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TIPS N' HINTS FROM DOLLMAKERS AROUND THE WORLD
From Linda Floyd of Dolls Your Way in Texas:
How To Adapt Pattern Sizes for Dolls:
Using a photocopier to reduce or enlarge a pattern to fit.
PATTERN REDUCTION CHART:
28" to 24" 86% (24" divided by 28" = .8571428) - 14" to 9" 65%
24" to 20" 84% - 9" to 7" 78%
20" to 14" 70% - 7" to 4.5" 64%
FORMULA TO REDUCE: Size you want divided by size you have
To reduce a pattern, divide the size you of the smaller doll by the size of the larger. Drop a decimal point and add a zero, if necessary, to make 2 digits. Deduct this amount from 100. The total is the percentage amount to reduce the pattern. (This is the copier setting).
PATTERN ENLARGING CHART:
24" to 28" 1.17% (28 divided by 24 = 1.1666) - 9" to 14" 1.56%
20" to 24" 1.20% - 7" to 9" 1.29%
14" to 20" 1.43% - 4.5" to 7" 1.56%
FORMULA TO ENLARGE: Size you have divided by size you want:
To enlarge a pattern, divide the size of the larger doll by the size of the smaller doll.
Add zeros, if necessary, or round off to make 3 digits (This is the copier setting).
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From Peter Dohnt of P & G Dolls in Australia:
How to attach a wig to your porcelain dolly's head:
I use Aleen's Tacky glue - it is a water based glue and
is excellent. Place the wig on the doll and adjust so it frames the face the
way YOU want it to. Put a faint pencil line on the doll's head along the front edge of
the material base of the wig so you can easily relocate the wig.
Remove the wig and with a kebab stick or something similar smear
a "THIN" layer of glue over the area to be covered by the wig.
It is important that it is a thin layer as thick glue may seep through
the base of the wig and show in the hair - not pretty!!!!! Turn the wig inside out and from the pencil line at the front of the
head fit the wig carefully over the glued area.
IMPORTANT - while holding the front of the wig in place, carefully stretch
the back of the wig as far down the back of the head as it will go - this
prevents "AIR HEAD" or puckering of the wig. You can then either hold the wig in place for 5 - 10 mins or - Preferred -
Place a plastic bag over the doll's head and put a rubber band tightly around
the doll's neck - pull down on the bag all round so that it gets tight across the
head in all directions and is held in place by the rubber band. OPTIONAL - you may poke little holes in the bag so your dolly can breathe.
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From Nancy Blair of Dress-A-Doll in Arizona:
TO REDUCE: Divide the original size by the desired size.
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From Mikki at Mikki's Dolls in California:
MIKKI'S METHOD OF SETTING EYES. This is a great tip and will save you lots and lots of time!!
I take some eye wax to roll into a ball about the size of the pupil of the eye you are going to be using. I roll it between my hands to warm it and make it more
pliable. Then, flatten it out like a pancake and press it on the inside of the head, completely covering the eye socket. Press it firmly, all around. Then, take a
exacto knife or scalpel and from the outside, carve around the eye and remove the wax from that part. Now, take your eye and line it up where you want it and press it hard against the wax from the inside. This will hold it pretty good, but with glass eyes, as soon as you have them in, and they are where you want them to be, then keep that head, face down so the weight of them won't cause them to dislodge. The nice thing about this method is that all the cracks and crevices that may be hidden in the eye socket for the cement to seep through are sealed. Nothing gets through to the outside. I hope this helps! Now! Go set in some eyes. :-)
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From Danell Bouchard of Now Then Creations in California:
DANELL'S METHOD OF POURING "PANCAKES" FOR FIRING LARGE SHOULDER PLATES AND BREAST PLATES. Now this is a great tip!!
Instead of pouring your "Pancakes" on the outside of a mold casing, pour them directly on your kiln shelf! Then allow them to dry and fire right on the shelf. If you are going to soft fire first, there is no need to put anything on the shelf, just pour out your pancake to the size you need...let it dry and soft fire*. When you get ready to high fire, be SURE to put the pancake on a level bed of silica sand and then put more sand on top of the pancake between it and your piece.
