Polyurethane Resin??

Thermoplastic is what I think of when someone says 'plastic'. It's the type that is used in injection-molding (mass-production); it's able to be remelted and is recyclable. Thermoplastic products usually start as small pellets that are melted down for the injection-molding process.
Usually I picture thin-walled plastic products when someone mentions plastic, like plastic bottles, plastic toys and electronics.

Thermosetting plastic is what Super Dollfie and BJDs fall under. BJDs are made by mixing two liquids--resin and hardener. Once cured, they are permanently set and cannot be remelted or recycled. The good is that thermosetting plastics are much stronger than thermoplastics. (I've read, even stronger than concrete. >>; )

Does anyone happen to know if any thermoplastic is made of resin?

I'm assuming that BJDs are referred to as 'resin' because it's something exclusive to thermosetting plastic, but I'm not sure.

 

That's really interesting to know, thanks, I wasn't actually aware it was plastic.

I guess that people get offended by the obvious Barbie conatations, but I think the differences would be fairly clear if people were to see the dolls.

 

Thermoset plastic--that doesn't work, except that nearly all synthetic polymers are referred to as plastics. Oddly enough, the synthetic rubbers aren't. anyway

As I said earlier in the thread: Thermoset resin(s). Thermoplastic--which means it becomes moldable & deformable (a.k.a. the original meaning of plastic) when heated.

The two parts of resin are monomer A & B, usually; I don't believe they tend to be a catalyzed polymerization.
But I could be wrong, I didn't even complete a degree in polymer science. (did take several courses--needed more math*sigh*) And even with a degree, polymers are a very wide and diverse topic.

Ann in CT and her
Resin ball-jointed dolls.
Cloth dolls with polyester (a thermoplastic) stuffing.
Vinyl dolls (a few).

 

Same as what I said earlier, resin is plastic. However the term plastic while still correct in describing our dolls materials is a blanket category; its more specific to refer to them as resin.

"Plastic" encompases things from styrofoam to chewing-gum

Its the sub-category of resin in the plastic family that maks the term more specific and more readily applicable to the material used to maufacture BJD's, though to be even more correct one would have to use the full term Polyurethane Resin. Under the category Polurethane Resin there are yet again MORE sub-categories, of semi-crystalline aromatic polyamides, amorphous sulfone polymers etc etc... All unique in their chemical make-up each has its own unique properties and specific applications, and while BJD's are Polyurethane Resin, I'll bet you 100:1 that virtually every company has a resin with a different make-up to the next

I'm prattling again arent I?? LOL

And yes you are right, amber is resin but not a plastic resin and fits in a different category alltogether, mind you I wouldnt be surprised if someone who had never heard of synthetic resins to have a mental picture of a doll made of translucent amber when it was described as resin... LOL thats not a bad idea really... Jurrassic Park: BJD style

Not exactly, Thermosetting Plastic* is not the same as a Polyurethane Resin**, while they are created in a similar manner and have similar applications the chemical composition is different. TP's* refer to things like glues and epoxies like '5 minute Araldite' and is used primarily as a bonding agent, and secondarily for rigid structures. PR** has a far more varied application everything from our dolls (from the phenylisocyanate group) to light weight foam (PR** Elastomers with Butyl benzylphthalate) , all of which is dependant on the chemical compound.

Oh and nah I personally dont give a fig if someone calls my dolls plastic... So long as they dont mind me calling their 18kt gold 4kt Diamond ring a metal band and a rock

 

whilst we are on the subject of resin and types can someone answer my question about resin as i have tried looking up information about dollfies resin but cannot find the answer i am looking for my question is this>>>>
WHY ARE SOME DOLLFIES MADE OUT OF A RESIN THAT IS VERY SHINY,NON-POUROUS,VERY SMOOTH AND LIGHT AND LOOK ABIT LIKE PLASTIC(LIKE BOBOBIE DOLLS) BUT OTHER DOLLFIES CAN BE MADE OUT OF A RESIN THAT IS MORE POUROUS,MATT,LESS SHINY,AND HEAVIER,AND LOOK MORE PORCELAIN(LIKE AOD AND DOLLZONE DOLLS)???
i have noticed that alot of dollfies depending on what company made them vary quite alot in their resin texture and style,why is this and why dont they use all the same resin type??

 

animemadness: It is probably because they don't use the same Resin products. There is a lot of Resin products out there. I have a Bishonen House and his resin is very different from my other dolls he's also heavier. so it all depends on the type of resin the compny uses.

Elfdoll is shiny
volks is more buttery
Luts has more tooth to it.

It doesn't make anyone better than the others... just different.

 

Because there are so many varieties and each manufacturer of the raw resin itself has their own individual "ingredients" so-to-speak

It also depends on the surface of the original, if you make a doll thats super smooth on the surface like glass it will be reproduced with the same smoothness, if you make a doll that has a satin or matte finish on the surface it will be reproduced with the same satin or matte suface this is the mould not the actuall resin.

