Any experience with Plastic Weld Cement as TPE glue?

kambui · Post by **kambui** » Sat Dec 23, 2017 8:21 am

So I have some stretching I want to get rid of between the anal opening and vagina, and also some stretching at the groin on either side. It's bothering me. I don't want to mess the doll up because I know how I am, I'll just toss her and then hate myself. Anyway I have some of this stuff from my other hobbies called Plastic weld cement. I usually brush it on to styrene pieces to melt them together. I am not sure how it would react to TPE. Also I heard Xylene is basically TPE glue? https://smile.amazon.com/MG-Chemicals-X ... rds=Xylene I could use that?

I also saw other posts that say to use a regulated soldering iron (in my case probably could work), but then I saw others saying use no heat. I can't show the pictures of my girl due to some visitors in my home at the moment but I have a picture of a sample doll where I highlight the issue. I just want to stop it from growing and smooth it out. So for now I just massaged oil/vaseline in there and only do prone until I get this resolved. Any ideas on how I should approach this? I will update with pics later in the eveneing for sure, to demonssrate the issue.

Fantastic Plastic · Post by **Fantastic Plastic** » Sat Dec 23, 2017 8:47 am

Plastruct cement will work for regular cut healing, use the white label bottle.
But in this case you would do much more damage than good.
The first thing to remember is the TPE has to be in a totally relaxed state (as molded) condition.
It's going to be impossible to smooth it over with solvent glue.
And a soldering iron isn't going to be much better.
A mini heat gun might work, but again it will have to be in a relaxed position and those areas are usually a crease with not much access.
If you apply solvent or heat to TPE while it's in a stretched condition it will tear very rapidly and deeply, causing much more damage than it was before.

FP

samara78 · Post by **samara78** » Sat Dec 23, 2017 8:52 am

You may have to live with what damage there is. Keep her in a relaxed prone condition when not in use.

Endless War · Post by **Endless War** » Sat Dec 23, 2017 9:38 am

kambui wrote: It's bothering me. I don't want to mess the doll up because I know how I am, I'll just toss her and then hate myself

Panic. Riot. Please someone advise Kambui. We here at Salem love Kenya and do not want to see her tossed!

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Fri Mar 16, 2018 8:15 pm

kambui wrote:So I have some stretching I want to get rid of between the anal opening and vagina, and also some stretching at the groin on either side. It's bothering me. I don't want to mess the doll up because I know how I am, I'll just toss her and then hate myself. Anyway I have some of this stuff from my other hobbies called Plastic weld cement. I usually brush it on to styrene pieces to melt them together. I am not sure how it would react to TPE. Also I heard Xylene is basically TPE glue? Xylene I could use that?

I also saw other posts that say to use a regulated soldering iron (in my case probably could work), but then I saw others saying use no heat. I can't show the pictures of my girl due to some visitors in my home at the moment but I have a picture of a sample doll where I highlight the issue. I just want to stop it from growing and smooth it out. So for now I just massaged oil/vaseline in there and only do prone until I get this resolved. Any ideas on how I should approach this? I will update with pics later in the eveneing for sure, to demonssrate the issue.

How did you make out? Xylene. I bought some for another reason. (Degreaser) but did put some on TPE and/or silicone. Just some cheap Chinese pud puller toys.. Xylene eats the hell out of 'em rapidly. It does work to make a paste of sorts with bits of TPE. But it's not too workable to use on doll.
Just wondering if you had success in any way.

kambui · Post by **kambui** » Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:19 pm

RGC_0767 wrote:
kambui wrote:So I have some stretching I want to get rid of between the anal opening and vagina, and also some stretching at the groin on either side. It's bothering me. I don't want to mess the doll up because I know how I am, I'll just toss her and then hate myself. Anyway I have some of this stuff from my other hobbies called Plastic weld cement. I usually brush it on to styrene pieces to melt them together. I am not sure how it would react to TPE. Also I heard Xylene is basically TPE glue? Xylene I could use that?

