Doll Help!
Greetings all!
I am pretty new to the world of doll collecting and I was hoping that someone here might be able to answer my plea.
I have myself a beautiful daughter in the form of Vispo’s Asukadoll but she is the first BJD I have ever owned. She’s smaller than an SD as she was based on Vispo’s bespoke BJD production. She seriously needs to be restrung as she can stand but not sit upright. While I have seen the occasional tutorial online for performing the procedure, I have no confidence to do so on my own as I am terrified of damaging her!
Does anyone know where I could arrange to get this done in the UK? I attend many events (from Expo, to the Japanese festivals and fan-run anime cons) with United Publications and am looking to link up with someone who might be able to help me get Asuka finely tuned. If you feel confident and happy to help or provide advice, please, please get in touch! You can email me here at shiroitakaouji[at]yahoo.co.uk. I would be so grateful to anyone who can help!
Amongst many things, I bake the sweetest treats to return favours so I hope to make any service given well worth your while.
Looking forward to hearing from fellow BJD collectors!
Whoa, a Vispo doll!? Dayum, I'm afraid to even contemplate what you paid for her, but she IS gorgeous.
Since Vispo dolls are as of yet rather rare, I can't say for certain, but there is a possibility her body design may be part of what is keeping her from ideal posing. Design quirks are most common in newer BJD companies/artists, but even some well-established ones (*cough* Iplehouse*cough*) have been known to have lacking body design. I hope this isn't the case, but if it is you may want to consider modding her, or getting someone on DoA to do it for you. More pictures of her body may clarify this.
Actually, if you're not on DoA, I could send you an invite. They have multiple re-stringing tutorials, as well as multiple worklogs of various mods ranging from increasing posability to fantasy body parts. These things are usually in the Painting & Customizing subforum in the Workshop.
I wish I could be more help, but between being on another continent and having so little information on how her body's made I can't really say much for sure. ^^; But she is gorgeous, and I hope you post more pictures of her before and/or after you get her fixed up!
She's gorgeous! I wish I could help, but I don't know anything about your area. Good luck! <3
She is so cute! Hope you find the help you need!^^
Are you based near london at all? There's a london BJD group that meet up once a month to socialise. There's a few people that attend them that know how to restring the dolls or even just to tighten up the elastics and I'm sure they'd be happy to help since they've helped out other new owners or owners that are nervous to try it themselves.
I would encourage you to try attempting it yourself in the future though, I know how scary it is at first! I was really scared when I tightened up my first doll, but it's not as hard as it looks, you just need the strength to be able to hold the elastic. It also might help to have another person with you when you first do it to help hold the doll.
but for initially getting her tightened I'd recommend trying to pop along to one of our meets, when one of the girls are around to do it for you, or show you how. (Let me know if your on DOA, cause thats where we host the meets, if not Poofiemus or myself can invite you in to it)
also, your girl is gorgeous x3
She's a sweetie! Hope you post more pics soon and definitely hope you find help. (looks like you have a few good suggestions above, go for it!)
Thanks for your support everyone! I'd love a recommendation for DoA, I could really use the advice of Doll experts here! Blackraven, I am just outside London so it would be great to meet up with fellow doll fans!
If Pretty Cranium hasn't beat me to it, I could give you a DoA invite. Unfortunately, either of us will need your email to do it, but I at least promise not to spam you. :)
Restringing is actually not a difficult process, although a few tools will make the job much easier. In general, you'll want some string(I prefer coated wire, as it's easier to maneuver it around inside the channels), and some sticks(pencils will do, but try to get something that doesn't have paint in it so you don't have to worry about the paint flaking on the resin, something of a softer material, like wood, or plastic would be better than metal as well(again, just precautions against possibly damaging the resin). If you have access to it, a pair of surgical clamps will let you hold strings in place while you tighten or pull the elastic strings around as well.
The key is to simply figure out how the string runs inside your doll(pull on their arms, legs a little, especially the hands/feet, as these are usually the anchor points), then to pull the string around and set them in place. It's actually not as daunting as it may seem, so long as you're being careful with the handling and not forgetting which part goes where.
If you need help and can't get it locally though, email me maqywhaq[at]gmail[dot]com. It'd be easier to guide you though it if I knew how the strings ran for the doll, but once you figure that out, the rest is pretty easy. Also, I suspect you may be needing sueding, rather than restringing if your issue is not being able to hold poses. Restringing fixes usually involve the doll being too loose and wobbly. Some even go and insert bits of wire along the stringing channels to give the doll more support, but I personally prefer to just have the doll, strings, and a bit of sueding leather to keep the poses. You won't get dolls standing on one leg, or doing mid-run type poses, but I find that to create a more intimate feeling with the dolls.
Just wanted to say that it is actually possible to get dolls doing amazing poses without needing sueding or wiring.
My dolls are completely natural and I've been able to get them standing on one foot, crouching, kneeling, with one leg completely out in front of them, even doing headstands. It's all to do with balancing and having the elastic tightened correctly.
Of course the sculpting of the doll plays a factor into it, cause there's some dolls that aren't able to do amazing poses cause of how they were sculpted. But just wanted to say that it is possible with just elastic and the right kind of doll :3
That may be so, but of the dolls I've got, none of them can hold dynamic poses consistantly without some help. Keep in mind, the bulk of my dolls are Volks SDCs/SD16s , so perhaps they're not well suited for posing. They do all stand just fine, and can hold most poses as long as they're set with a stable center of gravity, but I have yet to be able to actually get my dolls to hold dynamic poses well... That and the I personally don't like letting them stand freeform without at least a stand, or being near them in fear or them doing a faceplant...
No help with your question, but I just wanted to say that I had been lusting after this doll! Can we see more pics of her? Pretty please? I can send you a DoA invite as well.
I think it's time I got on the DoA bandwagon, if you could help me I'd be really grateful! Asuka needs the support of a doll loving community so I can spoil her and show her to the world (^_^) <3 my email is shiroitakaouji(at)yahoo.co.uk <3
Thank you! I've passed the first level of DoA security thanks to you!!! (^_^)
Join us in the DD thread in "Larger Dolls"!
Hi Laura, it's Maeve!
Nate and I will be at London Expo if you think you can hold out till then and we'd be happy to help you. I have a 70cm dollfie from about four or five years ago that Nate and I had to completely re-string (loosen the arms and tighten the legs), I wouldn't say we're experts but if you like we can show you how to do it or do it for you?
Also since we're developing a bit of a collection ourselves I have a few tips to give you on doll care and good places to get bits for them. Mainly I just want to see Asuka in the flesh, I'm so jealous! TT^TT
Thanks everyone for your help! I promise to add more pictures of Asuka soon (^___^)
Maeve you're a star, you'll meet my daughter at Expo <3 where I will certainly ask for your wisdom! Looking forward to it L xxx