Can a damaged sleeve of a suit be replaced? I have a suit which has a hole in one of it's sleeve. Most of the time, the suit was stored in a dark place, which unluckily was also the reason for the hole. Is it possible to replace a whole sleeve of a suit, or will a new sleeve, due to the natural bleaching by the sunlight on the rest of the suit, stand out?

If you have a good clothing repair shop, they might be able to stop the hole like people used to stop socks and well done it is almost invisible.

A replacing sleeve will almost never work, even when it matches very closely when new, it will likely react different on aging and on creasing and dirt.

A good stop is as good as invisible, but it is very hard to do and requires yarn from the same suit which has aged in the same way as the sleeve that needs repairing. To do it you take out some of the yarn around the damage when weaving in the new yarn, weaving in the same pattern as the original weave.

In the past young girls were taught how to do it and there are beautiful sample pieces in museums, to find a trained girl (or woman or man) now will be very hard.

An easier repair, will only work if the damage is in an acceptable spot, is to place something over it that is very visible. Like the leather elbow pieces on traditional tweed jackets, or sweet flower embroideries on a female garment. So hide in plain view.


Dense, easy-to-access material? I'm not sure if this is the right forum to ask this on, so please tell me where to put this if not!

I'm trying to make weights to lift at home, and I found online that using gallon milk jugs and filling them with sand or something similar is a good way to do it. However, I'm trying to make about 25 pound weights, which I'm not sure the sand would be heavy enough for. Am I wrong in this? What would be a good, easy-to-access (and not too expensive!) material that would reach at least 25 pounds or so in a milk jug sized container? What other way could I reach a weight of that size with easy to access materials, other than milk jugs?

Steel weighs 8000 kg per cubic metre, or 8 kg per litre.  A US gallon* is 3.79&nbspl, so a gallon of steel weighs 30 kg or 66 lbs.  Unless you buy it in one piece you won't get perfect packing but you'd only need a 37% packing fraction to fill that gallon.  Identical ball bearings should get more like 60%, but ball bearings aren't cheap.  Old nuts and bolts would work if you can get them cheap.

At this point though, your milk bottle wouldn't survive long - it isn't designed to take the weight - so you need a stronger container, or to fill it first with steel then with epoxy (including the handle) effectively using the bottle as a mould.  That much epoxy would add  another couple of kg (~4 lbs) and could get expensive (though there are cheap types ).

Wet sand would actually only need 1.5 gallons to reach 25 lbs. Sand-filled epoxy would be similar to wet sand - you'd need to mix it well in another container, using just enough epoxy to fill the gaps in the sand.  This is strong.

* Apparently a common size for plastic milk bottles in the US


Will lack of a zig-zag stitch be a problem for me? I just got a secondhand sewing machine.  The straight stitch, blind stitch, and stretch stitch settings work, but the zig-zag setting doesn't (the needle doesn't move side-to-side).  I plan to use the machine mostly for repairs where hand-sewing would take too long (for example, my first project is a pillowcase that needs a new hem).  Is the lack of a zig-zag stitch likely to be a problem?

Based on your planned usage of the machine, it likely won't be an issue for you. The common usages of a zigzag stitch are to allow give in a seam for stretchy fabrics (which you can handle with the stretch stitch setting), to create buttonholes (not a case you described doing), and to secure edges against fraying (which you may encounter, but can compensate for with additional straight stitch lines).

However, I would also like to propose that your zigzag stitch may not be broken, if the blind stitch is working. If you do not have a manual for your machine due to it being secondhand, search using your manufacturer and model name to find a PDF version of it to consult. You may have a stitch width setting which, if turned all the way down, would give the appearance of the zigzag stitch setting not working as the width would be "0."


What is the difference between serger, coverstitch, and overlock machines? I have a standard sewing machine, but am thinking about buying a machine that is better suited to knits. I thought they were are all just "sergers" but after doing some research I've heard:

serger
coverstitch
coverlock / overlock

What are the differences in function between these?

I dug around a bit and found this:

From Knits 102:

  The cover stitch is the double (or triple) stitch used for hemming knits or topstitching seams that need stretch.

The result is - double stitch on one side and the chain stitch on the back side which allows for the stretching of the seam.

Serger stitch - wraps around the edge of the fabric and is invisible on the top side of the fabric.

It seems from what I'm reading to be synonymous with an overlock stitch - From OneLittleMinute Blog:

  OVERLOCK STITCH: This is the basic serger stitch. It can be sewn with 2-5 threads, but the most basic uses either 3 or 4. It is called an overlock stitch because the threads are cast over the raw edge of the fabric, locking it into a finish that won’t unravel or fray. When using a serger for basic overlocking, you can sew even when there is not fabric under the needles. This is called “chaining”. It makes it really easy, because you can put your foot on the pedal and start serging, feed the fabric through to create your seam, and then chain right off the end.

Fashion Incubator suggests that a coverstitch machine does less than a serger.

I haven't gotten into buying a serger yet, but my quick poking suggests that a serger can be a somewhat generic name - and it's worth it to learn exactly what stitches - overlock, cover stitch, and flatlock - it does.  As ever, also, be sure to learn how it works for hems and blindhems.


Dim lighting with colored pencils I asked a similar question to this recently (Shading dark scenes) but this time I want to know how I can get a colored pencil drawing to look very shadowy and dark.

How do I color the picture where it looks like the figure is somewhere with very dim lighting? (For example, in a room with only a few candles lit.)

I find this next to impossible, but really want to know how to pull it off because it's an effect I always find myself wanting in particular drawings.

If the light is coming from a candle, or group of candles, you're going to have very dramatic chiaroscuro lighting.

Shadows should be very black, with not a lot of grey tones.  Keep in mind that only the elements very close to the candles are going to be visible.  Also, candles have yellow light, so basically all colors are a shade of yellow or orange.  Blues and purples will be just about black.


My sewing machine is accelerating for an unknown reason My Toyota SFT39 (RS2000 3D Series, 2012) sewing machine has suddenly started accelerating at top speed no matter how gentle I am on the foot pedal. I opened up the foot pedal and can’t see anything wrong.

Can anyone help me troubleshoot?

It was sewing fine before this and has never gone this fast, unless of course I put firm downward pressure on the pedal.

This could be caused by a faulty capacitor in the machine.

