New video - TPE repairs, a comprehensive tutorial

Mishka1965 · Post by **Mishka1965** » Sat Sep 02, 2023 10:46 am

Coeros wrote: ↑Thu Aug 31, 2023 2:25 am Thank you for this video. I started repairing TPE dolls based on this video last year.
I tried a few times this year with the aim of finding a suitable hot melt gun, but I haven’t found a suitable one yet.

Hi Coeros!

I would visit some factories by you and ask them if you could watch them repair them. My experience comes from seeing some factory vids of repairs and that's how I learned.

Mishka

Post by **Coeros** » Sun Sep 03, 2023 9:04 pm

Mishka1965 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 02, 2023 10:46 am
Coeros wrote: ↑Thu Aug 31, 2023 2:25 am Thank you for this video. I started repairing TPE dolls based on this video last year.
I tried a few times this year with the aim of finding a suitable hot melt gun, but I haven’t found a suitable one yet.

Hi Coeros!

I would visit some factories by you and ask them if you could watch them repair them. My experience comes from seeing some factory vids of repairs and that's how I learned.

Mishka

Do you plan to visit the factory with us in the future? That's cool. Last year we also visited some factories repairing dolls, and their tools looked very large and professional.

Best Wishes,
Coeros

Technician · Post by **Technician** » Sat Oct 14, 2023 6:25 pm

Does anyone have any leads on heated shaping tools? I have considered making my own by forming heads from sheet steel and welding to a bolt that's the same thread as a soldering iron tip.
Naturally I'd rather just get a professional type tool resembling a spoon.

Mishka1965 · Post by **Mishka1965** » Sun Oct 15, 2023 11:27 am

Technician wrote: ↑Sat Oct 14, 2023 6:25 pm Does anyone have any leads on heated shaping tools? I have considered making my own by forming heads from sheet steel and welding to a bolt that's the same thread as a soldering iron tip.
Naturally I'd rather just get a professional type tool resembling a spoon.

I know FANTASTIC PLASTIC makes the tools. I would ask him.

Mishka

Technician · Post by **Technician** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 4:16 am

Mishka1965 wrote: ↑Sun Oct 15, 2023 11:27 am
Technician wrote: ↑Sat Oct 14, 2023 6:25 pm Does anyone have any leads on heated shaping tools? I have considered making my own by forming heads from sheet steel and welding to a bolt that's the same thread as a soldering iron tip.
Naturally I'd rather just get a professional type tool resembling a spoon.
I know FANTASTIC PLASTIC makes the tools. I would ask him.

Mishka

I think I figured it out, but have yet to test. I'm going to try drawer knobs, threaded with a small piece into a soldering iron. If that falls, which I assume it will due to the large surface area of the knob wicking heat away, I'll try a drawer knob on a handle and just heat it with my hot gun.

RevJack · Post by **RevJack** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 10:08 am

Guys,

Technician · Post by **Technician** » Sat Oct 21, 2023 6:13 pm

RevJack wrote: ↑Sat Oct 21, 2023 10:08 amGuys,

Again this forum has no"Like" buttons and I really wish we did! Thank you RevJack!!!

Technician · Post by **Technician** » Sun Oct 22, 2023 12:59 am

Anybody interested in getting that Clover Mini Iron II -w- Adapters, they're getting hard to find so hurry! Amazon has them and Clover 9103 which is a larger spade tip. Thanks again Rev!

timetraveler1 · Post by **timetraveler1** » Fri Oct 27, 2023 6:35 pm

very nice video's well done on the repairs and explanations of things.

Technician · Post by **Technician** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:36 pm

I finally used the Clover Mini Iron II the other day and my first impression is that it's indeed a useful tool for TPE repair.
Bubbles had a small hole that didn't seal properly when I closed her back surgery up so I used the small butter knife looking tip and fixed it. I put it down in the hole, pinched the hole shut around it, and drew it out slowly.

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After that I put the hemisphere tip on and ironed my way around the whole area, it's still not perfect but it's way better than it has been since the surgery!!

The butter knife looking tip would probably be excellent for making incisions to do internal repairs as well. It's worth noting that the tool needs set to high for melting TPE, and that if you put a little mineral oil on the blade it will smoke a bit when hot enough. Because the tool is reflective and polished my IR temp gun was unable to get a reading on the blade or hemisphere.
Thanks again to RevJack for sharing this useful tool with the community.

RevJack · Post by **RevJack** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:52 am

I have had better luck with the clover temperature wise by setting it to high, letting it heat up, and then turning the temp selector to medium.
High can get too hot for some soft TPE and scortch it.
I used the clover pretty extensively during the breast reduction surgery.
viewtopic.php?t=169794

Reverend Jack

TYSONCHICKEN · Post by **TYSONCHICKEN** » Thu Feb 08, 2024 1:14 am

This helped me repair my Dremel accident. great video!

kbsnhk · Post by **kbsnhk** » Sun Feb 11, 2024 10:31 am

Wonderful! This is a great tutorial video!

AnimeM · Post by **AnimeM** » Sun Apr 21, 2024 3:45 pm

My main problem to any repair to my two dolls (specially my first) was and is the black shadow of skin that remain after any repair with soldering iron.
Even i clean before the tpe skin with baby oil so much and the nose of soldering iron, i think that the black shadow is the result of melting tpe with dust and after the black dust when tpe is cold, be dark black shadow.
The 10% benzoyl peroxide don't effect positive to this because is not stain but a new mix material, tpe with dust !