How to Use Heat Guns for Secrist Dolls
Secrist dolls are a particular brand of Reborn dolls, realistic vinyl baby dolls often sold in kits and self-customized by hobbyists and doll enthusiasts. Part of this customization involves painting the vinyl to resemble real skin, lips, eyes and eyebrows. Reborn hobbyists use a variety of paint types to do so, including a paint that sets when heat is applied. Since vinyl dolls cannot be baked in an oven like other craft items, the paint is set using a heat gun.
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Secrist doll
- Non-acetone nail polish remover
- Cloth
- Cotton balls
- Heat setting paints
- Paintbrushes
- Heat gun
Instructions
-
-
1
Disassemble your Secrist doll or other Reborn doll. You may need to cut the cable ties holding the head and limbs onto the body if your doll has a cloth body.
-
2
Clean the existing paint job off the vinyl with a non-acetone nail polish remover. Rub gently with cotton balls until the paint is completely gone, then wipe the vinyl down with a clean cloth.
-
-
3
Add the blushing paint color to the Secrist doll, using a heat-set paint like Genesis. Start with the undertones and paint in very thin layers. Make changes as you work, using mineral oil to remove or blend in any sections you do not like.
-
4
Add the detail colors to your doll around the eyes, eyebrows and mouth. Blend or change the paint with the mineral oil, but be careful not to disturb your earlier blushing.
-
5
Turn on the heat gun. Hold the gun a little less than 1 foot away from the Secrist doll parts, as it can get very hot. Apply the heat to your painting. Rotate the doll parts as you heat them.
-
6
Remove the gun once the paint colors have turned matte.
Be careful not to burn yourself or the doll vinyl with the heat gun. The paint colors should be heated not much longer than 30 seconds.
-
1
References
Resources
More Like This
Comments
-
hunnybunmama
Nov 21, 2009
There is some serious misinformation in this article! You should never use mineral oil on vinyl as it will degrade the vinyl over time. Also if you use Genesis heatset paints, mineral oil is incompatible with them. Secrist Doll Co makes KITS, not dolls.
