What exactly is Suedeing?
Sueding is coating the inner parts of the doll's joints with thin suade fabric to help it pose, and reduce wear and tear.
Sueding is amazing, truly, it is easier than it looks and really improves the doll stability and posability.
My Luts dolls have always been able to stand but I recently sueded one and the difference is amazing, arms no longer just "hang
there" or only adopt "limp posses" and it straightened out the crazy legs.
And for those afraid to pull them apart here is the big secret- there is no need! You just bend the joint back so the 'socket' is
fully revealed and carefully hot glue in around the elastic, wait for the glue to set a bit then really carefully replace the limb and it
holds it in place (as long as you don't then try to pose until the glue dries)
Now I know a lot of you already know about it but I remember being a scarred newbie who was more terrified of the restringing
than of the act of glueing in the suede so this is my little act of encouragement- go for it and suede without fear! You don't need
to take them apart and restring and since you only use hot glue cleanup only involves letting it dry and peeling it up!
FROM A USER ON DEN OF ANGELS
I know this sounds weird but I actually used SUEDE to suede him, but you can use suede fabric or even velvet, as long as it has
'tooth' but suede would be best. The glue I use was standard all purpose white craft glue. *** In Australia use PVA glue, in
America Elmers or Aileens***
To keep it from showing in the joints you put it inside the socket part of the joint, with no overhang, on most joints this really
isn't a problem, elbows can be difficult but try just putting it in the sides where there is a little more room. Of course using a
material as close as possible to the skin tone reduces the risk of viability and you do have to use thin suede (mine was too
thick, I had to split it really carefully with a razor blade and a lot of patience) otherwise you can get a bit of gape, but you can't
see the sueding on my doll at all.
And an interesting point brought up in this thread, CP dolls and similar double socket dolls, and the answer is treat the double
socket as if it is two joints, and sued inside each socket. I really do find that on CP dolls this makes a huge difference
particularly to the hips.
I have also heard several questions in there about knee joint issues. On older type knees (type one and tow) use thin material,
and make sure it is TOTALLY dry before you try to refit the joint, or plain and simply the suede will wrinkle and actually make
posing worse, not better you can still do this without needing to restring, just keep the joint bound open until drying is complete.
On the newer type three and Feeple body joints you will need to take even more care, and use the thinnest possible fabric as
these are VERY close fitting joints, but I still suede them as if they are standard double sockets, it can sometimes make them a
little more fiddly to pose, but they hold poses like champions.
About glue type, you can use any non permanent glue that dries completely rather than staying tacky, such as PVA, Elmers,
Aileen's, and the like. Glues that stay gummy or tacky will allow the suede to move around, and that is not going to help
poseability at all.
Fabric options: Use suede "rough" side out. That is what provided the traction. If you do not wish to use suede there are a lot of
alternatives including pliver, vinyl, faux suede, just make sure it provides grip. Some fabrics that mimic suede do not, to test
take a bit of the fabric and place the side you intend to face out against a part of the doll, press lightly with your thumb and try
to rub, if it slides easily it is not going to be useful, if it wants to "stick" in place, go for it it will be helpful.
So....wait...sueding is NOT permanent? And school glue is okay to use on the dolls?
I've been toying with re-stringing and wiring my girl...and previously wouldn't even concider sueding, as I thought it
was a permanent thing...
no sueding is not permanent, unless you use a permanent bond glue but i would not recommend this, particularly as
the suede eventually wears out and needs replacing, but it makes such a difference to the doll's posability and
manageability that I highly recommend it
1. Question on using pliver
I just got some pliver to suede my dolls and I'm wondering---which side of the pliver do you leave exposed? Do you
glue down the "suedy" part and leave the smooth part on the outside or do you glue down the smooth side and leave
the suedy part outside? Thanks in advance!
Paul
In order to get the Best results, you should suede with the smooth side in and the rough side out for a Better grip. The
whole point to sueding is to grip the Ball joints on the Doll. The rough side will provde a Better Grip.
for all those who ask me about faux suede, the answer is, I'm afraid, a very vague "it depends" Real suede has a
certain texture, and that is what causes the friction, however artificial sueded go for appearance, not an actual texture
replication, and many of them are actually slippery, even moreso than the resin. If you get one that provides grip you
should be well set, my suggestion is ti place it against the resin of your doll, apply pressure with your thumb and see
if it slides, if it is "slippery" no good, if it feels like it wants to stick in place with friction they suede with confidence.
