8"
Betsy McCall
Conservation
and Repair
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The 8" Betsy is well known for several frailties:
a tendency to split at the crotch seam, and weak knee joints that become
loose or develop cracks.
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I have been told the seams can be repaired
by clamping gently after applying a good quality Epoxy glue (the kind that
comes in 2 parts to mix).
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Loose or overtight arms can easily be restrung
with lightweight doll stringing elastic, available from doll supply catalogs
or craft catalogs. Betsy is so small that I also use round sewing elastic
called 'beading' elastic. "This Old Doll" has a
site with wonderful doll restringing and repair instructions including some specifically for Betsy.
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The head may be strung with a rubber band
that passes over a bar inside the head that has no open end to hook the
new rubber band over. I have coaxed doubled beading elastic under the bar,
pulled it back out with tweezers, and knotted it to replace a broken band.
If the elastic won't go underneath the bar, a small glass bead on a thread
can be dropped under and back out and the thread then can be tied
to the elastic to pull it through.
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Hard plastic dolls are a heat-sensitive plastic
and warming a split seam with a blow dryer can help it flex enough
to meet again for gluing. An empty glue gun nozzle can be used to
melt a seam together but I have never been able to get the join smooth
enough to look acceptable.
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Stains will (very very slowly) come out of
hard plastic with repeated applications of Benzoyl Peroxide (found in acne
creams such as Persa-Gel). I also recently re-ordered more Remove-Zit from
Twin Pines of Maine, which does a fantastic job of removing stains from
vinyl, and it says it will work on hard plastics as well. I have used it
on a stained Betsy with no problems.
Keep all dolls and clothing out of direct
sun or bright flourescent light and at a constant temperature and humidity
if possible. Pink cheeks and good face and body color add greatly to a
doll's value.
To communicate about this site, send e-mail
to kari@umich.edu
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HOME Page Last Updated 12/25/2013