6 Tips How to Repair Animatronics Skin Minor Damage

We have been in the animatronic dinosaur production industry for over 15 years. During this period, our dinosaur or animal models were on exhibition missions around the world, and had to endure some skin damage from unexpected events.

For children, they cannot see a “live dinosaurs” without touching it. This will result in skin damage caused from uncivilized behavior or strong touching by some children.

To cope with this situation, we will explain here how to repair minor skin damage of the model so that customers can solve the problem on their own.

Information Board:

#1. Set up signs with civilized view contents
#2. Prepare the tools and materials for repair
#3. Expand the cut on the skin by 3-5 cm and fill it with foam
#4. Reattach the stockings and apply silicone skin-grafts
#5. Dip a brush in gasoline and gently sweep it over the skin
#6. Spray-painted lifelike or cartoon skin colors

1. Set up signs with civilized view contents

When visitors enter the exhibition area, it is impossible for everyone to follow civilized behavior, especially with children whose actions are difficult to regulate. Some children, seeing the movable dinosaurs, out of curiosity, may forcefully touch the moving parts (such as the mouth, tail, or claws), which could cause skin damage. Once a sign, such as “Admire with courtesy, no touching”, appears in front of the dinosaur models, it can effectively prevent such destructive behavior.

Effective prompt examples:

• Admire with courtesy, no touching
• There is power inside the model, no touching
• The model is valuable, and any damage will be compensated according to its value
• No violent touching for dinosaurs / animals

2. Prepare the tools and materials for repair

To implement the specific repair of dinosaur / animal skin, necessary tools and materials are needed to assist! Here are the tools and materials we have listed. Please prepare them before repairing. They are great helpers for you to become a “dinosaur doctor“.

Repair tools:

• Utility knife
• Knitting wool or fishing line
• Bent needle
• Brush

Repair materials:

• Silicone sealant
• Foam / sponge
• Stockings
• Oil paints
• Gasoline

Note: If the dinosaur you are repairing is very large and has many wounds, then configure the “spray gun” and “air compressor with PU pipe” tools.

You can contact us for details on the specific quantity of tools and materials required. The above tools and materials are basically fully equipped for our customers’ needs.

3. Expand the cut on the skin by 3-5 cm and fill it with foam

The first step in implementing repair work is to start by bonding the wound. When some damaged wounds are roughly the size of a fist, it is necessary to use a craft knife to expand the distance of the following wounds, and then place a sponge of appropriate size inside until the entire wound is filled and there are no empty spaces.

What are worth noting:

• Don’t blindly enlarge the wound. The repairer should focus on repairing it. If the situation allows, can simply start inserting a sponge inside.
• For minor scratches or small incisions of 5-6 centimeters, simply insert a small amount of sponge into it.
• This job requires the knife, please pay attention to safety; When not in use, please retract the sharp blade.

4. Reattach the stockings and apply silicone skin-grafts

After filling the wound with foam, you need to apply silicone evenly again (usually 1-2 thin layers of silicone), and then apply another layer of pantyhose on top. This creates a new, uncolored skin surface.

What are worth noting:

• When applying silicone, only squeeze out a tiny amount, then use a thin, flat object (utility knife or scraper) to smooth it out. Keep your hand steady.
• After attaching the stockings, use a sponge to smooth the surface little by little.

5. Dip a brush in gasoline and gently sweep it over the skin

After silicone grafting, the silicone remains slightly uneven, so a brush dipped in a small amount of gasoline should be gently brushed over the skin 1-2 times to smooth out the uneven surface.

What are worth noting:

• Use a 5-7cm sized brush; larger brushes are not suitable for leveling work.
• Any gasoline can be mentioned. Gasoline evaporates quickly.
• After sweeping, wait for about 5 minutes.

6. Spray-painted lifelike or cartoon skin colors

Finally, experienced dye workers use a mixture (gasoline + silicone + oil paint) to restore the skin of dinosaurs / animals to realistic or cartoon-like colors. After waiting for 45-60 minutes, the restoration is complete.

Two measures when spray-painting skin:

• A. If the wound is narrow or has a small area, simply dip a sponge in the mixture and apply it evenly to the wound.
• B. If the wound area is relatively large, it is recommended to use an air compressor and a spray gun to quickly repair the skin color through painting function.

NOTE: It is best to find someone who has some artistic skills to do the work of repairing colors. If not, you can contact us and we will guide you on how to mix suitable colors.

Summarize

After understanding the above 6 knowledge points, it is highly likely that customers can rely on themselves to repair some minor dinosaur skin damage. This helps customers maintain dinosaur models and allows them to perform attractive functions more persistently.