How to cut a hole in a globe without breaking it? Together with my fiancée, we bought a globe very similar to the one below (same brand).

Now we want to cut a clean, rectangular hole (roughly 8 cm x 1-2 cm) in it in order to put envelopes in it but, of course, we don't want to break it. The plastic is ~ 1-2 mm thick. What is the best way to achieve our goal?

The globe is rather frail and we fear that putting to much pressure on it with a cutter will break it.

How is this possible without breaking the globe?

This is what we've thought about:

start by burning a small hole, then expand it using heat, then when the hole is big enough to hold a cutter blade, switch to the cutter to make hole the size we want.
use a cutter, but starting very superficially and going over and over again until the whole plastic layer is cut.

There are very likely other ways so what is the best way to cut this globe without breaking it?

I think you might be close to a solution by using heat, but consider to combine a source of heat with a cutter blade. This will allow you to use the tip of the blade to have a minimal impact on the surface, while providing the means to puncture the surface. You may find that you can re-heat the blade for each cut and use this method for the entire opening.

Your idea of repeat cuts is also good if you combine it with heat. This will minimize the damage to the surrounding area, while "gently" imposing the blade into the plastic surface.

The size you reference should be small enough to allow the rest of the sphere to maintain its shape. If an edge of the cut is snagged by an envelope, it may buckle inside, but the overall small size should allow it to pop back out.

With Henry Taylor's implied permission and recommendation, I am incorporating some of his support material below:

  Manually heating the blade is absolutely an option, but there is also
  a specialty tool called a "hot knife" which is just a soldering-iron
  with an xacto-blade as the tip. I find that using a hot knife to
  "scratch" at sheet plastic slowly with very low pressure and going
  over the line a dozen or more times usually provides the best results.
  Practice on less precious objects of similar material before hand.

  As for cutting the straight lines of a rectangular opening, set up a
  guide for your blade using layers of blue painters tape carefully
  applied around the outer edge of your cutting lines. Slide the blade
  along the tape wall with the tip resting against plastic at the cut
  point. Then once your hole is done, wet the tape to loosen its glue
  and peal off VERY CAREFULLY starting at the edge of the tape furthest
  from the hole with force perpendicular to the cut. Remember that you
  have seriously compromised the plastic's integrity by cutting it, so
  treat it like an empty egg shell... delicately.


Why are some acrylic yarns super soft and some not? I have noticed that acrylic yarns vary a lot, with some being rather soft and some being somewhat scratchy.

Why does that happen? Is there a way to know whether an yarn is going to be soft or not (short of feeling it yourself)?

According to the "Acrylic fiber" page on Wikipedia: 'For a fiber to be called "acrylic" in the US, the polymer must contain at least 85% acrylonitrile monomer.' That leaves a free-for-all on the other up to 15% of fiber that goes into making up a yarn.

Although there are accepted standards for putting the weight and recommended hook and needle sizes on yarn, there isn't a standard for softness. Some companies do describe some of their yarns as being ultra soft or something similar, though.

You might be able to figure out how soft a yarn might be by reading what it's made of (if they were nice enough to list the fiber types in detail). The care instructions could also possibly tip you off. Another idea would be to visit chat rooms or crafting websites or reviews on shopping sites to get details about the yarn beyond what's on the label.

The disadvantage to relying on yarn companies or other people's opinions to tell you how soft a yarn is, though, is that softness is subjective. I may tell you that yarn X is incredibly soft, but you might not think so when you get your hands on it.

Probably your best bet would be to keep the name and other details of yarn(s) that you like the softness of and ask for comparisons between that and the yarn(s) you're thinking of getting. That way, if a person says it feels and/or behaves very much the same as your yarn, then you can be pretty sure you're getting something you'll like.


When to use a fixative in a drawing with charcoal and pencil? I am making a charcoal and pencil drawing. What would be the difference between spraying the paper with workable fixative after applying the charcoal, and laying the pencil over that, or spraying the piece after it's completed?

Workable Fixative is meant to "freeze" what work has been completed already. By spraying when the charcoal layer is finished, before beginning the pencil layer, you "fix" the charcoal layer to minimize smudging of it during work on the pencil layer. There may still be some minor smudging or transfer of charcoal in heavier areas, but it will be drastically reduced from what it would be if you did not fix the charcoal before continuing to work. You will no longer be able to erase the charcoal, and you will still be able to add to it.

There is no real benefit to choosing to wait until the end, unless you believe you will be erasing part of the charcoal during work on the pencil layer. The benefit to spraying as you go is better stability of the materials you've already laid down, as you continue to work over the top of them. If you have areas of the charcoal layer that are complete, these can even be fixed before you move on, as charcoal can easily be worked over the top of workable fixatives.


How much frame overlap will there be on my painting? How much frame overlap will there be on my painting?
The (oil) painting will be 39,37 x 29.53" (or 100 x 75cm). There are quite a lot of details around the edge, so I want to make sure that those won't be covered by the frame.
I found some blog articles that say the overlap will be 1/4 inch, but I was wondering if this standard might change in case the painting is bigger.
I still don't know if I want a mat as well or not, but, since I'm here, will that involve a different overlap to consider?

There are many types of frames for paintings. It's true for the classical painting frame that it overlaps, and I don't think it will increase as the size of the painting increases.
With mats you face the exact same problem: mats won't cover part of your painting in addition to the frame - they usually just have rabbets of their own in which the artwork is placed.
The problem is that the overlap is necessary for the frame to hold the artwork.
The width or depth of the recess in the frame or overlap of the mat is dependent on the character of the artwork's edges, and must be at least as wide as the largest deviation from a straight line, or you'll end up with gaps between the frame/mat and the canvas.
Taking that into account, I suggest getting a floating frame:

From the same page were I got the (first, edited) picture:

Floater (or “float”) frames are so named because the canvas appears to float inside the molding. Their biggest benefit is that they leave the canvas edge exposed rather than covered by a rabbet. Another advantage of the floater, no matter how narrow, is that it helps keep the canvas from warping.

Additionally, as you can see, they're easy to make yourself, and you can adapt the thickness, colour, wood type, grain, &c. to what best suits your work.
Because of the open design, they won't keep dust away, but you can of course insert a glass panel in front and seal the backside off if you'd want to (which might making one a lot harder, though).
You can also contact a frame-maker and ask for their opinion. Many art supply stores also offer custom framing services.


What's the name of this specific style of craft ball? How would you describe this type of craft ball? It is about 3/4" in diameter with small, thin, shiny, glimmery ribbons. It's more compact and dense than most of the fuzzy craft balls I've found online or in most store. I'm desperately trying to find more of these as unfortunately I've lost the only one I had. If you can please help provide a description for this exact type or name of craft ball as to be able to find it online for purchase.

I've included a picture below to hopefully help (sorry for the attached fuzz, but it's the only picture I have).

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Looks like it might have been a cat toy... I originally found it in this online shop: www.catsnus.com, but they're available in many shops. They even have a picture of a comparison of a regular, soft crafting pompom and their dense cat pompom.


Recipe for Gesso used in gold leaf gilding I would like to fabricate my own gesso to do gold leaf gilding on a calligraphy work to give some volume to the gilded areas.

I am looking for a traditional recipe to prepare it at home.

Most of the recipes I've seen online are for acrylic gesso to prime canvases before painting. I'm not sure they would work the same for your purposes.

However, I did locate one recipe specifically for gilding from an SCA member's website:

  1 part sugar water (the sticky part that allows the gold to adhere)
  4 parts liquitex acrylic gesso (adds the bulk to your gesso)
  5 parts liquitex gloss varnish medium (keeps the gesso together,    hardening with a smooth finish)
  Color to suit (red for work with gold and blue for silver)

It goes on to give instructions for the gilding process as well, including how to use the gesso:

  Lay the Gesso – Start your area of gesso in the middle of your design
  and pull it outwards towards the edges*.  It is ideal to let this
  gesso dry for 6-8 hours. DO NOT to get air bubbles in your gesso when
  you stir. Gently fold your gesso to remix it.  If you do have air
  bubbles in your laid gesso there will be pits in the surface after it
  dries.  To remove the bubbles from gesso that you’ve just laid take a
  pin and gently pop them before it begins to dry.  It has been my
  experience that the key to beautiful raised gilding is an even surface
  tension to the "bubble" of gesso that you lay down.  To create an even
  surface tension to your gesso you should first drop a large puddle of
  the gesso into the space you will be gilding, then using your brush
  pull the edges of the puddle outwards to the fill your designed space.
  This gesso is not designed for flat gilding and your design should be
  filled in with puddles of the gesso that create small domes on your
  page.

(source: The Scribal Art of Elizabth de Nevell)


Are there certain types of foams I should not be cutting? There are so many types of foam and of as many different chemical compositions. Not that this should be taken as standard but the wiki for hot wire cutter has this for the first sentence:

  A hot-wire foam cutter is a tool used to cut polystyrene foam and similar materials.

Emphasis mine

Standard pink crafting foams appear to be made from polystyrene as well. Polystyrene is a really broad plastic and it is used in lots of things though. Standard expanded packing foam (the white bubble stuff) is made from polystyrene. So I should be able to work with any of those?

I keep foam packing materials in case I need to return products. I need a way to identify foams that are safe to use a hot-wire cutter on. I think a smaller list to limit myself to certain foams as supposed to listing which ones I should avoid (assuming there are any?)

Keeping to the actual foam variants: Is that what I should limit myself to? Polystyrene? Some fumes can more toxic than others. Some foams might be more flammable than others.

Yes there are certainly foams you should exercise caution around when cutting. And an easy way to check what cautions you need to take when working with different foams is to look up the foam's specific MSDS report.

MSDS stands for Material Safety Data Sheet.

"A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a document that contains information on the potential hazards (health, fire, reactivity and environmental) and how to work safely with the chemical product. It is an essential starting point for the development of a complete health and safety program."

