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Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

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Triboar
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Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by Triboar »

So this 100 cm doll is pretty new. I did some minor repairs here and there with TPE solvent no problem. And I never use much. But ...

However, when cleaning I removed her eyeballs and a small tear developed. I should have just left it alone.

I attempted a repair on her left eyelid (our right) I found that the solvent ate the material instead of mending it (maybe because of the makeup chemicals on the eyelid???).

Anyway she doesn't have eyelashes on and I could probably cover the "gap", but I'd rather fill it on with TPE material. Could I use fleshlight material as a donor?

What do you TPE experts suggest?

Thanks in advance.

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ZannyDanger
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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by ZannyDanger »

I would reach out to Samara if i were you, send them a quick message and i'm sure they'll be able to help you on this one since they have a lot of experience with all kinds of doll repairs!

*Edit* Removed repair suggestion since Samara has replied with a better idea :thumbs_up:

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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by Fantastic Plastic »

You can harvest some TPE from either the top of the head or the inside of the neck joint, sometimes there is some extra material along the edge of the resin at the bottom of the head.
Use the heat method described earlier possibly.
I would also recommend contacting Samara as well.
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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by samara78 »

Ohh. That looks bad!. If you do not have the tpe piece that came out, you will need indigo20 repair kit. If you have the scrap of tpe or can indeed cut out a piece to match the gap from the neck you can put in witha tpe glue. You will need rubbing alcohol and a toothpick after youcut a little piece from the neck. Put the eyes in bed I re you affect repairs or it will just fall out. Or i can try and fix the head for you myself
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Triboar
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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by Triboar »

Thanks to you both.

When you say "weld" with a soldering iron, is there a video on how to do this?

I have never done this before.

I am handy but I have no experience in doing it.

Could you provide me with a link with instructions or a video?

Thanks again.

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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by MannequinFan »

Wow, I have to agree with Sam that looks pretty bad.
The material around the eyes is so thin and delicate it's going to be really difficult to do and make it look good. You'll have to be careful with TPE glue or it will just continue to eat it away.

I have some 3d printed eyelids for TPE dolls that might help. Just PM me if you want more info.
You'd still have the chunk missing, but with some makeup and long lashes it might not be as noticeable.
The Indigo kit is pretty expensive just for that little piece. Probably better to put the money towards a new head IMO.

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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by Triboar »

Thanks for all the replies.

So if I harvest TPE from the neck what would create a better bond: TPE solvent or Soldering Iron?

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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by ZannyDanger »

A soldering iron can create a very strong bond but it's also very tricky to judge how much heat to apply to the material in order to weld the pieces together. Too hot and the tpe can liquify and lose some integrity. It's also very easy to slip up and cause additional damage if not careful.

I work with dexterity tools all day, so i feel confident in my ability to do such things, but without knowing you i would suggest going with Samara's suggestion since tpe solvent is a lot easier to work with and the end result should be the same. Both methods melt a little bit of the material in order to fuse it together.

I haven't worked with the solvent myself but i hear that it needs to be used very sparingly when doing a repair.

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Re: Help with TPE Eyelid Repair ...

Post by ZannyDanger »

Triboar wrote:Thanks to you both.

When you say "weld" with a soldering iron, is there a video on how to do this?

I have never done this before.

I am handy but I have no experience in doing it.

Could you provide me with a link with instructions or a video?

Thanks again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQrARHx5MzI

This is a pretty well explained video on how to reshape tpe with heat. He's using a blow torch and a clay shaping spoon to shape the material but working with a soldering iron produces the same result.

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