How to improve a neck joint

Hi everyone! The past year has pushed the limits of my ability to use the unusable and make do with cheap things. In this quick post I will show you how I add up and down movement to a neck joint that only provides rotation.

For this example I am using aliexpress Barbie clone bodies with 12 points of articulation and a neck stump that looks like a, um, thick mushroom. The same method will work for fixing bodies with a missing or broken neck anchor. 

These photos were taken a while ago in my old setup before my homemade craft board cracked, so I apologize for the glare.

The main materials and tools for this project are:

• saw or craft knife
• small drill (heated needle supposedly works too)
• sanding tool, sandpaper or file
• various rustproof wires 
• wire cutters

If you don't have a neck anchor, a plastic button that fits snugly inside the head will do the job.

The first step with a body like this is to cut the top part that looks like a mushroom cap and save it to make the anchor. I used a small saw.

In this picture you can see my first mistake. I hurried to cut off the whole top, but it should have been like this:

If you wish to save the top (1), it's easier to cut it first, then cut at the bottom of the narrow part (2) and discard it. However, you can get a button of the same diameter and just cut the whole top off.

This body is hollow inside. If yours is not, you will need something like a dremel tool to scoop out enough to make room for the parts we'll add next.

I used an electric nail tool to smooth the edges and make them round like a Barbie neck. We need round edges for the head to glide nicely in every direction.

Neck joints have a horizontal plastic beam inside, hugged by a ring to which the anchor is connected. I can't make the beam both invisible and secure, but it's barely visible at the end. I'm making it out of hard 22ga aluminium wire. Earring wires or paperclips should work too. I used a hand drill to drill holes on the side seams, not far from the top. If the plastic looks fragile, wrap it in tape before drilling/piercing.

Make sure the wire fits snugly.

Before you glue the beam in, prepare the anchor. I took the top I cut off at the beginning and drilled two larger holes in it that could fit a twist wire I had lying around. If you're using a button for the anchor, skip this step.

The wire that loops around the beam should be strong, but more flexible. I chose a twist tie. Floral stem wire would have been my next choice. A length of about 10 cm/4" is enough. Fold it in half and insert it with the fold inside the neck.

Now you can insert the beam so that it goes above the loop, holding it in place. I don't have a picture of this step, but if the folded wire is now connected to the body, you did it right. Twist the folded wire a couple of times. Now that the anchor loop is trapped, go ahead and clip the excess beam on both sides and you can add glue if you're worried it may slip. The folded wire should move around the beam freely. Thread the anchor/button onto the ends of the anchor wire.

If possible, use a reference body with a proper neck joint to check how high the anchor needs to be. Twist below the anchor to adjust that hight, then twist above to complete the anchor. Clip the excess and you're done!

We went from a stiff neck stump to a joint that allows head movement in every direction.

The anchor I made in this example has some imperfections. First, it is a bit too high. To avoid this, check against a reference body and don't be afraid to twist the wire tightly - it should hold. Second, the beam wire sticks out a bit. My wire cutters don't cut flush with the surface, so what I should have done was pull the beam until one end was a tiny bit inside the neck, cut the other as short as I could and push the stump back in with a toothpick. Here is Kayla demonstrating a more extreme pose:

I like the added posing potential of this type of neck joint, which I made on at least four bodies. All are holding up well. Under normal circumstances, the holes on the side of the neck aren't even visible, like on Dawn here, who will get a separate makeover story in a longer post...

I hope you liked this tutorial! Let me know if you have questions and suggestions. Do you modify your doll's joints? I think the neck is the easiest since it's hidden, but other joints can be fixed too - you can check my wrist repair here.

(^^)~

Blackkitty