Hybridizing Obitsu with DD parts

edit: I renamed the thread since this has basically become a project thread for my attempts to DD-fy my Obitsu/s beyond just their head.

 

For anyone who has these bodies, are the ankle ball joint of the Obitsus the same or similar size to DDs? I assume that the ankle ball joint is the same size between the DDs but I'd like to make sure. I'm especially interested in knowing if Obitsu 40-50cm ankles can fit in DDS feet or not. Considering the well-dobleepented frustration that comes with taking feet apart I'm not asking anyone to actually do that! Just giving input from what's visible when comparing them in person is enough for me.

 

As usual, I've been poking around to see if other people have had success trying out certain custom mods. In particular, recently I've been interested in if there is any way to give Obitsus bigger DD feet. DD and Obitsu feet are very different, with Obitsu feet being secured with a screw in the bottom whereas DDs have a foot-shaped frame within the vinyl. Because of that, it appears like they're incompatible. However I did find one person who found a way to make a DDII foot with an Obitsu 60cm ankle work(their blog post is here). They even added magnets! The process is very.. involved though. Taking apart feet in general is a huge pain, coupled with using a hacksaw and drilling holes on the frame. The results are nice though. Even though the person who did this custom intended to use their upgraded foot with a DD body(an OD--Obitsu Dream, as they put it), since the ankle joint is Obitsu this should technically work to give Obitsu DD feet.

 

The main problem I see with doing this is that the guide uses a DDII foot and frame, and while you can get DDII feet from Volks, the frames aren't included and cannot be bought separately. DDS and DDIII feet do though so I dug some more to find images of the internal frame of the foot of the newer DD bodies, and found this. Images of the DDS foot frame are towards the bottom of the page. It's a bit grainy, but it appears the biggest change is that the screw that keeps the ankle joint together is now at the bottom of the ball joint and not in the middle. However, once that is removed it looks very similar to the DDII foot frame. I can't be sure unless I try it(if/whenever that even happens), but I think the mod could still work to give a 60cm Obitsu DD feet if the ball joint fits snugly. I'm wondering if the same could be said for 50cms. It looks like it's probably more trouble than it's worth, but it is interesting. It would make shoe shopping a lot easier at least, given the odd in-between Obitsu foot size.

Edited April 28, 2017 by Guest

Okay, so an update here. I ended up buying a pair of DDS feet myself to see if I can get them to fit on my AZObitsu vmf50cm... and it ended up being much simpler than I expected! You don't even need to go through the trouble of taking apart the DDS feet unless you really want to put magnets or something in there and/or you're doing a full body mod that requires complete disassembly. (.../sighs)

 

Obitsu ankle(left), DDS ankle(right).

 

It may look like it won't work, but it really does! Simply put, to put a DDS foot on an Obitsu you just pull off the Obitsu feet including the ankles, and then slip on DDS feet & the included ankle frame. You absolutely need the help of a hair dryer to soften up the vinyl of the lower shins though. First, heat the top of the shins with a hair dryer and then pull them and feet from the rest of the body. Next, heat the bottom of the shins where it meets the ankle joint VERY well before pulling out the feet and ankles. Keep turning as you blast them to oblivion, and continue heating them for an extra 10 seconds once you think they're ready. That's my rule of thumb. xD The heated vinyl should be very, very soft(and hot) and pulling it out shouldn't be too hard. If it doesn't come out after using a moderate amount of force then it wasn't heated enough. Also, when pulling out Obitsu feet you should focus your grip on the ankle ball joint instead of the feet(which could come off by itself before you manage to pull the ankle off if you yank hard enough...). When you pull out the feet, the ankle joint as well as part of the shin frame should come out.

 

For me the hardest part of this mod was actually separating the Obitsu ankle joint from the shin "bone" peg. I swear that ankle didn't want to go. ;___;"" I was so close to giving up and ordering a new pair of knees instead but then I got it off somehow. I simply kept pulling at it like a madwoman, but it should come off easier if you twist and pull instead. I only figured that out after disassembling another pair of legs... welp...

 

Once that's done, you can try putting the DDS feet onto the Obitsu shin frame. It may seem a little loose, but it'll be fine after the soft vinyl shin parts are back in place.

 

Here's how a stock Obitsu 50cm shin with Obitsu feet looks next to one with DDS feet.