The different "feel" and "weight" of the resin is the brand used and which isomers are used to make the resin compound

acexkeikai is right to say it doesnt necesarily make it better, just different.

Though companies like Bobobie do use a less expensive resin than others, however they more than make up for it with the flawless finish As for Volks resin, it is a denser brand, all resins have different densities and harness ratings, the hardness is refered to as the "Shore" rating the higher the rating the harder and less flexible the resin will be in its cured state. The density of the Resin or specific volume, indicates the weight per cubic inch of cured resin.

 

ahhhhhhhh,i see,many thanks for your help,you are alot of helpful people,
it is very hard to tell what dollfie companies use what resin by looking at the photos of the dolls you cannot really tell the difference in texture until you receive one and touch it,i find this a little annoying as i am not a big lover of shiny resin,i dont know why,i just prefer my dolls to have a matt finish to them,afew times i bought a doll received it ,didnt know it was shiny resin,then sold it on to get a matt one,so i always ask now before i buy from a seller if i cannot tell,is it matt or shiny??
they prob think im weird or very fussy!!!
yes i am a bit when it comes to my dollfies they have to be just right

 

This thread is really fascinating! Thanks everyone!
@animemadness I like matt dolls too, as a preference. I found it helpful to take my doll apart and coat her in MSC, which gave her a lovely matt finish along with UV protection! Not a catch-all method, but it might help take off some of the shine!

 

One of the factors involved with Bobobie resin is also whatever it is they do that allows the rainbow of colours they are able to pour. It's like baking a cake: there are a set number of 'standard' ingredients (Flour, fat, leavening, etc.), some of which are required to make the end result what it is; there are also any number of additives (flavourings, 'feature' ingredients like nuts or candies) that -while not essential- also contribute to the character of the end product. To pull away from the analogy back to dolls, different companies use a different 'recipe'. I am not qualified to judge whether one is 'better' or more expensive than the other.

 

I'm learning please continue. I knew resin was a plastic but I wanted to know more, lol.

 

Does Bobobie not use a different method of casting, or something like this? Would this affect the final visual/tactile result of the resin? I seem to remember someone saying that the reason Bobobie dolls have no seam-lines is due to a different casting method...?

I really know very little about this, but am super-willing to learn about it all!

 

bobobie has no seam lines cause they sand it. to get something out of a mold or to cast it you have to have a part in the peice and an opening. anything you make with a mold that isn't completely open on one side that is the same size as the peice will have seams. you have to have a way to remove the peice from the mold. therefore it must be atleast two peices. which means you will have seams.

 

Oh, then perhaps it was a different company and I'm mistaken...? There is at least one ABJD company which does not have seam lines due to a different method of making doll parts. I think it said so on their company website, too.

I can't completely back this up unfortunately because I don't recall what company it was ^^;

 

Just to add Bambicrony used MBS (methyl methacrylate butadiene styrene) resin for their colored elves. It's listed as having good thermoplasticity I'm wondering if that is why the fingers on those dolls are easy to repose when heated in hot water.

I noticed that volks resin which is polyurethane does soften with extreme heat but isn't as pliable when soaked in hot water.

 

Aha! Found it. Sorry about before, wrong company. Here: Angell Studio must do something different to other companies in order to not have seamlines on their dolls.

Sorry, this is off-topic now... ^^;

 

Reads to me like they are saying that sanding is part of their process because they sell seamless dolls but if the doll still has seams when it arrives they suggest using a particular grade of of sandpaper to sand.

I have to say that is badly written Q&A propaganda. How can you claim that you sell seamless dolls and are answering a question that involves what to do if the doll you bought from them does have seams.

A little off-topic but yes some companies includes sanding as part of the process and that's another debate in itself.

 

no offense but i highlighted a part of my post. it comes from a two peice mold. therefore it will have seams they sand them off. there is no way to get around it. all dolls have seams, just some companies sand them off.

 

Sorry, I wasn't ignoring you, yes I did read your post the first time -- all I wanted to do was point out a company that claimed (in a rather confusing manner, as AreeElf pointed out) that their company's dolls do not have seam-lines; in their site it does not accurately reflect that they sand the seams in order to do this, even if the fact is that they do.

I wasn't pressing the issue to be contrary to your initial post, kuraiangels, I just linked the company I had initially heard it from, since I didn't do it in the initial post I made ^^

 

Actually, I think it was Volks- their SD16s or SD17s were supposedly cast so as not to have seam lines, which also limits the amount they can produce. I'm not sure where I read that but I'm almost positive it was Volks. : /

I don't really know how else they could cast the dolls... maybe the limbs are poured into a one piece vertical mold or something? Who knows.

EDIT:
http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2046881&postcount=27

http://www.denofangels.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3009877

That was all I could dig up on it... hmm. : /