The Doll Forum

Okay, quick background:

Elsewhere in TDF I've mentioned my "fetich" for Twi'Lek, the sexy girls from Star Wars. I ordered a pair of lekku (their head-tails) about a week after I ordered Cinnamon, with the idea that I could have my very own life-sized Twi'lek! Woot! I have already promised several members pictures when it all comes together.

Turns out, as with a lot of things I didn't know I didn't know, TPE and Latex do not play well together. Apparently there is little damage to TPE, but it tends to break down and degrade Latex. Several people have confirmed this, though it also appears as though the reaction isn't immediate - you can have latex in contact with TPE for a little while before the latex starts to weaken. Unfortunately, I want to put these Lekku on and leave them there. Possibly forever.

Two solutions:
First, how about creating the lekku with TPE? Well, I don't know jack about that, but I am willing to learn. I suspect it is not an amateur hobby, but what do I know? Is there an easy way to work with TPE, to make your own TPE creations? This is not like trying to make a full-on doll, but I can see it is not necessarily "easy" either. Any tips on getting started making your own TPE stuff? Like, "don't"? Or perhaps "sure - check out THIS website" or "Hey, you can buy my old tools cheap I don't do this any more"?

Second, I thought I might be able to encase the lekku in nylon stocking material. I could get the appropriate color, stretch it and size it to the lekku, and I was thinking of using a wig cap anyway, this would basically be an "all over" wig cap for the headpiece? Does anyone know if this would be enough of a barrier or if the latex would still be damaged by the TPE?

I will probably perform some experiments, but I don't have a lot of materials to work with at this point.

I suppose this might go in the inventor's forum, but since it was about maintenance of two products I will actually have (my TPE doll and the latex headpiece) I thought it might go here.

Sounds amazing. I also happen to love the Twi'lek. will definitely be interested to see how this turns out for you. The nylon stocking definitely sounds like your best option in my opinion.

try sending a PM to anung um rama he has conections with some manufacturers and may be able to help.

carlys_guy

Hi CL, and thanks CG for the recommendation.

OK lets look at the two options, first for the TPE Lekku, easily done, you just need a mould from the lekku you have so you can quite easily get one of the Chinese factories, either JINSAN or Aiersha to take on that project. Jellynew's factory also does custom and they specialise with the samller tpe toys as well as dolls. Aiersha also is more likely to take on a small custom project than JINSAN, but never hurts to shop around and ask them all. The trick is finding the correct company rep at the factories, that is fluent with your requirements.

In this case there is no real need for you to make the mould yourself, simply reference the lekku that you have, or send it to them and they can make the mould easily with out needing a sculpt.

For the second skull cap option, lets discuss why the silicone breaks down over time. To keep it simple without talking molecular chemistry too much here, the "oils" (branch chain hydrocarbons - so carbon based) from the tpe leach out onto the silicone. Silicone as an element or as a blended molecule (such as platinum or tin based silicon) has different covalent properties (ie molecular bonding through electron sharing creating the ideal combination or stable combination for a molecular matrix molecule), that are compromised by the valencies of the hydro carbon (hydrogen and carbon forming a branched chain in various combinations), as the hydrocarbon molecule will scavenge electron bonds from the silicone compound lattice matrix, thus "dissolve" the silicone based compound bond and form a new hydrocarbon silica compound as a by product that is not compatible for covalent bond sharing...this is what form the greasy hydrocarbon silica residue. For the chemistry teachers and Walter Whites...like I said I kept it simple with some poetic licence for readability.

So if you follow the layman's version above, you will note that you need to effectively insulate the two different compounds to prevent electron transference and bond compromise.

Hence, any skull cap will have to be firstly inert to both compounds, and secondly, not susceptible to excessive electron transfer, so while natural cotton or wool would be an OK insulator, eventually, it too will be saturated with hydrocarbons, so the answer would be in a noble based synthetic material. For this one I could think of something like velvet, however, it would also need to be colour neutral with no added compounds. This is one for the fabric and textile experts to answer here.

The other issue is that the drapping Lekku may also come into contact with Cinnamon's body, and you have the same problem even with nylon stockings.

So for me, I would either have tpe lekku made or hunt for some on line. I know you can shape tpe into lekku as well, refer to Indigo's tpe repair kit threads, but you would need alot of xylene and alot of tpe and you would need your own moulding or sculpting techniques.

Now I did find these guys who have latex free lekku (in this case togruta rather than twi'lek), but maybe worth touching base with them to see if they also have latex free twi'lek lekku as well, or can get it made from their supplier.

https://www.etsy.com/au/listing/2754558 ... ome_feat_4

Trust this helps,

Anung

Anung, that was a great breadth of information and easy to follow. I have read elsewhere that some people have had success with latex and TPE, specifically elf ears: https://www.dollforum.com/forum/viewtop ... 87&t=85671

I am not going to take anything for granted, but perhaps different blends do not have as much reaction? I have a series of tests lined up of the lekku arrive in time.

I personally like the idea of TPE lekku, so will reach out to some of the companies you recommended.

Thanks!