I also saw other posts that say to use a regulated soldering iron (in my case probably could work), but then I saw others saying use no heat. I can't show the pictures of my girl due to some visitors in my home at the moment but I have a picture of a sample doll where I highlight the issue. I just want to stop it from growing and smooth it out. So for now I just massaged oil/vaseline in there and only do prone until I get this resolved. Any ideas on how I should approach this? I will update with pics later in the eveneing for sure, to demonssrate the issue.
How did you make out? Xylene. I bought some for another reason. (Degreaser) but did put some on TPE and/or silicone. Just some cheap Chinese pud puller toys.. Xylene eats the hell out of 'em rapidly. It does work to make a paste of sorts with bits of TPE. But it's not too workable to use on doll.
Just wondering if you had success in any way.

Fucked it up. Xylene was what I used but it's fucked.

Anung Un Rama · Post by **Anung Un Rama** » Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:32 pm

Fantastic Plastic wrote:Plastruct cement will work for regular cut healing, use the white label bottle.
But in this case you would do much more damage than good.
The first thing to remember is the TPE has to be in a totally relaxed state (as molded) condition.
It's going to be impossible to smooth it over with solvent glue.
And a soldering iron isn't going to be much better.
A mini heat gun might work, but again it will have to be in a relaxed position and those areas are usually a crease with not much access.
If you apply solvent or heat to TPE while it's in a stretched condition it will tear very rapidly and deeply, causing much more damage than it was before.

FP

Spot On the money, however it looks like I am too late to rescue her

The only way to fix these is with a heat gun at 170 degrees Celsius or there abouts with fan on low. I would not go near that with a solvent repair as you will end up with a crater, and at best the repair site will be hard and razor sharp

. It will likely fail in short order once the tpe is stretched.

A tpe gel repair may do for filling, but will not hold a stress area.

I would add one amendment to FP post.

Nothing that when you get the tpe semi molten you can not effectively pinch it to form the bond without burning yourself or distorting the shape of the tpe.

So, you heat the tpe until shiny, rapid back and forth feathering of the gun to keep the heat on the area even, and the goal is to maintain the original mould shape of the tpe.

So you do the heating in the half stressed position with the damage partially open. It is important to ensure the area is also dry and contaminent such as powder free.

Once the heat is applied and the area is sticky and shiny, you then use the limb leverage to return the doll to the neutral unstressed position then feather the surface with the heat gun (rapidly) to smooth the repair and blend it in. By returning the doll to the unstressed position the two tacky semi molten sections of the repair site should then press together natural and start reforming the bond. Once you see this, you can start the blend and smoothing heat application.

I also use a very light sheen of mineral oil during the process, and then on blending, but if you use too much or if the gun is two hot, you will get bubbling and air pockets. Once the area is back in the unstressed position (you got to be quick for that part so be ready and prepared, as you need the deeper heated tacky areas that where not in contact but now are to bond together) blending and smoothing with the gun assists the tpe reform the bond.

The gun should be no closer than 5 cm and you need to ensure great ventilation or use a positive air supply respirator as tpe fumes are toxic.

So this is how I have successfully done this, and how the factories do it as well, so know you all know.

A similar method can be done by soldering iron, but it is done in layers, about 1-2 mm of depth repair at a time, repeating the open (semi stressed position) and close (unstressed position) technique once the earlier repair layer has cured.

Hope this can help others.

Anung

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 3:08 pm

kambui wrote:
RGC_0767 wrote:
kambui wrote:So I have some stretching I want to get rid of between the anal opening and vagina, and also some stretching at the groin on either side. It's bothering me. I don't want to mess the doll up because I know how I am, I'll just toss her and then hate myself. Anyway I have some of this stuff from my other hobbies called Plastic weld cement. I usually brush it on to styrene pieces to melt them together. I am not sure how it would react to TPE. Also I heard Xylene is basically TPE glue? Xylene I could use that?

I also saw other posts that say to use a regulated soldering iron (in my case probably could work), but then I saw others saying use no heat. I can't show the pictures of my girl due to some visitors in my home at the moment but I have a picture of a sample doll where I highlight the issue. I just want to stop it from growing and smooth it out. So for now I just massaged oil/vaseline in there and only do prone until I get this resolved. Any ideas on how I should approach this? I will update with pics later in the eveneing for sure, to demonssrate the issue.
How did you make out? Xylene. I bought some for another reason. (Degreaser) but did put some on TPE and/or silicone. Just some cheap Chinese pud puller toys.. Xylene eats the hell out of 'em rapidly. It does work to make a paste of sorts with bits of TPE. But it's not too workable to use on doll.
Just wondering if you had success in any way.
Fucked it up. Xylene was what I used but it's fucked.

