Is there a way to repair minor damage on TPE ?

[Brcanada83]

Hi All,

Hope you had a great Christmas, I just looked at the bottom of my kimberdolls foot and noticed a little damage probably from when I was trying to get her dressed and I was just wondering if there is a way for me to fix the foot or is it irrrepairable ( yes I’m starting to keep her in socks so this hopefully doesn’t happen again

[Mr Franz]

Jeez my own feet are rougher than that!

Minor damage like that can be lessened with baby oil. Just rub it in, let it absorb, then dust with powder/cornstarch. Yep, socks and shoes will help prevent that from happening as well as adjusting the foot bolts so they stick out a little beyond the sole of the foot.

[Brcanada83]

Jeez my own feet are rougher than that!

Minor damage like that can be lessened with baby oil. Just rub it in, let it absorb, then dust with powder/cornstarch. Yep, sock and shoes will help prevent that from happening as well as adjusting the foot bolts so they stick out a little beyond the sole of the foot.

Thank you mr franz for that I will try that, this is my first doll so I guess I might of over reacted in a way

[Arthur1960]

Hi ditto what Mr Franz said but I would add that the bottom of the feet is a good place to learn how to smooth tpe with hot air. Those little scratches would be gone in seconds with a bit of heat, ideally from a hot air rework station and a piece of lint free cloth soaked in baby oil. If you want to keep your gal looking good then at some point you might want to learn how to do this as little scrapes are inevitable but most can be easily fixed. Look out for the excellent tutorials by Mishka which are on the forum and also, I think, on you tube.

[pokitom]

There's this method but be careful, don't damage the doll. Be extremely careful. The heat makes the tpe like butter. Move the wrong way and you can take out the skin completely
And the fumes are really strong. Super super strong.
But it can be fixed
(Fumes can harm you. Don't breathe it. Use mask. Well ventilation area)
https://youtu.be/GqaFB9pfMyI

[MrJ]

Minor damage like that can be lessened with baby oil. Just rub it in, let it absorb, then dust with powder/cornstarch. Yep, socks and shoes will help prevent that from happening as well as adjusting the foot bolts so they stick out a little beyond the sole of the foot.

Thanks. My Kimber's feet are already kind of rough from the carpet. I'll definitely try the baby oil.

[Wheezer]

FWIW the idea of using a hot air gun from a rework station works very well.
Please do not try with any old heat gun, paint stripping hot air gun, etc. Not all hot air guns are made the same.
The real challenge is having patience when using hot air to repair, really take your time.

TPE has a limited window when it is plastic enough to gently mold and repair. After that it runs. Hotter still and it burns (the noted fumes).
If you wave the gun over the area, then after a bit you will start to see a sheen on the area. That is the surface TPE starting to melt and ready for rework.

My opinion is that the common method of oiling the area first causes some problems. In that case the target is already shiny, so a user misses the glistening work point and keeps on heating until the TPE totally melts or even burns. I typically dry air heat the target TPE, then when ready to smooth I mist a bit of oil on the area to assist in smoothing. Heat again to insure a good flow then finish with a mist of either alcohol or oil, depending on what surface effect I need.

Air heat repairing TPE, when done slowly and carefully, WILL NOT cause fumes or toxic clouds. Just take your time and practice first.

Cheers!
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