Arthur's tpe doll repair thread inc. Rachel's resurrection

[Doll Dreamer]

Amazing how-tos and instructions on doll repair! Thanks for keeping this thread alive, Arthur!
I'm slowly researching various light repair options for my Alexis (WM Doll 156D) , who is nicely holding up since arriving in December 2015.
Glad to read about the uses of 3M 94 Primer. Still so much to learn!

Thanks!

[Arthur1960]

Hi Doll Dreamer and thanks, yeah I started this thread with the intention of sharing any tips and tricks I picked up as well as any mistakes I made along the way. 3M Primer 94 is very versatile for a variety of repairs and I highly recommend checking out Wheezer's thread as he has pushed the boundaries of tpe repair, especially using the Primer. I always keep a small bottle to hand so I can quickly fix a split or whatever when I spot one!

[Doll Dreamer]

Hi Doll Dreamer and thanks, yeah I started this thread with the intention of sharing any tips and tricks I picked up as well as any mistakes I made along the way. 3M Primer 94 is very versatile for a variety of repairs and I highly recommend checking out Wheezer's thread as he has pushed the boundaries of tpe repair, especially using the Primer. I always keep a small bottle to hand so I can quickly fix a split or whatever when I spot one!

Appreciate the reply, Arthur! And yes, I already bookmarked both this and Wheezer's thread for doll repair how-to. (Previously, I only had knowledge of Mishka's repair videos, where he uses a temperature controlled soldering iron and hot-air tool.) Really glad to have several options when planning any kind of repair. Thanks again!

[Arthur1960]

Having just done Donna's wash and oiling I thought I would update my thoughts on tpe maintenance based on my ongoing experience with around 35 tpe doll and counting since 2016.

The lovely Donna is a WM162F/233 and arrived here back in April 2021 so she's around 2yrs and 7mths old. She just missed out on getting articulated fingers which were just being introduced as an upgrade so she got the wired fingers which, by then, were being capped with a protective tip that seemed to reduce the risk of a finger poke. Her tpe is standard, so not overly soft but rather towards the firm but still very pleasant to touch. She has the 'evo' skeleton with double hinged joints, hinged neck and, of course, standing foot bolts. She also has gel breasts, which, at the time I along with others receiving dolls then, had thought were actually solid. This was down to the factory stiffening the tpe 'gel' being used following issues with the softer blend. After 2 years the 'gel' has softened somewhat so Donna's boobs now actually feel realistic and have a pleasing jiggle! I certainly can't fault Jinsan for reacting to what was then an issue which seems to have fixed those early problems. By the time of Donna's arrival I had already been extending the time between oiling my gals and so it must have been several months before I even considered doing Donna, the wash and oiling she had yesterday was probably her third? This morning it was time to give her a powder and in the morning light I could give her a really good checkup to see if she had developed any splits or other issues. I'm very happy to say that I couldn't find anything that needed my attention, in fact she struck me as looking exactly as she did on arrival and my only gripe about the 162F really is that the tiny nipples are a tad fragile. I nearly severed one of Donna's last month when dressing her but thankfully 3M Primer 94 fixed it!

So my takeaway from this is that, firstly, tpe that is a little firmer is significantly more robust, retains it's oil better and requires far less maintenance. When I think back to my first few gals back in 2016 and 2017, they had all developed issues with splits etc after 2 years, these were mostly fixable but the point is I'm just not seeing that with these newer Jinsan dolls. If you don't mind firmer tpe then it's something to consider requesting when placing an order, while the standard tpe is pretty good now the firmer blends can give great longevity. As for the great 'oiling' debate, I'm still going to continue to oil my tpe dolls just not very often at all, so a new gal won't get any for the first year then after that initial oiling it will probably be at least another 10 months before I consider another. As always, my thoughts are based on my own personal experience and the UK environment I'm in which tends to be mostly cooler. While Donna is mainly a photo model she's certainly no stranger to my bedroom and has been quite busy with photo work so has been moved and posed quite a bit yet all her joints are still nice and stiff.