Definition taken from the Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/legisl/

Here's a couple of examples for MSDS reports for different "foams". The first is the MSDS for rigid foam insulation the other is for Polystyrene Foam. The last link is for the rigid pink foam insulation.

Some foams are safe to cut (knife, saw or heated wire) the other foams require personal protective equipment (PPE) just to be around.

Learn the material you want to work with and study its MSDS sheet before doing anything with it.

https://www.kasteel.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/MSDS-Polarfoam-PF-7300-0-Finished-Foam.pdf

http://www.styreneproducts.com/media/files/SPI%20EPS%20MSDS(1).pdf

http://insulation.owenscorning.com/assets/0/428/429/434/896b50d3-24ef-4263-997a-62927ac03237.pdf

I think there was another question here on the exchange which talks about the importance of MSDS sheets. If someone knows the link then please edit this answer to include that post.


Air dry clay sculpture falling apart over time A while back I spent a few months making a really nice sculpture of a hand out of crayola air dry clay. It worked fine, took details fine and barely cracked when drying. The problem arose in the fingers. Early in the sculpt I took five ovals, etched the contact areas, wet them and stuck them on to the main body. The fingers would occasionally fall off when the sculpture got too wet, but it wasn't much a problem until much later when the fingers simply wouldn't stick anymore. Not even wooden bones could keep the thing together. Eventually I had to scrap the whole thing.

So my question is, was that a problem of cheap clay wearing out over time, or is there some kind of technique for keeping the clay alive longer? Do you have any recommendations for good air dry clay? And do you have any advice on modelling techniques?

Fine structures like the fingers of a hand are always problematic, no matter how cheap or good the clay is.

The general recommendation is to build an inner structure (like a skelleton) from a more stable material and coat it in clay. For your particular case of modeling a hand I propose making fingers from rolled up aluminium foil or thick aluminium wire.

Start making aluminum fingers that are longer and thinner than required and coat them in clay. Then make a ball of clay that is smaller than the palm and stick the aluminium fingers in it. Add more clay and model the hand.


Creating one-way mirror-like lenses I want to make some kind of lenses.

I want to dye (or buy) a piece of white glass or plastic (whatever works best). However, I still want to be able to see through it - I guess about 80% white and 20% transparent. I only need to see through from one side, so a mesh would probably be a good idea, although it is not the preferred solution.

One side should be dark, the other bright most of the times, and the white side (as perceived from the bright side) should be perceived as white even if the "outer" person is very close to the glass.
The "see-through" from the inner site doesn't have to be as perfect as a two-way mirror. It's okay if the person has to get really close (like the distance of sunglasses), but pinhole glasses won't do it.

The "frosted" look probably would let enough light through but is not see-through.
There are some electric "foils" that can be put on windows, to change it from clear to opaque (by percentage), but I don't think that this is the thing I'm looking for, because I don't need to change the opacity, and they would make the effect reliant on electricity.
Dye could also be the way to go.

How could I solve this problem?

I like the airbrushed part of the visor on Robocop by Legacy Effects: could this be a possibility? How would I do this so it remains a little bit transparent?

If you put clear tape on frosted glass it becomes see-through.
You could try that if it's meant to be a momentary peek-though situation.

Or you could mostly frost it with white alcohol ink.
Just leaving enough of an open lattice to achieve a veiled appearance.

I'd think a decent way to accomplish that would be to
put on some gloves, wad up a small piece of fabric,
wet it with the alcohol ink, then dab it on the glass.
Practice on a scrap piece of clear plastic
a few times to get the technique down,
like from a 2-liter bottle that you cut apart.

I remember hearing about see-through concrete that had similar properties: link to article


What paint should I use on a concrete statue? I have a commission that I'm starting soon, and I want to make sure I'm using the right paint. It's for a stone dolphin statue, and of course I want to make sure the paint won't fade, or crack, or peel, etc.
Can I just use regular acrylic, or should I use something different?

Sealing the concrete is the crucial step. I'd be using two coats of external plastic primer. You can buy primers with more than usual grip, but they cost twice as much (worth it). Then I would paint with a paving paint for extra durability. You might be able able to buy sample pots of enough paint for the whole job.

At some stage someone is going to have scrub it clean of dried bird droppings or even high-pressure wash it, so your paint will need to withstand this.

If children are going to clamber over it, or people are touching it as they walk past, I'd consider a final clear coat of a slate/concrete sealer to prolong the life of the paint.

I'd also give the new owner you left over paint or at least the color formula so they can touch up if they need/want to, with details of the products you used for each coat.


Removing tape adhesive residue from vinyl decals? I have some custom vinyl decals (Oracal 651) which have already been applied.  The decals don't have any printing, they are just cutouts forming shapes.
During the process of cutting out the decals we used some regular clear tape to hold a paper template in place; but now we've noticed that the tape left a residue on the vinyl. (In hindsight using this tape was obviously a mistake.)
I'd like to figure out how to remove the residue without harming the vinyl or causing it to lose its adhesion.
The residue is slightly sticky to the touch, so it may pick up dirt over time. Its visible mainly because it has a flatter sheen than the vinyl which is glossy.
The decals have been applied to a plastic surface (not sure what type of plastic).

Thanks for clarifying that the decals are only shapes with no printing.  Printed decals would be a bear to fix.
The vinyl surface will hold up pretty well to cleaning.  The main issue will be keeping the cleaner away from the edges of the decal.  Many cleaners will affect the adhesive at the edge, or even wick under the decal and affect more than just the edge.
There are a number of things that should remove the residue.  There are adhesive removers like Goo Gone and similar products sold under other brand names.  WD-40 often works.  Rubbing alcohol sometimes works.  You can try limonene (sold as a solvent or citrus cleaner).  In a pinch, mineral oil or baby oil is likely to break down the residue so it can be wiped away.
Oily cleaners, like mineral or baby oil, Goo Gone, and WD-40, will leave an oily residue.  That can be removed with alcohol or soap.
The problem isn't removing the residue, it's avoiding the edge.  What is holding the decal down is probably adhesive that's similar to the residue you're trying to remove.  You'll need to use very little cleaner so there's no free liquid to run where you don't want it.  That includes if you need to clean off any oily residue after removing the sticky residue.
If the decal is flat, position it so it's level and gravity isn't pulling cleaner toward an edge.  Don't apply any liquid directly.  Put a little on a cotton swab (don't saturate the swab), and spread it very thinly on the residue, avoiding the edge.  Give it a few minutes to attack the residue, then wipe it carefully so as not to get any on the edge.  Repeat as necessary.
If this leaves residue along the edge of the decal, clean that in a similar fashion, but being very meticulous not to allow anything to go off the edge.  Move parallel to the edge, going just next to it.
If any material, including softened residue, gets onto the seam of the decal, wipe it immediately.  If the cleaner is oily, immediately clean the seam area with a little soapy water on a swab and let it dry.
Unfortunately, ensuring you don't affect the decal's attachment will turn a simple, quick task into a slow, meticulous one.
When you're done cleaning, if there's any chance cleaner got on a seam, let everything dry for a day, then inspect the decal edges to see if anything looks questionable.  If you're at all worried that an edge may not be secure, you can seal the decal to the surface by coating it with a clear finish.  Something like Krylon Crystal Clear Acrylic won't yellow.  Apply a light mist from different directions to get it against the seam.  Several light mists will seal the edge and smooth the transition so the decal is less likely to be snagged.


Lickable glue for handmade envelopes (gum arabic) I am looking for a way to put down a strip of adhesive on the tab of handmade envelopes. I would like to have the adhesive remain dry on the envelope and only become tacky when it is licked/moistened-- just like on regular envelopes.

This has historically been done with gum arabic, but I can't find a "recipe" to properly mix the gum arabic for this application. Moreover, gum arabic seems to come in different forms (powder, grains, or liquid) so it's not obvious how to get started with using it as a lickable adhesive. It seems that gum arabic is mostly used as a paint additive these days.

Does anyone know how to make or buy this type of adhesive and have instructions for its proper application?

**** UPDATE ****

I (mostly) followed the instructions that were kindly provided by @Nothingismagick.

After finding food-grade gum arabic and yellow dextrin on Amazon and clove oil at Whole Foods:

I followed the instructions in the answer. Everything went OK until I tried to dissolve the yellow dextrin. 25g of dextrin and 50ml of water produced a mixture that was hard to dissolve. I got impatient and added a LOT more water to the dextrin.

The end result was a solution that was too thin. It just soaked and stained the paper without producing a lickable layer. I put the jar on a radiator without the lid for a few days and this reduced the volume by half. The solution did get thicker-- like maple syrup. This works much better, but I think I should reduce it even more. Here's the final result.

I will try again and be more careful/patient when mixing in the yellow dextrin and the water!

tldr; Classical envelope glue is made with gum arabic and yellow dextrin. Both gum arabic and yellow dextrin are dissolved in hot water. To prevent rot, refine with copper ions and a drop of clove oil. Apply to paper.

100 ml distilled water
10 g gum arabic (powdered)
25 g yellow dextrin (or 20 g tapioca starch + 10 g sugar)
1 drop clove oil

You can purchase gum arabic online or at better art supply stores - take whatever form you can get. If it is in crystal form (semi-irregular rock-salt size) crush it with a mortar and pestle.) Use only distilled water. A copper pot is not absolutely necessary, but copper ions are antimicrobial and antibiotic. Clove oil can be replaced with peppermint oil or left out if you do not plan to store it.

Crush the gum arabic with a mortar and pestle and then soak overnight in a copper pot with 50 ml of the water. In a glass bowl, sift the dextrin (or starch and sugar) into the remaining 50ml of water and mix until the water is cloudy and no clumps remain. Heat the water and gum arabic mixture, but do not bring to a boil! Add the drop of oil and gently whisk in the dextrin with a stainless steel hand whisk. Continue whisking until the solution gels. Remove from heat and pour into a clean and dry mason jar.