*My note: When I tried this, my piece had already been soft fired, cleaned and fired to a cone 06...I was ready to fire it to bisque (broke my pancake). I re-poured the pancake directly onto a small shelf, allowed it to dry, then fired it directly to a cone 06. Once it was fired, it was not so fragile to handle and I transferred it to my prepared shelf in my large kiln...dusted the top with sand and set my large torso casting on it. Joy oh JOY, it worked like a charm! This is really a neat way to do this and anyone that has a kiln shelf can do it...even if you don't have a mold! No more breaking them before you get to the kiln, as they are already ON the shelf and you don't have to handle them. This is a great method for those of you who order soft-fired greenware...since the Pancakes just don't ship well...now you can pour your own, right at home on your kiln shelf, soft-fire and you have a pancake for that big shoulder plate or torso casting. Yipee...no more cracked or warped pieces!
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From Ginny in Kansas:
GINNY'S TIP FOR SETTING EYES. This one will save you some frustration. Nothing like having a head tip over and wet eye setting compound going where it shouldn't, or accidentally knocking over that can full of "baby beads" that is holding your head. Thanks Ginny, I'm going now to find fabric to make MY "Bean Bags" ;-).
When I first started making dolls, I was also a pre-school teacher, and I had made some bean bags for the children, and when looking for something to prop up the head, while the putty, or plaster set up, I saw them. Now, I keep them with my doll making supplies, I use two 5" square bean bags--Filled with rice--to set my heads on, they hold them securely, and they don't move. Just a little hint that may help all of you.
TIPS N' HINTS FROM KEEPSAKES!
POURING HINTS
First things first: To make mixing your slip easier, roll the jugs back and forth on a hard surface, table or floor until all of the thickened slip has released from the sides and bottom of the jug.
Be SURE to mix your slip well. Then strain, strain and strain some more. This will ensure that all foreign matter and air bubbles have been removed before pouring your molds.
Always use either plastic or stainless steel strainers and utensils when mixing slip.
Thin your slip with either a "Slip Thinner" available thru your supplier or with DISTILLED WATER.
TIPS FOR MOLD CARE
When banding your molds, cut a small piece of cardboard to fit beneath the buckle. This will keep the buckle on the mold strap from marring the mold case.
NEVER leave your molds unbanded! Always replace your bands or straps immediately after taking the castings from the mold. This will keep your molds from warping.
Only pour your molds once or at most twice per day. After two days of pouring the same molds..allow them to dry out for several days. Your molds will last much longer this way.
When using a new mold for the very first time, be sure to dust it out carefully...use either a very soft brush, soft damp sponge or air compressor. It is wise to pour a "flash casting" in a new mold before casting the first piece. This will insure that the mold is clean.
SOFT-FIRED GREENWARE TIPS
Once your greenware is poured and released from the molds, you may use soft damp brushes and foam covered eye-sizers to clean up the ware in the leather hard stage. For the proper tools and instructions on this method, visit Tisha at TIBS. Tisha has developed a wonderful technique and can furnish you with both the tools needed and with some great videos to explain the process.
Once your greenware has be prepared to soft-fire, it is a good idea to allow it to dry for a few days before actually firing to a cone 018. Cone 018 is the most often used cone for sfgw..it can also be fired to a Cone 019 for softer ware or Cone 017 for a little sturdier ware. Be sure to COVER your ware as it dries. I used soft cotton diapers. This will keep crusts from forming because of the pieces drying to quickly.
To Soft Fire your ware, no firing sand or prop is needed. Simply place the pieces into your kiln on the shelves and fire. It is a good idea to put a "Witness Cone" on the shelves to insure that your ware is fired to the proper temperature. You should us a medium to slow fire for Soft Fired Greenware.
CLEANING YOUR SOFT-FIRED GREENWARE
When the Soft-Fired Greenware came onto the scene, it made Porcelain Doll Making a much healthier hobby for all of us. With one exception (noted below) you will have very little or NO dust to breathe. Your lungs will thank you for it. In the ONE case where I revert to "Dry Sanding" I ALWAYS wear a dust mask.