See glossary item on this website:

  Electrical sewing machines have a component inside the motor of the machine called a capacitor.  This helps eliminate electrical noise from the motor and prevents the electrical noise from going back into your homes electrical grid.  When capacitors age they can split open and leak electrolytical fluid, which renders them faulty.  Once this happens, the motor of the machine will at times start running by itself.  The best course of action for when this happens is to take it in to get it looked at by a qualified sewing machine technician.

from: https://sewingmachinecentre.nz/pages/glossary#Running-On


How to make plastic badges? Anyone know how these are made at the gym I think they use a gym but how is it made ?

What you are seeing may have been constructed at the gym, but they would have used a device available to anyone. It's likely called a badge laminating machine or some combination of those terms.

Amazon sells a number of designs encompassing various size capacities.

This is just one of many available. This particular model has a production restriction in that you cannot produce too many in too short of a period. If you exceed the limit, it's likely the machine will overheat and damage something internally.

More expensive models will have higher production capacity.


What is the name of my drawing style? Black and white? I'm looking for a term for my art drawings. I'm going to post a gig on Fiverr and I don't know how to call it and what to write (black and white art/drawing?). There has to be a name for it. I have been drawing using black ink on white paper ever since I was a kid, and my drawings are really cool. Now I'm using Photoshop to edit my hand drawings and they look even better. I'm starting to think of a job using my talent, but if I don't know a way to describe my art people won't find me.
I'm looking for a way to describe my artwork and artworks that are similar.

addithin:
the rule I using is draw shap and start add line and point and design In and around it, then make the same for other shap near it, then mirge the two shaps together(Making sure that I hide what is the starting shap is by draw in it).

Black and white is the colour scheme of your drawing - it is never a style.
The medium is ink on paper, if digitally cleaned up and printed it can be described as a print (and you might want to consider working in (limited) editions).
The technique, depending on your drawing method, seems to be free drawing, akin to free writing (and in that case an intentional form of doodling), or 'automatic drawing', the drawing counterpart to automatic writing.
Since these methods usually produce an idiomatic decorative pattern (as user agarza mentions in the comments, it is similar to henna drawings, or mehndi), they can be used to describe a style as well, simply because it will tell people what to expect. But a better way to go about it is to see what makes your artwork yours, what is unique about it, and either combine that with 'doodling', 'doodles', or 'free/automatic drawing', depending on what kind of audience you want to appeal to.
For instance, your drawing also reminds me of a more abstract and asymmetrical and less geographical form of the luscious horror vacui ornaments and illuminations in manuscripts:

Gothic Ornament with Putti and Acanthus Leaves, 19th century.
Source.
Click for larger version.
Hence, 'ornamental free drawing' could be a way to describe your artwork.
Ultimately, you know best what you want to achieve and what kind of clients you want to attract, so play around with the suggestions given here in the comments and answers until you find something you think is appropriate for your artwork.


When casting onto circular needles how can I make certain that the tightness is correct? When casting on to circular needles is there a technique to not making it too tight or too loose? I realize the first row after casting is hard, but I've really struggled casting on partly because the loops on the needle part are super loose but the loops, when they end up on the cable part of the circular needle are very loose. (If this is too vague or confusing please let me know)

Getting a circular cast-on up and running can indeed be tricky. Fortunately, there are several techniques that can help.

Use a sturdy cast-on The long-tail cast-on is a good one for this as it basically includes the first row of knitting. Be careful if you need stretch, though.

Add some weight to the cast-on This can be done by putting some stitch markers in the cast-on (helps get the number of stitches right, too!) or by knitting a short provisional section flat and then joining (you go back later, unravel the provisional section, and use that yarn to cast-off).

Try DPNs If the cable part is what grieves you, you might try casting on with double-point needles, instead. They can have their own fussiness, but it works for some folks.

Practice Yeah, nobody likes to hear this one, but it's so very true. Even after more than a decade of knitting, it still sometimes takes me a few tries to get a circular cast-on going well.

Additional resources:

TECHknitter's 3-in-1 circular join
Dee's No-Twist Circular Knitting Cast-On Tutorial


Durable T-shirt design methods I would like to compare the durability of different methods for designing T-shirts (printing/drawing), where I would like to restrict myself to print methods that can be achieved at home (with a little practice).

T-shirt marker
heat transfer foil (single colour)
screen-printing
T-shirt paint
ink-jet printed "T-shirt transfer film"

Some of these (e.g. screen-printing) will allow very detailed designs, some of these will have very sharp edges (foil), others will have to be drawn free-hand. For the purpose of this question I ignore these differences and would like to ask only about durability of the paint for a number of wash cycles.

After many wash cycles, the ink will fade or become brittle and break. Which method lasts the longest?

This is an article that I have posted on my website for quite some time. I hope you find it helpful.

Plastisol / Screen Printed Transfers

  These are transfers that are screen printed by an outside transfer company or by yourself with the use of screen printing equipment

  Durability – Very Good, often outlasts the life of the garment.

  Look/Feel – Identical to screen printing

  Ideal For – Higher quantities, where a repetition of one design is to be printed

  Ease of use – Excellent, just order in transfers and then heat apply with a heat press for the specified time, temperature and pressure

  Advantages – Allows the user to create a screen printed look and feel with just a heat press.  Also will allow you to maintain a blank shirt inventory and apply transfers to size, style and color per order as opposed to the preprinted inventory that is associated with traditional screen printing.

  Disadvantages – There is a turn time associated with your custom screen printed transfer order.  And if you decide to offer stock images, like many beach/boardwalk shops, you can potentially have a large transfer inventory.

Overall Rating: A

Inkjet/Laser Transfer Paper

  Paper that can be printed through a desktop inkjet printer or laser printer/copier, then heat applied to your garment.

  Durability – Average to Above Average.  For the money, this is one of the best options and is easy to maintain.  Remember to wash the item in cold water, inside out for the first few washes.

  Look/Feel – This varies with the brand of paper.  Light color paper is traditionally a softer feel than opaque or dark color paper.  Each has a bit of a plastic like feel to it, right off the bat.  The “box effect” will surround your design with most papers unless you trim around your design with scissors or a vinyl cutter.  We recommend only buying Heat Press Heroes transfer paper, which is designed for our presses to have the best quality.