When cooled, brush thinly onto your paper envelope and let dry (or use a blow drier to speed the drying). If it gets too thick, thin with distilled water. Keep cool and in a dark place. Do not freeze, use within 6 months.

Bonus: To make yellow dextrin, spread 500g of tapioca starch out on a dry and ungreased cookie sheet and put in an oven at 200 °C. Stir it with a metal spatula every 10 minutes until it has all turned a golden yellow colour. Remove from oven and let it cool down, then put in an airtight container.


What is a good technique for drilling holes in glass bottles? How do you drill holes in glass bottles (safely)?  Do you need special drill bits, or tools?  High speed drill or extra slow?  I tried once on my drill press and I shattered the bottle.

I've seen really cool things done with empty wine bottles that I wanted to try, but it's a mess to cleaning up the failures.

This can be done, but the difference can have more to do with the type of glass than the method. From personal experience, tempered glass is inherently stressed and is almost impossible to work with. Areas towards the necks of bottles have similar issues.

I suggest fresh masonry bits for their cost effectivenss. Too slow can cause stress from the pressure of the bit, too fast can create too much heat. Keeping the work cool and lubricated is easy in this case (water).

I have even had some success using a HSS drill bit run in reverse (suggestion from my father). Although, this tended to produce a rougher hole.

To be intricate and fancy (aka small and detailed) I would opt to using something like a diamond burr in a handheld rotary tool, like a dremel.

Let us know how it turns out!


What is the way to color tiny parts of a picture with oil pastels? The following video shows that it is possible to color tiny parts of a drawing with oil pastels, without layering and then scraping the top layer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuQ4xkb6Q88

I wish to know how is that done? Oil pastels by default do not have sharp edge. They are thick and round.

Are we expected to sharpen them like a pencil? I guess that would waste a lot of color.
Or is there a way to sharpen the oil pastels without much wastage?

What is the way to color tiny parts of a picture with oil pastels?

One method is to use a small piece of the pastel and some solvent to create an 'oil paint' and with a brush complete the high detail components.

  Oil pastel pigment can be manipulated with a brush moistened in white spirit, turpentine, linseed oil, or another type of vegetable oil or solvent. Alternatively, the drawing surface can be oiled before drawing or the pastel itself can be dipped in oil.wiki

I personally haven't used this method, but I watched my Great Auntie finish some of her pastel work with a brush and solvent. Here is a good explanation of how to use solvents and oil pastels: Robert Sloan - Thinner Wash


How do I remove modelling clay from my parts and silicone mold? I've just created my first silicone mould, well, the first part of a two part mould.

I've used OOmOO 30, which is great.

However, I've used a modelling clay called Sculpey III to raise parts in the first half of the mould.

The silicone has cured, and I've attempted to remove the clay, but it's just stuck to the plastic parts and the mould.

Any suggestions on cleaning? Or a better clay?

Sculpey is not good for this, it is also expensive.
first you want a clay that stays soft, a simple bulk oil-based non-hardening clay tends to work. I prefer softness #4 but there is a lot of different preferences depending on the material being molded, I was working with fossils where cleanup came second to preserving an extremely delicate original. If your original is tough or disposable go with a harder clay "medium" by most sellers, it makes clean up easier. You can heat it to soften it if it is too hard to work with or compromise and go with a "soft" clay. Some people mix their own clay with clay dust and grease but store bought non-hardening clay works fine, I tried it and never noticed much difference.  You want something that is oil-based and non-hardening. if you heat it (and I recommend it) microwaves work OK as long as you get your timing down, don't melt it just get it warm, a toaster oven works better but tends to be kinda of small. I have an old bread oven but I do a LOT of molding.
Don't make your clay solid make ropes and build up to your surface leaving plenty of gaps, only the top half inch or so needs to be sealed, the rest of the clay should have gaps to allow it to be pealed away easily. I have also used lego or wood to build up to where the clay surface will be so only the top inch is clay. If using clay all the way through often I line the original with saranwrap or tin foil, so clay is only contacting the inch or so where the seam will be, makes clean up a lot easier. Just make sure it is not exposed or the silicone will wick down that material and waste a lot of silicon. (note if you use foil you don't want to use a microwave to heat your clay, I burned up a lot of microwaves before I got an old bakers oven to heat my clay.
using a release agent before putting the original in the clay will help, as will a simple dull dental pick for scraping away any left over clay. The cooler and harder the clay is the easier it tends to come off.


Are there any cheap alternatives to linseed oil? For craft use I am looking for a cheap alternative to linseed oil medium to use with oil paints.

The only oil mediums I seem to find are all “artist grade” and hence expensive. Cooked “cheap” industrial linseed oil is not available where I live.

So, are there any cheap drying oil alternatives, preferably easy to find, like in a supermarket?

If you really, really, don't care about lightfastness, paint permanence, and brittleness, then you have a few choices out of the local supermarket:

Safflower oil
Sunflower oil
Walnut oil

Some of these have either been used historically or are becoming more common in oil paints, but will have been refined much better than what you'll get in the store. Either way, I would experiment with your paints a bit with these and see what works best and then cook with what doesn't. :)


Giant slingshot made from 2" PVC. Cement insufficient. How to fasten for load? I have an Angry Birds birthday party and the honor fell to me to create the giant slingshot.

Here are some more pictures for your pleasure or entertainment (because I may, in fact, be an idiot).

So I have some sections coming from the back to stabilize it and a piece off the front. I think those are fine. But I pulled back on it a little and the vertical piece came unglued from both the bottom and the top "T" sections.

Now I have lost confidence in the 90 degree elbows as well.

How should I fasten this?

I immediately think of drilling and bolting it but I'm concerned about cracking the pipe. Then I read about a better adhesive I could try called E 6000.

Also the adhesive site thistothat.com mentions a thing called LePage's 5 Minute Epoxy. Anybody have experience with that?

I need major help! What should I do? Any advice appreciated.

Also: ability to hold water is not of interest to me, obviously (I hope).

Modified Plan

I will be removing and re-gluing/replacing some of these with primer and repainting but here is the big idea:

I swap these pieces. I make the opening pointing down. Then I drive these stakes in the ground and position the slingshot so that the stakes poke up there into these holes. At least 2' of stake will go up the arms. This should be enough to reinforce while still keeping the look.

How it happened

Key lesson learned: Leave time for testing. So my goal was to launch lightweight playground balls from the slingshot into boxes, using a colander as the thing to hold the balls and BigBands (like the kind used to secure the can  liner in a garbage can) for the power.

So because the launcher was being used in an already muddy area the homeowner (mother-in-law) did not want the stakes. So Me and another family member braced against the post. The glue may have held but the creaking sounds that the pipes gave, made me uneasy about the pipes surviving the tension. I will test with the stakes in my own yard.

Another problem was the colander with drawer handle was cracked and didn't survive the first three launches. The back up colander was a close fit to the balls so that when pulled on it "ovaled" enough to keep the balls from launching.

The thing was a success in the end because we added a hand towel over the top of the colander, which made the pocket more shallow. It was harder to keep the balls from rolling out but it worked!

Also instead of piggies we used real children to bring down the boxes on. It was their idea and all the boxes were empty. So no tears there.

I am marking the first answer as correct because, well it was true. And thank you for all your suggestions. If I had it to do over again I would start with something that looked more like a soccer goal launching the balls up and through the area where the ball would be kicked in soccer. It wouldn't look as "Angry Birdy" but when you can't anchor your base into the ground it's a better approach. Also it could be used indoors for church events ect.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but 2" PVC will not handle the stress that a working slingshot goes through. The best fix for what you have would be under the comment Aloysius D mentioned about joining the top to the bottom with 45 degree braces. I think it would still want to roll backwards on you on the draw to use it. That's when it will fail at the joints where the vertical meets the base. The joint will be in tension as compared to rolling out of the tee connectors when there are no braces.

A good old fashioned tree limb in the shape you need bolted to a base and braced might be better, at least cheaper than one made of 2" threaded metal pipe.


What is this crochet stitch? Can anyone tell me what type of crochet stitch is being used here in the light green area (above the pink on the wrist).

It looks like possibly 3 dc stitches in one hole, but I'm wondering if anyone knows more?

Thank you!

Looks like a double crochet three together (dc3tog).

It's commonly used as a decrease stitch but in this case there are likely a chain or two on each side leaving the space for the two maroon single crochets.

It looks like a complex stitch but it's really just three unfinished half crochets that then get finished all at once. Working through it once or twice should be all you need if you're comfortable with double crochets in general.

The steps are:

  Step 1: Yarn over.
  Step 2: Take tip of hook insert into next st in row.
  Step 3: Yo hook and draw yarn through st. (3)
  Step 4: Yarn over and draw through two loops on hook.
  Step 5: Yarn over.
  Step 6: Take tip of hook insert into next st in row.
  Step 7: Yo and draw through stitch.
  Step 8: Yarn over and draw through two loops on hook.
  Step 9: Yarn over.
  Step 10: Take tip of hook insert into next st in row.
  Step 11: Yo and draw through once more (5 sts on hook).
  Step 12: Yo and draw through 2 loops on hook (4sts on hook).
  Step 13: Yo once more and draw through all 4 sts on hook.

The link above also includes a video tutorial.

Note, that for the pattern above, steps 6 and 10 would be the same space rather than the next stitch as they're being worked in a chain space rather than in stitches.


How can I splice the tail of my tie and have it not look terrible? I was making some clip on ties for work for me to wear on casual Fridays. I could not wear regular ties with t-shirts as that would just look odd. I picked up some second hand ties to make into clip on ties.

Fairly easy thing to do but the issue came when I had to shorten the tail of the tie. I needed to but about 5-8 inches off and sewing them back together was difficult. The fibers used in the ties are very frail especially when cut. I had to sew deeper into the tie to get it to close even a little.

