A really great instructional video. Many others say they will tell you how to, but on mention a product or show before and after pictures. This is the real deal and very interesting.
Thank you so much for posting this and for restoring these lovely dolls. I think of dolls as an art form so you are repairing Vintage art. I will need to find out what chemicals melt the dolls back together. I have a lovely Chatty in original clothes but her voice box needs to be fixed. Thank you for you generosity in sharing.
@@baki_1423 You wouldn't want to "melt" the two halves back together as one would want the option of breaking the halves back open in the event of the replacement O ring failing down the road. A "very careful" use of superglue in cementing the two halves back together would be entirely satisfactory.
I worked at Mattel's in Hawthorne back in 1966 after I just graduated from High School. They had some voice boxes that we were testing and packing into plain shipping boxes that were in completely sealed plastic cases. That boxes spoke in a foreign language, but the voice sounded like Chatty's. If these boxes broke, the whole unit strung apart like a broke wind up alarm clock. I always thought that all the Chatty dolls voice boxes were like that until I watched your video. Thank you so much for sharing your video.
I have always wondered how those things talked. It uses the same technology as the old wind up Victrola record players used to use which had no amplifiers. Ingenious! A modern speaker uses a voice coil, a speaker cone, a magnet and a coil. When current is applied to the speakers coil it causes the coil which has a magnet inside it and which the speaker cone is connected to, to vibrate creating an amplified sound.
The voice boxes inside these dolls are actually gramophones. In 1890, Edison tried to market talking dolls, but he was unfortunately a little too ahead of his time.
Wow that is really great! I have a charmin chatty and when you pull her string it goes really fast and she sounds like a chipmunk. I love that doll. I still have her outfit but I lost the glasses years ago. Oh yea I am missing her socks too.
I'd like say thank so very much for sharing this video. How kind of you and thoughtful. May God bless you and keep you . I have found a way of restoring hair . After washing and drying I spray thermal hair protection spray on hair after its dried then armor all then a low heat setting straightener or high heat flow drier will make the hair like new , honestly better because it makes it feel like real hair. Thank you again.
Could you possibly repair my Matty Matel? I would be so very grateful. The string just broke in my hand tonight while I was face timing with my grand daughter. He has been with me as long as I can remember. Is there a way that I could send you a private message? I would love to reimburse you of course.
I can tell you everything that he says! My grandma made new clothes for him and attempted to make some restorations. I no longer have his original clothes!
My favorite part is the weird semi-horror I feel when she pops limbs off of these anthropomorphic dolls. "I take the head and I put it in just-boiled water." It reminds me of the feeling I get about unborn dolls. (see: "uncanny valley")
Hi live in Uk and watched your vid on Chatty cathy fixing. Would you say its fiddly fixing voice box and where would I get O rings or could a rubber band or hair band instead?? How do you fix cracks in body work of doll??
Have you had the bearings fall out of the spindle? Did you replace them and if you did, did you use piano wire? If so please let me know what width of piano wire did you purchase. Your dolls by the way are fabulous! Great job!!
There are three 0.063" X 0.25" needle bearings inside the clutch, and these can be made from regular nails and a micrometer if they should become lost. In actual operation, the clutch has to turn freely in one direction and grab in the other.
@theeadys1 I found that you have to grease all the moving parts after you clean them. Very important! I melt the plastic with MEK, read all precautions on the can. You can usually get this at Lowe's, Home Depot or Hardware stores.
ehhhh! i had a doll with nappy hair, it was TERRIIIIIIBLE. i wish i had searched you up sooner! i threw her out! i tried to do her eyelids, but i didnt know how to remove the eyes! THANKS SO MUCH!! ♥
Martha, can you help me find a crier can that works. I'm restoring a 1965 soft body vogue doll that had a crier can "Ma Ma" or it kind of made that sound.
I'm a little concerned about putting the voice box and record into boiling water. If I dipped the arms or legs I would have to be really careful not to get water on that part
Hi i found this video great, could you tell me were to look for the stencil what you talk about in your video as i would like to try this out on my own dolls thanks christine.
Perhaps another doll restorer might employ a different method, but I simply use a small pair of curved blade scissors (that you would normally use in cutting finger nails) to create an opening in the rear of the eye sockets. Just make a circular cut around the soft and thin plastic at the rear of the eye sockets that is just large enough to feed an eye through. Afterwards, with one finger applying slight pressure on the back of the eye to hold the eye socket against the oval eye socket opening in the front, and after you have verified that the eye itself is also properly positioned in the socket, very carefully apply a very tiny sliver of super glue only where the bottom of the eye socket meets the doll's face. Use the small end of a flat toothpick when applying the super glue, and be sure not to get any of that glue whatsoever on the eye itself. That is the tricky part of the operation. Keep that finger applying slight pressure on the back of the eye for a few minutes until the super glue sets. Afterwards, apply a tiny sliver of super glue to the rear of the eye socket as well (if possible), but don't get any glue on the eye lever. You see, that thin and soft plastic at the rear of the eye socket actually holds the eye socket in place against the doll's face. Since we created an opening at the rear of the eye socket, there is then nothing to keep the eye socket pressed against the face, and that's where the super glue comes in. Sure, you could use hot water to push the eyes out, but you would still have to cut an opening in the rear of the eye socket to install the eyes. I know of no other viable way. Edit: In fact, I just got through changing an eye of a Chatty Baby Brother doll that I was working on today (8-18-2019), and using the aforementioned procedure.
