Fakies vs Officials

[Shimmer Mist]

I'm brand-spaking new to the whole customizing thing. I've been reading almost every bit of info I can find on the subject before I start with my first REAL custom. Most folks suggest using fakies to test things like paints, clay, ect, before fudging up the official pony you want to deck out.

If they are going to be test subjects to being with I'm sure you're probably wondering why am I'm asking about Fakies at all. Well at the moment I've only got two bait-worthy fakies with which to test things. One I want to use as a lab rat and the other I would like to turn into a full-fledged, coherent-looking custom before I even attempt anything on a MLP doll. If I ever get good enough to continue making customs I would love to take sad-looking, baity fakies and give them an extreme make-over. There's lots of info in regards to official pony dolls but not nearly as much if at all on dealing with fakies. Since they are often made much more cheaply and plastics can vary so much I assume some of them could be a whole other beast all together. What sort of things should I keep in mind when testing things on fakies or even when making Fakie customs. Do certain chemicals or even paints such have a bad reaction with cheaper plastics? What about heat resistance? Is acetone too harsh for some? How about removing in-set eyes for the ones that have them?

I know it's a mixed bag because all fakies are very different and this may be too complicated of a topic to ask about but I'm still curious. Any info and especially personal experience working with fakies VS legit MLPs will be super helpful!

[FullMoonFever]

I imagine some ponies, fakes or not would melt under acetone.  Or being in acetone too long.  As for baking ponies with sculpey, always be careful.  Either fake or real, they could burn or melt.  I personally stopped using sculpey since the chemicals that get baked cling to the inside of your oven and who knows what it will do to your food.  I suggest you buying a toaster oven for the sculpey ponies (if you want to go this route) and only for the sculpey and ponies, not food.  I use apoxie sculpt, which hardens to a rock in about 24 hours, and has like 3 to 4 hours work time.  Little to no shrinkage.

My two cents.

~Jenn

[Twizel]

I've only tried to customize one fakie. It worked okay, it was good painting practice, but the plastic of the fakie interacted weirdly and changed the texture of the pony paint. The real MLPs don't do that. Also, the fakie plastic completely rejected superglue, which I've never had happen with MLPs.

Instead of starting with a fakie, I just got multiples of whatever pony was dirt cheap at the time. Back then, it was the blank G3 clone pony. These days, it might be one of the billions of G4 Pinkie Pies left on Target shelves!