The result was less than satisfactory:

Click image to enlarge

What can I do to make sewing this back together by hand a cleaner venture?

You need to stiffen the fibres so that the thread does not tear though them while you are sewing.

Clear nail polish

I ended up buying a small container and applied in all along the edges of the tie tail. About a 1/4 inch all around.

After letting it dry it gave something for the thread to hold onto. Made it loads easier to get cleaner results.


What is the purpose of the ink delivery disks found in most rollerball pens? See the picture below.
In most rollerball pens there are those peculiar looking disks near the nib, the purpose of which I have not yet figured out, apart from being some kind of ink reservoir/flow control.

Non-uniform separation between the disks:
The further away from the tip, the smaller the separation. My guess would be that towards the top end of the "plates column"/bottom of the cartridge where the ink pressure is the highest, the liquid ink has more tendency to gush out, the denser plates serve as an "impedance" to avoid this from happening, and that a smaller "impedance" is required in the lower end to help the ink flowing when exiting the column.

Flat edges:
Not all disks are circular as some have asymmetrical flat edges on them. I'm not sure why this is, apart from preventing the ink from jamming on the top?...
My reasoning seems very inadequate so I'd like some explanation as to why they have such a specific design:

Two flat disks, which clearly serve a purpose. Also, notice that there are rings of ink being formed around the disks.

See Pilot V5/V7, Uniball Rollerpens, Sakura, etc., for reference; this is a common feature found in a lot of Japanese pens.

Your reasoning actually comes quite close.
I found a quote through Quora, credited to John Lienhard from the University of Houston after having contacted Pilot:

"The trick is to keep just the right amount of ink in contact with the wick that feeds the delicate roller ball tip. The discs are baffles that balance the forces of surface tension against air flow resistance. Regardless of the angle, just the right amount of ink stays in contact with the wick.

The pen's "containers need complex baffles that let surface tension position the liquids", which makes sure that "the pen writes beautifully in any orientation."
In Pilot's words, as used to promote their pens on various commercial websites:

"The V System ink regulator is a direct result of Pilot's fountain pen technology. If excess ink flows from the ink reservoir while writing, it is temporarily stored in the special pen core by capillary action. In that way, amount of ink flowing to the pen point always stays constant. This mechanism ensures that the ink supply remains stable to the last drop."

This disc-system is similar to those found on fountain pens, here called a "finned ink buffering structure":


How to make rattling Kodama figurine? I want to make a small figurine (about 6 cm / 2 inches high) of a Kodama from the movie Princess Mononoke. They are tree spirits, have a vaguely humanoid body and an oddly shaped head that rattles when rotated. The head is roughly as big as the rest of the body, so it would be 3 cm / 1 inch in my figurine. Here's a short clip showing their appearance and their rattling.
I plan to either 3D print the head as a hollow object or use a small plastic container that I can deform with a lighter. I want to mount the head on a spring scavanged from the tip of a ball pen. But I don't know how I can make it rattle. I was thinking about putting a bead or small marble into the head cavity, but you need to shake the head a lot more than the typical movement shown in the movie to make it rattle. Small beads also wouldn't produce a remotely similar sound to that in the movie.
Does anyone have an idea how to make a Kodama head rattle?

To really mimic that sound experience, I'd recommend using multiple small pieces of something in the cavity. A single piece would have to bump against its enclosure to make a sound, but many objects inside will produce noise against each other as well as the enclosure. (While a single Kodama may actually produce only a small rattle on its own, I rather like the idea of being able to hear the raindrop-like patter of many at once...)

Ball bearings are metallic, but en masse they will have a more "rattle" than "chiming" sound, particularly if enclosed in a non-metallic casing.
Aquarium gravel will give an authentic stone sound. Since the shapes are irregular rather than spherical, it may contribute to the natural pattern that is heard in the linked video.


How do I prepare plaster casts for casting tin figurines? I tried making some figurines from tin by casting them in hand-carved forms in plaster. The tin was bubbling and the surface came out extremely uneven, with bubbles covering it.

Someone off-handedly commented I failed to bake my casts, but I never got any info how to do it. What temperature, what time, what other preparations? I heard plaster becomes very brittle after thorough drying too; how to prevent that?

You need to minimise bubbles in the plaster of Paris mould. I do this by mixing the plaster of Paris in a rather runny state and after pouring into the former for the plaster tapping it to release any bubbles that have formed.
Plaster sets relatively quickly but even after setting is still wet and in thick sections takes a long time to dry adequately, which is why baking might be a good idea if you can't leave the mould to dry thoroughly.
The mould will need a riser channel, in addition to the channel you are going to pour the metal into, to let the metal flow properly through the mould (and so you can see that it is properly filled). It will also need breather channels to let the air out of awkward corners and re-entrants.
Finally after the metal is poured into the mould, if it can be done safely, the mould should be tapped to help air escape.

Something else to consider is keying the parts of the mould together so that they properly align. Normally I do this by making circular/conical depressions in the first part of the mould to be formed, so the second poured onto it forms keys with these features.


What can I use to quickly color already-folded origami? A friend of mine gifted me a paper crane out of regular printer paper, and I'd like to spruce it up if I can do so, without having to just scribble at it with a marker for hours on end.

In short, I'd like something that can give it a (mostly) even coat of color without taking more than a half hour, and while maintaining the integrity of the crane. Is spray paint usable for this purpose, or is there a better tool?

An airbrush seems perfectly suited to this type of work. You'd be able to adjust the flow and target the crevices, to get even coverage without soaking the piece.

Unfortunately, the start-up costs of getting an airbrush are considerably more expensive than grabbing a can of spray paint or using some sort of dry brush technique.

There are tutorials on how to make an airbrush available online. I won't cover them here, because that's a bit beyond my scope. It is an option if you're on a budget.

Renting an airbrush might not be an option, but there may be studios in your area that let you use their equipment if you pay a cover charge and for supplies. I know many studios, especially on college campuses, allow you to use studios for about $10 and it gives you access to all their equipment, generally pottery wheels and kilns and tools. If this is something you'd want to pursue, I'd call around and see if they have an airbrush available if you pay for some studio time. Then, make sure you bring enough to do or have some other ideas to explore, and make good use of that time!


What kind of paint marker will work for flexible vinyl? I'm making a mini cape out of flexible vinyl, like the kind used for window clings. I need to leave light blue, permanent marks on the vinyl that won't peel or flake as the cape is flexed.

I'd really prefer a pen or marker of some kind, because I need to make designs that I am not confident I can do with a brush. The designs also need to be quite fine, like 2-3 mm max.

Is there a single type product that would work? Or would I need to use multiple products (application + sealant?). I have no idea what will actually adhere to the vinyl without smearing.

Here's a prototype of what I'm working on, for context:

As an added bonus, I've found out that the material grabs my finger prints very easily, so preferably the solution will hold up to being wiped down periodically to remove prints.

I would try with a sharpie or other alcohol based marker. Look for the industrial version.

As I wasn’t aware you needed colors, I didn’t recommend posca paint markers, which are acrylic-based and permanent.

What it sounds like you’re going to need to do is to clean the surface to be painted with rubbing alcohol. The apply a fine mist of plastic primer from a spray can in several light coats. You can usually find them in most automotive shops. Then apply your marker and let dry. Cover with a gloss coat of spray varnish.

One last alternative might be colored nail polish.


How can I braid my own shoelaces? How can I find out how to weave my own shoelaces. I presume it must be some sub-field of either macrame or lace making. In fact, the word alone shoe-LACE would suggest that lace is involved. My limited understanding of lace making is that it is a knot-making science like crochet.

In any case, the types of shoelace I would be wanting to make would be thick round strings, which I guess would be made by weaving a yarn in a tube around a core of some kind, or perhaps the core is woven, too. I don't know. How do I get started?

The name and way of making
The English word shoelace is a bit old fashioned, from the time strips of leather were used, which are still called lace in the knotting world.

Most shoelaces are braided these days.
The American shoestring is more appropriate, as long as you take braided string.

Modern shoelaces are braided, in the round, around a core for the round ones and without a core for the flat ones.

Braiding by hand
Here (my own site, not commercial) you find instructions how to braid with 8 strands, in the round. This is not the only site online with those instructions. If you want different ones, (or if the site is down) you can google for instructions.

As a beginner braider you will likely not be able to braid that many strands out of the hand, even as an experienced braider I have to work up to it.
If you want to work up to it, here you find several easier braids with which to work up to it.

Machines do not use just 8 strands, 16 strands are more likely, often 16 groups of two or more strands.

Using tools
If you want to braid 'proper' shoe laces by hand, you may want to look into working on a disk.
The disks are available under the name of Kumihimo disks.
'Proper' Kumihimo is done on a wooden frame in the shape of a stool.
This wikipedia page has a good photo of a traditional set-up as well as a good basic description of what the different items are.

And even with kumihimo disks or frames you will have to work up to a braid as intricate as shoelaces.

Braiding on a kumihimo frame by a young boy.
Photos cropped to protect anonimity. Photos by Willeke, free to use for all.

Making it fat and round
Whatever way you shape the braid, for the fat round laces you will also have to learn to braid around a core. This is a string of the right diameter or, more often used in commercial braids, a bunch of thin string that are kept together at the top of the braid and often suspended above or below for you to braid around.
In the photos there would be a set of strands suspended above the frame and allowed to drop into the braid at the same speed as braiding.
With a braiding disk you would hold the strands and move them around as you are braiding.
And with hand-held braids you would tie the core with the outer layer to your fixed point and braid around them. In the first link I give the core is mentioned in the instructions and is part of the pictures.

Weaving
Braiding with this many strands is closely related to weaving, the resulting string is a weave, but in the round with the strands on the diagonal.
If you would twist a series of strands around a tube, spiralling one way, you would be able to weave the other spiral in, by going over one, under one, all the way.
It will be hard to get it tight and neath and you would likely have to tighten the weave later.
The core would go through or instead of the tube.