  Ideal For – Lower quantities and personalization, photo realistic prints where durability is not in high demand (ie. tourist destinations, mall kiosks, fairs, flea markets, family reunions, 1 time wear – promotional).

  Ease of use – Average. When dealing with inks and transfer papers knowledge of color correction, dpi, drying time and proper application must be obtained.

  Advantages – Quick, inexpensive photo quality prints can be created and transferred over to your garment in a matter of minutes.

  Disadvantages – This process is not the most durable over the long term.  Also in most cases the paper needs to be trimmed around with scissors or an optic eye cutter after being printed to eliminate having a box/window around your design.

Overall Rating – B+

Heat Transfer Vinyl

  Vinyl material that can be reverse cut on a vinyl cutter, then weeded and heat applied to a garment.

  Durability – Excellent, when properly applied the heat transfer vinyl will outlast the life of the garment without cracking, peeling, or fading.

  Look/Feel – Ranges per material.  Some materials offer a very soft finish that is matte or dull, while other materials are thick and glossy on the garment.  Specialized materials such as flock have their own characteristics as well.

  Ideal For – Lower quantities and personalization, used a lot for names and numbers on sports uniforms, some materials offer a real nice feel for use on fashionable apparel.

  Ease of use – Good, the general process involves cutting, weeding and then heating.  The most detailed portion of this process is weeding.

  Advantages – Excellent durability and a professional look, a garment can be created very quickly and the process can prove to be profitable on as little as one unique garment.  Can be heat applied virtually anywhere on the garment.

  Disadvantages – No photo quality or color gradients can be achieved.  Doing more than 3 layered colors can become labor intensive.  Intricate detail can be labor intensive.

Overall Rating – A

Digital Print/Cut Media

  Media that can be printed and cut out on a solvent based printer/cutter, and then weeded and heat applied to your garment.

  Durability – Very Good, when properly applied some print/cut medias will outlast the life of the garment without cracking, peeling, or fading.  The concern with this process is the ink.  However, when printed with the right type of solvent-based inks the durability can last for a life cycle of a garment.

  Look/Feel – Ranges per material.  Some materials offer a very soft finish that is matte or dull, while other materials are thick and glossy on the garment.  Specialized materials such as glitters have their own characteristics as well.

  Ideal For – Lower quantities and personalization, used a lot for full color graphics, some materials can be applied to practically any type of fabric.

  Ease of use – Average, the general process involves printing, cutting, masking, weeding and then heating.  With proper training and the right equipment this process can be very easy to use.

  Advantages – Very good durability and an extremely professional look, combines the durability of the heat transfer vinyl method with the photo-realism of a printer.  This process can offer an excellent solution for dark colored garments or tough to do fabrics, as well as basic t-shirts.

  Disadvantages – Cost of equipment and the learning curve (some machines do come with training).

Overall Rating – A+

Sublimation

  A process that involves the printing of a design with special type of sublimation ink and then heat application to a “compatible” garment.

  Durability – Excellent, this process will often outlast the garment.

  Look/Feel – Excellent, the process involves the dyeing of fabric, so there is virtually no feel to the transferred image.  Very high photo quality results and detail can be achieved.

  Ideal For – Lower quantities and personalization, photo realistic prints where durability is in high demand.  Yields very professional results.

  Ease of use – Below Average, when dealing with inks, especially sublimation inks, knowledge of color correction, dpi, and proper application are critical.  The very nature of the aftermarket inks being loaded into the recommended Epson printer can create problems with clogging if strict instruction isn’t followed.

  Advantages – Highly detailed, photo quality prints can be created and transferred over to your garment in a matter of minutes.  The feel and durability are second to none.

  Disadvantages – Cost of inks.  The process of sublimation is also restricted to application onto light colored garments.  Another disadvantages is that these garments must be comprised of at least 65% polyester in content.  Blanks can often be hard to find and/or expensive.

Overall Rating – B

To view article on my website, click here.


What to look for in a good beginner's sewing machine? I've been thinking about learning to sew and would like to get to the point where I could possibly make a dress (and try to invent one with pockets). I've repaired buttons and rips by hand but guess that won't cut it for anything bigger to start off in getting started I need a sewing machine.

I don't want to spend too much to start but don't want something that the lack of quality makes life difficult in it self. Also with the machine what else would bee needed (other than fabric)?

Most entry-level sewing machines should do fine for sewing apparel, and can even  handle a few thicknesses of denim (reviews are good for this sort of info). I would recommend going for a well-known brand rather than e.g. a vintage secondhand machine. That way if you have any issues, it will be easier to get support at a local sewing shop, from the manufacturer, when buying parts, etc.

Basic features and stitches:

Running stitch
Zig zag
Adjustable tension and stitch length
Backstitch function
Zipper foot
Maintenance kit (brushes, tweezers, screwdriver, etc.)

These should be standard for any modern machine. You probably will want a buttonhole function and a rolled hem presser foot (huge time-savers IMO). Other specialty presser feet (clear, teflon, etc.) can typically be bought aftermarket - another benefit of buying a well-known-brand, but these should get you through most of your projects.

Once you've brought it home, don't forget to read the manual and give it a cleaning regularly! It's also a good idea to keep it covered when not in use, to prevent dust buildup - some machines come with a cover or case, but you could always make your own.

  With the machine what else would be needed (other than fabric)?

You'll also need:

Thread (in spools, or cones if you have a cone holder - cones are often cheaper per yard)
Empty bobbins
Needles (ballpoint for knit, universal for most everything else; the machine will likely come with a few, but you'll need to replace them as they get dull)

And some general sewing tools, which you probably already have some of if you've been hand-sewing:

Fabric scissors
Seam ripper
Pins
Chalk or disappearing marker for transferring pattern markings
Hand-sewing needles for finishing touches
Iron (ok, it's not strictly necessary, but it will make your results look much more professional if you press everything)

There are many other sewing accessories out there to play with, but those are the important ones.

One last note - steer clear of "hand-held" or "travel" sewing machines. These are small and cheap, typically intended for quick repairs. You don't have to spend a fortune (the model I have is currently $140 on Amazon), but going too cheap and ending up with a finicky, flimsy machine might turn you off from sewing altogether!