I have a Hasbro 1067 That Kid Doll it is battery operated but no longer talks, anyone have any ideas of how to fix him or how to find someone who could?
I'm confused about the part when she is sealing the doll back together after she breaks it to get inside the voice box. How do chemicals melt the plastic??
Does somebody know where I can buy the materials to fix them? I have a talkking doll and she is in a really good shape, but I need a tiny rubber for the voice box and I cant find it anywhere!
Kathleen, I'm glad that the information was helpful. To date, I've only recently restored a Tiny Chatty Baby doll which I subsequently gave to my mother, but I'm currently restoring a Chatty Baby doll. Actually, I'm still a novice at these restorations.
I have composition dolls and they are in really bad shape. I have seen that they can restore them to perfect condition. The question is that if you get them restored how desireable are they and does it testore any of the value?
Did you ever find an answer to whether the Oxy 10 fades freckles on a Chatty Cathy? I've been trying to find an answer to that question for days. I realize your question was posted years ago, but hope you're still monitoring and found the answer.
My moms Chatty Cathy was my favorite doll as a child. She had an accident and her neck snapped and is stuck in the head.... I'd love to find someone who could fix her for my mom.
talkingchattycathys.com/ (Shelley's Dolls) You could contact Shelley (using the enclosed link) as she is a professional doll restorer, and does excellent work.
I found your video on the web, of how to repair chatty cathys. I was curious if you could tell me more about replacing the eyes with another donor other than Chatty. What other dolls makes good donors? Also is there a site online where you can purchase these eyes? And do you know what size the eyes are? I tried to email martha but got an error message and was unable to send.
Well I decide to get her fixed y a professional.I found one on eBay,Only for 45 dollars plus if the doll needs replacement parts.I'm waiting for this person to give me their address so I can ship it out
It dawn on me tha there are a lot of chatty left overs out their Because of this the value not has high as it would be if there were hardly .Many of the restored ones ,out side of getting ones expense back as wel las time and labor ,our over priced,except for the broken down ones
Barbara, You did a super-fantastic job on this video. Thanks so much, it was great working with you. Good luck in your endeavors. Martha
That was very enjoyable to watch. You're hobby gives people back a little piece of their childhood.
A really great instructional video. Many others say they will tell you how to, but on mention a product or show before and after pictures. This is the real deal and very interesting.
You think what chemicals and where do we get o ring
Loved watching. Fantastic restorations.
Wonderful, informative video. So glad there are other Doll Doctors out there who share information!
Thanks,
ilgendolls
This was absolutely fascinating
Thank you so much for posting this and for restoring these lovely dolls. I think of dolls as an art form so you are repairing Vintage art. I will need to find out what chemicals melt the dolls back together. I have a lovely Chatty in original clothes but her voice box needs to be fixed. Thank you for you generosity in sharing.
Hi! Have you found out how to melt the body back together?
@@baki_1423 You wouldn't want to "melt" the two halves back together as one would want the option of breaking the halves back open in the event of the replacement O ring failing down the road. A "very careful" use of superglue in cementing the two halves back together would be entirely satisfactory.
I worked at Mattel's in Hawthorne back in 1966 after I just graduated from High School. They had some voice boxes that we were testing and packing into plain shipping boxes that were in completely sealed plastic cases. That boxes spoke in a foreign language, but the voice sounded like Chatty's. If these boxes broke, the whole unit strung apart like a broke wind up alarm clock. I always thought that all the Chatty dolls voice boxes were like that until I watched your video. Thank you so much for sharing your video.
I have always wondered how those things talked. It uses the same technology as the old wind up Victrola record players used to use which had no amplifiers. Ingenious! A modern speaker uses a voice coil, a speaker cone, a magnet and a coil. When current is applied to the speakers coil it causes the coil which has a magnet inside it and which the speaker cone is connected to, to vibrate creating an amplified sound.
The voice boxes inside these dolls are actually gramophones. In 1890, Edison tried to market talking dolls, but he was unfortunately a little too ahead of his time.
thank you so very much...some doll repair people keep secrets...I think we should all share
Lots of good information
Wow that is really great! I have a charmin chatty and when you pull her string it goes really fast and she sounds like a chipmunk. I love that doll. I still have her outfit but I lost the glasses years ago. Oh yea I am missing her socks too.