Having done the kind of work, I have to say that learning to braid is much easier.

Aglets, the hard bits at the ends
For 'real' shoelaces you also need to add aglets, I direct you to the site of Ian Fieggen to find out how to make them.

Would I do it
I would not make my own shoelaces, even though I have the knowledge and skills. Laces in the shops are relatively cheap, durable and available in many different variations and designs.
Making your own is going to be a lot of work, likely to result in lower quality and lower durability.
In fact, it is the other way around, I use commercially made shoelaces to train myself in braiding, they are very handy for that. Come in many nice colours and have aglets, the hard bits at the end that protect the ends and aid in feeding through strands to test the weaves.

How do I know
I am a member of the International Guild of Knot Tyers, whom do include braiding as part of our field of interest. My personal interest in braiding goes back at least 40 years, likely longer.
There is also an international organization for braiders, the Braid Society I am not a member but I do know several people who are.

PS, while I do not make my own shoe laces, I know people who make their own out of commercial string, see my answer on The Great Outdoors.


What method is used to achieve this look? I would like to know what method is used to create those grooves in the wood? Someone has an idea? More images here : Link

I think a chainsaw was used to get this look. The grooves seem deeper in the middle, suggesting a curved shape. The middle parts could then easily have been chipped away by chisel or hammer, or even broken away by hand.

Lots of wood art is created this way, and these grooves usually serve as a starting point for getting the rough form out of a block of wood. Obviously, it's quite beautiful on its own, as well, exposing and emphasizing the natural texture and shapes of wood.


Add support to large collage to prevent warping and tearing I had been working on a huge painting made on about 15 separate sheets. After the work was finished I glued together all the paintings, but now after the paint has dried I find that the paper is kind of moist and it tears, curls, and folds very easily.
I want to add a support or something that will keep them safe.
Any ideas?

Paper has the habit of becoming wavy when wet with water (other liquids too).
So the first thing you might want to try is ti use a non-watery glue, but still suitable for paper.
For the next projects, you might want to investigate about the types of paper available, to choose one more suitable for what you intend to do.
During curing, make sure to apply pressure to the area with the glue - on a flat surface, of course. Worst case, turn a kitchen table up-side-down, place it over the collage, and then add some serious weight over (now inside) it. The floor has to be flat also, or use another table as a support.
Another hint: use a non-stretchable support for the collage, e.g. glass-fiber mesh. You can even build a sandwich: cardboard + glass-fiber mesh + collage (for some added strength).


What is "liquid white" that Bob Ross uses? I am doing some acrylic painting and watched some Bob Ross and he wets his canvas with "liquid white" and then paints on it while it's wet. Is this just acrylic white paint or is it gesso? I have tubes of white paint but it is so thick, it definitely is not liquid.

It's a proprietary product from the Bob Ross company.

There's 3 such basecoats that the company makes: Liquid White, Liquid Black, Liquid clear.

The official description reads:

  Liquid White is one of three Bob Ross Liquid Basecoats essential to the Bob Ross Wet-on-Wet Technique®.  These basecoats (Liquid White/Black/Clear) allow us to actually blend and mix colors right on the canvas rather than working ourselves to death on the palette.  The Liquid White/Black/Clear can also be used to thin other colors for application over thicker paints.  The idea that a thin paint will stick to a thick paint is the basis for this entire technique.

Bob Ross's mentor, Bill Alexander, used a similar wet-on-wet technique using "magic
white" as a base, or sometimes called "fluid white".

It seems entirely possible to make your own.

  All you need to do is dilute titanium white with linseed oil. Mix these together until you get a creamy consistency. Some artists choose to mix equal parts of linseed oil and Turpenoid (or turpentine) to create this homemade medium.

So, linseed oil and titanium white (paint). I would presume that the quality of the titanium white paint you use will affect the quality of the fluid white you make.

Since oil paint itself is generally made from linseed oil, pigment, and a binder/emulsifier to get the oil and pigment to "stick", it's likely feasible to make liquid white using pure pigment (titanium dioxide), linseed oil and something like white beeswax.


Too Much Alcohol Ink, Overshooting the Color Too Dark I was lead here to this site FROM THIS POST on getting a transparent colored epoxy.
One question is if I am using an alcohol ink for a transparent colored pour, what happens if I overshoot the color i.e. too dark, and wish to lighten it e.g. dark red to light red.
Other than the obvious and pour in more clear resin, what could I possibly add to lighten the color and possibly not add to the volume of the mixed resin, or if it does, then something less costly than resin.
I am looking to do small transparent pours into CNC carved designs in wood and hoping to see the wood grain through the color. I guess an ounce more or less to fill what I am looking to do but I didn't want to mix say 2, 3, or more ounces if I make the color too dark first shot then possibly too light etc.
I am completely aware to not have to worry about this is to add the ink very slowly and teeny tiny bits at a time but assuming I was just ever so close to the color I wanted and that next drop pushed it over, or the customer wants something a tad lighter is the scenario I am envisioning.
Thanks in advance!! Dave

The best advice I can give you is to mix the ink with the hardener first, and then mix the tinted hardener with the epoxy. If you have epoxy that uses very little hardener (like "add 10 drops of hardener to 100 grams of epoxy"), then mix the ink with the epoxy before adding the hardener.
That has several advantages:

You can take all the time you want for the first step. Since epoxy and hardener aren't in contact yet, the epoxy won't start curing.
Stirring always traps air bubbles. You can remove the bubbles from the tinted hardener before you mix it with the epoxy.
The finished epoxy will have less color that what you mixed into the hardener.
If you really fumbled and added way too much ink to the hardener, you can try storing some of the tinted hardener in a secure container for a future project. Add more colorless hardener to your mixing cup until you got the color right.

The one big disadvantage is:

Once you mix the hardener with the epoxy, the color will change again. If it doesn't have enough color, you start adding ink again, with the risk of adding too much. But at least you'll have a feeling how much ink you'll need and if a drop might be too much and you want to use a toothpick to add the ink instead.


What's the difference between a pigment and a dye? When it comes to art, I see both terms quite frequently, but nobody ever really stops to explain the difference. What, then, is the difference between a pigment and a dye? Is it source? Usage? Or something else?

The simple difference is that a pigment is insoluble in water. So, when you mix it with water or another liquid, it becomes a suspension. Over time, a suspension will settle, and you'll have to mix it back up. Or, if the liquid were to evaporate, the pigment would remain.

A dye is generally soluble in water, or already a liquid. It doesn't settle, and if it evaporates, everything will go. Historically, dyes came from natural sources such as mashed berries, boiled plants, bugs and various vegetation.

This site contains a more scientific comparison:

https://www.duraamen.com/blog/differences-between-dyes-and-pigments/

You can also find some encyclopedic definitions on Wikipedia, which get into the way the compounds and molecules interact on a more fundamental level.


How to cast beads using DIY casein plastic? I'm experimenting with  DIY casein-based plastics, using powdered milk. There are lots of references to casein plastic originally being used mostly for buttons & beads, but no actual instructions for how to form beads.

My problem is not how to make the stuff, it's how to make more than one bead at a time including holes, as is done with some glass and clay beads.  Casein plastic made with an organic acid does start out the same as paneer - Indian "cottage cheese"

I actually did this six months ago, and the shape that I cast is still solid, virtually indestructible and mold-free, so I am speaking from experience here.

The instructions I wrote down here for
making milk paint are very similar, but with a few notable differences. It is very important that you work in a hygienic and sterile environment, which means really taking care not to introduce microorganisms and fungi.

  Casein is a milk-based product that you can make by warming whole milk
  in a copper saucepan and adding about 5 drops of lemon juice per liter. Whisk the milk vigorously, making sure to whisk the copper saucepan. You
  don’t have to get it boiling hot, but it mustn’t be cold. You will see clumps
  forming, and then remove it from the heat. Pour the entirety through a
  fine-meshed strainer and reserve the watery part (the whey).

Because ultimately we want to remove all of the water, put the clumps in a clean nylon stocking and squeeze out all of the moisture that is left. Then remove the casein and put it on a baking sheet that is lined with waxed paper / baking paper. You will find that the casein is a little crumbly and tends to fall apart, but if you squeeze it between your fingers it will retain its shape.

Then you force the casein into a beadmaking form like this and bake it at about 150 degrees Celsius for three to four hours.

NOTES

You may wonder why the copper saucepan. That is because by whisking the milk in it, you are adding copper ions to the casein, which act as a natural antibacterial and antifungal agent.

You can also add other materials like pigment or fillers to the casein - and although I haven’t tried it, I expect that using Marble Dust (available at better art supply stores) would strengthen the final product, as would adding mica flakes.


Removing the clip on Rotring 600 I hate the clip on my Rotring 600.  Information I found online stated that you can't remove the clip without bending or breaking it.  Is there a non-destructive way to remove it?

The clip can be removed by gently spinning it to loosen it a bit, then pushing it over the top of the pen. This removes it without damaging it, and it can be re-added by just pushing it back over the top.


Laser cutter versus electronic cutting for stencil making? I'm looking to make stencils from vector art, both existing and new. I want to make them in a diversity of sizes, and understand no option will be perfect for all sizes.

Some searching has shown me that I'll most likely be looking at either a laser cutter or an electronic cutting machine.

What I don't know is...

What are what are the trade offs between these two options, laser cutter and electronic cutting machine?

And are there other major options for a home stencil maker?

Having used frequently both a Silhouette Cameo 3 and a reasonably powerful laser cutter, I can perhaps offer up both sides.

