Realm of Resin Messageboard

Sometimes we find heads out there that are in need of repair. It may be your holy grail head or one that you think would be fantastic done 'this other way'. We've all seen repaired dolls on the boards and web and I know what a daunting task it can be to consider taking on the task of repairing a doll. One of the more common 'issues' that abound, are repaired eyes. Typically what happens is someone decides that they want to open up the eyes of a sleep head doll. It just uses a craft knife....how hard can it be? Well plenty hard :) One eye gets opened perfect and the other opened a little too far so attempts are made to adjust the other eye to match it and this battle goes back and forth until the eye openings are so large that the eyes fall right out. Ruined doll right? Not necessarily. There are a few processes suggested for repairing eyes that have been overly modified. We will go over some of the pro's and cons of two of the methods here as well as address the actual process for one of the methods.

Liquid & powder nail acrylic
PROS	CONS
Cost efficent strong repair Permanent Repair	dries very quickly, limited working time Rough finished surface even with intense sanding must be done in layers and built up harsh chemicals can adversely affect health no color matching capabilities Chemicals age and can become gritty or overly thick Repair must be painted or masked by the faceup both of which will always look like a repair Repair can melt if acetone based products are used to remove faceup attempts
OVEN BAKE CLAYS
PROS	CONS
cost efficent Repair can be closely colormatched resulting in a clean repair extended working time, allows for plenty of time to make adjustments while the clay is still wet soft and pliable, safe to touch even with bare hands Easily sandable When applied properly the repair is permanent Can be sanded to a nice smooth finish More sculpting potential due to the extened working time	dust and skin oils can affect the color of the repair can be britle if not properly worked and/or cured fingerprints can show in the repair if not sanded properly Must be oven cured, risk of discoloration of the resin or burning the repair
Epoxy Clay
PROS	CONS
extended workable time has some elasticity good adhesion qualities Very durable when cured No heat curing requred	extensive preperation needed to work the epoxy Sticks to everything limited color range (needs painted for accurate matching) must have the time needed to work with it, once mixed you cannot set it aside and pick it back up later Odorous chemical smell

There may be other pro's and con's to each method but this list covers most of them. There are ways to combat the repair issues with the oven bake clays for sure. In regards to fingerprints and dirt, you can use 'finger Condoms' easily purchased at most art supply shops or pharmacies to prevent the transfer of oils and fingerprints from affecting the appearance of the repair. By Curing the repairs in stages and at lower temperatures you can minimize the risk of brittle or burnt repairs. you can also combine and blend different types of clay to help improve their stregnth as well as the durability of the finished product. (blending is used for colormatch)

My suggested method for repairs is using the clay method and after the repairs are completed, applying a thin layer of the acrylic compound to the interior of the eyesocket for added stregnth. This method incorporates the pros of both methods and helps to ensure the life of the repair. But does not limit you to painting for color matching to the resin.

Soon, another link will be added here which will cover the process of repairing the eyes; with before, during and after photos to help you visualize the actual process.

I hope that this information has been helpful to you. If you have questions you would like answered that are not covered here regarding the repair of resin, please feel free to contact me GothChics@gmail.com and I will happily try to help you along.

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