art. I don't want it oozing out but I also don't want open spots where there was not enough glue.

I have closed up many silicone dolls and i will be delighted to help when you are ready to operate.

Thank you! You do great work and I need all the help I can get. Samara, do you know what side the nut is on? DS told me I had to cut open both sides though.

From the picture of the replacement part I would assume that the silicone will have flown through the holes in the "metallic bone", so after unscrewing it will likely still stick to the foot as such very well and may need to be carved out for lack of better words.

Ah hah! That explains what happened to my 167! There is an odd dent that looks like a half circle. It kind of stays put when you flex the skin on the foot. It must be that hole where the silicone went through and is attached.

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I've never seen it look that obvious on anyone else's doll!
It looks really close to the surface like it got pushed hard. This is why I'm wondering if I should try to put more silicone in there to add a layer of protection.
I think it will look better if I cut that so it is no longer attached.

For recessed skeleton parts the silicone will have gone into the holes and crevices. As mi6c said, do it slowly and use a sharp knife. Make sure the outer skin cut is as smooth as you can do without stopping and putting the knife back in. That helps for the reseal.

Thanks! This is the kind of technical information I need, with the reason why I should do it explained.

Before closing the incision, hold the skin together with cling wrap and throughly test the tightness of the connections.

Good to know that I can just wrap it tight and feel safe testing it. It's better than moving it with the sides all open.
Since the reseal is so critical, I think I will practice bandaging first to make sure it looks good and does not move. I plan to wrap plastic wrap around her very tightly instead of tape. I'm afraid putting tape directly on the silicone will cause tears when I remove it.

Wrapping the tools in cling wrap might be a better idea.

Great idea! That is on my plan of action now.

I think the problem might be if, as you say, the part may have been put in the wrong way round! I doubt if it would have left the factory that way though as it would have been so obvious. However, it must have taken a mighty force to have bent that strong looking part! It almost looks like the end of the leg 'bone' is bent rather than the ankle/ foot part!

After looking at your first photo, I'm not convinced the damage is restricted to just the foot bone.

A looooot of people have made that observation. It sure looks upside-down. I hope the leg bone is not damaged too.
This is scary because if I have to cut both sides of the foot then I will have to make 8 incisions! I can't believe this happened to both of my dolls on all of their feet! When you see the state of the boxes it is pretty clear they did not have a safe journey.

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Thank you all for the help. If anyone has any hair brained ideas I might be willing to try them for science.

[hollows+fentiman]

On my DS mini the surgery was extensive! So much so I had to remove the whole back and hips! I started small with an exploratory cut and realised I had to do more and then more! That's why I said do the cut as clean as you can make it along a seam if you can. Don't be scared of making a long cut - I wish I had to start with but I didn't know where the breaks were so I had to keep going! The trouble is, I've now got a less than satisfactory edge to the 'skin' cuts because I tried to extend the cuts I'd already made! (If you want to see the gory pictures they are in the My DSmini back is broken thread.)
I would suggest you cut from just above the area where the deformity is on the leg first down to where you would have to 'turn the corner' into the foot. You can then have an explore to see if anything else is damaged before trying the foot cut. Don't worry if the cut is long, it's better than my case and will help to peel it away to replace the part anyway!
DS suggest using tape to hold the 'skin' together while it cures. Samara has used needlework pins to keep the edges together. However you do it, you have a little while to adjust the edges but not too long! You just need a very light covering of SilPoxy but make sure it is covered where it is to be joined as, although the silicone almost sticks itself together again, it won't reseal on its own. Don't use a lot as it will squeeze out and make a hardish scarlike seal. Samara suggests using the Permatex along the edges but I'm not sure it holds very well over time. Some members have tried to use it for repairs to vaginal areas and it seems to peel away and/or be hard and not as flexible as the silicone when fully cured anyway (which I'm not sure about but that's their reports).
If you do the first cut and have a look, make sure the area is clean and then put the edges back together without glue so you can come back and ask more if you need to!

[jiayi]

h+f quote"Some members have tried to use it for repairs to vaginal areas and it seems to peel away and/or be hard and not as flexible as the silicone when fully cured anyway (which I'm not sure about but that's their reports)."
It's been 8 months since I did my DS 168 (now called 163) 2015 hip repair and the permatex is holding up just fine. Also, it is not harder than the surrounding silicone. I have not had to repair the vagina area, so I can not comment on pematex's applicability there.
BTW You should only have to make a SINGLE incision. One long cut down the inside molding seam and not all the way to the toes. Only as far as the metal foot, which you can feel for the end through the soft silicone. Please do not make 8 incisions! Just cut to the skeleton on one side of the foot and peal away the foot and ankle flesh. The silicone is really soft and is capable of this.
Besides, if it is the bottom of the leg bone, you will then need to cut up to the knee.
Regards,
Jiayi

[mario9326]

Is this the same for repairing TPE dolls?

[hollows+fentiman]

Hi mario9326 and welcome to TDF! No, it's not the same. TPE is a different material and needs different treatment. Large cuts are far more difficult to join back together as you have to be very very sparing with the TPE glue as it can 'melt' the flesh. If you have a problem with a TPE doll, start a new thread in the repair and maintenance section or go to samara78's thread, Ask the docs.

[hollows+fentiman]

Hi jiayi! Glad to hear the Permatex worked for you! I only pointed that out because of it being more of a filler and not a glue like SilPoxy which is designed for repairing silicone moulds (or molds, however it's spelt!). I've got both but the surgery replacing the parts and getting the joints tightened to the right level on my mini took so long I haven't even opened the tubes yet!

[TheIQF++]

Don't be scared of making a long cut...
I would suggest you cut from just above the area where the deformity is on the leg first down to where you would have to 'turn the corner' into the foot. You can then have an explore to see if anything else is damaged before trying the foot cut. Don't worry if the cut is long, it's better than my case and will help to peel it away to replace the part anyway!

...BTW You should only have to make a SINGLE incision. One long cut down the inside molding seam and not all the way to the toes. Only as far as the metal foot, which you can feel for the end through the soft silicone. Please do not make 8 incisions! Just cut to the skeleton on one side of the foot and peal away the foot and ankle flesh. The silicone is really soft and is capable of this.
Besides, if it is the bottom of the leg bone, you will then need to cut up to the knee.
Regards,
Jiayi

Okay, I will make a long cut starting at the leg bone to foot bone joint. That way I can pull the foot off the foot bone to make the repairs.

DS suggest using tape to hold the 'skin' together while it cures. ...You just need a very light covering of SilPoxy but make sure it is covered where it is to be joined as, although the silicone almost sticks itself together again, it won't reseal on its own. Don't use a lot as it will squeeze out and make a hardish scarlike seal. Samara suggests using the Permatex along the edges but I'm not sure it holds very well over time. Some members have tried to use it for repairs to vaginal areas and it seems to peel away and/or be hard and not as flexible as the silicone when fully cured anyway (which I'm not sure about but that's their reports).
If you do the first cut and have a look, make sure the area is clean and then put the edges back together without glue so you can come back and ask more if you need to!

Thanks again for the technical explanation!

I have used permatex on my 163 before and it worked really well.

Hope I get the repair parts in the mail soon.
I might start on the cuts tonight because I am eager to see what the extent of the damage is!