Cutting doll eyes

Have you ever wondered why it’s so hard to cut doll eyes well? Do you tend to leave the eyes for last because you hate to do them or just know you’ll mess them up? It’s so aggravating to have spent so much time getting the head poured without pin holes or blemishes, maybe even soft firing it, if that’s your normal procedure before cleaning, then carefully removing the crown, piercing the ears and removing the seams, only to chip an eye socket! Been there…done that!

It makes sense to make cutting and beveling the eyes the first step in cleaning the head instead of the last step. At least that way if the eyes get messed up, you haven’t wasted quite so much time. But it makes even more sense to consider some steps that make it possible to cut perfect eyes without difficulty. The following steps can be used with both dry, unfired porcelain and soft fired pieces, so take your usual steps to prepare for the cleaning process, right up to time to do the eyes.

When I first started making dolls, I was instructed to use my feather knife to open the eyes. First we used the tip of the blade to score around the eyes just inside the eyelids, then gradually scraped the scored mark deeper and deeper until the piece finally dropped out. More times then not, I ended up having to widen the eyes a bit in order to work out nicks and chips. If I was lucky, the chips were small enough to be removed, but changing the shape of the eyes even a little bit changes the doll’s expression, and even more worse then that, it was sometimes hard to make the new shape smooth enough to look right, and the eyelashes had to try to disguise the unevenness. I wasn’t satisfied with the results, but the first instructor I had urged us to make this compromise, probably to save the porcelain required to pour a new head.

I then discovered the A-1 Master Beveler, which was also referred to as the diamond tip tool. Whatever it was called, this tool was easier to use without cutting into the eyelids so easily, and itf held carefully upright, reduced the frequency of the dreaded chips. This was definitely a step in the right direction.
But even with this more useful tool, other steps can be taken that will help you achieve the desired outcome more consistently. My next instructor encouraged us to use a pencil or a small stylus to make a line around the inside of the eye, then use the A-1 Master Beveler to carefully deepen this line to form a small indentation, much as we had initially attempted to do with the feather knife.

Now, assuming you used a straw to open the center of the eyes while the porcelain was still fairly soft as we discussed in an earlier article, you can use the tip of your feather knife to gradually enlarge this hole until you meet up with the “ditch” or outline that you made earlier. Not only does this mark the limits of the area to be removed, but it also helps stop any chips resulting from removing the middle of the eye from continuing into the lid or tear duct.

Do I use this method? Yes I do. Usually, but not exclusively. Sometimes I find myself using the A-1 Master Beveler to cut, very gradually, and with short strokes starting at the corners of the eye, until the piece drops out. Can I depend on getting as nice a result? No. Any time you repeatedly move your tool in a deepening trench, you are increasing the odds of chipping something. All it takes is a slight slanting of the tool. So normally I use the method above. I wish I had learned it earlier, before I developed this bad habit.

Once the eye is open, use the feather knife to smooth the edges, then use your set of Master Eye Bevelers to bevel the back of the opening to fit the size eye you intend to use. Most people use three sizes of beveler, one a size larger then the intended eye, one the size of the eye, and one a size smaller, but if after using these, the beveled area forms too deep of a pocket, you may also want to use one another size larger just to open the pocket a little more so the eye will still fit after the head shrinks with firing.
If you are working on an unfired piece, a piece of pantyhose over the beveler ball will help prevent chips. With soft fired greenware, rubbing a small amount of oil in the palm of your hand, then rubbing that on the beveler ball helps it move easier and more safely. With either method you will need to work slowly and check your progress frequently so you don’t suddenly find yourself cutting through the eyelids or tear ducts.

You may be using this method already, but if not, and this information helps a bit, please let me know. I’m never sure how many of my readers are new to doll making, and I want to try to give you useful information to help you along the way. Just remember to have fun while you’re at it!