You’re welcome. There are so many posts with great information in them. Sometimes they slip through the cracks. I just remembered seeing it a couple of years ago so I went hunting.
3 Likes
I’ve only just heard of this and tried to find a tutorial on YouTube but could only find a video of some chap making fishing lures. Is it the same thing?
2 Likes
I still have more questioned that I already posted above for @Emma , or @chatrat , or anyone who are used it.
1 Like
Directly into the limb
1 Like
I’m pretty sure Alexis took close to a full gallon she is pretty big with fat limbs and a large head so took a lot more than a regular newborn size reborn.
-
How do you heat it? In a microwave? Do you have videos about that?
I haven’t done any tutorials on using it at all, but I do heat mine in a separate microwave, in a glass measuring cup, it will melt plastic so you must use pyrex or glass -
Do you use fanner to pour it in?
I pour directly from my glass measuring cup, which has a pour spout, into the limb, it starts to cool when pouring so it will get stuck in a funnel or anything similar. -
Can limbs just be hang in the vertical position while plastisol is curing, like artists do with silicon?
They technically could, however it’s very heavy and molten so trying to hang a limb without any movement at all to cause spilling, especially during the last pour is a nightmare, I haven’t found a way to cure by hanging yet without getting a huge mess or a limb falling. It’s just a lot of stress on an extremely hot flimsy vinyl limb, especially if it doesn’t have an unusually large flange. -
What number would you recommend just for limbs? I assume 142?
I usually do 242 or 342 or a mix of them in the hands and feet and knees and elbows and then 142 or a mix of 142 & 242 in the thighs and upper arms. 142 is very jiggly but it’s also less dense, therefore much lighter so I like using a mix for extra weight and a more natural feel. -
What do you use for body mold (to put it inside of the body?
I’ve made clay molds for butt and belly inserts and also used, bowls, cups, ladles just all kinds of things basically if it’s rounded and even close to the shape I want I’ve tried it. I successfully filled an LDC torso once, it was extremely difficult. I tried to fill a cloth body once years ago and it was a disaster -
What do you do with the left overs after heating ? Can they be re-heated/ re-used or everything should be used at once?
Small amounts of leftovers can be reheated and will remelt into the new stuff, large pieces don’t remelt well. I try to only heat what I need right then. Since it starts curing so quickly and the pouring and propping process is slow and tedious, to avoid spills and burns, I usually only heat enough for 2 limbs at a time otherwise it will cure in the cup by the time you get to the rest of the limbs.
4 Likes
They do use plastisol to make fishing lures they usually add other things to it, but it is usually a base of this product
Thank you SO MUCH for all the details and your time! I greatly appreciate it!
Last question, though, since I don’t want to invest (at least right now) to all those different numbers of softness, what would be the best for limbs - all length of a limb, not just different parts of it?
2 Likes
You’re very welcome 
If your wanting it just to fill limbs I would probably get 242 it’s a medium firmness while still being jiggly, using 142 by itself will result in a lighter reborn than using traditional glass beads and polyfil.
2 Likes
I’ve got questions about this stuff as I’m intrigued.
Is it really as simple as it sounds to use? Just pour into jug, microwave & pour into mould/doll?
Does it have to be a microwave? Would a small halogen type oven work? Or standing it in a bowl of boiling water?
If you let it cool can you chop it up into bits like those silicone baby fat pellets and then pour them into the limbs that way?
Can you put it in an a body with a plastic armature in it?
Would it work as inserts for teddy bears (if you cooled it before putting in fabric body obviously) to make them squishy or could you not feel it through the fur fabric?
Sorry for all the questions, I’m wondering on the various possible uses for this!
3 Likes
Oooh these are all great questions! I was thinking it might be neat for but and belly inserts
1 Like
Is it really as simple as it sounds to use? Just pour into jug, microwave & pour into mould/doll?
I’ll say it’s simple but not easy, you basically need to turn the jug upside and back for one minute prior to pouring it into a glass container to heat. If you shake it or stir vigorously during heating you will have terrible air bubbles. Then heat in 30 seconds increments stirring gently in-between until it’s completely clear, even the slightest amount of cloudiness in it will cause curing and odor issues. Overheating will cause the same issues, so it needs to be watched the entire time. Then pouring which can be tricky as your pouring molton plastic into something. But basically if you follow the steps correctly and do everything slowly and carefully it is simple it just takes a bit of practice to get right.
Does it have to be a microwave? Would a small halogen type oven work? Or standing it in a bowl of boiling water?
