"Hand-made" doll flaws

Seams are just the parting lines of the mold in the doll was cast. No issue, some people prefer there to be seams others don't. Air bubbles can be expected, but, constant pitting on the surface is due to an uneven pour, something in the resin, or even a defective mold with breakaway. That is from the companies neglect.

 

I have to agree with you there. I adore my Rasendou head. He came feeling like he had acne all over his face. Now when I do his faceup (or if someone else does another for me) I'll have to remember to tell them to use some brush-on sealer too. You can't feel the air bubbles anymore...but they love to slurp up pastel that's not supposed to be in that place.

What I consider flaws are more of the "Why did they let this through?!?" things. My Mythdoll Leroi wasn't sealed before his factory faceup and he has a stain from his original eyebrows, which limits the eyebrows he can have now. Also he has a dot of neon pink highlighter on his arm that also won't come off, he has to wear long sleeves.

 

I agree...if it's ONE person doing all the worth, flaws will happen. If I love the mold, then it can be fixed or made into the character. Companies? Well, they usually have more than one person so I expect them to make it right. (Or at least try!)

 

Seamline- no

sanded seams- no {a nice bonus}

air bubbles- sometimes, if on the face and it detracts from the look then I think it should be replaced. My Mau head has a few mainly on the head cap but its not made from a company..and made by one person..so its ok.

cracks, breaks very warped pieces etc- yes if from a company and should be replaced. I bought my hound second hand from ebay. It stated a crack in the ankle, I bought him anyway..superglued it and its been fine..has not enlarged nor hindered his standing ability.

I had a Elfdoll Adel whose one leg was very bent, but she stood..I think it should have been checked before being sold.

 

As someone who -is- going to be involved in some way in a doll company at some point it is daunting to believe the expectations some people have.. x_x I wonder for those who say "How long can it take to sand doll seams" if they have done it themselves and if they have seen how the piece originally comes out of the mold with gating pieces and all that... Sanding, well yes maybe it does not take long but once you sand the seams you must resand most of the entire doll to get an even surface, I personally have seen many complaints of un-evenness with sanded seams on the forums.

I think that for those who want timeliness and perfection you need to think.. many companies have high volume demands. Sure you want a doll from XYZ Company but how many people in their native country also want a doll from XYZ Company? and how many others on the forum?

Ok well, lets say that they have an order queue of 40 dolls which is probably nowhere near what any large company actually gets per day or week, and they use a resin that sets in an hour under perfect conditions. IF their molds don't break, and IF they pour all the parts at the same time then it is only 40 hours to make all those dolls. But in reality mixing and pouring properly takes time. So make it 1.5hours for each doll JUST TO SET. Just to get the parts out of the mold and set them aside to be trimmed and prepped. This is also assuming NONE of the pieces have surface bubbles (an insane assumption)

After the pieces are poured then perhaps a half hour per doll, so 20 hours, to trim the gate pieces and shave the seams to a sandable state. Then lets say.. hmm, to sand them properly, and to a smooth and satisfying state, 6 hours per doll.

So: 60 + 20 + 240 = 320 hours, or eight hours per doll. A full day's work for a US citizen PER DOLL. This is assuming NO errors, NO mishaps, NO weather fluctuations, a limitless workforce that is skilled and FAST and absolute perfect conditions in every way.

Take also into consideration that resin and resin dust is TOXIC and you have to wear a highly filtered mask while doing it...

Resin that cures in an hour, anyways, isnt the type typically used in dollmaking. I don't work for any foreign dollmakers so I can't tell you what they use, however something to consider is that ANY fluctuation in temperature or humidity can ruin whole batches of resin.

Is it any wonder that they want to try and skip the last, and longest, part of production? Even if they did have a limitless workforce that'd work forever and for free, it would slow production A LOT. How many people order from Luts every day? Just on this forum? Or from Volks? Any other company?

All this, considering that people want it here in two weeks or less and packaged immaculately. It's pressure, and difficult beyond belief. One mistake and you lose your reputation.