 

There's a small increase in height because DDS feet are taller. Do the bigger feet look out of place? Personally I think it looks alright, but this mod really looks better with thicker calves like the ones on AZO2 50cm girls:

 

 

A lot nicer! I can't say for sure much about how posing compares since that DD foot isn't completely installed yet but it looks like the way the top of the soft vinyl against the ankle was trimmed will limit posing a little bit. Perhaps it could be further trimmed to be similar to Obitsu feet but I don't want to risk it not fitting anymore. I also need to get used to how DD ankles move in one direction, considering how I snapped one of the DDS ankles within seconds of receiving it in the mail while checking them out. I stupidly thought it was a case of factory fresh joints just being tighter, but it really doesn't bend both ways. >__<"

 

Still, all in all I think it looks really nice! I always thought my girl was the type to have bigger feet than what she came with lmao and not having screws on the bottom of her feet just looks more aesthetically pleasing. Most importantly this gives her more shoe options!

 

I don't know enough about DD feet to tell if this works with the feet meant for DDIII/DDdyIII, but definitely a thumbs up for DDS feet! DDII feet without a frame included is a no-go tho.

Edited May 1, 2017 by Guest

/renamed thread, and another long post incoming ><""

 

I ended up buying another pair of DDS feet, mainly to replace the frame part that broke in the first one. I didn't want Elia to use the previous pair even after fixing it, since I handle her a lot and a future broken ankle is even more likely. I did want to buy another set of DDS feet for my 60cm Obitsu later/next year anyway for Arisa & Sumire; the opportunity just happened to come by earlier.

 

Still, even though I made sure to be extra careful.. disaster still struck, and I ended up breaking the new feet too. I'm just.. feeling really down about that. I know I'm not the most gentle while playing with my dolls, but.. I was being even more careful when handling them this second time! I was shocked that I managed to snap one of them regardless, and the disbelief continued when I did it again the next day to the other one.

 

The same part of the foot frame broke, in all cases. It's the little 'post' like part of the actual foot frame that connects it to the ankle ball joint and allows DD feet to swivel.

 

Pair 1:

Foot 1: Foot post snapped seconds after opening the package while checking its range of motion. Learned the hard way that it does not bend in both directions automatically. Orz

Foot 2: Ankle got faint cracks and possibly warped slightly from the heat from a stove top dye test, and the foot post snapped off after reassembly while attempting to rotate the foot.

 

 

Here's a picture after 1, but before 2 broke. Sorry for the messy looking progress pic of the foot magnetization mod I was working on! You can see that the 'post' is intact in the foot in the front, but it broke off in the back one.

 

Pair 2

Foot 1: Foot post snapped while shaving off the bottom to make room for a magnet.

Foot 2: Other foot post broke off when I tried to straighten it (it swiveled to the side).

 

At this point I think I can break any new ones just by looking at it funny. ><"" I can understand why I broke the first one---they were completely new to me, and I thought that they were just really stiff and actually could bend further. But I'm really angry at myself for being careless with the second pair! With my obitsus, I have broken/damaged some parts too, but that was after tightening screws too much or while doing heavy mods like cutting down their legs to make them shorter. Breaking every single DD foot frame I have ever had without fail before they even got on a doll really hurts my confidence that I'll be able to handle a full, new DD. I don't see anyone with this kind of issue so I really must be a brute then.

 

I usually like the squeaky stiffness of new joints but DD joints are more.. creaky? It seems like it could break easily if it's not gently 'broken in' enough first. Are smart dolls also really creaky when they're new? In any case I'm still using the actual foot vinyl, but I still want to be able to use the frames from the newer pair in a pinch so I tried to fix it.

 

 

One fixed foot, one broken foot, and one repurposed small jar with a mysterious liquid. The joints in both of the feet parts are noticeably darker because it was made from POM, which takes dye really well compared to ABS.

