Should dolls come with sanded seams?

One of my dolls once took a dive off a bar (like the kind you drink at hehe) onto a cement floor and landed on her face (I almost cried) and she didn't even have a scratch on her. Don't worry about your dollies shattering into a million pieces, they're resilient little things And the best thing is that almost all damage is totally reparable!

~Gio

 

I don't really care one way or another if the doll comes sanded or not. But I do think there was more of a bonding process involved in dolls that have come to me as kits rather than ones that came to me finished and assembled though. As it is, those are the only ones I've kept so far out of the many I've had. xD

 

Like Giovanna said, resin is quite resilient. I once modded a hand of my SwD Lucas to get the fingers closer together and you have to warm the resin for that. But even after dipping it in boiling water for four minutes the fingers wouldn't budge, no matter how hard I tried.
Besides, most of the damage is repairable. A broken finger can be glued, a dent can be sanded and you'll hardly notice the damage.

I don't think people who can 'afford' their doll are braver when it comes to sanding. Because even those who can afford a buckload of dolls, $200 to replace a limb is still a lot of money. And trust me: There are only a handful who can afford the dolls they want immediately. The rest of us have to save up.

 

You didn't sound severe I just don't want to leave anyone with the impression that I would not be devastated if I ruined my doll even if I could replace it. It would eat me up because they really did cost me dearly. I was super paranoid when I first got ShuShu because I didn't trust myself not to ruin her I can replace her but I would feel really unworthy of another doll if I mistreated the first. I think it would kind of kill the experience for me and make me not want that mold again.

In the end I am still worried about somehow messing up my doll in some weird way. But luckily with sanding the results happen so gradually I can kind of watch myself carefully and adjust my work if the results are a bit off. When I did my sanding I was also worried about dropping the doll so I sat on the floor with a little mask over my face. None of her fingers needed it luckily. Just legs, arms, and torso so I had a very good grip. Also you don't need to press hard to get a result.

But you know, I would never want to talk you into such a task anyway! You have every right not to want to sand! I think that this is why I believe giving people the option is fine. That way everyone can have their choice when it comes down to sanding. If a company has sanding as a default (free) it is a lovely plus but not something I feel should be mandatory for all companies.

 

Woah this is all good news to me then!! Every time I handle my resinsoul lu I'm terrified of like snapping an ear or finger off. It such an awesome relief to know I'm underestimating the awesome power of resin, beautiful and tough, what a package

 

Another thing to take into consideration is what type of molds a company is using.

Some companies use metal casting molds, which are expensive to make initially but pretty much last forever. If metal molds are well-made, then the pieces fit together perfectly every time... so they don't make big seams or may even be seam free. So seam removal may be really easy and not at all time consuming. However, because the metal is not flexible, the bodies usually can't have as much detail or undercutting. An undercut is pretty much any part that might cause the piece to get stuck in the mold due to the mold and cast piece getting interlocked - this might be nostrils, lines in the lips or eyelids, a place behind an ear (as opposed to having the back of the ear connected to the side of the head), more complex hand poses (as opposed to flat hands), more realistic muscle shapes, or even more complex joint pieces.

The other popular option is silicone or rubber, which has a definite lifespan and generally needs to be replaced after 30-100 casts. Even perfectly made silicone molds have more give to them because they are flexible... which means that the mold pieces may not come together perfectly every time, producing more noticeable seams. These seams obviously would take longer (and be more expensive) to sand. The pieces can be more complex, though, with more detail and undercutting.

Poorly made silicone or metal molds may leave HUGE seams... so bad that the company couldn't send the doll out with those seams. Some companies may sand their dolls for free because otherwise the quality of the casting would be unacceptable. Really, everyone wins. The company may be saving money using unskilled labor (sanding) vs. skilled labor (moldmaking) and the customer is happy because the doll has no seams.

To answer the actual question, I don't mind if dolls are unsanded. If it came down to it, I'd rather do it myself than pay extra for it most times. I've only ever paid extra for it on my tan FCS because I wanted it to be perfect. (And with FCS, if you're gonna do it, may as well go whole hog, LOL.) I'm also okay with seams because I like to be able to see more of how the doll was made... it's like a fingerprint or a snapshot of its creation. I'm a dork.

I don't like the seams themselves and usually remove them, but their appearance doesn't bother me. The only place I expect seam sanding is on the outside of the head.

 

Sanding isn't that difficult, and resin isn't that fragile--as long as you wear something to keep from breathing in the dust, neither you or the doll should end up in trouble. Also, no one, no matter how much money they have/don't have or how much the doll costs/doesn't cost wants to seriously damage their dolls--we love our dolls and don't want them damaged, nor do we want to have to shell out money for replacement pieces if we don't have to.

Often where perceived "bravery" comes from is just having enough experience handling bjds to realize that they aren't nearly as fragile as they may seem. You want to treat them with care, but they aren't just going to break or shatter on you--customization is a big part of this hobby, and the dolls have been made to hold up to that.

 

Problem is when it comes to human force. I've had someone take their frustrations out on a doll before and consequentially had to do a lot of "fixing". Lets say, the doll was never the same BUT the good thing with resin is that it IS fixable plus, in this hobby at least, there are always options for spare parts. Sanding, too, at least means that nothing is ever really that "screwed up" that it can't be "fixed." ... Resin's pretty good that way.