I'd like say thank so very much for sharing this video. How kind of you and thoughtful. May God bless you and keep you . I have found a way of restoring hair . After washing and drying I spray thermal hair protection spray on hair after its dried then armor all then a low heat setting straightener or high heat flow drier will make the hair like new , honestly better because it makes it feel like real hair. Thank you again.
Could you possibly repair my Matty Matel? I would be so very grateful. The string just broke in my hand tonight while I was face timing with my grand daughter. He has been with me as long as I can remember. Is there a way that I could send you a private message? I would love to reimburse you of course.
I can tell you everything that he says! My grandma made new clothes for him and attempted to make some restorations. I no longer have his original clothes!
My favorite part is the weird semi-horror I feel when she pops limbs off of these anthropomorphic dolls. "I take the head and I put it in just-boiled water." It reminds me of the feeling I get about unborn dolls. (see: "uncanny valley")
Hi live in Uk and watched your vid on Chatty cathy fixing. Would you say its fiddly fixing voice box and where would I get O rings or could a rubber band or hair band instead?? How do you fix cracks in body work of doll??
Have you had the bearings fall out of the spindle? Did you replace them and if you did, did you use piano wire? If so please let me know what width of piano wire did you purchase. Your dolls by the way are fabulous! Great job!!
There are three 0.063" X 0.25" needle bearings inside the clutch, and these can be made from regular nails and a micrometer if they should become lost. In actual operation, the clutch has to turn freely in one direction and grab in the other.
@theeadys1
I found that you have to grease all the moving parts after you clean them. Very important! I melt the plastic with MEK, read all precautions on the can. You can usually get this at Lowe's, Home Depot or Hardware stores.
ehhhh! i had a doll with nappy hair, it was TERRIIIIIIBLE. i wish i had searched you up sooner! i threw her out! i tried to do her eyelids, but i didnt know how to remove the eyes! THANKS SO MUCH!! ♥
I can't believe these doll were made in 1950's! The new 2013 dolls can't even do as much as these vintage one.
Do you know how to repair electronic dolls I am looking for someone to fix my Sailor Moon Talking luna doll.
Super , děkuji za radu jak na očička u České Hamiro panenky.
Barbara, you're amazing! I'm going to email you about my copper penny vintage talking Stacey barbie.
Great instructional video. I have. 3 Chatty Cathy Dolls. Do you do this for a fee?
probably.
What is the name of the chemicals you use to fix the side seams of the body??
Make more of these please :)
Hi! I wanna build a pull string system like this. Can you help me?
I just got a message from the repair men .He was able to repair the original box,so her history is not lost
Martha, can you help me find a crier can that works. I'm restoring a 1965 soft body vogue doll that had a crier can "Ma Ma" or it kind of made that sound.
I'm a little concerned about putting the voice box and record into boiling water. If I dipped the arms or legs I would have to be really careful not to get water on that part
You would only want to dip the limbs into the hot water, and not the torso.
Hi, I really need your help, I have one of these dolls but the string on it broke. Is there any way I can repair it?
Exactly what chemicals do I use to put her back to gather and where do I get a coil replacement. Thanks
Thanks for asking. I need this info as well.
Most things can be sourced for parts from the see and say dolls such as spring string needle speaker and brake.
MEK SOLVENT and see and say doll for most replacement parts
Do you repair these dolls for others? I'm looking for someone who can repair for me?
Does anybody know if Martha still fixes dolls?? I need mine fix!!😢 I have a 1969 horseman doll thirsty walk doll that my kids are terrified!!
Hey, what about Baby Whisper? "I can see in the dark!"
Baby Secret
Hi i found this video great, could you tell me were to look for the stencil what you talk about in your video as i would like to try this out on my own dolls thanks christine.
Do you sell these dolls on ebay? I wanna get one for my daughter they are adorable
cute video, who is the doll beside you with the flower on her shirt ?
I have never seen one before-
I would like to replace my personal original Chatty Cathy. I have no idea what happened to them. Any ideas? I also need a new O ring.
This kinda helped me repair one but it was a cloth chest so the voice box was different so it was a bit difficult to do
Since the Chatty Babies Twins have such fine hair and you can't put them into boiling water, how do you change out their eyes?
