Seeking help with inner elbow repair on SH145

Frost · Post by **Frost** » Fri Sep 04, 2020 6:15 pm

I am looking for help on the best way to repair my Sanhui doll's inner elbow. This tear came out of nowhere, I am not sure what happened exactly, but it is very large. What adhesive is best for the Sanhui silicone?. I need something that will dry as close to the original softness as possible, but without costing a ton of money. I am not sure how to set the arm up for drying. How do I keep the hole closed? I do not have a vice or any good tools to use, nor can I afford any fancy equipment/tools.

: 1.jpg (679.04 KiB) Viewed 1325 times

: 2.jpg (738.53 KiB) Viewed 1325 times

bl8900 · Post by **bl8900** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 4:45 am

I used sil-poxy to repair holes and tears on my sanhui. I've read others used silicone RTV from permatex. Fixing that tear is a matter of cleaning the surface area to be bonded together with a de-greaser IPA or mild detergent. Then while the bonding agent of your choice is curing use a string/belt/tape to hold it in place.

HornedPear · Post by **HornedPear** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 9:05 am

I've used Permatex 81730 Flowable Silicone Windshield and Glass Sealer on my Sanhui for small tears and it has worked fine. Never repaired something as large as what is in your picture though. Some kind of vice-like device will be necessary unless you are willing to hold the tear closed for at least an hour after applying the adhesive. Sometimes even a chip clip can work but that might be too small for the tear you need to repair.

gonestill77 · Post by **gonestill77** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 2:45 pm

Sewing pins also work to hold it together while it cures.
That looks like a big tear, you will need something to hold it together while curing.

Also, make sure to thoroughly clean the area first with acetone. Otherwise, the repair may not be a success in the end.

Good luck......

Frost · Post by **Frost** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 7:41 pm

Is this the right adhesive (Permatex RTV Silicone)? Does it dry soft enough for these dolls? I don't want to have a hard patch left on that large section. Is this different by much, to sil-poxy? I have used sil-poxy on my other non SH doll, and it dries far to hard.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com ... L1500_.jpg

As for keeping the hole closed during curing, I have tried a belt before but, how do i keep the belt tight? There are no holes at such a small width. I do not have any type of vice tool either.

gonestill77 wrote:Sewing pins also work to hold it together while it cures.
That looks like a big tear, you will need something to hold it together while curing.

I am not sure how pins would be a good idea for such a large tear, they would just do more damage to her?

seagull · Post by **seagull** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 7:49 pm

Wrapping it around several times will work

Frost · Post by **Frost** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 8:06 pm

seagull wrote:Wrapping it around several times will work :)

I am not holding it for 30++ minutes. As soon as you let go the belt will loosen up.

I have tried a thin wire/cable, instead of string, since I don't have any, but it wouldn't stay tight even with a knot at the ends. Plus, when tightening it with that, the two sides of the hole would just squish and move apart.

ZannyDanger · Post by **ZannyDanger** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 9:32 pm

The permatex you linked above is the one i used on my own SH before and it works very well. It is quite a bit softer than sil-poxy after curing, although still not as soft as the SH silicone.

For best results i'd consider the option of making the repair in several steps over the course a few days, closing it from the inside out.
I would try using cling wrap to hold it together and apply some tension while the silicone adhesive cures, while making sure that the area in contact with the tear is smooth as possible to avoid small bumps in the silicone after curing.
The added bonus is that you'll be able to see through the cling wrap somewhat, so you should be able to make sure alignment is optimal.
That seems like a big tear though, so maybe try beforehand to make sure that cling wrap is enough to hold it closed, or maybe even in conjunction with other methods mentioned here.

I'll also second gonestill's suggestion about cleaning the area thoroughly with acetone prior to making the repair, as this will ensure the silicone adhesive adheres as well as possible for a long lasting repair.
The best way i've found is using a small sponge square imbibed with acetone to clean locally, and also wear latex gloves for safety.
Also be aware that acetone tends to evaporate very rapidly, and it's fumes are toxic... please do this in a well ventilated area in order to protect your own health.

ZD

Cameramike · Post by **Cameramike** » Sat Sep 05, 2020 9:56 pm

Never done this type of repair but you should make sure that you don’t have any sharp edge it might just slice it open again. You could try plastic cable ties to close it some but it looks like it might be a hard fix. Probably need to pre close before any fixture could be used. Maybe make something with snaps so you could adjust to see how it closes. Maybe cut part of a plastic cup to set the arm in to help form a semi cast. Just thought I would throw some ideas out there good luck and let us know how it turns out for future repairs.

Frost · Post by **Frost** » Sun Sep 06, 2020 2:09 am

ZannyDanger wrote:The permatex you linked above is the one i used on my own SH before and it works very well. It is quite a bit softer than sil-poxy after curing, although still not as soft as the SH silicone.

For best results i'd consider the option of making the repair in several steps over the course a few days, closing it from the inside out.
I would try using cling wrap to hold it together and apply some tension while the silicone adhesive cures, while making sure that the area in contact with the tear is smooth as possible to avoid small bumps in the silicone after curing.
The added bonus is that you'll be able to see through the cling wrap somewhat, so you should be able to make sure alignment is optimal................
....

ZD

Thank you, your post is very helpful. I have acetone, plastic wrap, and i even have some velcro type cable ties that might be useful, before the wrap, to tighten the silicone around the wound. I think doing it in stages would be wise as well.

I am going to buy some permatex and get this underway. I will update this thread on how it turns out.

One other question.. what is a good method of application for the adhesive?

Wight · Post by **Wight** » Sun Sep 06, 2020 6:21 am

Application: I don't know what kind of nose the permatex bottle has, but you can cut/whittle few different size splints of wood and toothpicks for fine applying. Like DZ suggested going with few steps seems good.
I would do a test run on like some soft rubber ball to see how the glue splurges out when the wound is closed together and how to wipe excess glue from her skin.

Frost · Post by **Frost** » Thu Sep 10, 2020 11:15 am

The repair came out decently. The entry wound is not the best, but it could of been worse. The hole was not easy to close, and keep closed, the only thing I had that worked was the velcro cable ties. I also used some plastic wrap for protection and cover. I was going to do it in 3 stages, but after the first stage, 90% of the wound was closed. The second stage was just a touch up on an opening on one end of the wound.

The main problem I faced was at the end of the drying. The adhesive does as the sil-poxy did to my other doll. When it dries it grows in size (the patch). The first stage came to 90%, yet I only put the adhesive (small amount) at the very bottom of the hole. The second stage I put a very small amount inside the wound. When I closed it, none came out of it; however, when it dried, there was a small bump of adhesive above the wound entry. I had to try and cut a bit of it off to smooth the area down. I am not a fan of that last part.