Ask the docs.

[RGC_0767]

Not really flexible so much. She broke at the weld in the first pic. Her back and neck were messed up bad!
I couldn't re weld her because tpe melts.

My father once had a spot welder. It was an amazing thing. weld 2 pieces together in a blink!! No heat or warpage. may be a slight spark. Great for sheet metal
.. TPE would not have a chance to melt, it welds so fast
Probably a very expensive tool now a days. would come in handy I bet. Just a pipe dream. It would be good for stand up feet mods too

[RGC_0767]

An update on the repair I did on my doll.

The TPE glue on her hip has held. I had to use a drop of "crazy glue" in two spots that would not seal otherwise and it worked out great.

The nut, however, worked itself loose almost immediately. Instead of re-opening the hip, I went through the rectum and cut the inner TPE to get to the nut. I tightened it again with no lasting results.

I then used LocTite to hold the nut secure once it was tightened. It didn't work. The leg went loose after three motions. Yes, the LocTite is blue and yes, I was super-careful not to get any on the doll's outside.

I then used JB Weld. I put JB Weld on the inside of the nut as well as on the bolt. I let it set for 24 hours. Afain, after three motions, the leg was loose. After about three weeks, the leg had "play" in it meaning there was slack between the nut and the u-joint.

Yesterday, I removed the nut and found the JB Weld did NOT dry normally. Instead of drying in a solid clump, it was grainy and broke apart into granules as I removed the nut. JB Weld is not supposed to act this way. I can only conclude that the TPE and lack of air kept the JB Weld from curing properly.

After removing the nut, I inserted the split lock washer and managed to get the nut on and used a 19mm socket to tighten it down. After three motions, the leg was loose again. I then tightened it again as hard as I could tighten it, keeping in mind that the bolt head will snap if too much torque is applied. The split lock washer is supposed to apply back pressure against the nut thus preventing the nut from reversing. However, since the bolt has to allow for free rotation, moving the leg may in itself be causing the nut to loosen. If the u-joint is JB Welded to the nut, the nut will have to loosen and tighten as the leg is moved in order to allow leg movement.

By loose, I mean the leg goes limp. This limpness interferes with her sitting as she needs a back support to keep from falling off of a bar stool. I didn't have this problem before her hip joint broke. I may have no choice but to continually tighten the nut every few weeks if the split lock washer doesn't do its job. At least she can stand again.

See if you can find a plastic type nut. You know the type I mean?. they have like an inner plastic inside the threads, may help with motion. I have them on my old bowflex machine.
I've used construction adhesive on nut and bolts with some success as well. Patience is mandatory with our ladies

[Stepford_CT]

Not really flexible so much. She broke at the weld in the first pic. Her back and neck were messed up bad!
I couldn't re weld her because tpe melts.

My father once had a spot welder. It was an amazing thing. weld 2 pieces together in a blink!! No heat or warpage. may be a slight spark. Great for sheet metal
.. TPE would not have a chance to melt, it welds so fast
Probably a very expensive tool now a days. would come in handy I bet. Just a pipe dream. It would be good for stand up feet mods too

I disagree with your assessment that TPE wouldn't have a chance to melt. When I repaired my doll, I used a 25W soldering iron to melt the TPE together. Instead of melting, it vaporized and it did it immediately as in as soon as the iron touched her. I used "crazy glue" to seal those places because the gash was too wide for the TPE glue to mend. I only had to use a drop of CG and her leg is okay now.

I would strongly recommend avoiding a welder, whether it be acetylene, arc, YAG, or whatever. ]The broken pelvis may have to be redesigned to allow an alternative form of repair that doesn't involve welding but utilizes threaded rod and nuts.

[RGC_0767]

Not really flexible so much. She broke at the weld in the first pic. Her back and neck were messed up bad!
I couldn't re weld her because tpe melts.

My father once had a spot welder. It was an amazing thing. weld 2 pieces together in a blink!! No heat or warpage. may be a slight spark. Great for sheet metal
.. TPE would not have a chance to melt, it welds so fast
Probably a very expensive tool now a days. would come in handy I bet. Just a pipe dream. It would be good for stand up feet mods too

I disagree with your assessment that TPE wouldn't have a chance to melt. When I repaired my doll, I used a 25W soldering iron to melt the TPE together. Instead of melting, it vaporized and it did it immediately as in as soon as the iron touched her. I used "crazy glue" to seal those places because the gash was too wide for the TPE glue to mend. I only had to use a drop of CG and her leg is okay now.

I would strongly recommend avoiding a welder, whether it be acetylene, arc, YAG, or whatever. ]The broken pelvis may have to be redesigned to allow an alternative form of repair that doesn't involve welding but utilizes threaded rod and nuts.

