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Hello!
My TPE WMDoll has some ruff spots on her thighs and I am not sure if it is dirt, from me, or powder, or if she has dry areas that need oil or Vaseline. I have tried both baby oil and Vaseline treatments but so far no change. Any suggestions on how to treat this
Hi, what you have there is tpe separation. This would normally occur after a period of time when the material has lost its oil but the process can be speeded up significantly if the tpe is left in a stressed condition, especially in warm conditions. In my experience the only method I've found that's worked with so many tiny splits is to smooth the area with my hot air rework station. You would need to get the surface quite soft to get a lasting fix and if you are not familiar with using heat with tpe then I would urge you to seek out the excellent tpe repair videos by Mishka that can be found on here and, I think, on you tube. Where you find a smaller number of splits, then I would personally seal them using 3m Primer 94 and again you should do a bit of research on how to use it before doing so. Just out of interest how old is your doll? I'd be surprised to see this in one that fairly new? Also you mentioned baby oil, how often had you used it before hand? A new doll shouldn't need any for at least a year and then can probably be oiled on an annual basis. Hope that helps.
Arthur1960 wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 12:17 pm
Hi, what you have there is tpe separation. This would normally occur after a period of time when the material has lost its oil but the process can be speeded up significantly if the tpe is left in a stressed condition, especially in warm conditions. In my experience the only method I've found that's worked with so many tiny splits is to smooth the area with my hot air rework station. You would need to get the surface quite soft to get a lasting fix and if you are not familiar with using heat with tpe then I would urge you to seek out the excellent tpe repair videos by Mishka that can be found on here and, I think, on you tube. Where you find a smaller number of splits, then I would personally seal them using 3m Primer 94 and again you should do a bit of research on how to use it before doing so. Just out of interest how old is your doll? I'd be surprised to see this in one that fairly new? Also you mentioned baby oil, how often had you used it before hand? A new doll shouldn't need any for at least a year and then can probably be oiled on an annual basis. Hope that helps.
The method you describe is without a doubt the best approach, but for anyone intimidated by the idea of using a heat gun, passable results can be achieved by rubbing the affected area with a soft cloth soaked in white spirit a few times. After the area is thoroughly dry, an application of Vaseline (or baby oil if you prefer) is required. FWIW I've only seen this kind of damage on an older doll from 2017 and it happened despite regular applications of Vaseline in line with the manufacturer's recommendation - would be disappointing to see this on a new doll as it would suggest there was something wrong with the TPE mix.
Thanks for the replies!
The doll is 11 months old. She's normally stored in her "relaxed" posture that she was delivered in and in accordance with the user manual. I do occasionally leave her knees slightly bent but not for extended periods of time.
I'll chase up the videos Mishka.
I did the heat gun treatment and it worked pretty well. The only problem is that it starts seperating again within a month of so. Should I treat it with vaseline after the heat treatment to give it longer life?
The TPE is permanently damaged, heat and oil is only a solution for a limited time.
A good glue like the CWA from Indigo worked fine for me, but it is no longer available, sorry.
Older TPE from 2017 or 2018 can often also revived with oil and heat...