Here's a handful of not very flattering pics I took this morning with my phone while getting my gal powdered and dressed...

[seagull]

Good points about oiling firmer TPE in the UK
As for mostly cooler, yeah mostly but you've had some horror days there and the dolls seem just fine despite the record breaking heat

We're about to hit the 40s in Sydney, don't expect my Kimbers to be affected at all, me on the other hand is just gunna melt

[Arthur1960]

Good points about oiling firmer TPE in the UK
As for mostly cooler, yeah mostly but you've had some horror days there and the dolls seem just fine despite the record breaking heat

We're about to hit the 40s in Sydney, don't expect my Kimbers to be affected at all, me on the other hand is just gunna melt

Hi seagull, yeah true, last year we also had a significant heatwave with temps over 40c for several days which is unprecedented for the UK. This year we got lucky as the heat did bloom up from the equator again but didn't quite reach us. During that heatwave it's mainly my older gals I have to worry about as the ones from 2019 onwards seem to cope much better. The issue in the heat is mainly ensuring that their bodies are completely in a neutral position otherwise any flexed joints like elbows and knees can develop splits.

I must say I'm a fan of the firmer tpe blends, my Amy's head is a good example, she seems to be bullet proof yet still has the benefit of tpe, ie no shine and can take any makeup I throw at her. I've a lovely new silicone head which is actually very, very nice but I know it would be difficult to alter her makeup, luckily for me it's already perfect and her silicone isn't too shiny either. I'm not sure many folk realise that they can always ask a vendor to request a doll head be made from firmer tpe, it's done by default for implanted hair but it's worth considering if you value longevity

[Michaelangelo]

A nice and informative post Arthur, always interesting to hear from the real experts and not just those who post so much they get dubbed mentors after a couple of months here, like me

I have to say I was nodding at all the points you make here. While Mira doesn't have gel but is an old school air babe (size C tomtoms, I call them) she is otherwise very much like Donna: tough, resistant to loosening and hardly needs oiling. I generally apply a little to very exposed areas like skin folds around thighs, armpits etc. but use Pond's cream on everything else, which is essentially oiling her a little bit as well I guess. She's been running all over the house in shoots of one sort and another, sitting and standing both, and has taken a few knocks like a champ and stayed mostly nice and stiff, much more so than I was expecting back in 21. After a hand upgrade and ankle tightening she's still doing well and I also appreciate the blank, matte slate that TPE gives you for makeup on the head. Whether her head is firmer or not is anyone's guess but she's certainly got a lot of life in her yet in that respect.

As my first and only doll (I doubt I will ever get up to 35 of 'em... ) I am very impressed by the overall engineering on her and for that reason being ultra-cautious before making another purchase, probably but not definitely silicone, in the new year. She's a class act to follow. Just like your Donna

[Arthur1960]

A nice and informative post Arthur, always interesting to hear from the real experts and not just those who post so much they get dubbed mentors after a couple of months here, like me

I have to say I was nodding at all the points you make here. While Mira doesn't have gel but is an old school air babe (size C tomtoms, I call them) she is otherwise very much like Donna: tough, resistant to loosening and hardly needs oiling. I generally apply a little to very exposed areas like skin folds around thighs, armpits etc. but use Pond's cream on everything else, which is essentially oiling her a little bit as well I guess. She's been running all over the house in shoots of one sort and another, sitting and standing both, and has taken a few knocks like a champ and stayed mostly nice and stiff, much more so than I was expecting back in 21. After a hand upgrade and ankle tightening she's still doing well and I also appreciate the blank, matte slate that TPE gives you for makeup on the head. Whether her head is firmer or not is anyone's guess but she's certainly got a lot of life in her yet in that respect.

As my first and only doll (I doubt I will ever get up to 35 of 'em... ) I am very impressed by the overall engineering on her and for that reason being ultra-cautious before making another purchase, probably but not definitely silicone, in the new year. She's a class act to follow. Just like your Donna

Hi and thanks, sorry for late reply but I don't visit this thread quite so often but I'm back today to again sing the praises of 3M Primer 94. I started this thread to try and share any tips etc I picked up during my time with dolls but there are a handful of guys on here that have excellent repair threads that are well worth checking out.

