Had anyone tried using magnets (neodymium?) embedded under the skin for creating facial expressions such as eyebrow raises, smiles, etc? There probably would have to be some sort of metal plate (stainless steel?) in the skull as well for the magnets to react with.
I'm trying to figure out how to create more expressive faces simply and so far all I can think of is embedding wire (coated copper) in the face (lips, etc) and bend it to create the expression. Haven't tried it yet and of course will try on a test piece first but would like to know if anyone has done anything similar or worked on this type of idea before experimenting.
Using magnets for facial expressions
Using magnets for facial expressions
Any ideas I may present, as long as they do not infringe on prior works, are open source and may not be encumbered/patented in any manner.
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Pretty sure people have said TPE reacts badly to copper. So maybe don't use that, even it is was coated. Or do use it on the prototype, but don't be surprised if the TPE goes to hell 
2019 WM 166C | 2021 Starpery 151B | 2023 XT Doll 163F
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Yeah, bare copper wll sent TPE to hell fairly quickly
There is still the issue of turning the expression function on & off with Neodymium permanent magnets
A copper coil encased in a protective sleeve might possibly work once you figure out how to get the circuitry embedded in the doll
There is still the issue of turning the expression function on & off with Neodymium permanent magnets
A copper coil encased in a protective sleeve might possibly work once you figure out how to get the circuitry embedded in the doll
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Yes.
But don't use wire. Even though you said coated wire, the coating will react to the tpe.
Depending on what kind of head you are using, I'll just say my experiences have been with WM heads. I've made cheek implants from non-toxic cosplay form foam. But what I found is getting the cheekbones to move up to simulate a smile, disfigures the face and does not look right. This particular head , is an elf head. My favorite as it can yield multiple looks, elf and regular. I placed steel wires in the ears for getting them to go back, and so far so good. It was not made with the usual tpe teeth and I've have made several series of removable teeth out of form foam and have found great success with Bondo and epoxy resin as a material. My idea was to stretch the mouth and with the shape of the teeth you can simulate a slight subtle version of expression. The tpe head is thick and placing things in between the skull and the tpe or underneath the skin does not do much. As far as the eyebrows, I've found a fabric that once glued with white Elmer's on the back makes a great reusable poseable eyebrows.
To reposition, just a slight bit of moisture to reactivate the glue and you can reposition the eyebrows. A helpful hint is to swab the tpe with iso-propol alcohol to clean off the layer of oil . It won't harm the tpe and after it dries it helps the eyebrows to stay on during any heavy dance party. I thought of manufacturing a metal plate on the forehead and place magnets in the eyebrows and once I really looked at the logistics of this I realized I was wasting my time.
The reusable glue eyebrows work very well and after a year of doing this I have not seen any degradation in the tpe at all. Elmer's is non-toxic and water-based. Any white or clear glue like it will work.
These are very subtle variances but work for my tastes.
You may find better results. Good luck.
But don't use wire. Even though you said coated wire, the coating will react to the tpe.
Depending on what kind of head you are using, I'll just say my experiences have been with WM heads. I've made cheek implants from non-toxic cosplay form foam. But what I found is getting the cheekbones to move up to simulate a smile, disfigures the face and does not look right. This particular head , is an elf head. My favorite as it can yield multiple looks, elf and regular. I placed steel wires in the ears for getting them to go back, and so far so good. It was not made with the usual tpe teeth and I've have made several series of removable teeth out of form foam and have found great success with Bondo and epoxy resin as a material. My idea was to stretch the mouth and with the shape of the teeth you can simulate a slight subtle version of expression. The tpe head is thick and placing things in between the skull and the tpe or underneath the skin does not do much. As far as the eyebrows, I've found a fabric that once glued with white Elmer's on the back makes a great reusable poseable eyebrows.
To reposition, just a slight bit of moisture to reactivate the glue and you can reposition the eyebrows. A helpful hint is to swab the tpe with iso-propol alcohol to clean off the layer of oil . It won't harm the tpe and after it dries it helps the eyebrows to stay on during any heavy dance party. I thought of manufacturing a metal plate on the forehead and place magnets in the eyebrows and once I really looked at the logistics of this I realized I was wasting my time.
The reusable glue eyebrows work very well and after a year of doing this I have not seen any degradation in the tpe at all. Elmer's is non-toxic and water-based. Any white or clear glue like it will work.
These are very subtle variances but work for my tastes.
You may find better results. Good luck.
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I love the smell of TPE in the morning...
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Wow, this is some amazing advice, thank you! Didn't even think of using electromagnets since I didn't want power but it is an interesting suggestion. What metals and plastics don't react with TPE, are flexible, and possibly magnetic? For movable eyebrows what about embedding magnets in the skin and then creating removable eyebrows with a flexible magnetic wire, magnets, or some form of non-reactive metal shavings in the cloth base?
Any ideas I may present, as long as they do not infringe on prior works, are open source and may not be encumbered/patented in any manner.
