Odd question... Super glue, glass, vinyl

Greetings! I have run into a bit of difficulty… I have beautiful full round glass eyes for this one baby I am working on. The problem is they don’t want to stay in the socket while the glue (e6000) sets… And the way the hole in the neck is made I can only get the eye and two fingers up there and that is it. I tried holding it with a gloved hand but I don’t think I was able to hold it long enough for the glue to take hold enough so that the eye won’t move.

So my question is this: can I super glue the eye to the socket and then secure it with e6000 after? That way it will get the security of the e6000 but I won’t have to fight with it quite so much… Or will that harm the vinyl in the long run? Should I just bite the bullet and order her a new pair of flat back eyes? (Sadly I have not seen eyes as pretty as the ones I have at any other place in flat backs…)

If anyone has any suggestions I’d love to hear them. Also if anyone one knows where I can get eyes like this in 24mm half backs I would greatly appreciate it as well. :slight_smile:

Haha! This picture makes them look like googly eyes! :joy:

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Nonies Angels has the perfect tool for this. It’s listed as eye adjuster under Other Supplies. It’s actually for applying contact lenses. It looks like a tiny suction cup on a soft stick. It’s $5. The suction cup attaches to the eyeball so you can move it around to position it. You can also hold it until the glue dries enough to keep it in place. Super glue for eyes is tricky and if it gets on the eyeball it’s nearly impossible to get off.
Dolls So Real has some nice half round polyglass eyes. They’re not exactly like these but some are close.

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http://www.noniesangelsnursery.com/Reborning_Supplies/Other_Supplies/other_supplies.html

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You can put a piece of felt across the back of the eye with glue on it as well… then lay the head face down in a rolled towel that’s shaped to hold it still. This works for me.

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Thank you guys! I am definitely going to get the eye tool!

The issue you are having is still going to persist and that is trying to get it to stay put while the glue sets.
To install an all glass full round eye, first remove teh back of the eye socket. Then glue the eye in place with a product that is made for this. Macpherson’s has the perfect glue for this. You would also build the product up around the back of the eyeball. Here is the link and demo.

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Thank you for sharing that video/info, @anjsmiles

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Interesting, but how long does this take to dry to hold the eye in place and all the way forward in the socket?

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Not sure on the dry time. I have gotten some of it but yet to use it. If you size the eyes to where they sit snug in the socket space then they should not move while waiting to dry, especially if you cut off the backs so that nothing is causing pressure to push them.

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I used the super glue to hold it in place then I put e6000 all around it then I put moleskin on it, lol. Hey, it worked!

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Thank you guys for all the helpful information! I’m definitely going to be getting some of the things suggested. I did find something that will hold her eyes in place while the glue sets for the time being. Museum Putty. I wrapped it around her eyes and tested it over night and the eyes stayed in the sockets. I’m going to be gluing them later today. :slight_smile:

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I did the same but with moleskin. After I had taken Asher’s head off six times to readjust eyes. I’d done some shenanigans that made the eyes not fit unless I held them into place. Finally globs of e6000 on moleskin held them for me

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They use that putty for bjd dolls, I have some of that but decided to use the super glue. I have super glue on a doll that I accidentally cut and it is still holding after a year and a half. Glad that putty worked!