Economical ideas for lettered t-shirts We are seven friends planning to watch a sports game, and we are trying to get seven t-shirts that have the letters F E D E R E R. Buying them online seems expensive, and where it's cheaper you need to order 100 or more of them.
What is the most economical way we can get this done? Any craft/art ideas?

Same color t-shirt
Need seven.
Different letters on each.

I make shirts, decals, signs, etc for a living. The best way to go is to buy a pack of inkjet shirts transfers (if you have an inkjet printer) If you have a laser printer look for the laser transfers. Staples, Target, Office Depot, etc. carries them. You will need an iron, and of course blank shirts. Blank shirts you can get in a multipack to save money. Make sure to follow the transfer instructions. If you need any help with the letters to print out, just let me know. Also if you go with these transfers you can add more details like a picture or logo. Again, if you need help I will help you out. Free of course.


How can I attach casters to a 1/4" plywood board when I only have access to one side? I built a prop that consists of a box with casters on the bottom. The bottom of the box is 1/4" plywood. The casters are attached with machine screws; the nut and top of the screw are hidden by fabric sewn to the inside of the box. The fabric does not have any way for me to remove it for easy access to the plywood board on the bottom of the box; it's sewn in.

One of the casters got tired of the abuse I put it to, and broke off. (The plate that attaches to the box is still fine, but I'm going to have to remove it.)

   |X|     nut
}}}}X{{{{  wood
   _X____  caster plate
   XXX     head of screw

How can I attach new casters to the bottom of this box without ripping out the fabric on the inside? I have some Molly bolts, but they're not good for attaching to 1/4" thick boards.

For reference, the box looks like this. You can just see one of the casters peeking out from under the missing legs on the left.

Can a replace these casters without having access to the inside of the box?

Usage: I drag this thing around city streets and buildings. It's following me via fishing line, which means that for most bumps, curbs, sidewalk seams, and doorjambs, I'm just walking forward and assuming the box will keep up.

A butterfly anchor (also called a toggle bolt) allows you to drill into the plywood and insert the toggle from the accessible side. Then tighten and the bolt will hold very tight. Enjoy!


How to remove embossing from leather I just got a pair of Dansko clogs from a clothing swap and was dismayed to realize after closer inspection that they have a flower pattern embossed all over them.

Image from dansko.com

Is there any way to remove it? I'm considering either sanding or using water and heat to try to minimize it as much as possible, then redying them. Any better ideas?

Disclaimer: I've not tried this, so I can't guarantee it will work.

One thing that I've seen suggested is to soak the leather with water and then heat it - this should cause the fibres to swell and reduce the depth of the debossing (embossing is raising a material, debossing is lowering it).

The issue with this is that I've only heard of it being done on untreated veg-tanned leather, which your shoes almost certainly are not.

In order to successfully have the leather absorb the water, you'll first need to remove the covering. This can be done with a little soap and water, or (more drastically, and more likely to damage your shoes) with acetone or rubbing alcohol.

Once you've done that, stuff your shoes with something to keep their shape, and then soak + heat (a hairdryer or heat gun is the best option here).


Can I mix acrylic paint into liquid latex rubber? I have an issue similar to outlined in Can I mix acrylic paints into resin?
I have a bottle of natural liquid latex rubber, the kind that dries in the air. Can I add acrylic paint to make coats with colour, instead of the natural translucent with pale zombie tint?
How much should and can I use? Is there anything to know about the paint to decide if it can go in? I'm especially interested in dark steel, gunmetal and other metallic colors.

Acrylic paints, or modified acrylic paints, are often used to color latex, but not for what you want to do.
Latex is a little finicky.  Many colorants will cause it to do unwanted things, like coagulate quickly into a sticky, gloppy mess, fail to dry properly, or change its characteristics.  There are colorants designed specifically for latex.  My understanding is that some of these are acrylic-based (basically a suspension of acrylic paint in latex with additives like ammonia to control coagulation).  Some people do add acrylic paint to latex, often diluting it with a little ammonia.
A big exception to acrylic paints is metallic paints, which is your objective.  Many of these cause the latex to coagulate.  You would need to test the specific paint.
As a general rule, it's usually easier to color latex with pigments than liquid colorants.  Also as a general rule, you don't want to adulterate the latex with too much of anything.  The latex is mostly water.  When it dries, there's much less volume of rubber.  So the colorant will represent a much bigger proportion of the rubber mixture, and have a big effect on its characteristics.  It usually isn't a good idea to add more than about 5% colorant.  Fortunately, it doesn't take much colorant.


What exercises can I do to improve the line quality of my drawings? I am learning to draw on my own by drawing and watching Youtube tutorials. I would like to improve the quality of the lines in my drawings. What drawing exercises would help me improve this?

Sitting down with a piece of paper, and drawing continual lines. Over, and over and over again. Filling up a whole paper with just lines. Sometimes I will sit down and just make loop shapes on pieces of paper, to exercise the fingers, or zig-zag patterns, for short consistent lines. Practicing cursive handwriting has helped with line control in a similar manner, and able to get the flow of motion in the fingers, wrist and arm.

How to create lines, you are using different parts of the arm.

Drawing a line might seem easy, but determining what part of the arm to use can create different lines.
Line a) which is significantly longer line. Would require the muscles in the elbow.
Line b) which is half the size of line a. Would require the wrist.
Line c) Which is short simple lines. Would be using the fingers.

Elbow and wrist lines would be focused more on contour, while fingers would be more for hatching(shading with closely drawn parallel lines), or fine details. Having control of the arm, wrist and fingers. Will help with practicing drawing lines.


What glues can attach plastic to satin? I need to attach some plastic beads ("pearls") to a satin headband. What will work for this -- hot glue? fabric glue? some other adhesive?

I found a good article which considers various different glues and compares their performances when used to glue small crystals to various different types of material. It appears to be an updated version of this slightly older article from the same website.

Neither article mentions satin specifically, but the later one considers some similar materials, and the author does mention satin in response to queries in the comments sections of both articles (Ctrl+F "satin" on either page if you want to check). The advice given there is that either Gemtac or E6000 would be the best glue to use for satin. E6000 is stronger and better, but has very strong fumes, while Gemtac is non-toxic and thinner.

I hope this is the kind of answer you're looking for!


