Swappin' Bodies (Between Types)

Have a favorite body type? Wish all your dolls could be a Type 1, 2, or 3? This tutorial will show you how. Materials needed: Small phillips' head screwdriver Mini-elastics (like for hair braids, or out of toy boxes) Exacto blade

Above, you see the heads of a Type 1, Type 2, and Type 3 body (below you see the corresponding bodies and neck joints that go with them). Type 1 has a very small neck hole, but since it goes through the entire neck, it's thicker than the other two, which have an outside and inside hole. The neck peg is small and thin. Type 2 has a large round hole on the outside, with a slightly smaller, also round hole set on the inside.The neck peg has a thick core, with a flat top. The neck is round, but soft and retractable. Type 3 has a slightly smaller outside hole than Type 2, and is oval. The inside hole is larger, but it only has a rim on the front that slopes into the sides and none in the back. The neck has a medium thick core with a flat top, and is slightly oval.

Type 1 body with a.... Type 2 head: The best way to have a nice sturdy neck when putting a Type 2 head on a Type 1 body is to go to the Type 1 broken neck tutorial, and just sculpt a new neck. You can remove the existing peg by unscrewing the top neck screw. Save the joint. For slightly less sturdy, but less permenant fix, wrap the rubber bands around that neck. Tightly, so they won't slide off the neck peg. When you have enough rubber bands that you can close the head over the peg and replace the screws without it wobbling around, you're done. Type 3 head: Pretty much the same as putting it on a type 2. If you're doing the elastic fix, you'll need slightly less elastics. For both fixes, depending on how tight the fit is, you may want to carve the outer hole with your exacto blade so that it is slightly more circular so that the head turns more easily. But you probably won't have to (I've done two bodies this way and haven't had to carve either head).

Type 2 body with a... Type 1 head: You're going to have to carve the hole on the head out a bit with your exacto blade until you can close the head over the neck so that the seams on the side of the head are flush. Type 3 head: This will work pretty well with a straight swap. You might find that you don't need to change anything. The neck does tend to be a bit tight, so you can do one of two things: You can carve out the sides of the outer hole slightly so that the oval becomes a circle, or you can use the razor blade to cut off approximately 1/4 cm or 1/8" off the top of the rubber neck. I recommend carving out the head, because it doesn't affect the fit of the original type 3--you can put it right back on with the same fit. If you cut the neck, you will only be able to use that body for type 3s without having a gap or loose fit.

Type 3 body with a... Type 1 head: You're going to have to carve the hole on the head out a bit with your exacto blade until you can close the head over the neck so that the seams on the side of the head are flush. You'll also probably have to open up the head completely and carve on the inside of the hole at an angle to thin the thickness of the plastic around the hole. Type 2 head: Put 1 or 2 small elastics around the post of the neck before you put the head on, otherwise it will be a little wobbly. But that's all!

To switch a body: Remove the two screws at the bottom of the head (the visible screws). The wig/scalp don't need to be removed. Holding the chin with one hand and the ears with the other, pull the head apart gently until it is wide enough to remove or insert the body. Replace screws. All done!

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