Cameo 3

Plus:

Quieter in operation, by a huge factor
Much less expensive
Easier to set up/calibrate initially
Can use common software such as Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw to create designs
Hobby grade cutters are usually small footprint

Minus:

Slower in cutting
Single sheet capacity
Time consuming to attach material to cutting panel and to weed off cut pieces
Commercial grade cutters much more expensive, have tall profile (floor models) and larger footprint
Limited to mat size provided with hobby machine, not so limited in commercial grade units

Laser Cutter

Plus:

Extremely fast, especially on thin material
Flexible with regards to material choice
Once configured for specific job, very fast in swap out for volume creation
Able to cut multiple layers for higher production
Not limited to cutting stencils: engraving glass, acrylic, cutting thin wood veneers, as thick as 6 mm plywood, for example
Can handle much thicker material, depending on power
For RDC type controllers, a hugely supportive forum located at RD Works Lab, highly recommended for pre-purchase perusal and post-purchase support
Can use common software such as Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw to create designs
Bed sizes are varied, but typically larger than hobby sized cutters

Minus:

Almost always expensive, even "cheap" China made models
Support equipment (water pump, chiller, exhaust fan) adds to noise level
Can generate unpleasant smoke fumes (exhaust fan mandatory)
China made models do not work "out of the box" and require calibration, sometimes repair (see 7 above)
Non-China models often require additional expense for factory technician to install/set up
China-made models often over-rated, that is, 60 Watt model ad copy for 40-50 Watt laser
Typical China-made models include "challenging" software for creating work, but support forums exist to ease the pain. See note 7 (plus) above for balancing point
Even small models are larger than Cameo type cutters
Feature options (rotary accessory, bed type, bed control) can be confusing, see note 7 (plus) above


How to set the best solution for placing legs in this project I'm trying to attach legs to the table top (50x50 cm):

and having difficulties placing them in the best way so the table can stand still:

Can any of you tell what is the minimum distance between legs on the floor and legs attached to the table top?

Unfortunately, I don't have any programs for designing furniture that would analyze it for me.

Update for willeke:

Do I see right that you only want to use two legs?
At 13 cm (about 5") they are not wide enough to support a 50 x 50 cm (20 x 20") table without extra support on the ground.
You do not need a computer program or phone app for this, people have made tables for many years before they even started with measurements, even less computers.

Place your legs on the floor, in the positions you want them to have when the table is made. (Straight up I thinkand try a few positions.) Put a clamps on the bottom of the legs to help them stay up, if needed.
Now put your top on it and balance it. It should stay there without you holding on if you want to have any hope of it working. The more to the sides your legs stand, the more stable the table will be side to side.
But the weak point will be front to back. You will have a very big area which is not supported well enough, so when the table is made with the legs in that position and you lean on the front or back of the table, it will tip over.
The whole of the table will do what the table top does when not fixed to the legs in that position.

To use these legs, you will need to add spreaders to the bottom of the legs, like the clamps I mentioned above.
The ends of the spreaders or horizontal parts will be the actual 'legs' in the bit I wrote below (Which I wrote expecting you to use 4 legs.)

The distance at the top does not matter, as long as you can place the legs at any angle. If you are restricted to straight or a limited amount of angle, your placement at the top needs to be adjusted to that.

The more at, or sticking out of, the corner of the table in all 4 corners, the more stable the table will stand.

I have a home made stool/mini table where the bottom of the legs are no farther than 20 cm apart (about 8 inches) but the table top is only 25 cm (about 10") in diameter.
For a 50 x 50 cm table (20 x 20") I would want the legs to come to at least 10 cm inside the corner. It can be attached on the corner and come straight down, it can be added in the middle of the table and stick out to almost the corner.

If you want the legs (4) or spreaders to be in the middle of the side of the table, they need to come out to most of the outside of the table to give enough support in the corners of the table.

You will also need to fix the top to the legs in such a way that the top is connected very securely, the more so, the more to the middle of the table you attach them.

Three legs would work, but four much narrower legs will be much less visible and give a nicer table in the end.
Two legs attached to a ring to stand on will also be sturdy enough, as long as all connections (to the ring and to the table top) are good.


What is the name of this 3D object creation technique? What is the name of this art?
What key words could I google to find similar results?

(Photos credit: The Mesh app on the Apple store )

This is a relatively new trend in graphical design which is known as low poly design or low polygon design. If you google "low poly design" you'll find plenty of tutorials on how to produce such pictures by yourself (e.g. this one). In (very) short, you take a picture, triangulate it and generates the polygons out of your the induced mesh. Clearly, this is all done by computer. (Somewhat this remembers me of the painting style named cubism.)


Strong thin rope for kite Background: I never built a functioning kite (I had a few attempts, as a child), I never successfully raised a kite (no stable wind with enough force when a ready-made kite was available).
Current situation: I had an idea to finally build a working kite, BUT also to be able to raise it as high as possible - maybe several kilometers?
Question: what kind of rope is thin enough and also strong enough to make my plan successful?
I guess that for low heights, strength is not an issue, but for my plan, the situation is different. On the internet I found information more about the kite itself, and about how to tie the knots, rather than the better materials to be used.
Of course, I have in mind also the volume and the weight of the said rope, since I will have to transport it somehow.
Other related questions here and here.

Kite string is a product. It is designed to be strong and light to enable kites to fly under optimum conditions. For ordinary kites, ordinary kite string is sufficient.
High performance kites (large lift capability, stunt/performing kites) require higher breaking strength while retaining light weight.
Spectra line is constructed of high density polyethylene and is quite light and strong. I have used 1 mm thick x 2 mm wide Spectra line which had a breaking strength of 700 pounds. Another feature of this type of line is that it has very low stretch.
In the case of multi-line stunt kites, it's critical to have the lines remain at a specific length in flight. Spectra does this well.
Spectra is a brand name and the product can be found under other names.


Do I need a non-photo blue pencil for scanning drawings? I see the non-photo blue pencils in the pencil section all the time, and I'm wondering what their purpose is for modern artists.

Do I need one if I want to scan in drawings where I've sketched the underlying framework? Or can I just use any color that's not my final color and use my digital art program to remove it?

With modern scanners, cameras and digital editors, do I still need to have a non-photo blue pencil in my artist's armory?

Modern scanners, cameras, and digital editors pick up the non-photo blue pencil marks that earlier scanners did not. However, this color is still easily removed from the scanned image by switching to grey scale and altering the brightness and contrast. You could do this with another colored pencil pretty easily as well.

The answer to your question depends on what type of scanner and what type of digital art programs you use. If you have a modern scanner with a modern digital art program (Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) you could likely achieve the same result with a normal colored pencil, as long as it was different from your final inking color.


Can someone tell me the purpose of this multi-tool? I just got this in the mail (see picture below). I’m just not sure if it’s a good idea to give it to my 14 year old (at the time of his next birthday) nephew.
In the mean time, could someone tell me what the various pieces actually do? I think that they are mostly fishing items.

That is a fishing/survival tool.  To use most of the tools, you snap the needed tool (such as a hook) off the slab.  The individual tools do not reattach.
As you noticed, most of the tools are for fishing, but some are more general tools, such as a saw.
Whether or not its appropriate for your 14 year old nephew, depends largely on his maturity and your best judgement.  Personally, I think it's fine for the typical 14 year old, especially if they like to fish.
As a side-note, unique tools like this can be great for arts and crafts.  For example, some of those tools can be used to create wonderful patterns in clay or can be used with paints similar to how you would use a palette knife.  Obviously, not for little kids due to the small metal parts, but for adults, these types of unique metal shapes can lead to wonderfully unique artistic expressions.


Knitted material that doesn't develop little furry balls (pilling) I was referred to this forum from the Life Hacks forum.

The surface of most of my knitted garments develop little balls of whatever the knitted material is (pilling).  I own one toque that doesn't do this, so I want to understand what kind of material I'm looking at.  The tag is confusing:

It looks like there are multiple layers, but it's confusingly written and hard to tell what the individual layers are.  Can anyone in the industry decipher this?

The text on the tag lists the materials as follows (centred, and it is possible that some of the text is line-wrapped):

   100% Acrylic/Acrylique
     Inner Lining/Entre
    Doublure: Thinsulate
     65% Olefine/Olefin
       35% Polyester
Lining/Doublure: 100% Nylon

Here are photos of the exterior and interior.

Pilling occurs when shorter fibers work their way out of a yarn and gather on the surface of the fabric. Generally, pilling occurs due to a given fiber's length/strength, the spin/ply rate of the yarn, and the surface abrasion the garment is subjected to.

As to the hat you're posting about, all layers and lining are composed of synthetic fibers. As such, they are extruded and artificially cut to lengths for processing; longer lengths are generally chosen, though this is not always the case. The yarn itself is also quite finely spun, so any given fiber will span multiple wraps over its length, helping secure it in place.

Also, synthetics tend to be fairly strong for their weight, especially olefin and nylon, and will resist breaking. When other fibers break, the resulting pieces of the broken fiber are then short enough to easily work their way out of the yarn.

As a hat, abrasion is probably pretty low. I do have a knitted hat that I occasionally wear under my bike helmet, and the added friction has caused the hat to pill considerably, when normally hats don't do that as much.

It's probably also worth noting that this hat has multiple layers. As such, abrasion to the inner surface of the hat will have little impact on the outer surface, and vice versa.


Will sewing onto neoprene compromise its water resistance? I'd like to buy a neoprene case for my new laptop. I'd like to sew on some sequins or patches. Would doing so harm the fabric's ability to keep water off of its precious cargo?

If you're starting with waterproof neoprene (which may be closed cell or coated on one side), thread holes will breach this and it will leak.  It would be unlikely to let light rain in but putting it down in a puddle would allow it to leak.

I have a neoprene laptop case, and it's not the waterproof type of neoprene, but if any water (rain, or from wet things in the same bag) gets in it's around the stitching.  You're also likely to have to look hard and pay more to get a waterproof case, whether or not it's neoprene.

You should be able to seal up the holes though, with neoprene repair glue (wetsuit glue, "neoprene queen" is the brand I use).  This may be worth it even on a non-waterproof neoprene case. This is discussed in a question (mine) on outdoors.se How can I adjust a neoprene wrist/neck seal on a drysuit, by cutting and joining?.  My own answer after trying it has some ideas, including blind stitching.