How to remove paint fallen on an existing watercolor painting with the least damage to the painting? Last time it happened was 15 years back, and that time I was in a painting exam.
That time I didn't dare to do anything for the fear of making it worse.
What would be the best course of action when I accidentally get some paint on an existing watercolor painting on a paper?
While answering, please consider the cases when the painting's paint is already dry, totally wet, and when is it somewhat wet.

It's best to act quickly, and absorb the paint with either a cloth or (nearly) dry brush. You can remove most of the spilled paint that way.

Then, depending on what's still visible, you might want to wet the edges of the stain, to soften the colour transition.
You might also want to repaint a part of the existing painting, or if you're really creative, give the stain a purpose in your painting. Like, when your painting is a still life with flowers, the unwanted drop of paint may become a bug or a hole in one of the leaves.


What material is this? What material is this stuffed toy I finished today made from? I want to know in case I want to duplicate it later and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to find the pattern again.

I’ve got 2 more patterns pretty much like it back in my sewing space, but that’s it!

Recycled Wool Felt

It looks like.

Original image from www.360felt.com


What are the typical wood types used for Japanese traditional woodblock printing? What are the typical wood types used for Japanese traditional woodblock printing?

From Wikipedia's article on Japanese woodblock printing:

  The text or image was first drawn onto thin washi(Japanese paper), then glued face-down onto a plank of close-grained wood, usually cherry.

Absolutely not suitable are open-grained species like oak or ash.


Is there a kid-safe carving material? I would like my oldest (about 3 1/2 years old right now) to carve something, because of the fun I had with my plaster carving.

However, most carving requires sharp knives and firm materials that are difficult to cut through.

I would like an alternative that is soft enough to work with using just plastic tools (which I may make myself or repurpose from other tools), but not soft like Playdough or modeling clay. That is, I want it to be able to keep its shape during and after carving.

The kid-safe aspect of this is being able to avoid sharp metal objects.

Is there anything out there that would work for me?

If you are more interested in subtractive sculpting (removing material rather than adding it like clay), I spent my earliest sculpting days carving bars of Ivory soap. There may be softer brands, but you know Ivory soap is 99-44/100% pure <grin>.

How to Make a Soap Carving

A sharp knife is not necessary. Plastic knives, spoons, or Popsicle sticks could also work. But I suggest investing in a modest set of clay sculpting tools made of wood (less than US$5.00). They are tough enough to stand up to the soap without having a tendency to snap like plastic knives or Popsicle sticks.

Product Search:  Wood Sculpting Tools


What is considered the most durable concrete for jewelry? I'm trying to tap into some areas of concrete and I'm reaching to find out what might be considered to be the most durable concrete for small piece jewelry.
Or would it be grout? Maybe a plaster that's considered strongest?
If concrete can be made stronger with something like fiberglass, iron filings, etc., I'd like to hear about that, too.
Additionally, is there a concrete sealer that can harden concrete, that would be valuable for this answer.

Mainly a terminology thing, but "concrete" wouldn't be used for jewelry.  That term refers to a mix that includes large aggregate that's held together with a cement binder.  On something like a road or sidewalk, the layer of rocks provides the strength and the cement just holds it in place.  On relatively thick art castings, you might be able to use a filler of aggregate the size of say pea gravel or aquarium gravel if you need compressive strength.  On small items, especially jewelry size, there would be no need for aggregate, and its presence could even work against you.  If you wanted the appearance of the aggregate, you might need to make an over sized lump containing aggregate and then cut it to size with something like a diamond blade.
At the size of things like cement countertops, large bowls, and art sculptures on buildings, what's used is typically a mix of sand and cement, sometimes with strengtheners like embedded fibers.  At jewelry size, it's typically sand and cement.  The particle size used depends on the item size and surface texture/detail desired.  For example, if you're casting tiny beads or something that will have a smooth surface with fine detail, you would need a very fine particle size.
If your objective is something that looks like concrete, with a grainy surface texture, you can use products sold as concrete toppers (the particular product selected wouldn't make much difference for your purpose).  These are designed to add a thin layer on top of existing concrete as a repair or leveler.  They are generally very strong because a thin layer has to hold up to wear and tear.
If your objective is something that looks more like polished stone, with a very smooth surface and/or fine detail, there are a few products designed for that purpose.  One is cement mixtures designed for countertops.  Another is a product that's popular among hobbyists for small castings, made by Rapid Set, called Cement All.
  Image courtesy Home Depot
It's available at hardware stores, and package sizes include relatively small quantities that will go a long way if you're just using it for jewelry.  You can mix it to a soupy consistency and make extremely detailed castings (if the mold is very smooth, the result will look polished and shiny, like polished stone).
The filler is very fine silica, and the binder is CSA cement rather than Portland cement.  CSA cement is superior to Portland cement in that it is stronger, doesn't shrink, reaches full strength faster, etc.
You don't need to add anything to these cement mixes for strength, they will be plenty strong for jewelry purposes.  There are dyes you can add for a desired color.  Concrete is porous and can absorb stains if it's handled a lot.  You can seal the surface with a sealant designed for countertops, coat it with resin, or just spray it with a clear finish.  Cement can be brittle, so dropping it on a hard surface could chip or crack it.  Coating it with resin or a clear finish would provide additional protection against that.


How can I cleanly finish and starts rows, using single crochet, in my pokeballs? In my continued adventures in making pokeballs I have run into another issue that experimenting is not fixing. The balls are made just using single crochet (sc). Typically what I do for sc project row is something like this:

  Ch 1, sc in same stitch
  sc around
  skip last stitch in row and sl st into first sc of row

That works well for me and looks perfectly fine on something like a toilet paper octopus holder. However once the balls are stuffed in pushes that those stitches out creating a visible raised ridge on the outside.

I didn't find the instructions I was following, which are pretty much the same for all balls or spheres, clear on this matter.

So to try something different to see if I could avoid this I tried the following instead:

  Ch 1, skip 1, sc
  sc around
  sl st into first sc of row

This fixed the issue I am describing but the row ends also biased (instead of forming a straight vertical line every row moved over one stitch). Some people might not notice this - but I do!

How else could I be doing me sc in a sphere or ball so that I clean relatively flat row ends that don't bias?

Genrally in amigurumi you don't crochet in rows, but in spiral. This way there is no visible seam at all, but you usually need a stitch marker to keep track of where rows begin and end.

