From Resin to Vinyl, What to change?

I have a bunch of faceup supplies because I've done a few Resin ones. I have watercolor pencils (faber castell, caran d'ache), Acrylic (golden fluid), Pan pastels. 
I use Vallejo sealant through an airbrush. Will there be any issues with any of these on Vinyl? I've tried them all on Monster High dolls but not sure if thats the same thing? I saw someone say Vallejo turns yellow on vinyl but I haven't noticed it on my last MH repaint. Can anyone else chime in? 

What do I use to wipe Vinyl ? Rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, winsor? 
Any other Do's and Don'ts that differ from Resin?

Thanks so much! 

I can't answer the question about Vallejo, but I know many DD faceup artists use MSC (Mr. Super Clear). If you are using that, then 91% alcohol will remove everything, and is probably the safest thing to use. I'm not an artist and have never done a faceup, but I've removed them, and the alcohol has removed everything for me.

Do not use acetone as it will melt or distort the vinyl. Acetone is the main ingredient in typical nail polish remover.

31 minutes ago, cfx said:

Do not use acetone as it will melt or distort the vinyl.

I will back up this statement as I have ruined a vinyl doll head by using acetone.

50 minutes ago, cfx said:

I can't answer the question about Vallejo, but I know many DD faceup artists use MSC (Mr. Super Clear). If you are using that, then 91% alcohol will remove everything, and is probably the safest thing to use. I'm not an artist and have never done a faceup, but I've removed them, and the alcohol has removed everything for me.

Do not use acetone as it will melt or distort the vinyl. Acetone is the main ingredient in typical nail polish remover.

Thanks so much. I will switch back to MSC then. It was just harder for me since I have to run upstairs then outside, but it sounds like a much safer bet. 91% is what I use most so thats good to hear. 

Oh wow! That sounds scary, very good to know! 

Also, if you need to remove a Volks prepainted faceup alcohol won't work. I imagine it takes some type of paint thinner but I'm not sure what works and is safe. One of our resident faceup artists like @Bellatrix, @Subaru or @jadepixel would have that answer.

Edited August 12, 2019 by cfx

This is my go-to face up remover: https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Brush-Cleaner-Restorer/dp/B005M4W1VK/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=winsor+and+newton+clean+brush&qid=1565625603&s=gateway&sr=8-12

I use it for resin and vinyl and never had a problem with it. It removes Volks default DD face ups so easily. The only don'ts I have is that I wouldn't ever leave a DD head soaking for a long period of time like I usually do with resin heads. I don't know if there will be any problem if you do but I don't want to risk it so I don't do it.

For DD face ups I use the same face up supplies I use on resin. MSC (it's the only sealer I like) watercolor pencils, acrylics etc. I actually didn't change anything, I treat my DDs the same way I treat my BJDs. 

Thanks for the ping! I was confused why I got mentioned in a thread, haha.
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Controversial personal opinion but I use 100% pure acetone for most applications. It works quickly and I've never had any issues with it. I think acetone as a cleaner gets an unwarranted bad reputation. If you're careful and make sure that you don't allow it to pool in creases and let it evaporate you shouldn't run into any issues. Just work quickly and don't dump a large amount on it because it will cause the material to soften. (I'm the token acetone apologist....)

Mr. Color Thinner (lacquer thinner) works on custom face-ups but is not really effective on factory defaults. This also applies to Rubbing Alcohol as well, however it's not as strong as lacquer thinner. While I think rubbing alcohol is one of the safest options, it will sometimes take longer to remove a face-up. You'll be more likely to find sealer residue left behind when using it.

Traditional nail polish removers work, but keep an eye out for dyed ones. Sometimes it can leave color behind on the vinyl.

There are some acetone free nail polish removers that you can use, but sometimes there's conditioners, dyes, fragrances, and other additives to it that I'm not crazy about. I haven't personally used them, but I have heard people using it before.

I've found that overtime Winsor Newton Brush cleaner can sometimes leave a residue and cause yellowing over time, but maybe I just had a bad production batch. I do a lot of repaints so I'm not really crazy about the price of the Winsor Newton Brush cleaner in the long run since the bottles are sort of on the small side...

There are other solvents/paint strippers I've tried, but the ones listed above are the most commonly referenced. Despite this I still choose acetone over anything else... Being able to buy it by the gallon from the paint section of big box hardware stores makes it the most accessible for me. Until something else comes along that rivals the price and effectiveness of acetone I'm unlikely to change....

If you have any questions about face-ups on vinyl feel free to shoot me a PM.

Edited August 12, 2019 by Subaru
Fixed my grammar because I probably have only 2 brain cells left from sniffing paint thinner.

29 minutes ago, Subaru said:

Being able to buy it by the gallon from the paint section of big box hardware stores makes it the most accessible for me. Until something else comes along that rivals the price and effectiveness of acetone I'm unlikely to change....