How to deal with the burnt edges of laser cut MDF? I'm making a Hanabi set out of laser cut MDF. When you laser MDF it has a burnt cut edge.

This can be sanded off, however the tiles are supposed to be indistinguishable from one side, and I'm concerned I'll introduce variation in the piece whilst sanding.

I'm wondering if I can just leave it there (it looks pretty nice!). I can also sand it lightly to get rid of loose burnt particles. In the long run will it slowly rub off, or is it fine as is? Also, if I decide to varnish or otherwise finish these tiles, will these edges cause problems?

After light sanding, reinforce the flat black with a little black paint, then seal the entire block in a clear coat to make it more durable.  Alternatively, replace the black with a coat of burnt umber colored paint to match the interior of the laser cut symbol (kanji?).


How can I secure stiff fabric to wood without risking ripping and without adhesives? I am planning a project using simple 1" x 2" pieces of wood and attaching a length of textile between the planks.

The wood will be about 12 inches long, and the fabric will go from long-edge to long edge and up to 3-4 feet wide. So, 12 inch by 36-46 inch pieces of fabric.

The ends of the fabric will be flush with the outer edges of the wood, and each end will be sandwiched between two of the pieces of wood.

Once everything is assembled, the fabric will be taut, but still flexible, and need to support up to 40 pounds without the fabric tearing from screws I use to attach the top and bottom wood strips to one another.

I want to be able to attach the fabric to the wood, without having to use glue. I want to be able to swap out the fabric with different lengths as desired, or attach multiple pieces that branch out in different directions. Some type of eyelet protector comes to mind, but I'm not sure how to attach one to a pre-made hole.

Here's a 2-minute diagram of what I'm trying to achieve:

This is the view you would see from the side, once this hammock/shelf is attached to a wall. The brown pieces are the woods sandwiching the blue fabric, and the grey parts are the screws/bolts I will be putting through the wood and fabric.

For those curious, I have been inspired by some cat shelf/highway products, but am not satisfied with the appearance of them. I want to make something myself that is functional and pretty. But, since living creatures will be playing and sleeping on these modular pieces, safety is of the utmost import.

Instead of securing the fabric with the scews, I'd let the fabric secure itself on the outer edge of the wood. The less holes you poke into a fabric, the stronger it is to withstand tearing or wearing out.

Instead of a simple hem, you could roll and secure the fabric (light blue) around a cord or other thick material (dark blue) to create a bulge that is held by the wood (brown). If the material is somewhat thick and the wood closes well without big gaps, a "simple" hem might even be enough.

Advantages:

Preserves the fabric's strength by avoiding holes
If a weight pulls the fabric down, the force is distributed between all points on the edge instead of single holes.
You can easily replace one piece of fabric with another one.
No need to sew button holes or inser grommets into the new fabric

Disadvantages:

You need to sew a thick or corded hem on the fabric
The hem is always visible on the "outside" of the wood pieces


What kind of stitch makes up t-shirt seams on commercial grade clothing? I recently decided to take up sewing, but the stitches I use to hold two pieces of fabric together (like the side seams of a shirt for example) is a simple lock stitch. My machine (like most I've seen) has several different styles of stitches but none of them even remotely compare to the stitching I find on commercial grade clothing.

What type of stitch is this? My simple sewing machine stitches are nowhere near as sturdy as the stitching I am used to seeing on clothing.

The best picture I could find online (without knowing what I'm searching for) can be seen in this picture. The stitch holding the sleeve onto the body of the shirt is much fancier than anything my sewing machine seems to offer.

Image from LoveLaughPin.com

The stitches that you typically see on commercial t-shirt seams are an overlock stitch, which typically requires a special type of sewing machine specifically for this purpose (e.g., a serger).


How do I fix upper thread tension being too high? Recently my sewing machine (Brother CS6000i) has started acting up, such that the lower stitches are pulled through to the top, and the top thread is so taut that the fabric puckers or bunches up. I was able to un-gather the fabric every few inches by pulling more thread through, but that's far from an ideal solution.

It seems like the tension on the upper thread is way too high. If I try to gently pull the thread through the needle, for instance, it takes much more force than usual. However, I hadn't changed my tension dial before this started happening, and cycling through the settings didn't seem to make a difference. This is happening consistently and on all fabric types.

When it first started, I swept out and jiggled various things, which got it working again for a short time, but since then no luck.

Any idea how to fix this issue? Do I need to get it serviced?

Are you using the correct needle point and size for the fabric?

Ball points for knits
Straight points for woven fabric

Sometimes the needle just needs to be changed.

The other problem could be the thread holder, are you using a spool or cone? How is it attached or docked to your machine or the table?

If it is a spool that is loaded sideways, the thread might be getting caught in the spool's edges and you just need the slide on piece (spool cap) that holds the spool in place. This may also help on a vertical holder.

If you are using a cone, check to see if the thread is not releasing, sometimes it can get caught up underneath. You may want to get a spool holder and mount it to your table near the back of the machine.


When is Lot Number important for yarn? When I have crocheted projects in the past, I have used all of the same lot number for the yarn even though all looked the same to me. When is using the same lot number really important? Is it only with natural fibers or natural fiber blends?

Yarns with the same dye lot number were all dyed at the same time. Because dying is a chemical reaction, many different factors can make items dyed at different times turn out differently, even if the dye "recipe" was identical from one dyeing session to the next. The temperature could be different, there could be slightly more or less pigment in a teaspoon of the dye powder, the water used for the dyes could have more or less chlorine from the water treatment plant, the fiber being dyed could have been scoured with a different type of soap, and any residual elements could interact with the dye.  There is tons of information about this on the interwebs-here is one article from Wikipedia.

All that is to say that it is almost impossible to get an exact match between yarns dyed in different dyeing sessions. It doesn't really matter what the base fiber is, or whether the dyer is an independent dyer working in their own home or a major yarn manufacturer--there will almost always be a slight variation of color between yarns dyed in different dye lots.

So, if you are going to be making something where you have alot of a single color in a block, you usually want to purchase yarn from the same dye lot, otherwise you will probably see a slight (and sometimes not so slight) color demarcation where you have changed yarn. In this picture, someone had to use yarn from a different dyelot to finish the sleeve:

BTW--if you ever find yourself in a situation where you do have yarns from different dye lots, the best way to minimize the issues with color mismatch are to use the yarns from both dyelots at the same time--knit/crochet two rows with one yarn, and then switch to the other yarn. Carry the unused yarn loosely up the side of the piece until you are ready to use it again.  By limiting the area of one color to a small section, your eyes will make the colors blend together and you are much less likely to notice a distinct color change.


Turtleneck Sweater Design: What to consider? I am a knitter and I want to design my own turtleneck sweater with lots of cables. Obviously I have to get the gauge of the cables I want to use first before I can see if I need to subtract a cable or not and I need to knit a swatch of basically half the sweater that is as long as my other swatches to see how the cables interact with one another(because the gauge might change when I start adding cables on each side of another cable from the original gauge of just the individual cables) and figure out how many extra stitches to add and all the rest of that.

Here are the cables I plan to use:

Celtic Knot 64 rows 40 stitches

Diamond with Moss 32 rows 18 stitches

Saxon Braid 16 rows 28 stitches

3 strand braid 8 rows 11 stitches

Twist cable: 4 rows 8 stitches

With the twist cable, I plan to have the right leaning and left leaning right next to each other on the sweater(which by the way, I plan to knit seamlessly and graft the sleeves to the sweater).

Since I plan to graft the sleeves to the body of the sweater and the sleeves are knit in the round with no areas of flat knitting that automatically makes it a drop shoulder sweater right? I plan to have my sweater be 1 of 3 types. Either it will be curved to my body(so thinner waist, wider hip and bust), it will be without any shaping, or it will be A line. I think A line would be best for me because I am plus size(curved to my body would just accent my plus size which obviously I don't want). I plan to knit it with worsted weight yarn because I can more easily find worsted weight for a good price than any other yarn weight. I have done gauge swatches with several yarns and from my experience, gauge does not change from 1 yarn to another as long as they are the same fiber and yarn weight(so like worsted weight acrylic for example). Different fibers at the same weight, made in different ways(so like plied yarn vs ribbon yarn), and same fibers at different yarn weights all have different gauges though.

So besides gauge, my measurements, shoulder type, stitch patterns and sweater shape, what else do I need to take into consideration when designing a sweater?

Don't forget your cuff/waistband design. Will it be a 1x1 rib? 2x2 rib? Something else? And consider the amount of ease you want, not just your measurements and ultimate shape, when sizing. Do you want it to fit tightly? Baggy? In between? And since you're using worsted-weight yarn, you'll want a little more space in the underarm than you would if you were using a lighter yarn.

Also, you could do a raglan sleeve/shoulder the way you're describing it, not just a drop shoulder, so that might be another consideration. (I think raglan turtlenecks look really nice!)

Those cables are gorgeous. I really hope you'll come back and post your finished product.


How can I get dried Elmer's white glue out of hard bristle paint brushes? I used a class set (I am a teacher) of standard hard bristle paint brushes in a Elmer's white glue and water mixture. Despite washing them numerous times with water and hand soap, they are still rock solid when dry.

Soaking them in warm/hot water is the common procedure for removing Elmer's glue.  Elmer's glue is specifically water-soluble — so if it isn't coming out then maybe it is not Elmer's.

Make sure the water is warm/hot throughout the soaking.

You may need to peel-off the outer layers of glue, first, and then re-soak to loosen the next layer.


Does it make sense to use water color pencils instead of normal color pencils for dry coloring? Since water will have to be applied on the colored area, the color will not remain too bright unless the pigment is much high.

Is it so? If yes, then do water color pencils have richer pigments as compared to their dry counterparts?

Does it mean that dry coloring with water color pencils will be brighter than the coloring of normal color pencils?