Here is a photo of a bottom of a bunny I made, to illustrate how it's done and looks:


What materials can be lost wax cast easily? I am looking to cast a ring using lost wax casting. I know that with my current setup I can cast pure silver, but I got to thinking: why silver?  Why not, say, glass? So I am wondering what unusual materials I can cast a ring of, with about as much ease as silver?

It depends: What is your mold material ? I expect any type of glass  would fuse to any ceramic mold materials I am familiar with ( mostly alumina). And many glasses get soft and bendable at 1500 F , but that is nowhere  near liquid which will be 2200+ F.  How hot can you get your melting furnace? High alloy stainless ( 310 = 25 Cr : 20 Ni) melts "low" and has excellent fluidity. Vitalium is relatively unusual but common ( cobalt # 21 , Co + Cr) ; is used for silver colored dental applications and jet engine compressor blades. Maybe start with tin ( AKA pewter) very low melting ( roughly 600 F), good corrosion resistance.


In comic making, what purpose does cutting a single image into panels serve? Basically, sometimes, there will be a single page or a large portion of the page dedicated to a single scene or image, and this will be cut into panels. But if the gutters were removed, the image would be whole. So what purpose does cutting it do exactly?

The division in panels is used to signify the passing of time, occurring in the direction of reading. This is known as sequential narrative. Whether the panels consist of different images or divide what appears to be a single image, does not matter for this interpretation.
Often when it concerns a single image, this division is combined with text - be it dialogue, description, or thoughts of the person(s) depicted. It can symbolize a lack of physical or emotional change, a stability, solidification, or unyieldingness:

Chris Samnee. Daredevil, issue #25, 2011


How to prevent "tufts" in paper when cutting fine details? In the winter I'm big on making detailed,  six-sided paper snowflakes. I use crafting knife to cut everything out. Usually I use printer paper or origami paper.

My issue is when cutting inside angles.  If the cut isn't exact, I have to either tear out the piece and get those fiber tufts, or I have to cut slightly beyond the design (which causes other issues). I have the problem when I begin the last cut from the corner, or end it in that corner.

I try to use fresh blades, which doesn't help. I try to remove the tufts with the knives, but they just bend or pull.

How can I prevent the tufts without affecting my design, or, failing that, completely remove them?

A big factor to this would be to make sure your cuts are straight and not at an angle. If your cuts meet on top but are not completely vertical then a tuft would appear on the bottom of the paper, for example. This can be hard to work with since the blade of a craft knife is already at an angle. This leads into one possible solution.

Depending on what you are willing to get away with as far as quality or experience, one surefire way to try and address this is to over-cut your lines just a bit. When trying to meet at an edge or a corner it sounds like you are coming a bit short. That is what is creating the tufts. If you over-cut the line just a bit that should account for that and make the corner or edge clean. Problem with this approach is if done wrong you can cut too far in which can ruin the piece.

You don't even have to do it too much. Just enough to account for my first paragraph.

I am sure you are already doing this but for the sake of completeness your cutting surface plays a role here. Something simple like a self healing cutting mat will help prevent your paper from moving too much. Sometimes changes in hand pressure can move the paper enough that it starts to pull away from the cut line. A proper mat should help immobilize the work more.

  Usually I use printer paper or origami paper.

Not sure if this is the best advice, as it could be tedious to consider, but common computer/printer paper has a grain direction. If you look at a common 8 1/2 x 11 you should see that the fibers are lined up from top to bottom. You can also "feel" this when you bow the paper in opposite directions. Folding it from top to bottom has a little more resistance that it does from the left and right sides.

Point being if you are making cuts it is that second cut that will be an issue. If you can make it so the second cut is the one that cross the grain of the paper it is less likely to tear off. Holding the paper behind the cut can also help mitigate this.

I cut out a lot of names printed from fancy fonts and this happens to me as well.


How to keep scratch art paper clean and free of pencil and eraser marks? I was introduced to scratch-art in high school and have loved it ever since. The problem I repeatedly encounter is in keeping the surface of the paper unmarked where I want it to remain black. I have tried a number of solutions as far as a storage is concerned, like keeping it between two pieces of paper and even buying a folder carrier for my projects to keep them protected. I don't wear jewellery when I work and that helps a lot.

I find though, that my faint pencil sketch I do before starting often shows up and is difficult to erase. the pencil is very shiny and reflects a lot more light than the paper does. The eraser makes more ugly marks than the pencil does. Further, I haven't figured out what to do if I do make a mistake.

Does anyone have tips for preventing ugly marks on scratchboard paper or fixing them once they've occurred?

Is there a suggested medium to sketch with on this sort of paper to lay out the outline of a design?

Here's an example of one of my projects:

I have not done any sort of serious scratch-board art, but here are some suggestions, to answer your two part question:

Use black colored pencil instead of regular pencil.— it isn't as reflective as regular pencil, so you will just barely be able to see it while you're working.

Paint over the nicks/stray pencil marks— If you paint over the scratches and stray pencil marks with ink, it will probably cover it up and not show.  You should try this on a scrap piece of paper first, to be sure.


Durability concerns with damascus steel and rose gold ring I'm looking into creating a Damascus steel ring, but using a rose gold and steel mix. Because of the blending of two metals, I'm curious whether or not there would be durability concerns?

I have found one example of this being done on Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/616316545/8mm-damascus-steel-ring-mens-wedding

Former goldsmith here. I used to work with gold, a lot, but not so much with steel, and I never did damascus or mokume gane. From your question I'm guessing it may be the opposite for you ?

Before thinking about durability, I would question feasability. Due to their very different fusion temperatures, and different "behavior" when heated, these two metals may be difficult to mix together.

To illustrate this, you usually work gold while it's cold. If you try to hit or bend it while it's red, it will offer almost no resistance. Meanwhile, steel offers quite a good resistance even when it's red hot. How do you forge those two metals together in these conditions ?

But again I am no expert in forging, even less in damascus or mokume gane.

I can only tell you the metals commonly used together are :

silver/gold/copper for mokume gane.
steel/other steel for damascus.

About the durability, I think, if you manage somehow to make your ring, it would be quite a durable ring, because the steel would prevent rose gold (which is already one of the hardest of golds) to suffer too much from abrasion. The only concern that I see may be the need  to change the ring's size (quite frequent after 10+ years).