You can get denatured alcohol by the gallon at the hardware store too, but it’s not cheap.  

4 hours ago, cfx said:

Also, if you need to remove a Volks prepainted faceup alcohol won't work. I imagine it takes some type of paint thinner but I'm not sure what works and is safe. One of our resident faceup artists like @Bellatrix, @Subaru or @jadepixel would have that answer.

Oh wow, very interesting. Thanks!

2 hours ago, jazijaz said:

This is my go-to face up remover: https://www.amazon.com/Winsor-Newton-Brush-Cleaner-Restorer/dp/B005M4W1VK/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=winsor+and+newton+clean+brush&qid=1565625603&s=gateway&sr=8-12

I use it for resin and vinyl and never had a problem with it. It removes Volks default DD face ups so easily. The only don'ts I have is that I wouldn't ever leave a DD head soaking for a long period of time like I usually do with resin heads. I don't know if there will be any problem if you do but I don't want to risk it so I don't do it.

For DD face ups I use the same face up supplies I use on resin. MSC (it's the only sealer I like) watercolor pencils, acrylics etc. I actually didn't change anything, I treat my DDs the same way I treat my BJDs. 

That's great to know. I have Winsor on backorder since it's the most recommended for resin. So knowing I can stick to that for both is great. 

40 minutes ago, Subaru said:

Thanks for the ping! I was confused why I got mentioned in a thread, haha.
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Controversial personal opinion but I use 100% pure acetone for most applications. It works quickly and I've never had any issues with it. I think acetone as a cleaner gets an unwarranted bad reputation. If you're careful and make sure that you don't allow it to pool in creases and let it evaporate you shouldn't run into any issues. Just work quickly and don't dump a large amount on it because it will cause the material to soften. (I'm the token acetone apologist....)

Mr. Color Thinner (lacquer thinner) works on custom face-ups but is not really effective on factory defaults. This also applies to Rubbing Alcohol as well, however it's not as strong as lacquer thinner. While I think rubbing alcohol is one of the safest options, it will sometimes take longer to remove a face-up. You'll be more likely to find sealer residue left behind when using it.

Traditional nail polish removers work, but keep an eye out for dyed ones. Sometimes it can leave color behind on the vinyl.

There are some acetone free nail polish removers that you can use, but sometimes there's conditioners, dyes, fragrances, and other additives to it that I'm not crazy about. I haven't personally used them, but I have heard people using it before.

I've found that overtime Winsor Newton Brush cleaner can sometimes leave a residue and cause yellowing over time, but maybe I just had a bad production batch. I do a lot of repaints so I'm not really crazy about the price of the Winsor Newton Brush cleaner in the long run since the bottles are sort of on the small side...

There are other solvents/paint strippers I've tried, but the ones listed above are the most commonly referenced. Despite this I still choose acetone over anything else... Being able to buy it by the gallon from the paint section of big box hardware stores makes it the most accessible for me. Until something else comes along that rivals the price and effectiveness of acetone I'm unlikely to change....

If you have any questions about face-ups on vinyl feel free to shoot me a PM.

Thank you so much for all this information!! I think I might experiment more on MH dolls. I tried 91% rubbing alcohol on my last one and it worked but took forever and lots of hard scrubbing. I have Winsor on backorder so I'll try that next. Then maybe acetone as last resort (the head I want to get it hard to find so I really don't want to ruin it) 

6 minutes ago, BeyondTime said:

You can get denatured alcohol by the gallon at the hardware store too, but it’s not cheap.  

True. I stick to acetone since it evaporated faster than denatured alcohol the last time I tested it. It's all up to personal preference though. 

2 minutes ago, maipoxx said:

Thank you so much for all this information!! I think I might experiment more on MH dolls. I tried 91% rubbing alcohol on my last one and it worked but took forever and lots of hard scrubbing. I have Winsor on backorder so I'll try that next. Then maybe acetone as last resort (the head I want to get it hard to find so I really don't want to ruin it) 

Oh word of warning, acetone will eat through the surface of the ABS body of MH super fast. I just use a little acetone on a few cotton buds to wipe off the factory paint on MH dolls. The whole process takes less than 5 minutes tops.

21 hours ago, Subaru said:

I've found that overtime Winsor Newton Brush cleaner can sometimes leave a residue and cause yellowing over time, but maybe I just had a bad production batch. I do a lot of repaints so I'm not really crazy about the price of the Winsor Newton Brush cleaner in the long run since the bottles are sort of on the small side...
 

Am I the only one who reuses the product? I've been using winsor for many years for default and custom face ups. When I remove BJD face ups (which are the hardest to remove for me since I seal the heads very well) I leave the heads soaking in the substance for 30 minutes or so, then I remove the head and rinse it under the running water with a Mr. Clean magic eraser, qtips and soap. I put the substance back in the bottle since it is clean most of the time, when I see face up residue I just remove it but the liquid always goes back in the bottle. A 16oz bottle lasts me for a long time.