You will need two containers large enough to hold your largest piece and allow it to be completely covered with warm water. You can use just one container, but be sure not to put more than one, or at the most two pieces into the water at one time. Otherwise you run the risk of having them bump together and break. Fill your pan with warm water and add a few drops of liquid soap...I use baby shampoo. This will make your cleaning easier.
Carefully immerse your first piece into the water. Allow the piece to soak for around 20-30 minutes and you can begin to clean. The piece needs to be thoroughly wet, but if you leave it longer than 30 minutes in most cases no harm will be done. Make sure that the piece stays wet and that ALL of your tools are wet at all times.
I basically only use the gray spongy scrubbers for cleaning my sfgw. I really loved the pink/white scrubbers, but they are discontinued now and very hard to find. I have found that these gray spongy scrubbers work nicely. It is a gray spongy pad with a grit surface on on side. These are available thru Maybelle's and other suppliers and come in two grits. I start with the lower number and move to the higher one.
Start out with your coarser scrubber, go over the entire doll lightly sanding away any imperfections that might be on the surface of the ware. Then go over the entire piece again with your finer grit scrubber. You will find that a paste will develop on the surface of your ware. With your fingers, go over the entire piece, gently massaging the paste that is on the surface of the ware. This will smooth and refine the surface. Lastly, rinse the piece carefully under running water. This must be done very well. I use a soft make-up blush brush to carefully mop over the surface to help remove every last bit of the paste and excess porcelain that will be on the surface of the piece. Let the piece dry and then (preferably) in sunlight use your opti-visors to inspect the piece for any imperfections you might have missed.
MORE ON CLEANING YOUR WARE
There is an extra step that I personally could not live without! I "pre-clean" with the TIBS method on my leather hard greenware. Then I soft-fire, usually to a cone 018 and clean as described above. Now comes the difference...After this wet cleaning of the sfgw, I fire my ware to a cone 06. This is what I refer to as a "Hard" Soft fire. The ware is very sturdy at this point (almost bisque, but not quite) and anything you might have missed before will be readily visible in good light with your optivisors. At this point, I lightly sand the piece again with the gray scrubbers. Using the coarser grit. I do this on DRY ware, ALWAYS WEARING A DUST MASK! Note: This final cleaning can be done wet, however, I find that imperfections are more visible, at least to me, on the dry ware. Once I have gone over the entire piece, I carefully inspect the pieces for any tiny little boo-boo that I missed with the wet cleaning. I have found that small scratches, tiny little pin holes and even an occasional black speck will appear during this firing. Now is the time to remove them. Lastly I carefully dust the piece, wipe it down lightly with a damp sponge and allow it to dry completely. My pieces are now ready to be fired to bisque. I realize that this is an extra firing and more time spent cleaning, but I have been very well pleased with the results. This might not be your "Cup of Tea", but do give it a try and see if you don't really love the results!
HELPFUL ITEMS FOR DOLLMAKERS
FOR CLEANING:
Gray Spongy Scrubbers in two grits. Available from Maybelle's
TIBS brushes and video. Available from Tisha Ritter of TIBS
Finishing Medium from Rola Joyce...we love to call this the "Stinky Stuff". Makes your bisque incredibly smooth and easy to buff after bisque firing! Available from Rola Joyce Studios.
Stone Eye Sizers....just couldn't do without these! Available from several sources...IMHO the best ones are from Master Eye Beveller.
FOR FIRING:
Kiln wash on tops of ALL kiln shelves.
Face mask & surgical gloves. ALWAYS wear a protective mask & gloves when handling firing sand or prop.
Firing sand and Fluffy Prop material.
A supply of "Witness Cones" (the self-supporting ones from Orton). You will want to have three cones for each shelf in your kiln. One for the cone number your firing is to, one that is one cone cooler and one that is one cone hotter. For instance, for a Cone 6 bisque firing, you would want Witness Cone #'s 5, 6 & 7 for each of your shelves. It's a good idea to keep the cones and label them for future reference.
FOR PAINTING:
Good brushes are a MUST. Some that I like are the Seeley brushes and the brushes available from Collectible Doll Company. Be prepared to pay a pretty high price for your brushes..if you take care of them properly, they will last a long, long time.