So I had a straight forward repair to do this morning which was to seal a split in the heel of a body I picked up from a UK vendor that sells damaged dolls they receive with some hefty discounts. I got lucky with this FD166E as it was basically just the single point of damage although the split was quite deep. As with most repairs using the primer it helps if the split closes naturally although in this case I had to fully extend the foot to get that to happen and once I had coated the inside of the split I wrapped the area with crepe bandage for several hours. The end result appears to be a good bond and I can now smooth the area with heat to get a pretty much invisible repair. How on earth did I manage before I started to use this stuff!

[seagull]

Wowsers, several pics of another Arthur1960 super repair. Huge shout out to Wheezer

[Michaelangelo]

Hi and thanks, sorry for late reply but I don't visit this thread quite so often but I'm back today to again sing the praises of 3M Primer 94. I started this thread to try and share any tips etc I picked up during my time with dolls but there are a handful of guys on here that have excellent repair threads that are well worth checking out.

So I had a straight forward repair to do this morning which was to seal a split in the heel of a body I picked up from a UK vendor that sells damaged dolls they receive with some hefty discounts. I got lucky with this FD166E as it was basically just the single point of damage although the split was quite deep. As with most repairs using the primer it helps if the split closes naturally although in this case I had to fully extend the foot to get that to happen and once I had coated the inside of the split I wrapped the area with crepe bandage for several hours. The end result appears to be a good bond and I can now smooth the area with heat to get a pretty much invisible repair. How on earth did I manage before I started to use this stuff!

FANTASTIC. I have a little bottle of this now and should really get around to closing up some cuts on Mira. Heel first, then her hands, after I've redone them with wire (second go around). So nice to see this solid, clean mend on your rescue doll. And so great she has a home now

[Arthur1960]

I'm still seeing frequent postings regarding the best way to care for gel filled breasts so thought I'd again mention the value of getting a well fitting, supporting bra for your gal. Having tried a few different brands I've found that the Royce Charlotte line of maternity bra's made by Bravissimo offer the optimum protection while still looking attractive. The benefit of these bra's is that they are non wired, have wide adjustable straps, a good range of adjustment and also a little extra space at the nipple area (so avoiding compression that can cause splits). You can can also get them as a nursing bra with drop down cups and either version works well, they are also available in a wide range of sizes which are doll friendly!

Jacinda here is wearing one that's a perfect fit for her (WM156H) which I think is a 28HH and it helps keep her lovely breasts in tip top shape! . It's worth looking for these particular bra's on eBay as they are often available at a big discount in sizes like the 28HH etc, here's the link to the Bravissimo site:

https://www.bravissimo.com/products/cha ... ack-ro12bl

[Wheezer]

Hi and thanks, sorry for late reply but I don't visit this thread quite so often but I'm back today to again sing the praises of 3M Primer 94. I started this thread to try and share any tips etc I picked up during my time with dolls but there are a handful of guys on here that have excellent repair threads that are well worth checking out.

So I had a straight forward repair to do this morning which was to seal a split in the heel of a body I picked up from a UK vendor that sells damaged dolls they receive with some hefty discounts. I got lucky with this FD166E as it was basically just the single point of damage although the split was quite deep. As with most repairs using the primer it helps if the split closes naturally although in this case I had to fully extend the foot to get that to happen and once I had coated the inside of the split I wrapped the area with crepe bandage for several hours. The end result appears to be a good bond and I can now smooth the area with heat to get a pretty much invisible repair. How on earth did I manage before I started to use this stuff!

Nice job with the foot repair, especially the binding method to hold everything in place while the primer cures.
Well done.

... W ...

[seagull]

Just gotta love the success stories that come from owners willing to provide dolls with top tier care
Yup, blowin smoke up there again