A translucent resin used by award-winning doll artists...

Lumicast™ is a translucent polyester based resin designed for original doll artists who wish to reproduce their one-of-a-kind Cernit® or Fimo® dolls without having to resculpt every one. It has a smooth, matte surface which is very beautiful with no checking. We cast the parts under pressure so that any air bubbles are eliminated. The translucency of the resin can be varied to suit the artist's needs. By making the mix more opaque, Lumicast™ can be made to look like Super Sculpey® or porcelain. The head can be cast with a cavity in the back extending to the eye sockets so that glass or acrylic eyes can be set in as they are done with porcelain dolls.

Natasha Copyright ©1996 Ann Timmerman Aug/Sept 1996 Contemporary Doll Collector magazine

Copyright ©1998 Eveline Frings Germany 32" tall LE 20

Lumicast™ can be made in virtually any color. Blush and eyeshadow can be applied using artists oil paints. Alkyd paints can be brushed on for an opaque look, i.e., for teeth, fingernails, or painted eyes. While Lumicast™ is a tough material, it is not unbreakable and should be handled with care. It is quite a bit more durable than the polymer clays it is intended to resemble, and doesn't suffer from any of the problems associated with improper baking. Dolls made of Lumicast™ lend themselves to limited editions because, unlike vinyl dolls which are mass-produced through injection molding, they are cast by hand, one doll at a time. Slight variations in individual dolls can be expected from this time-consuming process, which adds to the value of these highly collectible pieces.

Preparing the Original

If you are going to inset eyes, don't make the eyelids too thin on the original sculpture. Use round--not eye-shaped--eyes, with little or no paperweight. Send a duplicate eye to the ones in your sculpt so that we may bevel the eyes to fit. Your original doll parts are likely to be destroyed during the moldmaking process. If your original is in porcelain, set the eyes as you regularly would.

Treating the Lumicast™

Most clients want us to clean their parts for them so that they are ready to paint. If you want to clean the parts yourself you can save about 30% of the casting cost.

To clean Lumicast™ doll parts we suggest that you start with a Dremel® or other rotary tool to even out the parting line as needed, then use a succession of sandpaper and Scotchbrite® pads to smooth everything out. Lastly, it is recommended that you brush the parts in the solvent styrene to even out the sheen. Acetone has a similar effect, but doesn't work nearly as well.

It is advisable, though not necessary, to spray the parts with a clear sealer after you've done your painting. Darker ethnic colors may have white in the cracks left over from the chemical cleaning, and spraying over these areas will make the white disappear. Keep your resin dolls away from direct sunlight, as UV rays are damaging. Use a clear epoxy gel to cement in place the eyes and the resin pate (provided to cover the hole in the back of the head).

Prices & Delivery

Silicone rubber molds will deteriorate and we can't guarantee that they will last longer than one year. We will guarantee you 50 Lumicast™ castings from each mold if ordered within one year. An 18" doll with inset eyes and a head, shoulder plate, arms and legs will typically cost $800.00 US for the molds and $85.00 US to cast and clean each doll. Ball jointed dolls that have ten or more parts will cost more, and be cast in a urethane resin, as Lumicast™ resin is not suitable for ball jointed dolls. We require that you order a minimum of five cast sets initially for each new doll, and at least five sets whenever you reorder. Delivery is usually four to six weeks. If you are in a hurry, we can usually "rush" your order for a 15% surcharge.

for more information.

    http://www.lumicast.com         This page was created on August 20, 1998 and last updated on Friday, January 19, 2007 by Crossroads Publishing.