DD neck hole cracks

Hello!

I've been out of the hobby for a while and am unsure which kind of solution(s) work well on cracked neck holes in Dollfie Dream heads. Is there a fix/repair that holds up really well long term? 

I'm someone who likes changing outfits on dolls regularly and usually take off the head to make it easier. Would I need to be overly cautious with a doll that has neck hole cracks - repaired or not? Things like barely moving the head or not taking it off at all?

 

Neck cracks are pretty common with the new softer DD head vinyl, especially because of the neck peg's design. I generally leave the cracks alone unless they're actually affecting posability, because once it cracks and you fix it, it's just gonna crack again after a while if you keep removing the head, but there's a few known fixes out there.

The easiest is adding a layer of vinyl glue such as Loctite's Vinyl, Fabric, and Plastic glue to the cracked area while it's off the neck peg. Let that cure, and it should both repair the cracks and strengthen the area a bit so it'll be harder for it to crack again.

A more advanced technique is using a welding iron to melt some scrap vinyl into the cracks. If done right, this repair is the most seamless, but it's not easy if you've never done it before. Vinyl goes from melted to burned VERY quickly.

Alternatively, you could just swap out the neck peg to a third party one. Shiroi Kitsune no Yume makes a metal one that has a collar piece that clamps onto the head, and this collar is what actually goes on the neck peg. No more cracks causing problems, no more stress on the vinyl that could cause future cracks. There is a bit or concern that, because these are metal, they run the risk of damaging the plastic frame with time, but I've been using one on a couple of my dolls and haven't noticed any problems yet, and I like them not only for neck cracks, but also for making DD hybrids with other vinyl brands', and even resin, heads. Meowmarts has these neck pegs for sale in the US, that's where I get them.

https://meowmarts.com/product/shiroi-kitsune-no-yume-白狐夢境-neck-peg-for-mdd-ddp-dds-dd-dddy-f3-body/

Alternatively, if you just want to fix the cracks and prevent future ones, there's a cheaper plastic neck peg that will also prevent a repaired head from re-cracking. This seller, Grayforce, makes them, and they work so well that a lot of DD owners replace the stock neck peg with them BEFORE the neck cracks! They're a great preventative.

https://auctions.yahoo.co.jp/seller/grayforce

As for what causes them...posing isn't a concern as much as removing the head is. DD stock neck pegs have that big bump right at the top of the peg, and that along with the ridges on the peg stretch the neck hole and stress the vinyl, which causes the cracks. It's why the Grayforce peg is smooth and uniformly shaped. If you want to keep your stock neck peg, I'd recommend leaving the head on there at all times, and if you REALLY need to take it off, clip that bump off the top of the neck peg with a good pair of nippers so you don't have to force the head over that part. That should help as well.

Thank you so much for taking your time with this long reply! This helps a lot especially with the multiple solutions you have listed. I'll look into these and see what fits my budget in the future. The welding iron method sounds incredibly cool but I definitely don't have the skill level for that at least. lol

I remember back when I got my first DD on a DDII Body I only replaced the neck piece with a coolcats one for mobility reasons. In hindsight it makes sense that the kind of peg Volks uses puts a stress on heads over time and that replacing it is a good idea.

Knowing that these cracks aren't as rare and that there are multiple ways of prevention and fixes makes me less fearful of possibly adopting a doll that already has some! I was worried that a doll that comes with them is kind of ruined and better off as a display doll only.