Yes, that is a hard chemical for any rubber based products. It is mainly used to remove adhesives. It cuts it. It's too bad. TDF here is where I read a post about Xylene. Big ideas that need much caution. Sorry that you messed up. I'm still playing with making paste with Xylene. It takes VERY little Xylene to make TPE into mush. The other drawback is Xylene does not evaporate very fast. Unlike lacquer thinner. But lacquer thinner does not cut the same as Xylene. If Xylene evaporated quicker, it may be more helpful. The lightly heated spoon trick is very workable as well. smooth out any areas. All about gaining experience and learning from the shitty mistakes!! I'll be opening up her hand soon to fix her broken floppy fingers. She looks crazy waving all the time

So i will be going into uncharted territory soon.
I've not noticed a lot of mention about rubber cement. The kind for patching inner tubes? Probably another chemical to eat the skin

As far as heat gun, soldering iron etc... my hands are unsteady enough. I'd probably set the house on fire

I watched a guy bending up plexiglass with a torch. he had the plexiglass a mile away from the heat, but he had a nice clean bend. he was shaping it. Experience!!

The Romantic · Post by **The Romantic** » Sat Mar 17, 2018 10:05 pm

Anung Un Rama wrote:I also use a very light sheen of mineral oil during the process, and then on blending, but if you use too much or if the gun is two hot, you will get bubbling and air pockets.
Anung

Thanks Anung for the detailed description. May I ask how you apply that light sheen of oil to the area while working?

Anung Un Rama · Post by **Anung Un Rama** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:02 am

Sure,

I have the oil sitting in a small open container like the top of vitamin jar lid, so about 10 cm across. The spoon is immersed into the small oil bath.

I then preheat a ultra clean teaspoon and lightly apply the oil, that I again preheat with the gun before any contact with the tpe.

Heat matching the oil and the spoon is important, as if you have shakey hands, or contact the tpe too firmly with the spoon, when tpe is in a semi molten state, you can inadvertently drag and tare the surface. Try not to let the spoon actually touch the tpe, unless you are reblending or shape filling (and if so be ultra gentle with it using the bottom base of the spoon, not the edges), so, you are drizzling the oil layer (not the steel) onto the tpe.

An atomiser spray bottle can also be used, but not on semi molten tpe (you will include oil blisters if you do this with cold oil onto semi molten and molten tpe), you have to squirt that onto cold tpe, then gradually apply the heat.

You can tell when the temp is getting correct to work with as very light smoke fumes come off the tpe surface, if the smoke is heavy and darkening you are too hot or too close with the gun, and the tpe is about to go fully molten and can blister and distort rapidly.

Does this describe this process sufficiently. I have tried to keep it Simples.

So, get a test piece of tpe to master the process through practice first, but remember the test piece, heats up a lot faster than the doll area, so this should help you develop heat gun feathering techniques, without melting the test piece, but keeping it semi molten

Anung

The Romantic · Post by **The Romantic** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 7:16 am

Yes! Thank you so much. Especially the part about heat matching the TPE, spoon and oil. You've provided a lot of good information and technique. Much appreciated.

LDF · Post by **LDF** » Mon Mar 19, 2018 8:32 am

Thanks Anung!

My "2 in 1 SMD Soldering Hot Air Rework Station + Stand 3 Nozzle 5 Tips 852d+ Iron Mark Ethan" is on the delivery truck. I hope to get it today.

Thanks for the description.

Anung Un Rama · Post by **Anung Un Rama** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 7:05 am

My pleasure gents,

It took me hours to perfect this, even with an engineering background and welding experience, so hence my point, practice on a test piece or non critical area first, recommend test piece, and take note of the ventilation requirements.

Also, thanks to my girl BaBs who was my ever suffering Guinea pig, but now she is all better and happy.

Anung

RGC_0767 · Post by **RGC_0767** » Tue Mar 20, 2018 6:40 pm

Anung Un Rama wrote:My pleasure gents,

It took me hours to perfect this, even with an engineering background and welding experience, so hence my point, practice on a test piece or non critical area first, recommend test piece, and take note of the ventilation requirements.

Also, thanks to my girl BaBs who was my ever suffering Guinea pig, but now she is all better and happy.

Anung

Nice and steady hands help too.

As well as Patience!!!! Lots of that

Thanks for the info you provide!!