When I use winsor on DDs, I just use a qtips to wipe the face up. I do it by parts. Like one eyebrow first with winsor and quickly wipe the same part again with water, then the other eyebrow and so on, In that way the product is not on the vinyl for a long time. I finish by rinsing the whole head with water and soap. I use a towel or bounty instead of the magic eraser. That's my procedure for factory face ups, it's usually so easy and quick since Volks doesn't seal them. As for my own face ups or custom face ups (since they are sealed completely) I do the same thing but before rising the head I wipe the whole head with winsor quickly to remove the rest of the MSC. I tried not to leave the product on the vinyl for more than a few seconds, never had a problem before but just in case I'm more cautious with vinyl heads.

As for yellowing, I really can't tell since all my BJDs are hybrids so the heads and bodies don't match 100% but I will keep an eye on my DDs, they look ok but I don't do their face ups often.

 

 

This is my secret to remove Volks faceups in a hearteat!

 

I've always used acetone to remove faceups on MH and EAH dolls. It's never given me any problems there, but it DID melt the face of a poor Hujoo Nano Rabi who was made of plastic! I've used it once on a DDH to remove a faceup that was going poorly - I've always just applied the acetone with a cotton ball or q-tip and rinsed frequently under running water.

Hujoo's are ABS. Acetone will melt ABS pretty fast. 

Acetone free nail polish remover can work, but you don't want to use one that isn't clear or it can stain your doll. I've never really found any that was clear, so I've never really recommended this personally or used it due to this reason.

In the past I heard simple green would work as well, but I've never tested it. It takes awhile though to my understanding.

Winsor and Newton can however eat acrylic so please keep this in mind if you used it (I damaged a clear toothbrush and a faucet handle).

I used 91% alcohol for DD last time, but this is becoming scare and I would rather try something else at this point.

35 minutes ago, biff said:

In the past I heard simple green would work as well, but I've never tested it. It takes awhile though to my understanding.

Fascinating, and I could see that. From a related experience, what you'd do is soak the head in it and wait.

Wood router bits get gunked up with a residue that is a comination of hot wood dust and the chemicals in wood like sap. This is very hard to clean off and there are nasty chemical cleaners made for it, but soaking those bits in Simple Green gets them perfectly clean; it just takes a while. I know this from experience.

It shouldn't hurt the vinyl, unless the green color stains.

1 hour ago, cfx said:

Fascinating, and I could see that. From a related experience, what you'd do is soak the head in it and wait.

Wood router bits get gunked up with a residue that is a comination of hot wood dust and the chemicals in wood like sap. This is very hard to clean off and there are nasty chemical cleaners made for it, but soaking those bits in Simple Green gets them perfectly clean; it just takes a while. I know this from experience.

It shouldn't hurt the vinyl, unless the green color stains.

Oh! The big jugs of it are actually clear and higher concentration. I think the little ones may have clear stuff in it but the bottle is just very green.  I was VERY confused until I bought some. XD  Yea, it became our house cleaning go to actually as well since it's fairly gentle stuff!

 

Unverified faceup cleaning idea: I've been considering trying LA's Totally Awesome which from what what I've heard in the dice community, is safe usually on resin and acrylic dice. Works akin to what Simple Green does, so that was my logic. Simple Green seems to be weaker though. Seen some bad incidents on occasion with LA Totally Awesome, but it's usually ok too. Haven't found a need to take the risk though. It does have a yellowy tint, but compared to pink, I feel like it wouldn't stain as badly, if it does at all.

2 hours ago, biff said:

Oh! The big jugs of it are actually clear and higher concentration. I think the little ones may have clear stuff in it but the bottle is just very green.  I was VERY confused until I bought some. XD

This must be a change, or a different type. I've bought the big jugs to refill the spray bottles, and mine have always been green and the same stuff. But I haven't bought it in years.

LA's Totally Awesome is, in my limited experience with it, more of a degreaser and the type you spray on something and it washes whatever gunk off. It's seemingly got stuff in it other than just soap. There's also multiple types of it; the plain one that's sort of yellow, and a purple one, and some others too I think. I think this would be riskier in terms of what effects it might have on vinyl.

Wow this is some good information! For I didn't know that acetone can ruin vinyl. Thanks for sharing!

I was planning to remove factory face-ups from my DD 2B and AP Kiara soon and I am wondering about how to best proceed. I have isopropyl alcohol that I use for resins, however, I've read that it can be hard to remove Volks factorby faceups with it, so I was looking at buying W&N Brush Cleaner/Restorer... Except it seems they don't sell it in Poland? I can only find these bottles, does anyone know if it's an acceptable substitute? https://www.sklepplastyczny.pl/48177-thickbox_pp/plyn-do-czyszczenia-winsor-newton-75-ml.jpg