Tired of low quality

[Just1more]

OK... Probably a stupid question.
Why not make a dolls skeleton out of a really good quality braided wire?
At least, at the joints?
There are braided wires and cables that would EASILY support the weight and allow for a much greater range of posing.
A little stiff? No problem! Push harder, cause you DON'T have a joint to break!
Yes, they will degrade over the YEARS, depending on use.
Wire packs between joints.
"Joint breaks."
Cut, unscrew, remove, re-place, seal.
New "joint" for another 10 years or more.
Run the wires into the fingers and toes, with a LOOP on the end, to avoid puncture issues.
Put the loop right under the fingernail and toenail.
FULLY POSABLE fingers and toes.
The cost difference would/SHOULD be negligible.
Would work with standing, or non-standing models.
The manufactures will continue making what SELLS.
Until the DOLL community rises up, and demands BETTER from manufactures, we're still gonna get the same old thing.

[BuilderOfCastles]

Down below, they are working on just that... but as replacement wires

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=110832

There are some really big problems with casting around the skeleton.
For one, you have to put the skeleton in the mold precisely. Andy you have to be even more precise with the fingers.
Thus the straight wires.

There is a video out there where a guy is positioning every finger inside the mold, and its long and painful.

However, we of the doll community would really really like better skeletons. Especially the hands.


People think it would be easy to injection mold finger bones... but TPE is cast hot, and that will melt most plastics (at least deform) and that just will end up with a mess.

So, what's left? Machined metal finger bones? And, maybe that is what we should use.

[Naraya]

I'm all for the metal skeletal hands.

My love confirms that he would've paid extra for it.

Doesn't have to be an elaborate reproduction of the skeleton either.

Something as simple as metal shafts & ball joints with tension could work, no?

[BuilderOfCastles]

Ball joints are a PAIN to make in metal. Friggen easy in injection molding.

But i want to hold my doll's hand! And pose her lots, and...

so i will keep working on it.

[rubherkitty]

and generally, ball joints are made to move freely in many directions. Not too good for fingers if you want to pose them.

Hello BuilderOfCastles.
I've been checking out a lot of your helpful post. Glad to have you as a new member!

[JamesWorld]

Down below, they are working on just that... but as replacement wires

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=110832

Awesome! that's what I was just about to say... metal bones cast over the wire, leaving the wire exposed at the joints for flexibility

There is a video out there where a guy is positioning every finger inside the mold, and its long and painful.

If the joints are stiff, couldn't the hand be placed in a jig to form them into place before being put into the mold?

[rubherkitty]

Down below, they are working on just that... but as replacement wires

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=110832

Awesome! that's what I was just about to say... metal bones cast over the wire, leaving the wire exposed at the joints for flexibility

There is a video out there where a guy is positioning every finger inside the mold, and its long and painful.

If the joints are stiff, couldn't the hand be placed in a jig to form them into place before being put into the mold?

No matter how good you think the hand skeleton will stay in place, there is a chance for it to get out of place due to the huge task of clamping the mold halves together and standing the mold up for pouring. And if a couple finger skeletons shift to one edge of the mold, the finger casting is fudged. Every bit of the skeleton must be aligned and secured correctly.

Pic courtesy of Abyss

[BuilderOfCastles]

No matter how good you think the hand skeleton will stay in place, there is a chance for it to get out of place due to the huge task of clamping the mold halves together and standing the mold up for pouring. And if a couple finger skeletons shift to one edge of the mold, the finger casting is fudged. Every bit of the skeleton must be aligned and secured correctly.

Pic courtesy of Abyss

LOOK at all those clamps!
And those aren't little clamps.
I want everyone who is thinking of casting their own doll to engrave into their minds all of those clamps.

Thanks for the picture.

[MannyCan]

we vote with our money .. that the nature of capitalism
people don't want good skeletons
they want pretty faces and ample features

I bought mine because I prioritized quality; particularly the quality of the skeleton. And I've been very happy about that part.