Hi there everyone! I have a quick question about inserting eyes. I use air dry paints because I don’t have an oven to bake my dolls in so how would go about inserting their eyes? Also, when should I put the eyes in? Before, during or after painting?
Thanks,
Julie
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Speaking from 5 years of experience. I used to cut the eye in the back minimally and insert after. Then decided to cut the hole large, and now I put them in whenever I want, lol. Usually during painting. Since my dolls are for me, family and friends, I do not glue them in as I like to be able to position them when I want. I got that tip from a nice Forum Member. You know who you are, lol. Remember I do not sell my dolls, so I would suggest the glue for selling. Forgot to say I also use moleskin to hold the eyes in place.
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Personally when I insert eyes it is always after all the painting is done. I use heat set
I cut the socket open inside the head and insert them from the back without heating the vinyl.
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I use heatset. But if i didn’t, i would put the eyes in before painting as i usually have to manhandle the kit to get them perfect
I do same as @jlesser.
The only times when I had to insert eyes from the front were minis or Tinky with tiny neck.
I always insert eyes after panting and varnishing.
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I use air-dry, often times I will put the eyes in before I start painting and I will do some undertones and veining. When it comes time for washes and shading around the eyes, I do take them out.
I put them back in before varnishing but I do put cling wrap over the eyes to protect them from getting varnish on them. (I usually put the eye in first and then lay a small piece of cling wrap over the eye and take a toothpick and push the cling wrap around the inside of the eye) I can pull the cling wrap off with tweezers.
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I painted Lennox without her eyes in because she’s easy enough to get them in. They were already cut and I just use long hemostats to get them in and positioned. I’ve not had experience with others yet.
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I put them in from the back and tend to put them in when most skin tones are done. It helps me see what the baby needs.
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I use air dry also. I do all my painting, varnishing and rooting before putting in the eyes. Sometimes I do a trial run to see which color looks best with the skin tones. It’s not always what I envisioned. I cut a flap about 3/4 of the way around the eye socket, from the inside, to put the eyes in. I glue down the flap after I get the eyes positioned and then I put 2 narrow strips of moleskin going opposite directions (+) for added security. I use applied eyelashes and I do those last.
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Wow, so many different methods. 
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I cut the socket about 3/4 of the way around inside for flat back eyes. For full round I cut an “x” in the socket- the stem sticks out of the center of the “x” and it makes it easy to position the eyes. I always insert from inside. I cut the flaps and try different eyes before I wash the kit. I paint the kit most of the way including around the eyes and then insert again to check my shading and coloring. Then I remove, finish painting, reinsert, varnish, glue,gloss, and add eyelashes if applied lashes.If I root the eyelashes, the order is slightly different.
Thanks everyone for your input! You all have been very helpful!
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With that, do you do magnet at mouth before or after rooting? Would it upset it if it was rooted after? Or do
I glue the magnet when I glue the eyes, after rooting. I also cover it with moleskin to make it more secure when I’m stuffing and weighting the head. The magnet will attract the needles when you’re trying to root if you put it in first.
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I root, then glue and insert the magnet, then glue it again along with gluing the hair. And once dry put my molesking where needed - eyes, and mouth. I think I said the same thing as @jeanhai 
Pretty much. Great minds think alike.
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Ok, thank you. I’m getting close to rooting and putting a magnet in his mouth. He doesn’t have eyes because he sleeps. I suppose I’d be gluing eyelashes as well, as I’ll root them.