Rubber burns easily I know. Use self tapping screws too and maybe some sheet metal. spot welding is an amazing technique. your car has thousands of 'em why cant your doll have a few?? LOL

[Stepford_CT]

Not really flexible so much. She broke at the weld in the first pic. Her back and neck were messed up bad!
I couldn't re weld her because tpe melts.

My father once had a spot welder. It was an amazing thing. weld 2 pieces together in a blink!! No heat or warpage. may be a slight spark. Great for sheet metal
.. TPE would not have a chance to melt, it welds so fast
Probably a very expensive tool now a days. would come in handy I bet. Just a pipe dream. It would be good for stand up feet mods too

I disagree with your assessment that TPE wouldn't have a chance to melt. When I repaired my doll, I used a 25W soldering iron to melt the TPE together. Instead of melting, it vaporized and it did it immediately as in as soon as the iron touched her. I used "crazy glue" to seal those places because the gash was too wide for the TPE glue to mend. I only had to use a drop of CG and her leg is okay now.

I would strongly recommend avoiding a welder, whether it be acetylene, arc, YAG, or whatever. ]The broken pelvis may have to be redesigned to allow an alternative form of repair that doesn't involve welding but utilizes threaded rod and nuts.

Rubber burns easily I know. Use self tapping screws too and maybe some sheet metal. spot welding is an amazing technique. your car has thousands of 'em why cant your doll have a few?? LOL

The doll is solid TPE. Just how is he supposed to get a spot welder in there to weld the skeleton and not damage the TPE? Just the conventional heat is enough to damage the doll.

TPE is not rubber. It is a polymer.

[RGC_0767]

Not really flexible so much. She broke at the weld in the first pic. Her back and neck were messed up bad!
I couldn't re weld her because tpe melts.

My father once had a spot welder. It was an amazing thing. weld 2 pieces together in a blink!! No heat or warpage. may be a slight spark. Great for sheet metal
.. TPE would not have a chance to melt, it welds so fast
Probably a very expensive tool now a days. would come in handy I bet. Just a pipe dream. It would be good for stand up feet mods too

I disagree with your assessment that TPE wouldn't have a chance to melt. When I repaired my doll, I used a 25W soldering iron to melt the TPE together. Instead of melting, it vaporized and it did it immediately as in as soon as the iron touched her. I used "crazy glue" to seal those places because the gash was too wide for the TPE glue to mend. I only had to use a drop of CG and her leg is okay now.

I would strongly recommend avoiding a welder, whether it be acetylene, arc, YAG, or whatever. ]The broken pelvis may have to be redesigned to allow an alternative form of repair that doesn't involve welding but utilizes threaded rod and nuts.

Rubber burns easily I know. Use self tapping screws too and maybe some sheet metal. spot welding is an amazing technique. your car has thousands of 'em why cant your doll have a few?? LOL

The doll is solid TPE. Just how is he supposed to get a spot welder in there to weld the skeleton and not damage the TPE? Just the conventional heat is enough to damage the doll.

TPE is not rubber. It is a polymer.

Yes crappy polymer fuel lines failing causing car fires I know those... I'm more mechanic than chemist.

[irontechdoll]

It is nice to see post like this. Booty call is so helpful.

[Muffinmanmike]

I've got a major problem with my Letty WM 156 C cup somehow she has broken at the waist or in the middle of her back to where she just folds over I set her on a hard chair and had to leave her for 3 or 4 hours and I think maybe this had something to do with it any suggestions

[RGC_0767]

Not really flexible so much. She broke at the weld in the first pic. Her back and neck were messed up bad!
I couldn't re weld her because tpe melts.

My father once had a spot welder. It was an amazing thing. weld 2 pieces together in a blink!! No heat or warpage. may be a slight spark. Great for sheet metal
.. TPE would not have a chance to melt, it welds so fast
Probably a very expensive tool now a days. would come in handy I bet. Just a pipe dream. It would be good for stand up feet mods too

I disagree with your assessment that TPE wouldn't have a chance to melt. When I repaired my doll, I used a 25W soldering iron to melt the TPE together. Instead of melting, it vaporized and it did it immediately as in as soon as the iron touched her. I used "crazy glue" to seal those places because the gash was too wide for the TPE glue to mend. I only had to use a drop of CG and her leg is okay now.

I would strongly recommend avoiding a welder, whether it be acetylene, arc, YAG, or whatever. ]The broken pelvis may have to be redesigned to allow an alternative form of repair that doesn't involve welding but utilizes threaded rod and nuts.