Microwave is preferred, I’ve heated it on the stove in a pot before and it burned and I accidently overheated it. You definitely wouldn’t want to do it in a bowl over water, steam and water getting in it will cause curing issues as well. I definitely prefer the microwave in a clear measuring cup, you can easily see any cloudy areas which are difficult to see in a pot and there’s no risk of burning it on the bottom. It needs to be a dedicated microwave though. If you do decide to use a pot or needs to be on low heat with constant stirring. I’m not sure about an oven, it needs to be heated quickly but steadily and needs to be stirred and quickly back in the heat every 30 seconds so that sounds like it wouldn’t work great in an oven, unless your oven is tall enough that you can stir without removing the glass.
If you let it cool can you chop it up into bits like those silicone baby fat pellets and then pour them into the limbs that way?
You definitely can! I have bags of it chopped up in my studio right now! They do stick together a bit and it’s a hassle to cut them up in tiny pieces, they stick to your scissors as your doing it, but the end product feels really nice! I don’t do limbs that way as I want them heavy and solid not I do use it sometimes in a stocking in the belly if I don’t have an insert that works or don’t want to make one right then.
Can you put it in an a body with a plastic armature in it?
I’m not sure, do you mean a full torso? I’ve never used it with an armature, it likely wouldn’t melt the plastic if it’s high quality, the only issue I can see is that there may be issues with it moving freely, and getting it into a torso and having the limbs be able to turn is very difficult. I’ve only filled a torso once and wouldn’t do it again.
Would it work as inserts for teddy bears (if you cooled it before putting in fabric body obviously) to make them squishy or could you not feel it through the fur fabric?
Yes I make inserts often with it for belly’s and bums. You can’t really feel them through the fabric but they feel nice as you can’t feel a hard rock of glass beads in it. I did once fill a cloth body with the pellets I made but took them out because it was pretty lumpy feeling.
3 Likes
Do you root glue dry then add it to the head?
1 Like
I tried to experiment but the smell put me off, I didn’t use the fishing stuff, I bought it in cubes that you melt. I don’t want to heat it in the microwave my family uses to reheat stuff.
Glass beads are getting harder to find where I am, it seems two of the local companies have gone out of business here.
I did buy some crushed garnet and I love it but I know it will just take one person to say " she filled my baby with rocks" It has a deep red color that warms up the vinyl, I may or may not use it, still on the fence.
Ladies be careful, wear gloves, ventilate, all this stuff is bad for us, for our bodies and not meant to be used in a home let alone a kitchen. It is resin and polymers.
I do like the squishy vibe, very cool.
It does say non toxic but I found a link on a consumer site that says all plastic are toxic especially when heated to melt.
Reborn artists always looking to up their game, love it.
5 Likes
Not sure of what companies you were getting your glass beads from, so just disregard if I don’t give any helpful info 
I got a 50 lb bag from a company called Zoro… I think it came to something like $77 so not bad. Also got free shipping for spending over $50.
2 Likes
Yes.
1 Like
I just wanted to emphasize this, I don’t know that I’ve stated it clearly enough in my other posts. If you use a microwave it needs to be a dedicated microwave, meaning not one that you use for food as well. All of your items need to be dedicated to just plastisol (measuring cup, whatever your using for mixing, etc…) The fumes are also very bad while it’s hot, when you go to pour they will go directly in your face and you need to wear a mask while working with it! I keep my dedicated microwave in the garage and use it with the door wide open, it’s not something you or your families want to be breathing. My stove is inches from our back door with a window right next to it, even with both opened when I tried doing it on the stove my kitchen smelled for a couple of days and I threw the pot out afterwards. Ventilation and protection are extremely important when working with Plastisol. Although it doesn’t feel or look like it please remember you are melting plastic so need to be mindful of that. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m way too lax about my heat set. I think it’s easy to overlook the dangers when we’re heating vinyl without masks all day, but this is something that you really need to take all precautions with every time.
7 Likes
The smallest beads I could find from Zoro were 30-40 mesh. Is that what you got? Do you find that they leak at all through the stocking?
Yep they are the 30-40 size. Depends on the stocking 
I loved the ones BB had. The tan ones. But the white ones seem not as thick and not as stretchy and I have even had to double them. The glass never came through before. And I was wrong about price. A 50lb bag cost me $72 with tax included and free ship.
3 Likes
I should add, there is no dust that I can see. I know some glass beads have that problem when they are so fine…but so far so good with these
2 Likes