doll eyes - ? - not for the squeamish

[prasnlrd]

Sooo...... [img]graemlins/gulp.gif[/img] GROSS! [img]graemlins/island.gif[/img] .... [img]graemlins/whatever.gif[/img]

[img]graemlins/island.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/gulp.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/island.gif[/img]

[jerseycow6]

Lol! You had fair warning! Hmm... I can put together a picture album of all this, too, if you really wanna be grossed out... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ October 07, 2006 06:34 PM: Message edited by: jerseycow6 ]</font>

[pamiredo52]

I have had NO problem with popping out eyes by pushing from the back, and it has caused NO marks on the outside when I push in new ones. They key is to work with SOFTENED vinyl. However I did get an AG that had the eye sockets CUT in back and this makes the socket WEAK when holding a new eye. It actually ruined the doll. The only way to fix her now is to glue or bond the split socket, which I fear doing.
About the Hospital service, there was that fear that I'd never see my doll again. BUT the form does ask your permission to call you if the doll is not fixable without replacement. I sent in a doll with magic marker all over her torso and a couple chewed fingers, as well as a hair cut, BUT I sent her in for the silver eye replacement only, which is FREE. They called me to say they would just send me a NEW doll. I said okay. I got a NEW doll. Not bad for a free service.
I save up the hospital cases I get till I get 6 or more. I send in the ones that need new arms and legs and the ones who need new eyes in with them. I have never been dissatisfied with anything they sent back. I always swear I get ALL new ones, but I look for small clues and find that they are indeed my dolls repaired and cleaned...SO WELL that they appear new. I, too, learned to restring the dolls as it was just to costly to pay them to do it. But NO ONE cleans like they do!!!
Paul

[jerseycow6]

Yeah, I put a human wrist-sized sweatband on my doll's head to cover her hairline and then tied a bandanna around her hair and tucked it under the wristband in order to keep it all away from the heat.
Some of the AG dolls' eye colors are so beautiful- I wish that there was someplace that made the eyes in all the beautiful colors AG has so we didn't have to use donor eyes. (for those of us who want to change a doll's eye color rather than simply having it replaced, or who want to be sure our replacement eye colors are just right)

<font color="#33CCCC" size="1">[ October 08, 2006 03:51 PM: Message edited by: jerseycow6 ]</font>

[kitschywoman]

I would also be interested in hearing kitschywoman's opinions on this subject, as she is much more experienced in this area of doll care than I!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, since you asked. [img]tongue.gif[/img] I replace eyes from the back, too. My Twinn restorationists replace from the front by softening the vinyl as Paul has suggested, but some dolls have ended up with splits in their eye openings, as a result. [img]eek.gif[/img] I've done eye surgery on two of my girls from the back, and their eye sockets are anything but weak afterwards. In fact, I usually end up cussing up a storm because the sockets are quite tight when squeezing a new eye in. [img]redface.gif[/img] I use crafter's contact adhesive, like Goop or E-6000 to seal the sockets shut.

[robin0850]

Thanks, kitsch! [img]smile.gif[/img]

You go, girl! [img]cool.gif[/img]

[jerseycow6]

Ohh, good idea gluing the backs of the eye sockets shut! Somehow that just hadn't occurred to me...

[robin0850]

I'm not convinced about replacing eyes from the front, mind you--though it certainly sounds like it's a lot less trouble. (Only the eye opening seems so SMALL! [img]eek.gif[/img]


Another concern I would have about this method is the use of heat/sunlight to soften the vinyl on the face--heat and sun have been known to contribute to frizzing, and fading the color of the hair. The hair, and perhaps facecolor, would definitely need to be protected from damage.

When I replace eyes from the back, it is necessary to seal the backs of the eye sockets--I use a special silicon glue designed for vinyl, among other materials. It works quite well, and I've seen no evidence of weakening of the sockets or the infrastructure (oooo, fancy word!) of the head. The only moving parts are within the sleep eye casing, after all--around which the eye socket fits quite snugly.

I would want to experiment with an otherwise unusable AG head before considering this method for an actual eye transplant "candidate", of course. The eyes are one (or two?)of the most prominant and delightful features of these lovely dolls, and any imperfections are quickly noticed.

I would also be interested in hearing kitschywoman's opinions on this subject, as she is much more experienced in this area of doll care than I! [img]graemlins/hmmm.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/wonder.gif[/img]