Other than that, such a ring should last for a lifetime and more, assuming you treat it with care (=> taking it off when doing something that could damage it).

Quick note, just a basic reminder on how to keep your jewelry as long as possible :

Don't make any part of the ring thinier than 1.5mm.
Don't wear it in bed. Bedsheet are quite abrasive over time.
Don't wear it into the shower. Since I assume we're talking about stainless steel, this is not so much about durability than about the risk of loosing it into the siphon.


Materials for an easy to make knife handle? I've bought this blade, and I want to make a handle for it. the handle should be easy to make, and easy to maintain, and I also need to make sure it doesn't get in the way of the sheath.#

I'm considering these materials:

1) Wood - Taking a piece of wood would take some time, judging my skills it might turn out ugly and you need to oil and maintain it.

2) Paracord - I think it'll look silly, feel weird and wear over time, for a cord I can just tie a paracord to the hole in the end anyway.

3) Leather - that could work but I have no clue on how to approach this tang with leather straps, most videos I've seen show a thin tang with sheets of leather stacked on top of each other then shaped into form.

Which of these would be best for an easy to make knife handle?

Measurements:

Overall Length : 18.3CM
Blade Length : 8.3CM
Handle Length : 10CM

Paracord

As Chris H points out, this knife has a skeleton handle rather than a normal tang, and it's really intended to be used either as is, or with a paracord wrap rather than anything more solid - for more on that, here is an article showing a couple of ways you can do that.

Considering your other options, if you really need to cover it:

Wood

You can  make a wood handle for this knife, in much the same way as you make handles for knives with full (rather than stick or enclosed) tangs. You'll probably want to fill the void in the centre of the knife, and match the chamfer of the edge, so it will be more involved than making a handle for a full tang knife, but still very much doable (depending on your skills). I'd note that you can varnish wood to maintain it, so oiling isn't strictly necessary, it's merely one way of finishing the wood.

Leather

A stacked leather handle (as you've mentioned in your question) isn't really possible here as the technique relies on having a fairly large area of leather around the tang, which you don't have. You could make a wrapped leather handle, in which you cut a piece of leather to fit around the handle and sew it on over the solid foundation (this article shows the technique, albeit on an axe haft rather than a knife handle), or you could even use leather thonging in the same manner as the paracord wrap.

Comparing the three

The paracord wrap is by far the easiest of the three methods; the other two methods require tools, more expensive materials and a fair bit of specialist knowledge; while the paracord only needs a length of easily (and cheaply) available paracord and a bit of time to follow instructions.


It is easier to learn to use oil paint or acrylic paint? Is it easier to use acrylic paint or oil paint?

I'm trying to get into painting and I want to know which one has the best consistency.

Oil paint dries slowly and mixes well on canvas (A thin paint will stick to a thick paint). It also adds texture but shows brush strokes. You are going to want to work in a ventilated area.

Acrylic dries very quickly and dries flat, diminishing brush stroke visibility. Once dried it remains flexible and can be painted over quite easily. When wet it is soluble to water but becomes insoluble once dried.

I recommend acrylic as an introduction as it is easier to work with and is more forgiving. Another solution would be to start with water colors like gouache or aquarelle. These mediums are easier to clean and more portable, but can't be painted over like you can do with acrylic.


Paint brush hair identification Years ago, when I was a schoolboy, I used this paint brush with natural hair looking bristles. It is from an Indian brand named Camlin. But these types of brushes are no longer available in the market even from the same brand. Does any one know what is the hair used (pic attached) and which brand has this still in production.

My guess is that it's badger hair - the grey-white gradations are typical for these kinds of brushes:

They are quite common, and many manufacturers produce them, including Da Vinci, Isabey, Royal & Langnickel, and Raphael.

  Unlike other hair, pure badger hair is thickest at the tips, giving
  these brushes a bushy appearance. They're excellent for glazing
  techniques, and popular with decorative and faux finish painters
  because of their blending ability.  source

  Badger brushes are [..] more springy than bristle, and they have a
  softer touch. They cost more but seem to last forever (I have some
  which are twelve years and counting). source


How to protect/seal frosted glass spray The frosted glass is specifically to diffuse an RGB LED lamp thing I made, so every scratch and other degradation on this thing so far is very prominent. There must be 8 coats of Rustoleum frosted glass spray on it. It's a very thick matte finish.

For all the frosted glass tutorials out there, like on wine glasses, you would think a few of them would post an update that everything came off or otherwise looks terrible after a week, and perhaps a few would have shown how to solve it.

My concern is that whatever enamel or acrylic spray I apply will either add a gloss, or reduce opacity by filling in the surface and eliminating any light refraction.

The only constraint is that I need to be able to buy it nearby at Walmart or Home Depot or something. I won't have time to order it online because it's a gift. Preferably a Rustoleum product because it's cheap. Would the American Accents Ultra Cover Matte Clear work?

Click on images to view full-sized version.

Given your time and store restraints, I would agree with your choice of a rattle-can/spray can of matte clear coat.  I don't know the brands well enough to recommend one over another.

There is the potential that the clear coat will reactivate the frosted coats, even if they are thoroughly dried and cured.  So apply very light coats from twice the recommended distance and allow each coat to dry before adding the next.  If the frosted coat does reactivate, it will mix with the clear coat and thus dilute or distort the frost.  The less of the clear coat you apply in each protective coat, the less chance of ruining your artwork.

It might be wise to frost up another piece of plastic and after it dries, test the clear coat on it before risking your art.

If you had more time, an art supply shop (or Hobby Lobby), and an airbrush, you would have more options.  Createx Airbrush paints has a product called Intercoat  which would be perfect for this situation.  It provides a non-reactivating layer to protect your existing artwork from the solvents in any paint or clear coat which you might apply over them.  Spraying a layer of Intercoat over your frost paint would lock it in place, allowing you to add a matte clear coat without any risk of reactivation.


What is Paper Weight? I also see a weight associated with the art paper I buy.

For example:
I have Bristol Board that is marked 100lbs, Pastel Paper marked 98lb, Sketch Paper marked 50lbs, etc.

What does this mean?

The weight is the weight of a ream (500 sheets) in the unit of uncut size, which varies with the stock type (see here, for example).
A more consistent measure of paper weight is the grams per sq metre value (gsm) which is what it says, the mass of 1 square metre of the paper, which is the area density of the paper.