Faux sueded may be extra beneficial with tinies, or alternately you could use the warm glue method, where you coat
the inside of the joint with a thin coat of warm melt glue, wait till it dries, and then put them back together.
I advise Elmers or a white craft glue, just make sure it is one that is water soluble. I know that hot glue guns are also
useable, or warm glue, but as some people state you can use these to suede with or without the actual suede. I just
perfer the sort of grip and snug closure that real suede gives.
I am really glad to hear the positive responses on this thread, but as you may have seen some people do not get the
instantaneous results others get, so if you are having trouble here are a few tips to remember
1. make sure tht glue is totally dry before letting the joint go back into place
2. if it does not work for you check your stringing, tight string is better on swuede dolls, loose string does not allow as
much "grip"
3. make sure the suede is inside the socket, not on the ball
4. the more the suede covers the more ti will grip, and it does eventually wer out. Suede can be scuffed up with a dry
or slightly damp toothbrush to renew its grip, but over time you may need to resuede. My hound has only been done
twice since I first got him, and he was my first doll back in 05. Most of my dolls have only been done once ever and it
has lasted
After much experimentation and searching I have found the perfect leather to stablize the joints on BJD. Everything I
else I have tried would " lift" the ball slightly out of the socket, which made the joint look bad and also meant that the
ball rubbed only on the pad or strip of suede or mole-skin.
I recently bought some thin "pliver" from a seller on eBay
This stuff is so incredibly thin that it does not add ANY bulk to the joint sockets so you end up w/ the entire socket
gripping the ball of the joint. And the leather is stretchy and flexible so that you can glue it down w/ NO wrinkles. And
because the leather is so thin, it does not show at all.
I have now used this leather on a friend's Lucas, my Megu 13 and Unoss and another friend's Megu 10. All are old
resin/bodies. I am about to do esthetics on a BW Lishe that I just bought from a DOA member so I'll see how it
works on her.
The 2 Megus can stand un-assisted w/ their weight on 1 foot w/ the other leg slightly bent to touch a toe for balance.
The Megu 10 has NO problems w/ wonky ankles at all. My Unoss can actually stand balanced on 1 foot all by herself.
I glued the leather into every single socket (but not the neck of the Unoss because of the sculpted ridges). Ankles
are the most important for standing stabilitly. I use Super Glue gel but I am sure other water-based glues would work.
I start by spreading glue only around the elastic hole of the socket and centering a square of leather in the glue.
Once that glue dries, then the rest of the socket can gradually get glued up. You cannot glue the leather in in only 1
step or you will not get it stuck down wrinkle-free. Big deep sockets like the hips must be done in 5 or 6 steps. As
you add glue to each new section of the socket, you must pull and stretch the leather to remove any wrinkles as you
press it into the glue. Once the leather is glued all the way to the edge of the socket, the excess must be trimmed off.
You can do it w/ curved manicure scissors or what I do is take an emery board that I have cut into 1/4" strips and file
across the leather as it hangs past the edge of the socket. The leather sands through almost instantly leaving a softly
feathered edge. You can FEEL when you are about to go through the leather so you won't sand your doll if you pay
attention. The center hole can be cut out w/ an exacto knife (or you can start by cutting a hole in the center of the
leather before you start glueing) After the excess leather is gone, check around all the edges to make sure there are
no un-glued places.
With their joints all sueded, my dolls have no need for wires
Thank you for the tutorial. I tried this and it worked!!!
I sueded my Unoss and I love her so much more now that she is so posable!!! Next I will be sueding my MSD, who
so badly needs it...
I did a few things differently though.
I only unstrung my doll in stages. First I took the legs and feet off and did them.
I used a single hole hole-puncher to make the hole in the middle of the pliver pieces.
Since I didn't remove the lower torso, I threaded the pliver piece on the elastic through the hole that I made.
I used Anita's tacky glue for hard to hold surfaces, instead of crazy glue. It's much easier to work with and you can
remove it from your fingers just by pealing it off.
I coated the entire surface to be glued, rather than doing it in stages.
It was really easy to stretch and mold the plivar pieces to fit into the joint socket and when I was done doing that with
my fingers and a little help if a chopstick, I fit the corresponding boll joint into the socket with a little preasure to
further help mold the pliver in.
The whole process took me about 45 minutes.