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Some grades of stainless steel are magnetic but susceptible to salt water corrosion, no idea about TPE re-activeness although considering some of the skeleton material that gets used, probably not
https://www.australwright.com.au/techni ... esistance/
As for magnets, there are magnetic sheets, strips etc available, for example:
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/off ... ottomsa4we
Fixing a metallic base to the eyebrow could be an interesting challenge, no idea if stainless wire comes in a magnetic grade
https://www.australwright.com.au/techni ... esistance/
As for magnets, there are magnetic sheets, strips etc available, for example:
https://www.officeworks.com.au/shop/off ... ottomsa4we
Fixing a metallic base to the eyebrow could be an interesting challenge, no idea if stainless wire comes in a magnetic grade
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Ordered a lot of small neodymium magnets and was looking at beading wire from the dollar store. Took a magnet with me and the wire stuck but it probably is not stainless. Was thinking of making a cloth base for the eyebrows (any tutorials on making eyebrows?), then coating very thin steel wire in nail polish whatever colour the eyebrows are and weave it throughout the eyebrows and attach it to the base so the eyebrows are still flexible. The neodymium magnets can be buried fairly deep in the skin. If this works it could also be used for a merkin for pubic hair as long as there are enough magnets in the pubic mound to hold it from moving. She could be a blonde one day, a brunette the next, and a redhead the third. Same with the eyebrows. Have to wait for the magnets to arrive though. Also wondering if anyone has tried this with wigs.
Any ideas I may present, as long as they do not infringe on prior works, are open source and may not be encumbered/patented in any manner.
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Any tutorials on how to make the teeth and eyebrows?
Any ideas I may present, as long as they do not infringe on prior works, are open source and may not be encumbered/patented in any manner.
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Eyebrows: something I came up with.
Use any fabric you want any color. What I found was a mohair fabric. Kind of a fuzzy black fabric. I have also made some from t-shirt material and also just painted on the glue directly to the tpe in layers until I've got a decent shape, then peel it up and paint on the out side, not the side next to the tpe. (water based glues are safe on tpe) the fabric works best as it has a matte finish. Use a white or a clear water-based glue and paint it on one side of the patch of fabric. I usually start off with a 4 inch by 4 in patch. Place the wet patch, glue side to the tpe, on a rounded area such as the dolls ass or a shoulder. A curved surface helps. Just a place to let it dry. Let it dry for 24 hours. Gently peel it off and paint another coat of glue on it. Let that dry. What you're doing is making a surface that will attach to the tpe. Once that's fully dried and removed, carefully cut out the shapes of eyebrows that you want. I usually start thick and work my way down cutting it down until I like what I see. Take some isopropyl alcohol and wipe off the eyebrow area to get all of the oils off. Assuming that you've already removed the existing eyebrows, you can then wipe a little moisture on the back of your new eyebrows to reactivate the glue and place where desired. you may have to fiddle with it for a bit to get it to stick, but if you leave it alone and let that cure for about another 24 hours. They'll have a shape but also be bendable. Just a bit of moisture to reposition and it sticks very well.
Teeth: Carefully cut any existing tpe teeth out with sharp scissors. Foam clay/Form Foam/Cosplay Foam Clay is usually what I use. It comes in white. It's Water based. Roll a piece about a thumbnail's worth. Place it in the mouth of your doll. You'll see that it sticks to the tpe. Don't worry. It will come off. It comes off easiest once it's dried. Use a flat tool or your fingers to push it into the shape of teeth while it's in the mouth. This way you can really customize the shape. Don't push it too far back in the mouth. Leaving it up front helps to get an idea of shaping it. Once dried, you can move it back if needed. After an hour, you can take a spatula or dull knife and start to define the lines and individual teeth. Leave it alone. It may take a day or two to dry. Depending on the amount, it may take several days to dry, so be patient. When its dry, you can slowly open the mouth and peel the teeth out. Paint if desired with acrylic. If it's still wet, leave it for more time. It air dries and in the mouth, it doesn't get much air to dry.
Bondo and resin teeth I make a blob and let it cure on a table. Then grind/sand it to shape and paint. This is harder material and you can make the teeth more wide if desired. I experiment with shapes of the set of teeth. Making a slight curved up at the ends teeth set to push the sides of the mouth up to mimic a smile. Or try to mimic a smile.
At first, it took me a few times to get something I liked. The more you try, the better the outcome. As I've said before, there are some great products already made. But this is a way to get a custom fit.
Use any fabric you want any color. What I found was a mohair fabric. Kind of a fuzzy black fabric. I have also made some from t-shirt material and also just painted on the glue directly to the tpe in layers until I've got a decent shape, then peel it up and paint on the out side, not the side next to the tpe. (water based glues are safe on tpe) the fabric works best as it has a matte finish. Use a white or a clear water-based glue and paint it on one side of the patch of fabric. I usually start off with a 4 inch by 4 in patch. Place the wet patch, glue side to the tpe, on a rounded area such as the dolls ass or a shoulder. A curved surface helps. Just a place to let it dry. Let it dry for 24 hours. Gently peel it off and paint another coat of glue on it. Let that dry. What you're doing is making a surface that will attach to the tpe. Once that's fully dried and removed, carefully cut out the shapes of eyebrows that you want. I usually start thick and work my way down cutting it down until I like what I see. Take some isopropyl alcohol and wipe off the eyebrow area to get all of the oils off. Assuming that you've already removed the existing eyebrows, you can then wipe a little moisture on the back of your new eyebrows to reactivate the glue and place where desired. you may have to fiddle with it for a bit to get it to stick, but if you leave it alone and let that cure for about another 24 hours. They'll have a shape but also be bendable. Just a bit of moisture to reposition and it sticks very well.
