Are you bothered by seams????

Ahh the innocence of this statement! LOL I LOVE when people say things like this, it fair makes my day because now I and everyone else who's ever actually DONE seam sanding can sit here and set up a book on how long it's going to be after you get your doll and give it a go that you're back here to take that whollllle questioning part out of your post with epic levels of contrition.

As others have discovered before you with a painful regularity that amuses me greatly, yes, it really is THAT HARD and yes, it really can take THAT LONG which is why it really costs THAT MUCH. Enjoy finding that out for yourself though!

This eternal bad penny of a debate rolls up every now and then and never fails to make me long for a sort've...compulsory training course before people are allowed to put fingers to keys because honestly, you don't have to LOVE seamlines, but you do have to EXPECT them as a natural part of the manufacturing process. There's no getting around them, and if the cost bothers someone that much, they're entirely free to only purchase from companies who sand as default or who have a casting process that minimises them suitably.

Sand em off yourself if you want to deal with the hassle, send them to someone else if you don't but don't, really, DON'T complain about the amount it costs to have it done without ANY experience of trying it yourself. It's like anything in this hobby, it's hard work and that does not come CHEAP in any walk of life.

 

I used to be really bothered by them. I bought the rare and sought after MD Vesuvia straight from Soom and then ended up selling her because I couldn't get over the seams and they couldn't be sanded due to the special resin.

I guess over time I was forced to get over this and my other BJD hangups or be limited in my choices (which doesn't help when shelling characters). I still sand my dolls whenever possible and I'm always happy when a doll comes seamless, but I've learned to live with seams when it can't be helped. I now own 3 dolls who can't be sanded and while it sometimes bothers me, it isn't the deal breaker that it was at the time I let my Vesuvia go... I kinda wish I had waited longer before deciding to sell her.

 

It really depends from doll to doll for me. Unoas come pretty unfinished and have some pretty big seams in certain places (OMFG FEET) so I sand those down. Some of my other dolls came with practically no seams while others have moderately visible ones.

I generally just sand all of them and get it over with because I like the feel of smooth resin. I've only ever paid for sanding once, but that was for a tan doll which is a lot more troublesome than any other resin to sand due to possible discoloration.

Ultimately, what you need to decide is whether you want to save the money you would pay to get someone else to sand the doll for you or spend it on yourself and take the time and energy to do it. It's relatively easy to sand your doll once you have the right equipment (respirator, sandpaper, MSC if so inclined), but it's tedious and slightly tiring work.

 

The casting method that leaves almost no seam lines involves using a silicone and no mold release. Silicone is expensive and breaks down easily requiring a new mold to be made after so many casts. Harder resins are more expensive and harder to remove seam lines from.

I'm guessing that the cheaper companies do not have the advantage of using more expensive molds (silicone) and have to use mold release to prevent the resin from sticking to mold. Unfortunately this can mar the surface of the resin requiring the doll and seam lines to be sanded.

 

Wow! And right there you have answered my "why do cheap companies sand their dolls?" Thanks for posting this!

I only mind seams when they are rough enough to catch my hands, but I don't mind trimming down the really rough edges myself. If sanding is possible and the company offers it, I will pay for the service because they do a better job than I would, and i do prefer if possible a smoother look--but it's not a dealbreaker for me.

 

I'm not bothered by the seams at all, often I even forget about them because I pay no attention to them at all. I've only tried sanding the seams on the head of my first doll. Never done it since, since the seams really doesn't bother me. ^^

 

I'm not really bothered by seams if they are not too large and sharp. I'm quite lucky with my dolls because there are only a few with larger seams like one of my Iplehouse EIDs. But it never bothers me so much I'd remove the seams.

 

I only have two resin dolls for now and one of them (Souldoll) only had very slight seams which were hardly visible but I sanded them anyway. I loooove her resin now, it's very smooth and you can only see a hint of the old seams. I didn't find the sanding process to be that much of a pain to be honest, not to that extent that some members described it as at least...But then again they were only really minimal seams.
My other doll (Granado) is another story... He has tan skin, so sanding was out of the question. He was only my second doll, and only the second resin doll I ever saw in real life and my first tan doll to boot. So I didn't really know what to expect regarding seams. But he has the most outrageous seams I'd ever seen (on pictures)! Some of them were so bad that you could cut yourself on them so I sanded them down slightly. I wish I'd known about tan resin and the 'no sanding' rule before I ordered him in tan, because the seams do really bother me. His tan skin is gorgeous but every time I look at him I see those cracks (which they are,let's call them that) .
So yes, seams bother me, especially when sanding is out of the question like it is with tan resin. I don't mind sanding at all, as I really like the customizing aspect of the hobby.
What bothers me is that some things which are more negative tend to not be talked about in this hobby, like the seams of some companies' dolls. I've never seen pictures of seams in this forum, and I've been here 24/7 since December . And when someone posted pictures of seams in the Granado thread, they were deleted a day later which I'm sure was asked of the member to do.
Oh and to answer a question in the original post: Yes, I wish my doll had a better finish for his price, because I feel like he is one of the "worse" dolls of that specific batch as no one else had anything to complain about.

 

I recieved my first doll with a seem on one leg it doesn't bother me her clothes will cover it up anyway.

 

I think this is true: the better the molds, the less visible the seamlines are. Bad silicone molds too will result in bad casts.
I believe the dolls of more affordable companies have bigger seamlines when they get out of the mold, and their dolls have to be sanded to look good. Also, depending on what country the company originates from, it might be easier to offer sanding for free, because the wages are lower.

From what I've heard - but I could be wrong - some more affordable companies use metal molds. On the upside it means you'll never have to replace your molds again. The downside is that metal does not capture details very well, so you'll have to keep your sculpts fairly basic, and the seamlines of the finished product are bad.

