I was asked a while back if I could make a baby with the foot twisted and I have had a request for one with an arm with no hand. Now I have the leg with the 2 right feet I was thinking maybe I could cut the foot off and some how attach on sideways or not at all. This would be not a just straight cut but with a rounded end. I have seen several amputations. How could I go about getting the clay to stay in the “stump.” I would appreciate any help.
I think if you want to get the look of an amputated limb, you’re going to have to heat the vinyl to the point where it is very pliable, but not to the point where it completely loses the ability to hold it’s form. I’m not sure what the melting point of vinyl is, or how you would achieve this in a controlled manner (that is, without melting the whole leg) - maybe a heat gun would work? I would go around the limb without removing the lower portion until it starts to soften, then try to gather and tie off the area. Maybe experiment on a test limb.
That’s the best I can come up with.
I once held heat gun too close to the opening of the neck (drying glue) and the vinyl started to melt at the same time the edges singed. I think it would be very difficult to create a realistic stump by melting the vinyl. You would have to cut of the foot and make the stump rounded with clay. But unless you want to keep it for yourself or have somebody who wants one, I would just get another leg from BB. They should really send you one for free if you are sure you do not have another baby with 2 same legs. I usually mark every kit as it comes with their name, and check them for any defects with magnifying glass.
If you want an amputation, not a twisted limb, a better choice than clay would be to make a small cloth sock to go on the end. Drill a few small holes in the vinyl to hold it on maybe or use glue also. Sort of like a stump would look before putting on an artificial limb or after surgery. That is the best I can come up with.
Clay doesn’t stick that well to the vinyl, by the way. I had a rough time getting it to stick to make fairy ears. And if the doll is going to be handled a lot (like by a child), the clay would crack. Found that out by just making stuff for Cait years ago. Most of what I made was tiny stuff and she is very careful but still ended up with some breaking. A clay limb would be fine for display but not so great for play.
Debora, there is a product called Sculpey Bake and Bond that is made specifically to bond sculpey to other materials. I have it but haven’t tried it. I think I saw it in Sandra Maxwell’s tutorial for creating elf ears. I think I found it at Joannes.