Rehairing a FSF?

[NovelNerd]

Hey

I don't wander in here overly often, and I know rehairing doesn't necessarily fall in with the customizing section. I thought with this particular situation though this would be the best spot to ask(mods move if you think it needs it).  Anyway lately I've been a little obsessed with fashion star fillies, and I want a custom one.  I have an artist that has agreed to attempt the paint job I'm wanting, but hairing is not something she does. I thought someone here might have tried before and could give some advice?

I'll be doing it and I was curious is there a tutorial or anything on how todo this without having to break the FSF open? I would hate to have to open her, and I don't think I even have the right tools for the job. Anyway I know it's a little off topic from a pony custom but f anyone has attempted it I would be open to suggestions and pointers. I hate to just start ripping a mane and tail out blindly.

[kaoskat]

I think it would be done similarly to a Dream Beauty and as far as I can tell, that involves breaking them open. Maybe some one will have an idea for a different way.

[NoDivision]

I know there was a thread around somewhere of someone doing a dream beauty. I'll go poking around!

Aha! Here we go. I found it on the old arena but the coding in the post is all jumbled up so it was near  impossible to read. I'm quoting it here. This is from EyesOfMasquerade

I've seen the question around, but not a tutorial-answer.
So I have made one up. DBs are very special to me, I love them, but they're so hard to find/get. Also, you tend to get mangey ones and they're always so expensive. It would be great if anyone could re-hair their own to restore them. If you would like to let me share the tale of Stardazzle...

(if you want this tutorial for your site, click & save the pictures, then copy & paste the images! Everyone should know how to fix their beauty)

Tools!
Small, thin, flat-head screw driver
Small pliers (needle-nose will do) with blunt end
Scissors
New hair (Stardazzle's color is Dollyhair Heartthrob)
Zip tie of specific size
Packing tape
Industrial glue

She was to complete my shimmering beauties collection.
But when I bought her, the post snapped off 2 of her legs.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Her hair was dirty, so I washed & combed it but:
 
visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Her hair had dry-rotted and it all fell out when wetted. With some E3000 Industrial glue, her legs could be repaired. Since she's clear, you can't hardly tell now. But then, her hair is nothing but a whisp of dry brittle mess.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login

 
I had never re-haired one of these before, but I DO re-hair hard plastic horses. She was already in ruins, so why not try? First, get a scissors and cut off ALL of her hair as close to the scalp as you can get it:
   
visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Then, using a small thin screw-driver (or something) start stabbing at the remaining hair in the tail hole. Your goal is to poke it INSIDE of her. It is held in because it is looped around a cross-bar (ALL DB's have this, you can see it in the clear ones) and has a washer on it. The washer is LARGE. The hair clump will fall apart into short hairs inside of her. This will release the washer. She will rattle for the rest of her days, unless you break her in half to remove it.  NOT reccommended! It is just the price paid to look new again.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Now you see the cross bar is empty of hair. Look CAREFULLY at the size of the hole. Choose a clump of hair (and measure it to length) that when folded in half will have the same DIAMETER as the hole. If you get it wrong her tail will come out really thin, or be too thick to put in b/c she is hard plastic. Fold this hair in half, and place a single zip-tie at the center and tighten it as hard as you can. Clip off the end, and leave a little stem. You need a specific size one like in this photo because...

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


your aim will be to use the end of the pliers and poke it inside of her. It will squeeze together/compress the hair AND the little tab you left when you tightened it as it is pressed on the tail hole opening. When it goes inside it will \"Pop\" in and thus be stuck! That's how you want it. That's why the hair amount must be exact. If it's too little, it won't stay in. Too big, and no amount of jabbing will get it in there.Zip tie brand? Commercial Electric 4 inch cable ties. You get get 100 of them at the Home Depot for like 4 bucks. Bargain. Now the mane: It is harder.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Her old mane is actually a strip of clear plastic with the hair sewn into it. It has holes for her neck cross-bars and when she was put together, it was held in place. You can't get rid of it, so use your small thin screw driver to CAREFULLY poke any remaining hair down into her neck. When no more hairs can be seen above her bead (or diamond) row it is ready. Measure her neck and cut a piece of packing tape to match the length. (the kind with strings in it that is tough and very sticky works well. Lay it sticky-side up on a table, then measure the hairs you want for her mane. Cut the mane hair and place the end on the tape. Use a finger to \"Spread\" the hair over the tape as evenly as you can. Some strands won't stick, but don't worry they will when...

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


You use more industrial glue! LiquidNails Clear Bond will also work well. Using a popsicle stick (or some flat thing) spread the glue over the hair ends. Really try to grind the glue into the hair...it'll do most of the hair holding from now on. Goop it on all over the area of the tape. Then, put another piece of tape on top of the glue and let it dry 24 hours. It should look like the above photo when you're done.(this has created a 'new hair tab' for her...similar to her old one)  Next, using your pliars again grip the strip and stuff it between her bead-rows. It should start slipping right in. Grab close to the edge and push a little bit at a time. It may look like this

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


See? Can't see the tape at all. But that mane is very thin looking...and what about that curved place on top? No hair's there! That's what the mini-strip is for. The 2nd strip is much harder to place, but still goes in. The bead rows will keep the hair in place again, much like the tail popped in, since the tape/glue part is 'fatter' it won't want to come out again through the little gap.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login

 
It looks much better now. You may have to tug it a little to 'arrange it' amongst her beads/diamonds. In this photo her hair is all the way down to her feet. But, Stardazzle doesn't have straight hair...it won't do. Use the bobby pin winding method for her curls. Wind each pin, wet, & let dry. Unwind the hair and separate into 2 or 3. Then, soak the hair under running water to re-gather & relax it.

visitors can't see pics , please register or login


Now she's good as new! (well mostly)
She happily joins her shimmering sisters on the shelf.