 

Umm.. this might sound really stupid and I'm not even sure if it belongs here, but uhh.. I have a little problem. I finished sanding my Zaoll's boobs off today and I was so glad that I finally got it done. So I cleaned up the mess and was happy to find out that there was very little, if any, resin dust on the floor. However, there was some on my hands and when I went to wash them, I couldn't get the dust off my fingers! I scrubbed and scrubbed but nothing happened. After twenty minutes, I'm still sitting here with resin dust on my fingertips. I'm really confused because I've never had this happen before. Do any of you know how I could get it off? I've used hand soap and dishwashing soap. Gosh, this is ridiculous

 

I can't stand seam lines but goodness, it's so much work to remove them. It would be amazing if they all came that way but that's because I'm lazy. I only find it odd dolls don't come home that way when it's say a normal colored limited. The company does everything else to complete the doll for the buyer, why not take care of the seams so said buyer doesn't have to take sandpaper to the new expensive prince or princess?

Aside from that, if the seams from a doll fresh from company aren't slicing open my hands, Im not disappointed.

 

I think I'm a bit odd really- I like to be the first to touch or do any sort of work on my finished doll. All the dolls I've ordered in full came from the company blank, with no blushing or seam sanding- it's not something that particularly bothers me, in fact I had to go look at my little gang to see if they even had seam lines. I agree with what people have said about the tan ones- they shouldn't be sanded, and I won't have the company do that. (Most won't anyway.) But even on the Normal skintone dolls, I don't mind it in the least. Especially since sanding costs an extra $55 half the time. I'd rather do it myself if it really bothers me that much.

 

I would agree with the opinion that sanding your own doll helps bonding with it: the more actual effort one puts into an object, the dearer that object becomes. And, unlike sewing or blushing, anyone can do it. It's the easiest thing you can do to begin customizing your doll.

Myself, I love the process of sanding, find it quite meditative. The fact that resin dust is toxic (yes, a respirator is a must) only adds to the charm.

 

I am of the same mind as Kaytok, I am much more attached to my dolls after I've sanded them, but I also find sanding relaxing. I recently sanded my DOI. I made a whole day of it, sanding, sueding, and blushing. I just blare some music and get to work.

 

Schwarfega.

Problem solved.

Phil.

 

I really really believe this Lady MacBeth-ish post is the best post I have ever read on on DOA. Taken out of context and read back to people who know nothing of BJDs is sure to provide anyone with hours and hours of pleasure.

But seriously. I have never had that happen and I am not sure how to get the resin off. I suggest that next time you wear gloves. I do when I sand so I never end up with resin smelling hands

 

I don't think I'd want all dolls to come sanded, especially if it would raise the price of the doll. I actually like the little seams on my Kid Delf. But since some people do like it, it would be nice if some companies made it optional, just like faceups.

 

I would like to have the option of having a doll sanded at its place of birth, but on the other hand, I'm too lazy and inexperienced to start sanding parting lines myself! Also, 'parting line' seems less noticeable to me than a 'seam.' Maybe just semantics, but there are lines and lines.

Also reassuring to read the posts regarding the durability of resin. My fear was not so much the expense but the irreplaceable nature of a limited edition doll. I could cough up the dough eventually, but other than the secondary market, where would I ever find another IH Dark Aaron, for example? There is no guarantee one would be available, much less affordable.

Same thing with home sanding or any other modifications. I'm too attached to the characters to take a chance!

 

I much prefer sanded seems myself, but just to play devil's advocate: does anyone have stories of sanded seems badly discoloring (I mean NS or WS dolls, not tanned)?

 

Though I'm rather limited in experience, I can't say I care much about seams. My roommate's DZ Yuu came fully sand to a silky smooth finish- honestly, I prefer resin that's not quite so slick! Her EID Jessica is RS, so no sanding there, but the seam lines don't really bother me or her. On my MA, I got him completely blank, intending to pretty much learn my way around BJDs with him ^.^ I've had him for over a year and I've started sanding him in prpeeration for doing some dyeing on his arms and legs. He's deffinately yellowed! I was originally intending to also sand his seams and buff out a scuff on his forehead and another on his torso, but I'm a bit worried about it now, because of the difference in color. I could sand all of him, but he's a lot of doll to sand!

All in all- it's not something I'd pay for. Working on dolls is a pleasure for me, even bent over a sink sanding for hours (it was the simplest way for me to have a large area of water to work with). I think it's fun! But then, I'm just ab it odd, hehe.

 

I completely agree that companies should offer to sand their dolls. I can't tell you how many times I've looked at my Soom Gena with my fingers rubbing the seams, wishing they'd just disappear. And though it may add to the time before shipping, I'd say it's worth it in the long run. Would I pay for it? Mmmmm... Definitely not as much as I would for a faceup or anything similar to that. $10-$20 tops.

I've thought about doing myself, but I spent so much her, I'm afraid to even position her wrong. If I somehow damaged her, I dunno what I'd do. Cry, probably.