Glue

[dalehandyman]

Have anyone tried this glue? I'm thinking of the future for splitting or repair's

[Arthur1960]

Hi, there are a couple of things sold as tpe 'glue' and they are usually pure Xylene or Xylene mixed with something else. Either way this stuff is best left to those with experience of working with it otherwise you can actually cause more damage as it's not a glue but a solvent that will melt tpe. With tpe repairs a lot of us are now using 3M Primer 94 as it's much easier to use, although it still bonds by melting the surface it's actually less aggressive and so more forgiving if you make a mistake. It's also quite cheap, I usually get a couple of 10ml bottles that last me for ages and cost a few £ from an eBay seller. There are still precautions to take when using it such as ensuring you have good ventilation and you will need to obtain a toxic rated filter mask as it gives off nasty fumes in use as does pure Xylene. There are some informative repair threads on the forum that are well worth checking out before you start doing any repair work, hope that helps.

[dalehandyman]

I have tried that 3m primer94 but felt it caused more damage than it resolved!

[Arthur1960]

I have tried that 3m primer94 but felt it caused more damage than it resolved!

Sorry to hear that, it does still require a degree of skill to use effectively but pure Xylene would be much harder to use. It works best on splits, using just a tiny amount carefully brushed onto the surface to be bonded and can also be used to make a paste when mixed with tiny pieces of tpe. I would recommend checking out threads by members Wheezer and Rev Jack who have developed significant skills in this area and come up with some inventive uses of 3M Primer 94.

[dalehandyman]

Thanks, I still have a new bottle here, and if there nothing better i will give it a go again! Do you also make a past with it, i.e dissolve some tpe in a bottle with 3M Primer 94?

[Arthur1960]

Thanks, I still have a new bottle here, and if there nothing better i will give it a go again! Do you also make a past with it, i.e dissolve some tpe in a bottle with 3M Primer 94?

Absolutely, the paste you get works very well providing you get the mix right. So you will need a small glass jar, I found some around 1.5" in diameter, that have a tight lid, then you take a small piece of tpe and keep cutting it into smaller and smaller pieces with some sharp scissors until you basically have some tpe 'shavings' which you put into the jar/bottle. Then simply start dropping a small amount of the primer onto the tpe and stir it with a cocktail stick or something similar. If you end up with it being too thin then add more tpe, stir well then leave over night. Check and If it seems too thick then add a little more Primer, you want a paste that does flow but is thickish, it can take a bit of trial and error to get it right, also if it's too thick it won't adhere so well. If you get it right then the paste will Do a good job, I used it to fill a hole in an ankle on one of my gals and it's still good 3 years on.

[dalehandyman]

That is what i tried inbetween the love holes, but didn't last very long, tore straight away. So on the hand that i cut with scissors it seamed to hold. So wasn't convinced with 3m primer94.

[Arthur1960]

That is what i tried inbetween the love holes, but didn't last very long, tore straight away. So on the hand that i cut with scissors it seamed to hold. So wasn't convinced with 3m primer94.

Yeah, I doubt I would try using it in a location like that which is going to be subjected to a lot of stress. I did do a successful repair around the groin of my very first doll but I used a combination hot air, soldering iron and melting tiny pieces of tpe directly into the area to be filled as per Mishka's repair tutorial.

[dalehandyman]

Yeh, I followed Miska's video as well. My doll is new and at the moment so 100%. I'm just trying to not let splits and tearing get to big catch them straight away. Where as the last doll by the time I'd found 3m primer and got some the splitting had worsened.