I used a 30 watt iron, just fabbed a 2 inch tip out of copper foil to put on the iron, rather than just use the existing tip. sealed up the wound quite well. Anything can be fixed if we think outside boxes. Sometimes high tech is just overpriced and over thought.
Some day I may have to fix a leg or back. No problem LOL... surgeons leave hideous scars, you should have seem my former GF and the scar from her C section... a butcher!!

[hollows+fentiman]

The only way you can use heat to ‘weld’ TPE is to make sure whatever you’re using is not too hot! A soldering iron of any description is very risky as it is much hotter than you think

These are used in some doll factories to seal semi permanent makeup in:-

4F878E42-0211-4D7E-BDCA-7767655E81E2.jpeg (30.89 KiB) Viewed 2299 times

It’s a hot air soldering station and you can control temperature and air flow precisely. They aren’t too expensive (I think I paid £40 for mine off eBay) and I have one and have used it successfully but it does take practice! Any more than 100C is risky but you probably need to go up to about 150C! You need to practice on a separate piece of TPE first or somewhere where it won’t be noticed!

TPE ‘flesh’ is almost like a mousse and is slightly porous so when it melts it changes consistency and shrinks to a more solid structure. So, if you’re using heat you only need to soften the surface enough for it to be tacky, not melt it! Large areas/cuts may need some TPE chips to fill in because of the potential shrinkage!

When finished, the surface can be shiny so there are a number of suggestions made by some here to adjust that. You can try a bit of powder in the last heat treatment when smoothing the surface but I think that shows too much. I’ve just roughened the surface with some very fine sandpaper which seems to work but again you need to practice before you get to that point!

Cheers, Hollows.

[RGC_0767]

The only way you can use heat to ‘weld’ TPE is to make sure whatever you’re using is not too hot! A soldering iron of any description is very risky as it is much hotter than you think

These are used in some doll factories to seal semi permanent makeup in:-

4F878E42-0211-4D7E-BDCA-7767655E81E2.jpeg

It’s a hot air soldering station and you can control temperature and air flow precisely. They aren’t too expensive (I think I paid £40 for mine off eBay) and I have one and have used it successfully but it does take practice! Any more than 100C is risky but you probably need to go up to about 150C! You need to practice on a separate piece of TPE first or somewhere where it won’t be noticed!

TPE ‘flesh’ is almost like a mousse and is slightly porous so when it melts it changes consistency and shrinks to a more solid structure. So, if you’re using heat you only need to soften the surface enough for it to be tacky, not melt it! Large areas/cuts may need some TPE chips to fill in because of the potential shrinkage!

When finished, the surface can be shiny so there are a number of suggestions made by some here to adjust that. You can try a bit of powder in the last heat treatment when smoothing the surface but I think that shows too much. I’ve just roughened the surface with some very fine sandpaper which seems to work but again you need to practice before you get to that point!

Cheers, Hollows.

Indeed. I bought one last week.....
If anyone wishes to watch me screw up with one of these... have a look at the thread of my work in progress. I tried a light flame from a torch, it works to a point, but is very inconsistent. I like to experiment LOL Sometimes my butter knife mod of my solder iron works better
viewtopic.php?t=99309&p=1300231#p1300231
Groin area probably one of the hardest areas to mess with. Fun!! just make it Fun!!

[Muffinmanmike]

My WM 156 C cup has a broken back right where the spinal cord comes down and tees off it is separated where it Tee's off what is the best way to get in there and try to fix this what do you suppose went wrong I really want her fixed

[RGC_0767]

My WM 156 C cup has a broken back right where the spinal cord comes down and tees off it is separated where it Tee's off what is the best way to get in there and try to fix this what do you suppose went wrong I really want her fixed

Serious issue. Sounds like weld broke. Here's a pic of basic skeleton. Welds break at hips, back, etc. Welding tubing like that is a poor way. If I'm welding tube and I want strength I insert another smaller piece inside and weld it up. more work fabbing it, but stronger than butt welds.
Access here is difficult.
That gauze covers where your trouble is. Joint for spine could be similar to the arm on right.
But cutting into her is the only way to know what you are up against.

Metal and self tapping screws. and lots of imagination needed here for sure.

Skelly.jpg

[Muffinmanmike]

Thank you very much I'll be attempting it this weekend I have access to a machine shop and I've engineered many things in my life I'm going to give it a whirl

[RGC_0767]

Thank you very much I'll be attempting it this weekend I have access to a machine shop and I've engineered many things in my life I'm going to give it a whirl

Make your cut into TPE as clean as possible. Maybe have a view of Crazycajun's video of a neck replacement. It may give you some ideas. He was a very bright guy!
He's passed on, but his ideas are still living strong!! RIP CC
http://missatleur.com/Retrofit.htm

Good luck!!