Perhaps another doll restorer might employ a different method, but I simply use a small pair of curved blade scissors (that you would normally use in cutting finger nails) to create an opening in the rear of the eye sockets. Just make a circular cut around the soft and thin plastic at the rear of the eye sockets that is just large enough to feed an eye through. Afterwards, with one finger applying slight pressure on the back of the eye to hold the eye socket against the oval eye socket opening in the front, and after you have verified that the eye itself is also properly positioned in the socket, very carefully apply a very tiny sliver of super glue only where the bottom of the eye socket meets the doll's face. Use the small end of a flat toothpick when applying the super glue, and be sure not to get any of that glue whatsoever on the eye itself. That is the tricky part of the operation. Keep that finger applying slight pressure on the back of the eye for a few minutes until the super glue sets. Afterwards, apply a tiny sliver of super glue to the rear of the eye socket as well (if possible), but don't get any glue on the eye lever. You see, that thin and soft plastic at the rear of the eye socket actually holds the eye socket in place against the doll's face. Since we created an opening at the rear of the eye socket, there is then nothing to keep the eye socket pressed against the face, and that's where the super glue comes in. Sure, you could use hot water to push the eyes out, but you would still have to cut an opening in the rear of the eye socket to install the eyes. I know of no other viable way. Edit: In fact, I just got through changing an eye of a Chatty Baby Brother doll that I was working on today (8-18-2019), and using the aforementioned procedure.
take head off and fill inside with boiled water less damage and just push eyes out from inside when head is hot.
Does she do home repairs? I have a chatty CATHY from my childhood
I have a Hasbro 1067 That Kid Doll it is battery operated but no longer talks, anyone have any ideas of how to fix him or how to find someone who could?
Cool! Is Martha Ayotte on Facebook?
I'm confused about the part when she is sealing the doll back together after she breaks it to get inside the voice box. How do chemicals melt the plastic??
A chemical reaction to them being put on the plastic causes it to melt slightly and cause the 2 body halves to fuse
Does somebody know where I can buy the materials to fix them? I have a talkking doll and she is in a really good shape, but I need a tiny rubber for the voice box and I cant find it anywhere!
id.mind.net/~truwe/tina/home.html (Talky Tina Press)
Green finisher glad to see this info... you should make a you tube video about your products
Kathleen, I'm glad that the information was helpful. To date, I've only recently restored a Tiny Chatty Baby doll which I subsequently gave to my mother, but I'm currently restoring a Chatty Baby doll. Actually, I'm still a novice at these restorations.
eBay, in the search bar- chatty Cathy O-Ring
I Have the 1973 Mimi doll "I'd Like to teach the world to sing" Do you work on her voice box?
I have composition dolls and they are in really bad shape. I have seen that they can restore them to perfect condition. The question is that if you get them restored how desireable are they and does it testore any of the value?
Can I send you my catty Cathy for repair. I don’t have the confidence to tear it apart myself .
Do you fix dolls?
Does the Oxy fade/damage the freckles, lips, and eyebrows?
Did you ever find an answer to whether the Oxy 10 fades freckles on a Chatty Cathy? I've been trying to find an answer to that question for days. I realize your question was posted years ago, but hope you're still monitoring and found the answer.
Yes, it does. It removes any stain or marks in the dolls, even the original make up :)
where do you get the o rings for mattel dolls i would like a new one please x
Plumbers merchants under seals or o rings size 2- 1/4 inch
Is it me or could Chatty Baby have stood in as the Seed of "Chucky"?!
Yessss definitely lol
Fucking. Terrifying. "I like to experiment with the eyes!"
My moms Chatty Cathy was my favorite doll as a child. She had an accident and her neck snapped and is stuck in the head.... I'd love to find someone who could fix her for my mom.
talkingchattycathys.com/ (Shelley's Dolls) You could contact Shelley (using the enclosed link) as she is a professional doll restorer, and does excellent work.
How much do you charge for repair?
were did you get the band and cemecolls
Shelton Ansley you can get the bands from Home Depo
no you can just copy this take out a string and buy a new one and then put back togather so easy and simple
I found your video on the web, of how to repair chatty cathys. I was curious if you could tell me more about replacing the eyes with another donor other than Chatty. What other dolls makes good donors? Also is there a site online where you can purchase these eyes? And do you know what size the eyes are?
I tried to email martha but got an error message and was unable to send.
Chatty Cathy hard face 15mm soft face17mm
Sono innamorata di queste bambole ma ho problemi con la lingua è possibile comunicare italiano per poter iscrivermi grazie
Where do you get the new "O" rings?
I want to know the same...
Plumbers merchants o rings or seals 2-1/4 inch
so she breaks the flange after explaining how delicate it is
Well I decide to get her fixed y a professional.I found one on eBay,Only for 45 dollars plus if the doll needs replacement parts.I'm waiting for this person to give me their address so I can ship it out
did she ever?
really interesting....but that dolls voice is terrifying e___o
and its creepy because in All Dolled Up: Repairing Chatty Cathy Talking Dolls by Barbara Copithorne there are dolls body parts
It dawn on me tha there are a lot of chatty left overs out their Because of this the value not has high as it would be if there were hardly .Many of the restored ones ,out side of getting ones expense back as wel las time and labor ,our over priced,except for the broken down ones
1:47 anyone see what I see?
WTFFFF
what?