How do I NOT mess up my FBR?!

[DancerKim82]

OK so you all know I am a newbie at customs, and only done 3 FBR...and all 3 times I have botched the paint job when I put hair in, tail but especially when I put the head back on!! What can I do to prevent this?? I do all my painting and seal with mod podge and/or polyurethane varnish beforehand, but when i try and touch up, it looks shoddy...   because theres so many layers of the original.


On Calypso Glow, my most recent, I wanted to cry! OK, so shes not amazing, but I still spent a total of about 18 + hours on her!! Not to mention money spent. And her tail hole is horrible, and the neck is even worse!! 


Thanks everyone, I look to sooo many of you amazing artists for inspiration, and advice! You all do such incredible work!


~Kim

[Colorscapesart]

Do you have any clear pics of the damage?  Is it cracking and/or chipping?  There are a few things that might help:
~You smaller plugs of hair and open each plugs gently with a push pin before rerooting. 
~Carefully cut larger tail holes or use less hair in your tail
~You can gently sand damaged areas with a VERY fine grit of sandpaper to help smooth them out
~Some one had a pic here recently.....you can cut notches into the pony's neckplug (little upside-down V shapes), that enable the head to come off and on more easily. 

[DancerKim82]

Thanks CSA, I will have to try that! I think I just use too much hair... I also had the thought of cutting bigger tail hole BEFORE I do my FBR, since obviously I use too much hair to fit thru the original tail hole!

But the neck just looks...ugh. Like her head doesn't fit flush against her body anymore...

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So...tried to get a couple pics of her neck. What do yall think?

[HavACrumpet452]

Wait longer. Let the paint and sealer dry for a few more days. Don't be tempted to rush.

Did you cut that neck open? I prefer pulling with all my might and some hot water run over the neck. Once you get a little spot open then you're going to have it off sooner or later. I'll also use a blunt object to pry but never cut.

[Maniah]

When I cut, I cut lightly till I get one spot open. Then I pry with all my might. If that doesn't work. I nearly bend the pony in half trying to keep that small cut open. I then cut from inside the hole with my xacto knife. You can see the glue stretching in thin strands. You cut that gently and you can feel it loosen. When the head is off if it still doesn't fit flush, then I glue it ad hold it down while it dries. If its still an issue... Necklace time!!!!

Don't be afraid to use less hair if the tail doesn't pull in easily then stop and take some hair out and try again. If your plug doesn't slip into place with little resistance then use less hair.  You'll be saving on supplies and avoiding scuffing and cracking around the plugs. It just takes some getting used to.

[DancerKim82]

thanks guys so much for the help!

[hannaliten]

When I remove heads I cut/pull until a small hole opens up. Then I use a qtip with acetone to loosen up the glue until the head comes off.

[DancerKim82]

oooh ^^ hannaliten thats a good idea!

[Maniah]

I've been on Google+ too much. I was looking for the "Like" button for Hannaliten's post!

[coinoperatedgirl]

I've been on Google+ too much. I was looking for the "Like" button for Hannaliten's post!

I do the same thing!  I'm always trying to +1 things here.

[KiwiSquirtBottle]

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[Sarahlacewing]

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LOL!

Another question is are you sealing before you rehair?  Seems simple but you never know, perhaps a different sealant would help.  I've had best luck with destors dull coat for my FBR.  Also you can boil the pony before you bait and strip to help loosen the glue a bit and the heat tends to make the plastic more willing to give. 

What paint do you use?  This can also cause problems depending on if it has a latex base or if the quality is so-so, or even if the paint is old and starts to separate.