ds storage questions

Dr Frankenshtein · Post by **Dr Frankenshtein** » Fri Jan 06, 2017 11:27 pm

Hi, I have been thinking about getting a pre owned ds doll and wondering...
How do you store a loose jointed doll ? If I were to hang it the arms and legs would hang strait down and cause creases. Can I tighten a few of the joints so that it hangs properly ? What is the best way to store laying down without causing flat spots or taking up a lot of room ?
Also wondering why there is a tempurature range of 40 to 90 deg F. i thought platinum silicone was very stable and tempurature would not matter. Is this a ds issue or does it apply to all silicone ?

Gust · Post by **Gust** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 3:29 pm

You can't tighten the joints without an invasive surgery, so that's out of the question. You can store her hanging with legs slightly apart (the hip joints have enough grip to stay apart) and put soft material under arms to keep them slightly away from the body. Another option is to keep her laying in bed, ideally on a memory foam mattress or memory foam topper.

I assume that high temperature swings are not good due to the risk of condensation on the metal parts. DS doesn't even recommend washing the dolly with hot water because the steam may enter the skeleton through the neck.

samara78 · Post by **samara78** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 4:10 pm

It's not too invasive a small slit on either side.
You won't need to do all of that. You can lay her on her back in bed with her legs splain out a little and her arms splain out a little.

LaDollyVita · Post by **LaDollyVita** » Sat Jan 07, 2017 7:14 pm

Dr Frankenshtein wrote:If I were to hang it the arms and legs would hang strait down and cause creases

This would not be an issue. Creases are an issue when joints are bent (like sitting) not when straight or hanging loosely. My DS lady sits in my office with me everyday, and she does have a crease in the couple spots you would expect, but it is not noticeable unless you are looking for it, and the silicone integrity is not compromised. She's two years old and doing great.

Dr Frankenshtein · Post by **Dr Frankenshtein** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 2:32 am

I can't leave her in bed, at least not all the time, she will need to be out of sight sometimes. Under the bed might work if she will fit. How thick would the memory foam need to be it it were placed over a hard wood floor ?
Good to know that even the loose jointed version has some tightness and that hanging is still an option.
And about the temp thing. What you said about condensation makes a lot of sense, so the silicone, PU sponge and the metal can handle much higher and lower temps, it's just that the cycle of heating by warm moist air contacting the cool metal parts causes condensation, the process of cooling is harmless, but once cool or cold there is again the danger of contact with warm moist air. All very good answers. Thanks for the input everyone, but now I have 2 more questions that are slightly off topic... Do these dolls push air out the neck when compressed and draw air in when released ? And has anyone had any problems useing an electric blanket to warm them ?

Pumpster · Post by **Pumpster** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 7:27 am

I store my soft jointed ds145 in her box and I have added some extra padding under her. Only about couple of centimeters thick foam mattress and some bubble wrap under her but I haven't noticed any flattening in her butt as it seem to be quite hard and not that soft

Gust · Post by **Gust** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:41 pm

There may be other reasons for the suggested temperature range besides condensation. Perhaps some other TDF members will chime in.

It is ok to use an electric blanket on a lowest setting with an extra layer between the blanket and the doll. Check on her regularly during heating though to make sure there are no hot spots.

DS dolls don't compress in a way that would draw or release air. The neck bolt is just part of the skeleton.

samara78 · Post by **samara78** » Sun Jan 08, 2017 4:49 pm

You could hand a loose doll with some padding or pillows resting between her arms and her body and also between her legs

Dr Frankenshtein · Post by **Dr Frankenshtein** » Sun Jan 15, 2017 12:12 pm

Now i'm thinking about getting a lift top storage bed, Seems like the perfect solution, But i'm having trouble finding one that I like. Most don't tell you how deep the storage area is, and from the pictures don't look deep enough for a few inches of foam and the doll. I see there are alot of posts about the Malm bed, but it doesn't look all that deep either. I guess it must be deep enough or members wouldn't be using it. I'm not crazy about the fact that if the mattress were to be moved as in changing sheets, you could look between the boards and see inside. I found another one on storagebeds.com [the original storage bed] the storage area is 15 inches deep and the top is solid wood. Very nice, could be like a giant hidden toy box. I like this one the best so far, but it's a little more expensive, shipping is not included[add another $300.], and it has no headboard. Does anyone know of any others ?

Dr Frankenshtein · Post by **Dr Frankenshtein** » Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:21 pm

Also still wondering why the storage temp limitation of 40-95 deg F. I think there may be more to it then to avoid condensation. The DS website says it's to protect the silicone, but doesn't explain any more then that. I wonder what happens if the storage temp limits are exceeded ? Will there be immediate / permanent damage ? I always thought silicone had a wide temp range, especially platinum silicone.

jonn · Post by **jonn** » Mon Jan 16, 2017 3:32 pm

samara78 wrote:You can lay her on her back in bed with her legs splain out a little and her arms splain out a little.

That is what I do with my DS 167cm for long term storage, only it is under the bed on a thick (3 or 4 inches) memory foam mattress topper. I got a pretty tall storage bed so there is even room to bend the knees a little.