Repairing Celluloid

This repair guide will teach you how to restore a shattered celluloid doll. I will be taking you step by step through the process of restoring a Madame Hendren Baby Brite doll head.

What you need to get started:

1. Loctite Brand Epoxy Putty

2. Probond Brand polyurethane glue

3. cloth cut in 1"x 3"  strips

4. Paper plate (Must be paper)

5. Loctite brand super glue

6. One package x-fine sandpaper

7. Paint (I use Createx brand in my airbrush)

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The Process:

These are the before pictures of a Madame Hendren Baby Brite doll head.

If you are good with puzzles, then this is your time to shine. I always start from the neck and work my way up. When I match 2 pieces together I apply super glue with a toothpick to both piece and hold them together until dry. When celluloid shatters, some warping will occur, so it's normal for some pieces not to fit just right. Some may overlap one another.

When the head is about half way to the top, pour some Polyurethane glue in a paper plate and dip strips of cloth in it and press onto the inside of the head. When dry, this will strengthen the head from the inside so you can sand any warped pieces smooth and fill any holes that may need filling. Use a pair of large tweezers to handle the strips because the glue is very VERY sticky and is very difficult to wash off your hands. Of course, ALWAYS follow the directions and heed warnings on any product you use. Once this is dry, you can begin adding more pieces to the head.

Repeat this process until the head is all together. I took the eyes off the eyebar and glued them in place so the weight in the mechanism would not cause a repeat performance and shatter the head again.

Once completely dry, you are safe to sand anywhere it needs it. Celluloid is somewhat soft, and does not take alot of effort to smooth with x-fine sandpaper. Any holes / cracks can be filled with Loctite Epoxy putty. Work fast! The epoxy putty has only about 3 minutes working time once mixed. Work with small areas at a time, smoothing as you go. When dry, sand entire head smooth, and paint as you wish. I use Createx laytex paints in my airbrush. Seal with 3 coats of  the clear satin finish of you choice. Here she is- with a new lease on life.

You can find celluloid dolls on ebay under the celluloid category.

Closing Thoughts

Celluloid repair can be accomplished through lots of patience. It's not easy by any means, but it's not impossible, either. I urge you to try it. Especially if you are a celluloid doll collector. I challenge all my fellow doll docs out there to buy a broken celluloid doll and fix it! More of these need to be saved from the landfill. These dolls are becoming few and far between because they get broken, and there's noone there to fix them. I urge doll docs to learn how and to offer celluloid repair to those folks looking for someone to fix their doll. When you do, let me hear from you! I'd love to see what you accomplish!