Painting mediums. My choice is the Rola Joyce Painting Mediums...the Fine Line and Area Mediums most of all. These are wonderful products. You can mix your paint and it will stay moist and ready to use for almost forever, provided that you keep it dust free.
Painting pallets. I have a couple of kinds. One is the metal box, with a glass insert, I have two sizes of these that I bought from Mr. and Mrs. of Dallas. One large and one small. They aren't air-tight, but will keep your paints clean and contaminate free. My favorite is a "Paint Caddy" I purchased from Tisha Ritter. It is a little cedar box, with Plexiglas door and back. It is fitted with six square white glazed tiles. These slide into groves on the inner walls of the carrier. Close the door..and your paints will stay clean and ready to use. It even has a nifty little carrying handle on top!
KEEPSAKES METHOD OF ATTACHING THE HEAD
TO THE BREAST-PLATE ON
FACES PAST LADY DOLLS (24” SIZE)MATERIALS NEEDED:
1 “New Style” Neck Connector Epoxy “Putty”
1 2” flat metal bar (drill center hole) Piece of Ribbon or strong cord
Household “Goop”
If you are using this method on the larger ladies, you will want to measure and increase the size of the metal bar. The method should still work, but a 2” bar will not be large enough for the larger head.
FIRST step will be taken care of in the raw greenware stage. When I cast your greenware, I have cut out the head attachment hole at the marked spot. On the neck portion of the breast-plate, the opening need not be as large as indicated on the mold. I cut an ample hole, but somewhat smaller than is marked on the mold.
ONCE your head and breast plate are china painted and ready to assemble, follow the instructions below. This will make a stable and secure attachment.
1. Take your 2” flat metal bar (with hole drilled in the center) and insert into the head, allowing it to lodge slightly below the earring holes. See Photo below. You will need to adjust the placement to make sure that the center hole lines up with the neck attachment opening in the head. Once you have your plate in the correct position (it should sit fairly tightly without being held), use your epoxy putty to fasten it to the inside of the head on each side. Allow this to harden for approximately five minutes (or until it is firm). Then use the putty to fasten the bar on the lower side. Again against the inside of the head. Note: Be sure when you position your bar, BEFORE applying the epoxy putty...that your earring holes are clear. I put a wire thru the hole into the head to make sure I don’t cover the holes with putty!!
2. At this time, set your eyes into the head with whatever method you choose to use. Once your eyes have set up where the putty is solid and no longer moving, set your head on a piece of wax paper on a level surface upside down (with the pate side of the head flat on the surface).
3. Using your “Household Goop”...place a thin line around the neck opening of the head. If you are using “Household Goop”, this thin line will smooth out and move toward the inside of the head. Allow the head to sit, undisturbed overnight. The “Household Goop” will keep the porcelain pieces from grinding together when the head is turned.
4. Next day, attach your ribbon or string thru the eye of the cotter pin on a regular “new style” s/p connector that will fit into the neck of your breastplate. Place the neck button portion (spring end toward you) down into the neck, allowing the ribbon to exit the top of the neck opening. If your neck hole is too large and the neck button isn’t secure, use a small washer inside the neck and place the sp connector behind that. Thread your ribbon thru the holes in the washer (if used) and the neck opening. Pull your ribbon or string up thru the opening in the bottom of the head and thru the center hole in the metal bar. Pull on the ribbon until the eye of the s/p connector comes thru the hole in the bar. With Needle Nose pliers, slip the cross piece (the metal pieces that comes with the s/p connector) thru the eye of the cotter pin, securing the head to the breast plate. You can then carefully remove the ribbon and Voila..your head is attached!! Secure and neat!
As you can see from the photos...the head attached in this manner is fully poseable and very secure.
I'll be most happy to include your own Tips & Hints on this page. When needed & if possible, I will include photos as well.
E-Mail Me Your Tips & Hints! Just click on the Mail Box!!
BE SURE TO VISIT THE OTHER "ROOMS" IN
MY DOLL HOUSE
Home About Keepsakes My Favorite Links
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Your Very Own Dolls Doll Gallery
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008
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