If you were a company in that position, knowing that not having something in stock or taking a bit extra time on an order could mean a deep, dark scuff on your companies' reputation would you make a sacrifice that saved you money in manpower, TONS of time, and made your time spent per-doll drastically lower, thus you're able to get them out faster... wouldn't you?


..Dear lord, I just forgot to add faceups and painting into all that. Well, anyways I hope that can put things into perspective a bit even if it is assuming that its all occuring in a climate-controlled and labor-infinite wondrous world where money and wages arent a concern.

 

I've never realy seen seams as a flaw, more to be expected and if it bothers someone so much they can be sanded down.
However, when I first realised that Echo's leg was about half a centimetre shorter than the other I was quite upset because she always stood at an angle (if she stood at all). But then I realised that this 'flaw' is just a little something that makes her unique and special and I wouldn't change her for a equally lengthened legged doll!

 

I have to agree with solitary mushroom. Seams are expected in the doll process, and therefore cannot be seen as a flaw. It would be nice if the seller sanded them, but should not be expected unless the price is above a certain amount. Air Bubbles, however, are almost purely destructive. Surely you cannot prevent all air bubbles, but the seller should limit the amount on the surface of the doll. Facial air bubbles are a true sign that the seller does not care about the product, and simply wishes for a profit. I realize it is hard to produce a doll without air bubbles, but the face of a doll is the main feature, and accordingly, will be ruined by air bubbles. It is the duty of the seller to ensure that the price and the quality mix. No one wishes to buy a doll for 300 dollars and have it scarred with air. >< it is a sad state.

 

This is exactly how I feel. If I buy a doll that is truly hand made I will be glad to accept any imperfections, especially if there was full disclosure of any.

 

I think its rediculous when companies send out dolls without sanded seams. These people are selling you a very expensive doll! The least they could do is at least finish it before sending it off.
I'm glad Lucifer was sanded when he came. ^^ But a flaw I noticed was some tiny bubbles on his top lip. I cant really blame them for this, they prolly didnt notice it. I didnt notice it at first myself but I think that if a bubble is noticable then they should correct it before sending the doll.
All in all, no flaws are acceptable. The doll has to spell perfection when it reaches it's owner.

 

It probably depends on the price points of the doll, as it was already mentioned, higher quality resin is to be expected from higher priced dolls. Any cracks or breakage shouldn't be allowed on any doll before it's sold by the company. It's like a banner announcement from them saying "yes we have QC problems"


Bubbles on the face, or chest would bother me and I'd want them fixed. Bubble on the face depending on its location and size makes faceup's difficult among other things and the Chest if it's a bubble there, is really hard to hide especially if you're not a tattoo loving type person

Seams sanded would be nice. Flaw not necessarily but I kinda wished above a certain price point it would just be a standard service on the dolls, you know ?

 

Un-sanded seems are a flaw if you asked/they promised sanded ones. I would be upset at that. And unless the bubbles are big ((then the company should re-do yours, its not fair to you)) then it isnt such a flaw. BUt thats just my opinion =)

 

Resin bubbles are the worse! They look like warts but since you can fix them its not terminal. Doll companies should have quality checks in which if one doll has to many resin bubbles or rough seams they should be taken care of and not shipped for sell.
I saw one doll recently that was horrible with its seams protruding so far out they could hurt the hobbyist. I was very shocked beacause the company was a reputable company.

 

hmmm... no one has written anything in here for ages. In my opinion sanded seams and bubbles are flaws. I haven't made a doll but I have made molds and cast different types of resins, and yes it is a skill that requires a lot of care and attention and a high level of skill. If I was making a doll (to sell) then I would ensure that it was at its best condition before I sent it out to the person who bought it. Big companes who make dolls should have a system engrained in the reduction of seams at the mold making stage with precise mold making and then should remove the seams themselves, so you receive it in its best state. Likewise, the machine that takes out the bubbles- sorry, but they mix resin all the time and they should know what pressure to set the machine to so it removes all bubbles- (cant remember the name of the machine) Any doll that has visible bubbles should not be allowed out. Not when you pay the amount you pay for a doll. Anyways, that's my opinion.

