Restring Baby Face Dolls by Galoob:
PrillyCharmin's Popbead Method!
MENU
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SUPPLIES & OVERVIEW
3. TAKING BF APART
4. RESTRING THE HEAD
5. RESTRING THE ARMS
6. RESTRING THE LEGS
7. THE BATHTUB DOLLS
8. TIPS & TRICKS
RESTRING THE LEGS
Be sure you have the arms & hands, thighs & feet lined up properly before you get started. I keep the left pieces on the doll's left, and the right pieces on the doll's right. DOUBLECHECK YOUR PIECES before you go any further!
1. The doll's LEFT leg should be done BEFORE the right leg. The left leg has that large hip hole, so we will re-use its own socket cup (rather than using a wood bead.) DON't REMOVE THE LARGE CUP from the body, you can leave it inside the doll.
FIRST: remove any loose cups or cord pieces from the body. You don't want loose stuff rattling around later. DON't REMOVE THE LARGE CUP: just leave it in there. Removing the cup might damage it, and we can work around it easily without removing it.
The above photo shows the parts you will need for the legs. Both the regular Baby Face dolls AND the BathTub dolls use the same parts. The Tubby dolls have the large hip hole on the opposite side, however. Always start with the large hip hole. You will need the pieces on the right side of the photo.
2. ASSEMBLE THE LEG. This procedure is much like doing the arms, so if you need more detailed instructions please refer to the ARM instructions where there is more information.
- Lower leg piece - push the stub of cord and the plastic plug INTO the piece so you can't see them. Stuff cottonballs or other stuffings inside to prevent any rattling later on. (I like to use pieces of white plastic trash bags.)
I would rather remove the plugs from the lower legs. Page 3 tells how to dismantle your doll, and the tricks I use to remove the plugs. But if you can't do it, then it's not absolutely necessary. Just push the plug and the stub of cord inside the foot.
To make SURE there's no rattle later on, you might want to push a cotton ball or two inside. You can also use polyfill, and I have also used clear plastic bags or white plastic bags (without any printing on them.) Plastic pushes into the pieces easily using a phillips screwdriver to push into the hole. (This may be more important when doing the leg pieces, because there's more room inside the lower leg for pieces to rattle.)
With the BATHTUB BABY FACE dolls you DO need to remove all the plugs from the arms and the legs. Heat the opening so it's soft and flexible. Use a hair dryer for 10-20 seconds. Then use a flat-blade screwdriver to loosen up around the plug, and dig underneath it. Once you flip the plug on its side, then it's fairly easy to get it out.
- Remember to slide the vinyl THIGH piece on the cord first (if you're doing one of the regular Baby Face dolls.) It is much easier to do this now, than trying to thread the piece onto the cord later.
- Then slide the washers on the cord in the exact same order as shown in the photo. Start with the large 1/4 nylon washer, and the small #8 washer goes on last.
- Tie a good double knot on the end of the cord, and dab a little craft glue on the knot.
- Push the knot into the (lower) leg piece. Use a small pliers if you need to.
- Push the small #8 washer in next. The #8 washer is always for the purpose of making sure the knot doesn't slide through anything else.
- Next, use a small needlenose pliers and grab the nylon washer as well as the metal washer together. Push them into the lower leg piece. This is especially important when stringing the BathTub dolls: if you try to push the washers in one at a time you won't be able to do it because the Tubby legs don't have much of a cavity. -- With the regular Baby Faces you can slide the two washers in separately if you want to, but it's better to do them together. You may need to heat up the leg a little bit if the opening doesn't have enough flexibility.
- Pull the cord so all the washers are snug against the leg hole.
- Regular Baby Face Dolls: Pull the cord at the top of the thigh piece so the entire leg is back together again.
Now you're ready to attach the leg to the body.
3. This picture shows how the left leg will be arranged; just imagine that the socket cup is still INSIDE the body. The copper piece is called a crimp sleeve. It slides easily onto the elastic cord.
Notice that one side of the crimp sleeve has a lip: you want to slide the crimp sleeve on the cord so that lip will butt up against the socket cup. This ensures that the crimp sleeve won't accidentally slide through the hole in the cup. And, it needs to be facing this direction when you crimp it.
