My Home made 60cm BJD progress!!

[vkgirl911]

So i recently started on my 60 cm boy though i've not made much progress due it being chaotic w/ Xmas shopping earlier in the month. but i'm now trying to make the time to work on him but i've already come across a problem & need some friendly advice....i know how i'm gonna go about molding the head & what i'll use as a core for the inside, but i'm not sure if it is safe to bake polymer clay over styrofoam, covered in saran wrap, in an oven? if anyone has any information relating to this please don't hesitate to comment below! also how do i cut it open to get the styrofoam core out? can i use an X-acto knife or do i need to invest some money in a drill or dremel tool? because i dont have the funds right now to get a drill or dremel tool, i'd like to give my new X-acto knife a try, tho i'd appreciate any helpful tips & advice regarding this matter! Thanks again in advance!!

[DollyKim]

DO NOT BAKE STYROFOAM! TOXIC FUMES! check in the tips and tricks section for posts on polymer clay.

I have baked paper mache paste (or instant paper mache) inside of polymer clay pieces. Baking does make it very hard but you can soak the pieces to soften the mache. As for seams I would suggest scoring them while the clay is soft leaving a very thin layer that will be easier to cut apart. The Xacto isn't going to do much, the blade is too thin. I've used a hand carving set to do my cutting and shaping on dry clay. On wet clay I've had success with tools specifically for polymer clay.

[takahirokumiko]

Also, the saran wrap would melt, trust me on this. You would ruin anything you baked wrapped in it.

[zirconmermaid]

The styrofoam core method is only used for air dry clay. Aluminum foil is good for baking clay instead.

[vkgirl911]

Thanks! i was afraid to use aluminum foil cuz i thought it too would be useless in an oven due to the heat getting to it but since u said it was safe i'll give it a try!! oh! quick question though! can it be wrapped in saran wrap w/ the clay baked over that? or will i need to "gut out" the inside once its done baking on just the foil alone? just wanna be sure that i'm doing it the right way with this method so i'm not to cause myself any extra problems/stress later on, thanks for the tips! keep 'em coming!

[zirconmermaid]

You can't use saran wrap in the oven with the clay at all! You also need to be careful not to overbake the clay - it also gives off toxic fumes if burned. Which clay are you using? Regular sculpey is too brittle. You will need to use Super Sculpey. My husband has made several doll, he actually doesn't use the core method at all. He sculpts the doll with the jointing allready planned out and does it piece by piece. This way he already has the hollow interior and no removal is needed.

Another way is to get balsa wood for the core. You can find it at hobby stores. Just so you know, making your own doll is actually just as expensive as buying one by the time you get done with everything you need to do. In fact, it can actually be more expensive. However, you do get a doll that is your own.

A method I have considered doing is to get round wooden beads of the correct size, and brass or aluminum tubing (again, this is where a hobby store is useful) Draw out the doll in the size and scale you want. Now, using that as your template, draw the inside and joints of the doll. Using the beads (for a 60 cm I suggest 1 inch for the hip, smaller for the shoulders and then gradually smaller for knees, elbows, ankles and wrists. Using the tubing and the beads plus a dremel tool make a jointed skeleton for your doll. Then use the skeleton pieces to sculpt the actual doll - for instance the arms. Doing a simple jointing, you would the shoulder bead and the upper arm tube. Then sculpt the upper arms over this armature. The clay should be able to hold the two pieces together. Do your legs and arms at the same time so that they are the same size and symmetrical. Gerald used a wooden armature in the chest plate of the doll he made.

While you are at the hobby store, get sand paper in multiple sizes down to very fine. You will need to do a lot of sanding to get the doll smooth and even. When doing the head, I really suggest doing an armature first. There is actually one you can get that is essentially a bjd skull to sculpt around.

Another option is to use Apoxie Sculpt. It is a workable epoxy clay that does not need baking. It sands better than the air dry doll clays.

[DollyKim]

La Doll or Premiere stone clays are comparable in price to the big bricks of polymer and those will work with saran wrap and styrofoam. That cuts easier with an Xacto and is a lot easier to hide mistakes and make repairs.

With polymer clays you can use foil, it's recommended for it. You have to know if your oven runs hot or cool and should take precautions because baking too much clay isn't good for food. If you plan to do a lot you may want to look in to a craft oven.

The only thing with making an Apoxie Sculpt SD size is the weight. It's heavier than polymer and air dry clays, it still needs a certain thickness to hold up.

[SoapBubbles]

Judging from takahirokumiko and zirconmermaid's comment, it seems that you should avoid saran wrap completely if you're putting something in the oven.

I was also typing up quite a bit, but zirconmermaid already beat me to it so I won't write any repeats.

Lessie... Yes, an X-acto knife should be enough to cut through baked polymer clay. I've never tried to cut something as big as a doll's head before, but if it cuts polymer canes then I'm pretty sure it can cut through what you're planning to make. I also think a wooden core will probably be more stable and easy to use, but I've baked plenty of polymer clay miniatures on top of aluminum foil without it sticking or anything so it should be fine.

Also, remember to get a mask to wear when sanding it. I think people tend to skimp on this because they're too lazy to go and buy it/think it'll be fine without it, but anything that is sanded down will produce tiny particles of dust that will build up in your lungs. Besides, in the world of BJDs there's already so many uses for the mask that you might as well get one (e.g. face ups, modding resin dolls, removing seams, making doll parts).

Is there any particular reason you're using polymer clay to make the doll? I just did a quick search on google and it doesn't seem like the recommended material for it.

[DollyKim]

Polymer clay does work for smaller dolls, I managed to get 1/6 scale Pete and Sid to work, Garak is Apoxie Sculpt. For their limbs foil wrapped around wooden skewers worked, the foil helps the clay slide off. The bulkiest Apoxie Sculpt thing I made was a horse end for Roger, parts got thick and it got heavy.

Larger dolls I've always done with air dry. It's especially forgiving if you're still learning.

[kiki-chan78]

Listen to Zirc, she knows what she's talking about. I've seen and handled the doll her husband is making, it's insanely cute! He helped me finish with the initial elbows on my boy.

Personally, I like to go with apoxie sculpt when not dealing with a 3D print. Both apoxie sculpt and sculpy are heavier than resin. The advantage that I've found with apoxie over sculpy, is that the apoxie cures a LOT harder. Apoxie also doesn't do weird things when I hit it with primer. ^.~

Now I'm going to be really 'mean' and be realistic about your project. You stated that you do not have the funds to get a dremel or a rotary tool. A cheap rotary tool can be picked up at most places that sell tools (like Menards, Home Depot, Sears, Walmart, Kmart) for about $15-$25. Making dolls is not cheap. Very NOT cheap and harder than most people realize. Do yourself a favor, get a cheap body (bobobie, fantasy doll and resinsoul are good candidates) and concentrate on the head instead of driving yourself insane with 're-inventing the wheel' when it comes to the body. In the long run, you'll save time, money and possibly your sanity.