If yes, then does it make sense to use water color pencils instead of normal color pencils for dry coloring?

http://www.faber-castell.in/35235/Products/PlayingLearning/Colour-Pencils/default_news.aspx
I use the color pencils with the parrot on the cover, currently.

P.S. Not referring to the artist grade colors.

Student vs professional is usually a difference in pigment and pigment amounts, the binders are typically the same. So, from that respect, I wouldn't expect a lot of difference in the important aspect of their behavior.

So, watercolor pencils are designed to be used dry on dry or as a wet medium, so there's no inherent reason not to use them for dry coloring, they just have different characteristics versus more traditional colored pencil medium and you can learn to take advantage of those just as easily. This is true in "normal" options as well, the behavior of wax-based is different that oil-based, and you can use that to your advantage.

In terms of getting brighter, this is also true of wax/oil pencils when blended with a blender. You're dissolving the binder, leaving behind the pigment, and that usually results in a brighter look. Binder differences can result in a difference of brightness dry, but that doesn't necessarily mean the pigments are richer.

The biggest difference, in my still limited observation working with Polychromos and Albrecht Dürer pencils, is that the watercolors blend together much, much, easier and I need far less layering to achieve coverage once I activate with water. In fact, for a single color, one is generally enough. It's a different look though, as it's not opaque, but that's the fun part of watercolors.

So, sure, you can use the watercolor pencils for dry coloring. Just remember that if you want to use them wet, the paper matters. Normal dry paper is probably not going to hold up that well to applying water.


Wooden surface sticky I build a wooden table and put stain on it. After some months I put lacquer on it, which is made for that kind of stain. After two, three weeks I realized that it doesn't really protect anything. When I slightly draw my nails across the surface you could clearly see scratches.
Therefore I used another lacquer I had left. This was for all kind: Cars, metal and also wood. Now it works, no scratches anymore but instead the surface is sticky. Not much but enough to recognize it after touching the table two, three times.

Has anyone an advice how to get rid of that? Thanks a lot in advance!

There can be so many factors, that are not described here, that can lead to your problem. Simple things like, where do you live, is it moist most of the time? There are so many things that could affect lacquer drying. Lacquer takes a long time to dry, how does it smell right now? If it still smells the solvent of the lacquer, then it's not dry. Try putting it on a closed small room with a decent powered dehumidifier, for a couple of days, and see what happens. And until then, don't touch it (finger prints, scratches), no smell it's the best indication that it's dry. Good luck.


How to create a metal ring? I'm looking for a way to create a metal ring without using any machine or drill. I'd like to use cheap, simple tools. I found two ways for creating it, and they are very simple but it seems like machines are required.

Coin-ring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEN-iqMlB3Q
Nut-ring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mx76zjFQe0

I'd like you to tell me can I do the same thing without using machines or a drill. I'd like to use only simple and cheap tools.

If there is another simple way to create it, I'd love to hear it too.

Thanks!

What do you need?
You can make rings out of all metal that can be bent by hand and all that can be hammered into shape.
Wire comes in many sizes. Unless you have a hobby involving metal wire, you will likely not stock it. But a good metal shop will have a few kinds and can often order more for you.
No tools to bend:
The 'easy' way is to have wire which is very soft, the disadvantage is that it will not hold shape will when you have your ring.
Hammering and heat/cold treatment will improve that but it is a lot of extra work.
Clamps needed:
For a cheap and easy ring, get metal that can not be bent easily, get a wooden dowel (or a round metal bar) and fix that into a clamp on a workbench.
Also clamp one end of the wire, it can be in the same clamp if you can get that working, but if needed you can do it with a second clamp.
Now take the long end of the wire and pull it round the bar, till you have a round turn and a bit, that is until the wire lays next to itself for at least a few mm and it does not spring open.
That will make you a ring which will have an opening, which can be closed by soldering or left open, specially if the ends are made showy.
Now you can saw through the wire, close the ring into a circle and solder that shut. (Check with the supplier of the wire for what you need to solder it, as different metals need different kinds of solder and chemicals to make them work.)
If you are an experienced metal worker you can keep the ends longer than just touching and shape them with whatever you want. (Or you can introduce extra materials like beads or stones, or lumps of metal molten to the ends.)
No thick wire?
With thinner wire you can do a series of full turns, solder them all together and have a ring that is wider than it is thick.  A more involved way to make a ring out of thin wire, not for beginner metal workers nor for beginner knot tyers if without an experienced coach, is a Turks Head Knot. Here you find instructions for string. Search results for rings, most in silver and gold.
No wire?
Flat metal can be cut to size, hammered around the dowel and then soldered.
Heat treathment (Warning, dangerous hot metal and fire danger):
Place your metal on stone that can take the heat and apply flame till the metal is red hot. Let if cool down naturally/slowly for a soft metal that will take further work.
If you have a fire that is hot enough, like when you burn coal to heat your house, you can use that. Even a barbecue at good working heat can be hot enough.
Cool it down as fast as possible by letting it drop into cold water, and it will get harder and less likely to bend.
No heat?
Hammering will make metal harder but also more brittle and more likely to break if you do it too much.
Which metal?
If you can afford it, silver will give you very nice results, also because the result will be real jewelry. I fear that gold will be out of reach for a while longer, it is rather expensive.
I had nice results with copper to play with but it will colour your skin and you should be aware that it has health risks.
When you buy metal and solder and so on, discuss it with the staff in the shop (if they are knowledgeable) or research on the Internet whether the metal can be used for day to day wear.


Is it okay to cast off for neckline near crosses (cables)? My wife is knitting me this wonderful cabled sweater pattern: https://knitrowan.com/en/free-patterns/cole and she is about to finish the back panel. However, the very last RS row before casting off for the neck has a Cr12F and a Cr12B in it. Then there was a WS row, and then casting off for the neck. Before she continues doing the front as well, the cast-off stitches look a bit twisted because of these two large crosses. Will this fix itself when picking up these cast-off stitches and knitting the ribbing around the neck, or will this cause a strangely twisted shape in the whole neck? If so, what is the best way to fix this?

E: added a picture

Looking at the photo of the front, there is a crossing in the cable just two rows below the cast off/pick up for the neck.

I would go with the pattern, and see how the stitches work out in the casting off.
When you see them pulling so much that you do not like it you can unpick that bit of casting off, drop all the stitches of the cable, let them run down to just below that last cross and pick them up in knit without the twist. A crochet needle and a (short) cable needle will make the picking up easier.

Alternatively, you can just forget to make that last crossing, (not following the pattern,) but do so on both sides of the front and/or back, not just on the left or on the right (easy mistake to make.)
You can make the last crossing on the front but not on the back, if you think that is best.


Looking for a punch / cutting die set for Aleko SGM01 Press I purchased an Aleko SGM01 press with 5 grommet dies but I was also looking for a punch / cutting die set to put the holes in the fabric.  I have hammer-type punches now and would like to get away from that, is there anything out there?  Even if it's for another press I can look to see if the threads are teh same.

Thanks!

Yes, there are hole-punching dies for grommet machines. Specifically, they're sold as cutting dies for grommet machines, as you've mentioned, and also hole-piercing dies. They screw in to the press the same way the grommet dies do.

Unfortunately, the threading for the attachment of the die to the press is not universal, there can be differences between brands according to user reports. On top of that, ALEKO doesn't include any specs to go by (or even a product manual), making it more difficult to answer if Stimpson-compatible dies, for instance, will work with this product.

A cutting die for your size (#2 for instance), will work, in theory, on your press, but you may have to try to obtain one from different manufacturers. ALEKO themselves do not supply anything other than the 5 grommet dies #0-4.

I have asked ALEKO, on the only outlet where it seems they reply publicly to users, whether or not additional dies are compatible.


What do those material measurement metrics for a drill represent? I was looking forward to buying a drill for my crafts when I found this under the drill's photo:

I was wondering what do the metrics under the brick, wood and steel refer to? At first, I thought it was the maximum depth I can drill in these materials, but then I thought that this depended on the drill size and that it couldn't differ among different materials, so what are those numbers really for?

Thats the maximum bit diameter.  There are a couple of limits that are relevant: the outside of a large drill bit moves fast, so you may have to slow the drill down, but then it becomes less powerful and could stall. An optimised drill bit is assumed (e.g. using an HSS bit in wood is fine for many tasks, but at the large end it won't work). In practice you can often go a little bigger than they say with flat wood bits:

or hole saws if you're gentle.

For many applications it's possible to have a drill with a shank that's smaller than the cutting end, hence the chuck size is less of a limitation. For example step drills are used for drilling sheet material:

This one has a shank of about 10mm and a maximum hole size of 26mm, mainly for metals.

Reduced shank drills (or blacksmith drills) are used for deeper holes, again mainly in metals. These are a 16mm and a 25mm, with 13mm shanks:


What are my options when trying to adhere felt to a 3D crocheted surface? I was playing OverWatch and saw these guys in an arcade box.

I started making the green and white parts. What my wife now calls the cute turnip. I am going to use felt for the facial features. Here is what I have so far:

I was considering a large swatch of white for the face and affix the black eyes and mouth on top of that. The white would take up a large contoured surface. Even if I get talked out of doing it this way it would be nice to know what my options are. Gluing comes to mind but there is not a good gluing surface behind it for a good bond. Sewing has a similar issue with not enough to sew into. Ideally I would like to hid how it is attached.

Help me make my silly turnip thing!

That sounds like a perfect use case for needle felting. Instead of using ready-made sheets of felt, use the loose fibers of rowing or batting to create the felted face right on the spot.

With a bit of practise you can achieve colour effects similar to painting by layering and mixing different colours, like the blushing cheeks in your turnips.

Instructions abound on the net. Felt Alive's seems pretty exhaustive, covering many aspects and with ambitious projects.

LilBlueBoo.com shows how to make a face on a base and Craftsy.com has an image on a knit base, similar to your project: