Doll head quick release mechanism repair

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 12:06 pm

Hi dear 4woods friends,

today I will show you how I repaired the head quick release mechanism which broke on Mia's original 2012 standard silicone head during a shoot at the UK Doll Meet 2016.
This is very annoying because the head is no more secured and as soon you tilt the doll's body the head comes off. The risk that the precious face got damaged is just a question of time and the worst case

4woods heads are built on a base of a fiberglass shell on which the face is poured with silicone. The quick release mechanism is inside this shell so there's no access to do a repair when it fails.
The only option is to create an 'access hatch', large enough to do work with tools.

We're now in the surgery room (or hobby room

) and Dr. siliconefun anesthetize patient Mia in a deep

General-anesthesia.jpg

Step 1

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Note: I protected Mia's face with a cotton cloth....now it get's dusty...

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HUH!! There's no brain inside

The reason that dolls don't speak

Step 2
The next series of pics reveals the hidden interior:

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Note: The silicone was removed by the use of a ⌀ 8,0 mm hole punch tool. Reuse this piece as plug when finished.

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siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:47 pm

Step 3
Examination of the parts

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Drawing1.jpg

Step 4
Back on the PC and by the help of a digital caliper, a CAD-drawing was done and also the requested files to produce the part on my CNC-milling machine.
However, I decided to go 'old school' and machined the bracket on the milling machine in my Hobby room, it took nearly 2 1/2 hours and the replacement part was ready for his new destination.
Used material: Polyoxymethylene (POM)

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Drawing2.jpg

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Step 4
Time to close Mia's skull!

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Note: to guarantee a suitable bond the fiberglass cutout was cleaned with acetone and threatened with silicone primer.

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- Time to take a meal while the sil cures -

After some thoughts I decided to install the finished 'access hatch' without gluing to the skull, just like a removable cover of a box. It looks and works fine and the wig covers the surgery traces.

Hey, we don't stop until we reach the goal.....but it's sometimes not that easy....THAT's the challenge

- SF -

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:25 pm

In the meanwhile Mia awake from her surgery and took a refreshing shower.

Here she is, Sweetie Mia:

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What to say more??
I'm happy, mission completed

- SF -

Dees Man · Post by **Dees Man** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:32 pm

That's quite a task you had on your hands. That must have taken some thinking to work that one out. Your mods and fixes are building up to quite a library of very useful info for others here.

Thanks for this latest addition and great to see Mia's quick recovery from her surgery

DM

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 3:56 pm

Dees Man wrote:That's quite a task you had on your hands. That must have taken some thinking to work that one out. Your mods and fixes are building up to quite a library of very useful info for others here.

Thanks for this latest addition and great to see Mia's quick recovery from her surgery

DM

Hi Dees Man,

I really appreciate your comment

BUT I just hope that you never need to use one of them because starting a surgery/repair on a doll's body worth a small car (yes, it is) is also for me a challenge. Sometimes there're days it doesn't work and than there're days it works at a glance and this surgery was done in one of the good minded days who you feel that it succeeds. None, NONE of the dolls are perfect but it hurts so much when they're sick and only we as owner can help them. I feel much more for these perky gals as for some Embees* I met during my life and I (hope) doing the all best for them.

Thank you heartedly,

- SF -

* Embees = MB's = Meat based dolls

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:12 pm

Just noticed that I forgot to unlock the topic

RRRR....sorry gents..

- SF -

AnonViking · Post by **AnonViking** » Sat Dec 17, 2016 6:47 pm

She surely kept us all in total suspense about the prospects of her recovery

You surely have magical hands.

It's interesting to see one of the hard truths of owning a high quality silicone doll, you sometimes need to do repairs, something you didn't anticipate originally, but after many years it becomes inevitable.

But dolls don't heal, they need repairs. I've done a little repair on my Julia, and it's always difficult to break the mirage that she's not really real but a manufactured thing and you gotta drill down to her core to fix some plastic things.

I'm glad Mia is doing good, she's been one of my all time favorite dolls I've seen.

fred01 · Post by **fred01** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 5:07 am

It's awesome Guy, congratulations

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 5:59 am

AnonViking wrote:She surely kept us all in total suspense about the prospects of her recovery You surely have magical hands.

It's interesting to see one of the hard truths of owning a high quality silicone doll, you sometimes need to do repairs, something you didn't anticipate originally, but after many years it becomes inevitable.

But dolls don't heal, they need repairs. I've done a little repair on my Julia, and it's always difficult to break the mirage that she's not really real but a manufactured thing and you gotta drill down to her core to fix some plastic things.

I'm glad Mia is doing good, she's been one of my all time favorite dolls I've seen.

Yeah that's right, no matter the manufacturer ALL articulated dolls are just fragile mechanical equipped handmade artworks and its inevitable that they need an amount of maintenance/repair during their lifetime.
Especially when you move/pose/use your doll very often you will 'kill' her slowly by time.
She's still not perfect for my own taste but I've time for doing this and I'm yet not finished with her body.

For now I would say: lets enjoy the upcoming festive days with the gals

Thank you very much for taking the time for us AnonViking!!

- SF -

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 6:04 am

fred01 wrote:It's awesome Guy, congratulations

Merci beaucoup Fred

Mia's more than happy that her head keeps safely on her body

- SF -

Post by **Nescio50** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 6:47 am

You really did a great job Dr. Siliconesteinfun

Post by **Mondoon** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 6:58 am

Amazing work SF. Up to your usual very high standard, both the work and the technical instructions.
We are glad Mia is alright now after her head surgery and Hanna sends big hugs and kisses to Mia for a speedy recovery.

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 7:52 am

Nescio50 wrote:You really did a great job Dr. Siliconesteinfun

I've had so much ideas to fix this thing but the best option was to do it the way it was and the additional time doing this was the right decision.
As mentioned not every day is a success but me too I'm more than happy when things ends with a worthy results.
Thanks for your comment Nescio!!!!

- SF -

siliconefun · Post by **siliconefun** » Sun Dec 18, 2016 8:03 am

Mondoon wrote:Amazing work SF. Up to your usual very high standard, both the work and the technical instructions.
We are glad Mia is alright now after her head surgery and Hanna sends big hugs and kisses to Mia for a speedy recovery.

Thanks so much Mondoon!!!
I still remember the small DINGS we had with your lovely Hanna's.
For now I use my mobile phone which is more handy to documentate the work flow (instead of the bulky DSLR) and it fully meets the requirement.

Hugs & kisses for Hanna's, we miss U!!!!

- SF -