One thing though: even with silicone molds you'll need mold release. Not too much, because that will affect the resin, but if you don't spray the molds with release, there's a chance you'll tear the mold, because resin will stick to the silicone surface a bit.

 

I know so little about the technicalities of casting dolls; it's really interesting to hear about the why and wherefore of default sanding...

My Dollzone boy came all sanded, and since he was my first doll, I thought that was normal. It's only later that I realised that some (more expensive) dolls come with seams. I'm glad now that I chose Dollzone, because I think I would have been appalled if my first doll had been one that wasn't all smooth. I'd mind seams very much. If my dolls didn't come sanded, I think I'd definitely order seam removal.

This seam business is one of the things that make me realise, afterwards, that I really had no idea what I was buying when I ordered my first doll . Fortunately, he turned out ot be an excellent choice for me!

What Zomboid says does rather worry me, though. Is it true that things like seams tend to be 'not talked about'? This is the sort of thing I'd like to know about before I buy an expensive doll. Though - well, I guess if a company *offers* seam removal, that means you can expect to get a doll with seams if you choose not to order the service...

 

I don't think it's 'not done' to talk about them, otherwise this thread wouldn't have had 14 pages . I do think, however, that the focus of the hobby has changed slightly. When I first came to the hobby, removing seamlines was just one of those things you could do to customize and perfect your doll: like giving him a face-up, modding him, restringing him etc. It was very do-it-yourself and so seamlines weren't considered a defect, but a part of the product that you had to make your own.

The perspective of the hobby has changed a bit though, and more and more people expect companies to not give them dolls with 'flaws' like seamlines. Some are offended when companies do, because the customer pays good money for their product.

It remains a question if companies have to listen to these voices, or if they have to hold on to their vision of what their dolls should be like.

 

I don't think that it's 'not done' to talk about things like seamlines, but they aren't defects and shouldn't really be considered alongside genuine flaws like airbubbles in the resin, thin parts prone to cracking and resin drastically changing colour - those are flaws, seamlines are just a by-product of casting. If you like them, you can keep them, if you don't you can either pay the company or a customiser to remove them or do it yourself.

Seamlines don't bother me. I haven't sanded any of my dolls - one doll who has been sanded was done by her previous owner. I'd only consider sanding seams down slightly if they were large enough and sharp enough to hurt me, other than that, I don't think I'd sand them away completely. I'm not looking for realism in my dolls, I like them to look like dolls and the seamlines help with that look.

I also love the high level of detailing in dolls and I would hate for that to be sacrificed for the sake of a few little seams here and there.

Cracks in the resin are a serious flaw, seamlines are not. If you do have cracks in your doll you need to contact the company about them because genuine flaws are not acceptable and you shouldn't have to put up with that.

 

Seams most definitely are not cracks. A crack implies that there is a structural flaw in a piece that was once whole that is now splitting. Seams are a line that appears where two parts of the mold meet.

Honestly, most dolls pictured probably do have seams. All of mine do. But you know what? They really aren't a big deal and aren't all that noticeable when photographed. I don't like sanding anything on my dolls since to me, I'd rather have a natural seam line that I see as just part of what makes a doll a doll, like the joints do, as opposed to a line of discolouration.

 

Maybe cracks was the wrong word. It's really not that drastic as cracking resin, it's just a raised seamline that is very jagged. I'm not contacting the company about it because after all I read and researched about seams those seem to be quite common in the hobby. I was just so spoiled with my Souldoll I guess . But that seam issue (with a few other things) really put me off that company,unfortunately.

 

Pl

I have to agree. Why my LittleFee Ante, who is a tiny at 25cm, ended being a two (or was it three?) day sanding process. It involved me using something like 5 different sand grades and making very small circular motions. I'm sure it depends on how fast you are and how picky you are too. I'm a bit of a nut but I figured if I'm going to sand her I might as well do it right and get her super buttery smooth. Now that I have my Feeple at home... oh man... I'm dreading sanding her.

Going back to the question at hand. No, I don't like seams and much prefer smoothed out resin. I just think that no matter what BJD's look like dolls but sanding seams help make them look more realistic. Plus... now this will sound pervy or something but I don't mean it that way... it makes rubbing their legs and arms so much more enjoyable. Mmm smooth resin.

 

I learned my feelings about seams. My first three dolls (B&G Rin, Elfdoll Soah and Narae) came to me seam-free. I ordered the seam sanding (Aesthe is term Dollshe uses) for my Bernard Pure Body FS, because I didn't want to undertake it myself on that glorious body, but also I had planned to spend full the amount on the body so I didn't mind paying for the service since I got the body half price.

My most recent fifth doll was unplanned, so to speak and a hybrid: DM Lilis Liv head (purchased at a local meet) on a Glorydoll body (from the MP). I was happy the body is a good resin match but the seams are prominent. It turns out, I don't like seams and I'm going to undertake sanding the seams on my Glorydoll body. I was surprised at how strongly I felt about it.

As to the question of should the companies do the seam finishing before shipping the dolls, well, we know they are cast, a process that results in seams. They get to keep costs low by not doing the work, which is labor intensive. I think of it as a way to bond with a doll, but I like to do light customizing on my dolls.

 

I haven't seen any seems in person but I think I would be bothered by it. I get kind of bothered by imperfections and I think I would want my doll to be smooth. I'm getting a minifee so the chance that I will have seems is pretty high. I'll probably try to get rid of them myself but I'm worried about the toxins. I'm not really worried about how much work it will take... I'm used to putting in a lot of tedious effort for small things. I guess I'll see what happens when she gets here.