Teeth: Carefully cut any existing tpe teeth out with sharp scissors. Foam clay/Form Foam/Cosplay Foam Clay is usually what I use. It comes in white. It's Water based. Roll a piece about a thumbnail's worth. Place it in the mouth of your doll. You'll see that it sticks to the tpe. Don't worry. It will come off. It comes off easiest once it's dried. Use a flat tool or your fingers to push it into the shape of teeth while it's in the mouth. This way you can really customize the shape. Don't push it too far back in the mouth. Leaving it up front helps to get an idea of shaping it. Once dried, you can move it back if needed. After an hour, you can take a spatula or dull knife and start to define the lines and individual teeth. Leave it alone. It may take a day or two to dry. Depending on the amount, it may take several days to dry, so be patient. When its dry, you can slowly open the mouth and peel the teeth out. Paint if desired with acrylic. If it's still wet, leave it for more time. It air dries and in the mouth, it doesn't get much air to dry.
Bondo and resin teeth I make a blob and let it cure on a table. Then grind/sand it to shape and paint. This is harder material and you can make the teeth more wide if desired. I experiment with shapes of the set of teeth. Making a slight curved up at the ends teeth set to push the sides of the mouth up to mimic a smile. Or try to mimic a smile.
At first, it took me a few times to get something I liked. The more you try, the better the outcome. As I've said before, there are some great products already made. But this is a way to get a custom fit.
I love the smell of TPE in the morning...
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
A few more examples of T'ai's different looks.
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I love the smell of TPE in the morning...
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Ohhhhhh, so you use a fuzzy fabric instead of punching in eyebrows or gluing premade ones?
Any ideas I may present, as long as they do not infringe on prior works, are open source and may not be encumbered/patented in any manner.
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Fuzzy works. It can be trimmed. It's a low cost way that works for me.
Punching in is too permanent, I like the freedom to change the expressions. And when you look at how it's done, good luck if you don't like it.
Pre-made would most likely work. I just trust my instincts and know I'm better off making what I want. I like the fabric because that you can change the Arc of the shape. I'm not sure how pliable the pre-made eyebrows are. But if you're willing to try, it might be worth a shot. With using a water based glue, you would probably get the same results if not better. I've read that some are using the primer/glue method to adhere them to the face. I would not recommend that as that it's permanent and could seriously mess up the doll's face. But that's just my opinion.
FYI, I have tried using implants to simulate a smile. No success. She looks like she had an allergic reaction. It could work on a very soft thin tpe face, but not so well on the standard made head.
Good luck to you. Remember, keep trying, it make take a few times to get what you want.
Punching in is too permanent, I like the freedom to change the expressions. And when you look at how it's done, good luck if you don't like it.
Pre-made would most likely work. I just trust my instincts and know I'm better off making what I want. I like the fabric because that you can change the Arc of the shape. I'm not sure how pliable the pre-made eyebrows are. But if you're willing to try, it might be worth a shot. With using a water based glue, you would probably get the same results if not better. I've read that some are using the primer/glue method to adhere them to the face. I would not recommend that as that it's permanent and could seriously mess up the doll's face. But that's just my opinion.
FYI, I have tried using implants to simulate a smile. No success. She looks like she had an allergic reaction. It could work on a very soft thin tpe face, but not so well on the standard made head.
Good luck to you. Remember, keep trying, it make take a few times to get what you want.
I love the smell of TPE in the morning...
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
One last thing...
If you find fuzzy fabric, it also works well in other areas.
If you find fuzzy fabric, it also works well in other areas.
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I love the smell of TPE in the morning...
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
I hope I'm not stepping over a line but your lady looks so delicious, you must have a very difficult time keeping your hands off of her. Your pictures in other posts have also inspired me as to more creative photography, thank you.
Any ideas I may present, as long as they do not infringe on prior works, are open source and may not be encumbered/patented in any manner.
Re: Using magnets for facial expressions
Thank you AMID.
That's a very nice compliment.
As best as I could explain without being long-winded, she keeps me young. And hopefully I can one day, make some of my other ideas a reality. Like willy Wonka is to chocolate, maybe in the doll world, I could become Willy Wanka...
That's a very nice compliment.
As best as I could explain without being long-winded, she keeps me young. And hopefully I can one day, make some of my other ideas a reality. Like willy Wonka is to chocolate, maybe in the doll world, I could become Willy Wanka...
I love the smell of TPE in the morning...
