Removing the Frame on One Piece Torso

Hello everyone!! I have not been able to find a bonafide tutorial showing the removal of the inner frame from a one piece torso. I know its possible, I just don't know how to do it properly. I just bought one, and I would like to reinforce the frame with some metal parts from Cool Cat. This is my very first Dollfie Dream ever, so I would like to avoid an unnecessary noob damage. 

Thanks in advance!! 

Hopefully you'll get better answers, as I only just got one of these and haven't removed the inner frame. However, I know how it must be done because it is the only way to remove the frame from the lower torso on the normal two-piece body. You'll need to heat the bottom of the torso around one of the thigh holes and the crotch area with a hair dryer. Once you've got that softened up somewhat then you can work the frame out. With the two-piece, once you get the bottom armature part with the thigh pins out the rest is pretty easy. With the one-piece I'm sure there will also be some difficulty in getting the rest to come out. OTOH the crotch part of the skin isn't reinforced on the one-piece the same way it is on the two-piece so that aspect may be easier.

@BeyondTime has removed one I know so he can give you a more complete answer.

I find the ease of removing it can vary a bit from body to body. 

I also have a harder time getting the upper frame through the waist than getting the frame out through the hip. 

One of the biggest issues is the torso frame is made of two parts, and when you pull the lower frame through the hip the upper frame separates and you have to work your fingers into the upper torso and fish it out. It’s not easy to get a good grip on it in such a confined space. 

It can be done, and heating it with a hair dryer helps. 

If it’s a new torso I probably wouldn’t add the reenforcement parts. I’ve never had one of the newer ones crack on me, and getting the frame back out after the parts have been added is a lot harder. 

Older torsos will need the parts. 

There is a photo around of my Haruka Amami with her broken frame, and it shows how badly the old ones can break. At work or I would search for it. 

Edited March 20, 2019 by BeyondTime

While I haven't owned anything long enough to comment on durability, once I saw how the Coolcat parts fit on the newer upper frame, where the metal only contacts the outer flanges of the shoulder socket, I decided against using them as well. That doesn't really offer the kind of reinforcement they did on the older frames, and moreover I think it's possible they might cause problems of their own since they're putting force on a small area rather than a large one as they did with the older parts.

I just got a one piece torso a couple of days ago and aesthetically I like it so much better than the two piece. It's not just the removal of the seam; it's the imo nicer looking bodyline with the less narrow waist, especially how the spine doesn't curve inward so much above the butt.

2 hours ago, BeyondTime said:

I find the ease of removing it can vary a bit from body to body. 

I also have a harder time getting the upper frame through the waist than getting the frame out through the hip. 

One of the biggest issues is the torso frame is made of two parts, and when you pull the lower frame through the hip the upper frame separates and you have to work your fingers into the upper torso and fish it out. It’s not easy to get a good grip on it in such a confined space. 

It can be done, and heating it with a hair dryer helps. 

If it’s a new torso I probably wouldn’t add the reenforcement parts. I’ve never had one of the newer ones crack on me, and getting the frame back out after the parts have been added is a lot harder. 

Older torsos will need the parts. 

There is a photo around of my Haruka Amami with her broken frame, and it shows how badly the old ones can break. At work or I would search for it. 

Okay, I heard that some of the frames can crack, but I'm buying the torso new straight from Volks and it seems the newer bodies have much thicker pieces on the shoulders and hips. I just wanted to double check though cause if something were to break I would be devestated. Thank you for the information!! 

2 hours ago, cfx said:

While I haven't owned anything long enough to comment on durability, once I saw how the Coolcat parts fit on the newer upper frame, where the metal only contacts the outer flanges of the shoulder socket, I decided against using them as well. That doesn't really offer the kind of reinforcement they did on the older frames, and moreover I think it's possible they might cause problems of their own since they're putting force on a small area rather than a large one as they did with the older parts.

I just got a one piece torso a couple of days ago and aesthetically I like it so much better than the two piece. It's not just the removal of the seam; it's the imo nicer looking bodyline with the less narrow waist, especially how the spine doesn't curve inward so much above the butt.

Yeah, i would definitely have to agree with the aesthetic side of things. When I saw comparison photos between the one and 2 piece torsos, I just had to get the one piece! I also think that the waist looks much nicer. I'm sure I'm not going to be bothered with the limited poseability either. Thank you so much for answering!! 

As far as I know, with the one-piece torso even if you are buying used you shouldn't have to worry about the frame being an older version. Volks fixed that a long time ago and I believe did so long before they started making the one-piece bodies. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct that.

4 hours ago, cfx said:

As far as I know, with the one-piece torso even if you are buying used you shouldn't have to worry about the frame being an older version. Volks fixed that a long time ago and I believe did so long before they started making the one-piece bodies. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct that.

The internal frame on the one piece is the same as the frame on the two piece torso. If something did break you'll be able to find them for quite some time. I am pretty careful with my dolls, and I always grasp the joint I am positioning at the joint and not at the end of the part. You have more control over how the joint moves in the socket, and you aren't applying more force than is needed to position the part. The new frames are better, but I think it takes a combination of design and care to keep them in good shape.

4 hours ago, cfx said:

As far as I know, with the one-piece torso even if you are buying used you shouldn't have to worry about the frame being an older version. Volks fixed that a long time ago and I believe did so long before they started making the one-piece bodies. If I'm wrong I'm sure someone will correct that.

I think the earlier frame was used in Haruka and Miki.

 

Here is the photo of my Haruka with her original frame. She's a one-piece torso, and I had to pull it out to swap the upper frame part. You can see part of the broken torso in her left hand.

Edited March 21, 2019 by BeyondTime

I stand corrected.

That's also the second version of the upper internal frame as far as I can tell, which I didn't know still had the issue. I guess they changed to the latest one because there was still a problem; I figured they did it to save plastic material over that second version.

With the shoulders, I always try to support that part by squeezing the vinyl; othewise the socket tends to try to rotate when inserting the arm piece and also to support it. It's easier on the last body I bought because of the squishier vinyl Volks is now using.

Edited March 21, 2019 by cfx

2 hours ago, cfx said:

I stand corrected.

That's also the second version of the upper internal frame as far as I can tell, which I didn't know still had the issue. I guess they changed to the latest one because there was still a problem; I figured they did it to save plastic material over that second version.

With the shoulders, I always try to support that part by squeezing the vinyl; othewise the socket tends to try to rotate when inserting the arm piece and also to support it. It's easier on the last body I bought because of the squishier vinyl Volks is now using.

You're actually one of the first people to mention holding the joint while positioning the part. I completely forgot that was a thing you're supposed to do! Thanks for the care tips!! 

This

2 hours ago, cfx said:

I stand corrected.

That's also the second version of the upper internal frame as far as I can tell, which I didn't know still had the issue. I guess they changed to the latest one because there was still a problem; I figured they did it to save plastic material over that second version.

With the shoulders, I always try to support that part by squeezing the vinyl; othewise the socket tends to try to rotate when inserting the arm piece and also to support it. It's easier on the last body I bought because of the squishier vinyl Volks is now using.

This is actually an area where the F3 is a big improvement. The joints move very smoothly, ball and socket as opposed to friction.