 

The stuff in the jar is homemade ABS glue, which is essentially liquified ABS, and it can be made by putting small pieces of ABS in a small amount of pure acetone, and letting the acetone melt the ABS completely into a liquid. When applied to ABS, it sorta melts it, but it also allows it to fuse to another piece of ABS plastic. When the acetone evaporates, the only thing that would remain is ABS, so it should result in a bond as strong as the original. I thought about using other glues/epoxies, but this solution was the easiest since I already had everything. I got the small pieces of ABS from spare doll parts, specifically my 1:6 scale hard body Obitsu that I sadly ruined(in the aforementioned leg shortening mod). Pretty much all of the hard 1:6 scale obitsus are made from ABS so it would melt horribly in case of an accidental spill. On DD feet, everything on the foot/ankle frame besides the part that took to dye well above is ABS, so it's possible to shave off a tiny portion from the foot frame to make the few drops of glue needed to fix them up. Probably other inconspicuous parts of a DD frame could be used as well. More info how to make this glue can be found >> here. Note that the consistency I was working with was glue-like, not a juice or slurry.

 

No pics of the next part because I was working quickly, but I basically used a toothpick to put two drops of ABS glue in the cavity where the ankle is, waited a few seconds, and then pushed in the foot frame and held it together for a minute before putting it aside. Before starting, it's a good idea to check the broken area so you know how to position the two parts so that the fit is as good as possible. Afterwards I waited a day before handling it even more. You will definitely lose the swiveling capabilities it had before(it may break again if you tried ><"), which means that foot/ankle will only move in one direction permanently, so make sure to position it so they can still wear heels. A bit of a hassle, but least it works again! I tried using the same ABS glue with the first pair that broke, but instead of keeping the foot post in the ankle part, I removed it and tried to glue it to the rest of the foot to make it look as it had before. That didn't actually work, at least for me. The glue just kept melting that area making it look super ugly and the bond wasn't good for some reason. The newer method looks much much better and is more stable too!

 

Still.. in the end I made those fixed ankles/foot frames my backup and instead made this derpy looking thing to be Elia's primary ankle/foot parts:

 

 

That is an Obitsu ankle, with epoxy putty(apoxie sculpt) shaped around the base to make a sorta(???) foot shaped thing with a magnet stuck in there. Incredibly sad and derpy looking, but since I had one pair lying around anyway I figured I might as well try to see if I can get it to work..

 

And it did! I put the Obitsu ankle into the DDS foot and it didn't look weird at all! And because it's Obitsu, it would definitely fit just fine in with her Obitsu legs. I guess I answered my question in the beginning of this thread. I did want to try out the fixed DDS ankle parts too though so I put one on the other undyed DDS foot.

 

 

This is how they look. The one in the back is alone because I just glued it 20 minutes before takin this picture. XD And here it is on Elia's legs.

 

 

Obitsu ankle ball joints are slightly smaller but it isn't really noticeable, even when the other foot uses a different company's parts. As for range of motion..

 

 

Backwards is similar, though an obi ankle can move backwards a little bit more.

 

 

Obitsus are clearly better at bending forward in this configuration. On a perfectly working DD ankle tho you can make it so their forward motion range is the same as in the backwards motion pic. It's unlikely that they'll ever need to flex their ankle THIS much but having that option may help keep them stable while posing. They also now have magnets in them so they have that to help as well.

 

As derpy as my obi/epoxy putty foot is, I think I'll keep it for now. I'm kind of worried that the putty might break down eventually through repeated use or (most likely I think) if I heat up the foot or ankle area with a hair dryer for some reason. In any case I have the DD ankle+foot backup if that happens. After using the DD ankles more the creakyness has gone down a lot and handling it isn't as scary. I think an Obitsu ankle screwed onto a DD foot frame and reinforced with epoxy specifically meant for plastics might work really well. Though if the ankle joint itself breaks that'll be real pain to get a new setup working again. xD

 

Lastly.. I also got one of those new DD wrist parts. Since I'll be using DD hands anyway I figured it wouldn't hurt to try them because the extra rotation sounds useful, and because the wrist ball joint is completely smooth(obis have a tiny protrusion that looks a little ugly imo). The wrist pegs seemed to be the same thickness, but it was actually pretty loose! I think the Obitsu wrists are also too loose tbh. I tried to thicken it with tape which helps a bit but I may try nail polish or super glue later. Until I get those wrist parts in snugly that extra rotation means nothing because everything rotates freely right now.

 

I'll work on that eventually, but for now here's a comparison between a DD wrist and Obitsu 40-50cm wrist.

 

 

The area on the DD wrist that gets slightly thicker actually does fit nicely on Obitsu elbow joints.. hmm.

 

And that's it for now!