Sueding is coating the inner parts of the doll's joints with thin suade fabric to help it pose, and reduce wear and tear.
Sueding is amazing, truly, it is easier than it looks and really improves the doll stability and posability.
My Luts dolls have always been able to stand but I recently sueded one and the difference is amazing, arms no longer just "hang
there" or only adopt "limp posses" and it straightened out the crazy legs.
And for those afraid to pull them apart here is the big secret- there is no need! You just bend the joint back so the 'socket' is
fully revealed and carefully hot glue in around the elastic, wait for the glue to set a bit then really carefully replace the limb and it
holds it in place (as long as you don't then try to pose until the glue dries)
Now I know a lot of you already know about it but I remember being a scarred newbie who was more terrified of the restringing
than of the act of glueing in the suede so this is my little act of encouragement- go for it and suede without fear! You don't need
to take them apart and restring and since you only use hot glue cleanup only involves letting it dry and peeling it up!
FROM A USER ON DEN OF ANGELS
I know this sounds weird but I actually used SUEDE to suede him, but you can use suede fabric or even velvet, as long as it has
'tooth' but suede would be best. The glue I use was standard all purpose white craft glue. *** In Australia use PVA glue, in
America Elmers or Aileens***
To keep it from showing in the joints you put it inside the socket part of the joint, with no overhang, on most joints this really
isn't a problem, elbows can be difficult but try just putting it in the sides where there is a little more room. Of course using a
material as close as possible to the skin tone reduces the risk of viability and you do have to use thin suede (mine was too
thick, I had to split it really carefully with a razor blade and a lot of patience) otherwise you can get a bit of gape, but you can't
see the sueding on my doll at all.
And an interesting point brought up in this thread, CP dolls and similar double socket dolls, and the answer is treat the double
socket as if it is two joints, and sued inside each socket. I really do find that on CP dolls this makes a huge difference
particularly to the hips.
I have also heard several questions in there about knee joint issues. On older type knees (type one and tow) use thin material,
and make sure it is TOTALLY dry before you try to refit the joint, or plain and simply the suede will wrinkle and actually make
posing worse, not better you can still do this without needing to restring, just keep the joint bound open until drying is complete.
On the newer type three and Feeple body joints you will need to take even more care, and use the thinnest possible fabric as
these are VERY close fitting joints, but I still suede them as if they are standard double sockets, it can sometimes make them a
little more fiddly to pose, but they hold poses like champions.
About glue type, you can use any non permanent glue that dries completely rather than staying tacky, such as PVA, Elmers,
Aileen's, and the like. Glues that stay gummy or tacky will allow the suede to move around, and that is not going to help
poseability at all.
Fabric options: Use suede "rough" side out. That is what provided the traction. If you do not wish to use suede there are a lot of
alternatives including pliver, vinyl, faux suede, just make sure it provides grip. Some fabrics that mimic suede do not, to test
take a bit of the fabric and place the side you intend to face out against a part of the doll, press lightly with your thumb and try
to rub, if it slides easily it is not going to be useful, if it wants to "stick" in place, go for it it will be helpful.
So....wait...sueding is NOT permanent? And school glue is okay to use on the dolls?
I've been toying with re-stringing and wiring my girl...and previously wouldn't even concider sueding, as I thought it
was a permanent thing...
no sueding is not permanent, unless you use a permanent bond glue but i would not recommend this, particularly as
the suede eventually wears out and needs replacing, but it makes such a difference to the doll's posability and
manageability that I highly recommend it
1. Question on using pliver
I just got some pliver to suede my dolls and I'm wondering---which side of the pliver do you leave exposed? Do you
glue down the "suedy" part and leave the smooth part on the outside or do you glue down the smooth side and leave
the suedy part outside? Thanks in advance!
Paul
In order to get the Best results, you should suede with the smooth side in and the rough side out for a Better grip. The
whole point to sueding is to grip the Ball joints on the Doll. The rough side will provde a Better Grip.
for all those who ask me about faux suede, the answer is, I'm afraid, a very vague "it depends" Real suede has a
certain texture, and that is what causes the friction, however artificial sueded go for appearance, not an actual texture
replication, and many of them are actually slippery, even moreso than the resin. If you get one that provides grip you
should be well set, my suggestion is ti place it against the resin of your doll, apply pressure with your thumb and see
if it slides, if it is "slippery" no good, if it feels like it wants to stick in place with friction they suede with confidence.