 

Well, since bjds are descended from the Japanese resin kit culture, I don't really think seams should be considered flaws, they're a normal and expected part of the resin kit and garage kit hobbies. Mind you, I've just bought my first gunpla kit, and you're supposed to cut every single little piece from the injection frames before even putting the kit together... it could be so much worse This is what a *resin* gundam kit looks like! http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10106271n/40/1 I guess if your POV is that bjds should be considered more like collector's dolls than resin kits, then yeah, seams on a bjd should look as strange as seams on a porcelain doll. It all depends on the doll customiser/ doll collector different perspectives.

 

I have a completely handmade doll, who has bubbles but she's totally from the scratch. But Bishonen dolls don't have bad seams. Iple doesn't have annoying ones.

 

Interesting question... The subject of flaws in a doll is a subjective one, but here's my opinion-

Seams - To me, seams are definitely not a flaw. They are a fact of mould production. Parts of a mould join together, and where that happens, there are seams. So unless a seam is so large and so jagged that it slices off your middle finger, it is not a flaw. 'Nuff said.

Bubbles - I would definitely consider bubbles on the face a flaw, albeit one I could perhaps overlook unless the bubbles were on the nose. That would be a deal breaker, personally. Noses are sacred. LOL!

Marbling in tan dolls - As long as the marbling is relatively subdued, I wouldn't consider it a flaw. If, however, my doll looks like a zebra (as someone else mentioned), the doll is flawed.

Pitting - Hmm, we're starting to get into greyer territory. Again - personally, I could probably overlook a little pitting, not so much a pothole. Pitting in the face would simply be unacceptable. (Unless I'm going for that acne-scarred look.)

Scratches - I'd say that scratches occurring from mould release are acceptable as long as they are small and barely visible (or visible in certain lighting only).

Cracks - Cracks are always a flaw. Always. Anything that compromises the integrity of a structure should be considered a major flaw.


Whew! Well, I'll stop rambling now. ^_^

 

I love how each doll has their own different flaw. Every human has a different personality trait that may be considered a flaw to others, so do dolls.

I think for the money we pay we should expect little bubbles. They will always happen and will always be there but there shouldn't be a mass amount of them on one doll. I don't think that we should get mad about there being bubbles on the inside as much as bubbles that are visible. If there happened to be a bubble on the outside I would most defiantly contact the company and see what they would do about it. In a way it could be a perfect flaw, to have a bubble in one area. You could make it into a scar or an injury that the doll had had[before you got them].

Cracks could be a flaw. Dolls are like humans in ways, and we as humans do fall down and get scratches. Depending on how big the crack is it could be turned from a bad thing into a good thing. And if you knew what you were doing I'm sure you could attempt to fill it in with a type of putty or a sealants. Me as a gamer can fix the cracks in game discs and make them work again with mayonnaise or peanut butter. It is sick but, if it makes it work again I would try it. If you are too scared to try fixing it I would nicely contact the company. Being nice and presenting yourself nicely to company's will make them want to help you. Yelling at a dog is not going to make them come. It will make them back away in fear.

Sanded and unsanded seems now, is different. There will always be dolls whose seems are not sanded. And if it really bothered you/anyone the owner could always go back and fix it up a bit carefully. I certainly wouldn't let an unsanded doll get in my way of playing with it/photoing it/ or loving it like all my other dolls. It's almost like being dollie racist to say that you don't want to play with a certain doll if it is unsanded(In my opinion.) And anyway, if it bothers someone so much they can always deal with it at the time being and photoshop or fix it in gimp or whatever programme they use.

 

I think, more than those crazy seamlines that sometimes bother me, what I simply cannot stand is for dolls to be asymmetrical. Totally asymmetrical, I mean. Like having a crooked mouth (which was not to be expected; I'm, obviously, not including 'smirks' here), a crooked nose, a neck that's too big for the head (or too small) -provided the head and the body were sold like a whole doll and not on hybrids, of course. I think those kind of things are not to be expected because the high prices we pay should be enough to have a quality control before sending dolls with an eye here and the other there. And of course, no bubbles!