4. Again, imagine that the cup is INSIDE the body. Push the cord into the left hip hole, and through the hole in the socket cup. Then push the cord out the other leg hole. Slide the crimp sleeve on the cord.
Notice that THIS is a bathtub doll so I'm working on the opposite side, now.
5. Push the copper crimp sleeve into the body and tight against the cup. Pull everything very snug so the leg has the right tension. Make sure the cup is very snug against the doll's body, and when you think everything is lined up tight: then CRIMP the copper crimp sleeve as hard as you can with a small pliers. A needlenose pliers is a good choice because there's not a lot of room to work. Copper is soft so the crimp sleeve will flatten easily. --- After I crimp it with the needlenose pliers, then I really flatten it with my small flat pliers so it's crimped tight.
6. This picture shows the copper crimp sleeve is flattened. The crimp will hold the cord for you, so now tie a knot immediately after the crimp. --- MAYBE the crimp is strong enough to hold the cord forever, but there are no teeth on it and the copper metal is relatively soft and there's a lot of tension on the cord SO... to be safe, tie a good knot next to the copper crimp and apply glue to the knot.
7. The doll's RIGHT LEG ASSEMBLY:
- Lower leg piece - push the stub of cord and the plastic plug INTO the piece so you can't see them. Stuff cottonballs or other stuffings inside to prevent any rattling later on. (I like to use pieces of white plastic trash bags.)
With the BATHTUB BABY FACE dolls you DO need to remove all the plugs from the arms and the legs. Heat the opening so it's soft and flexible. Use a hair dryer for 10-20 seconds. Then use a flat-blade screwdriver to loosen up around the plug, and dig underneath it. Once you flip the plug on its side, then it's fairly easy to get it out.
- Remember to slide the THIGH piece on the cord first (if you're doing one of the regular Baby Face dolls.)
- Then slide the washers on the cord in the exact same order as shown in the photo. Start with the large 1/4 nylon washer, then the small #8 washer goes on last.
- Tie a good double knot on the end of the cord, and dab a little craft glue on the knot.
- Push the knot into the (lower) leg piece. Use a small pliers if you need to.
- Push the small #8 washer in next. The #8 wash is always for the purpose of making sure the knot doesn't slide through anything else.
- Next, use a small needlenose pliers and grab the nylon washer. Push it into the lower leg piece. You may need to heat up the leg a little bit if the opening doesn't have enough flexibility.
- Pull the cord so all the washers are snug against the leg hole.
- Regular Baby Face Dolls: pull the cord at the top of the thigh piece so the entire leg is back together again.
NOW you're ready to attach the bead to the top of the leg...
- Slide a 22mm (or 7/8 inch) wood bead with the small hole onto the cord and push it up against the top of the leg. If the hole is too tight, ream it out with a screwdriver or a needle file. Sometimes there are sawdust splinters blocking the hole. I have a favorite screwdriver I use for reaming the wood beads.
- Slide a #8 small washer on the cord (you may need to trim the cord at a slant in order to slide the small washer on, it's a tight fit.)
- Pull so everything is very snug. You don't want to overdo it, (or the leg will not be very poseable) but you do need to pull rather snug.
- Clamp with a hemostat, to hold the cord TIGHT against the wood bead while you cut off the extra cord. Leave about 4-6 inches for tying a big double knot.
- Release the clamp when you're ready, and make a knot. You'll probably get your fingers pinched while doing this, but the cord has to stay tight. Make another knot so it's fat and double or even triple.
- Apply some Elmer's glue to the knot and allow to dry.
8. When you have the leg assembled with the wood bead on it, it will probably pop into the hip socket without needing to be warmed first. Also, use a screwdriver or pliers to push on the bead until it's definitely well inside the body cavity. If the doll's leg falls off, it means the bead was not pushed in quite far enough.
Use the hair dryer if you need to warm the vinyl to soften it. In cold weather, or cold climates, the hair dryer is very important! We are in Florida so it's usually warm here.
9. All Done!
Once you're comfortable with this procedure, it can take less than an hour to completely restring a Baby Face doll. And she will be VERY snug, good for years to come!
We have a special restringing kit for BABY FACE in our doll shop. CLICK HERE.