Faux sueded may be extra beneficial with tinies, or alternately you could use the warm glue method, where you coat
the inside of the joint with a thin coat of warm melt glue, wait till it dries, and then put them back together.
I advise Elmers or a white craft glue, just make sure it is one that is water soluble. I know that hot glue guns are also
useable, or warm glue, but as some people state you can use these to suede with or without the actual suede. I just
perfer the sort of grip and snug closure that real suede gives.
I am really glad to hear the positive responses on this thread, but as you may have seen some people do not get the
instantaneous results others get, so if you are having trouble here are a few tips to remember
1. make sure tht glue is totally dry before letting the joint go back into place
2. if it does not work for you check your stringing, tight string is better on swuede dolls, loose string does not allow as
much "grip"
3. make sure the suede is inside the socket, not on the ball
4. the more the suede covers the more ti will grip, and it does eventually wer out. Suede can be scuffed up with a dry
or slightly damp toothbrush to renew its grip, but over time you may need to resuede. My hound has only been done
twice since I first got him, and he was my first doll back in 05. Most of my dolls have only been done once ever and it
has lasted
After much experimentation and searching I have found the perfect leather to stablize the joints on BJD. Everything I
else I have tried would " lift" the ball slightly out of the socket, which made the joint look bad and also meant that the
ball rubbed only on the pad or strip of suede or mole-skin.
I recently bought some thin "pliver" from a seller on eBay
This stuff is so incredibly thin that it does not add ANY bulk to the joint sockets so you end up w/ the entire socket
gripping the ball of the joint. And the leather is stretchy and flexible so that you can glue it down w/ NO wrinkles. And
because the leather is so thin, it does not show at all.
I have now used this leather on a friend's Lucas, my Megu 13 and Unoss and another friend's Megu 10. All are old
resin/bodies. I am about to do esthetics on a BW Lishe that I just bought from a DOA member so I'll see how it
works on her.
The 2 Megus can stand un-assisted w/ their weight on 1 foot w/ the other leg slightly bent to touch a toe for balance.
The Megu 10 has NO problems w/ wonky ankles at all. My Unoss can actually stand balanced on 1 foot all by herself.
I glued the leather into every single socket (but not the neck of the Unoss because of the sculpted ridges). Ankles
are the most important for standing stabilitly. I use Super Glue gel but I am sure other water-based glues would work.
I start by spreading glue only around the elastic hole of the socket and centering a square of leather in the glue.
Once that glue dries, then the rest of the socket can gradually get glued up. You cannot glue the leather in in only 1
step or you will not get it stuck down wrinkle-free. Big deep sockets like the hips must be done in 5 or 6 steps. As
you add glue to each new section of the socket, you must pull and stretch the leather to remove any wrinkles as you
press it into the glue. Once the leather is glued all the way to the edge of the socket, the excess must be trimmed off.
You can do it w/ curved manicure scissors or what I do is take an emery board that I have cut into 1/4" strips and file
across the leather as it hangs past the edge of the socket. The leather sands through almost instantly leaving a softly
feathered edge. You can FEEL when you are about to go through the leather so you won't sand your doll if you pay
attention. The center hole can be cut out w/ an exacto knife (or you can start by cutting a hole in the center of the
leather before you start glueing) After the excess leather is gone, check around all the edges to make sure there are
no un-glued places.
With their joints all sueded, my dolls have no need for wires
Thank you for the tutorial. I tried this and it worked!!!
I sueded my Unoss and I love her so much more now that she is so posable!!! Next I will be sueding my MSD, who
so badly needs it...
I did a few things differently though.
I only unstrung my doll in stages. First I took the legs and feet off and did them.
I used a single hole hole-puncher to make the hole in the middle of the pliver pieces.
Since I didn't remove the lower torso, I threaded the pliver piece on the elastic through the hole that I made.
I used Anita's tacky glue for hard to hold surfaces, instead of crazy glue. It's much easier to work with and you can
remove it from your fingers just by pealing it off.
I coated the entire surface to be glued, rather than doing it in stages.
It was really easy to stretch and mold the plivar pieces to fit into the joint socket and when I was done doing that with
my fingers and a little help if a chopstick, I fit the corresponding boll joint into the socket with a little preasure to
further help mold the pliver in.
The whole process took me about 45 minutes.