 

sobs I knew I was in for a lot of modding when I got into this hobby but I didn't think it would be THIS much..

Man, the modding you do blows me away sometimes! Your dye work looks like it came out so nice!! I actually really like the size of the DDS foot on both types of legs. I like the sturdy flat footedness of Obitsu sometimes, but the DD ones just look more natural...At least things were able to work out in the end! I know that heart sinking feeling when a piece snaps...and it only has happened to me once so far. I'm so afraid now to pull on anything on any of my boys for fear of snappage.

 

Other note...I couldn't help but think the ABS glue was sort of hilariously morbid when I thought about it being a doll body once I never knew there was such a thing though, so that's going to be cool to read up on. Don't know if I'll ever need it, but it never hurts to know more!

Oh man, please let us know how the wrist joint thing works out. I freakin' hate the Obitsu wrist joints my Homura has.

Man, the modding you do blows me away sometimes! Your dye work looks like it came out so nice!! I actually really like the size of the DDS foot on both types of legs. I like the sturdy flat footedness of Obitsu sometimes, but the DD ones just look more natural...At least things were able to work out in the end! I know that heart sinking feeling when a piece snaps...and it only has happened to me once so far. I'm so afraid now to pull on anything on any of my boys for fear of snappage.

 

Other note...I couldn't help but think the ABS glue was sort of hilariously morbid when I thought about it being a doll body once I never knew there was such a thing though, so that's going to be cool to read up on. Don't know if I'll ever need it, but it never hurts to know more!

Thanks! I'm happy with the dye job, even though it's not even at all. Dye is really unpredictable... in the beginning I did so many tests to get the *perfect* dye combination to get it right the first time when I dyed her actual body, but the color you get right out of the pot WILL fade.. sometimes unevenly. I eventually did her re-dye by feel and it came out okay. xD Not perfect because there are some splotches, but she just looks 'right' now, so I'm really glad I went ahead and did it. Once I get her faceup and wig done and presentable I'll post the full write up on that project. But since you said you'll be dyeing the joints, I'll tell you.. Be careful! ABS plastic can warp or crack at a temperature just above the boiling point, and since dyes best for plastic need to be at a boil for it to work well it's pretty risky. I kinda.. ruined a few pieces. ><""

 

I don't think you need to be too afraid of snapping anything on your boys. Just be extra careful if their joints are pretty tight. And lmao I can't believe I never realized the morbidity of my ABS glue! I guess Arturo v1 is a part of her after all...;; ABS glue can be used to fix broken parts, and since a lot of the frame is ABS I think it could be pretty useful! It probably doesn't do anything to the POM plastic parts though.

 

 

Oh man, please let us know how the wrist joint thing works out. I freakin' hate the Obitsu wrist joints my Homura has.

Will do! DD wrist joints just need to be thickened a liiiittle for it to fit perfectly. I tried putting a thin layer of super glue on a loose shoulder before, but that came out pretty quickly after moving the arms a bit. Perhaps sanding the peg a little to rough up the surface first will make the glue bond better..

Re wrist joints

 

I used the ones that came with my ranka lee on my obitsu 50cm and they work perfectly!

 

Edit: pic added

 

Sawako by Shoujo Magic, on Flickr

Edited April 30, 2017 by Guest

Great report. Thanks for posting.

Re wrist joints

 

I used the ones that came with my ranka lee on my obitsu 50cm and they work perfectly!

 

Edit: pic added

 

Sawako by Shoujo Magic, on Flickr

 

Ooh, Sawako(..right? Sorry if I'm mistaken.. ^^"") looks so confident and even kind of sassy with those hands! I love how much different hands can change a doll's expression. So Ranka's default wrist joints fit perfectly as is? Are they the new or old type of wrists? On my girl they kinda just sit there right now.. the slightest shake would make them fall out. xD

 

Great report. Thanks for posting.

 

You're welcome, K-2!

The wrist joints are new, but not the extra joint/turn ones

 

Theyre nice and snug in there i did try another of my girls hands, i think it was an early released d3 hands that were a bit too tight so i think it could be hit and miss :/

were there ever any other updates to this? Its super interesting!

I was planning to make a doll of my friend's OC, combining a DD head with an Obitsu 50cm boy body to resemble a DDP boy. Unfortunately the catboy never made it out of the supply planning stage.