Is it possible to paint an oblique (perspective) anamorphic illusion on a three dimensional surface viewable from all angles as you pass it? So hypothetical situation: Let's say I have a hallway, say 10 feet wide. On one side of this hallway, I erect a three-dimensional facade from floor to ceiling, so that it sticks out from the wall. I feel like the likeliest to work may be a semicylinder (cylinder cut lengthwise), but I'm not really sure. To provide a visual example (you'll just have to imagine that these are the correct dimensions and shapes):
______________
    \___/

______________

What I want to know is, would it be possible to paint such a facade in a way that, if a person of the proper height were to walk from one end of the hallway to the other, it would create the illusion at all points along their walk that they were passing a flat expanse of wall? So as the viewer enters the hallway and walks along it, it appears at all angles along that path to be a normal hallway with no protrusion. Assume that the painting is photorealistic for this hypothetical.
If this isn't possible with a semicylinder, is there a configuration of faces that would make this possible? Or is it simply impossible to create a perspective illusion viewable from that many angles, even controlling for the height and position of the transect the viewer walks?
(Apologies for poor question tags, apparently I'm not allowed to create proper tags for my question as a new user.)

You could make it work from a single vantage point, but not from numerous or continuously changing vantage points.
Whatever shape sticks out from the wall (semicylinder or other), I'll call that the protrusion.  Imagine that it was transparent so you could see through it to the features you need to reproduce, such as the line where the wall meets the floor, or the back corner where the side wall meets the back wall.  From a particular vantage point, you could look through the protrusion to a feature you need to reproduce and direct someone to mark where your sight line intersects the protrusion surface.  If you do that for all of the features, you could use those marks to paint the view.  It will have the right perspective to look like what you see from that position.
When you do that from the hall entrance, the closest half of the protrusion will be visible.  Features, like where the wall meets the floor, at the outer visible edge of the protrusion will be aligned with your sight line to the actual feature immediately adjacent to the edge, so the line would look continuous.  If you repeat the process from the other end of the hall, the other half of the protrusion will be visible.
As you walk from the end of the hall toward the protrusion, the end of the drawn line will no longer match the visual location of the feature, so the line won't look continuous.  From the middle of the protrusion, you can see the entire thing.  From that vantage point, your sight lines to the features are different, as well as where those lines intersect the protrusion surface.  So reproducing that vantage point will yield a different image.
Also, if the protrusion is curved, what looked like straight lines from the original vantage point will look like curved lines from another vantage point.
To further complicate things, all surfaces would need to be uniform colors (e.g., a wood floor would have wood grain detail).  In real life, objects farther away look smaller.  From the hall entrance, when you look through the protrusion to the farthest features to reproduce, any detail or texture would need to be painted smaller on the protrusion surface.  When you walk toward the protrusion, the relative size of those details will become wrong.
Another complication -- even if you could perfectly reproduce the features and perfectly light it so no shadows gave it away (such as where the object meets the wall), your eyes would tell you it isn't a flat wall.  Eyes accommodate for distance (the closer the object, the more your eyes turn toward the center).  It's automatic so that what you're looking at is centered where your eyes discriminate the most detail, and your brain uses it as a clue to the object's distance.  Within a normal hallway, the distance to the object as you walk past it would probably be within the range that your brain would detect a discrepancy if you were looking at it.
Having said all that, if you could make the protrusion really long, so you can't easily see the far end from one side, and if there were no vertical features like a back corner, the only visible reference would be an adjacent portion of the protrusion.  You could map the sight line intersections at small intervals from one end of the hall to the other, and create a "moving average" of the line.  With no other visual reference, it might be hard to notice that the wall isn't flat.


Bind a back with its pages without stains I started doing some perfect binding tests. I'm using a vinyl glue. Gluing the pages together worked fine so far.
I'm having some trouble however in binding the cover with the pages. The binding is pretty successful, but because the glue passes through a bit, the paper gets wet again, and the ink printed on the cover dissolves and leaves some stains.
Could anyone give suggestions on how to mix up the vinyl glue or tell me if there are tricks to prevent the glue dissolving the ink on the other side? Sadly the ink is water-soluble and I can't avoid that.
Some pictures will better show what I'm getting at:

The cover before being bound with the block of pages.

The back of the finished bind with stains of dissolved ink.

Stains and wrinkles appears on the cover of this small book.

Close up of the final bind with the pages and cover.

Most likely, the stains appear because the glue diffuses into the paper - the paper being porous, or the glue too strong / dissolving. Try a different paper / glue combination.
About the wrinkles: I guess that you make the binding manually - as in using the bare hands, without any kind of presses, clamps, etc. Use the proper tools, practice using those tools until you understand all their secrets, and then go ahead doing the beautiful work.


Is it possible to recycle the glass bottles and jar in desired shape and size by melting? I have a lot of glass bottles and jars. I want to convert them into new items of different styles and shapes. Can a glass object be molded into a new shape by melting? If yes, then how?

Yes, The general term is 'bottle slumping'.  There are several images on pinterest.  The glass is heated to the point that it can be shaped.  Current trends are to use a Kiln, with temperatures between 500F and 1500F

I have memories from local carnivals in the 1960s and 1970 of the bottles being heated in a liquid, shaped and given as prizes or sold. I had a coke bottle for several years that was obtained from the carnival.


Best resources to learn origami art immediately? I saw one of my class fellows creating beautiful origami art work with paper. I was quite amazed, so I would like to learn origami art.

Can you provide resources or recommendations on how to learn origami art immediately?

As with all crafts and arts, you can not expect to make beautiful items when you just start. You will have to start with the simple models and big sheets of paper.
Once you have some experience, you will go up to more difficult patterns and smaller paper.

Depending on how you take to it, it might take days or weeks, but origami can be done beautiful with little experience when you work precise and with good paper.

Using a good book or a good website, cheap paper for your first few tries but nice paper for as soon as you are happy you can do the model. Depending on how you learn best, still pictures with how to fold, as in the books, or videos with fold along instructions will work. If you go for one style, try to get a site or person who has done more than just one or two, as while you are learning, following the same kind of instructions is often helpful. On the other hand, if you do not understand the instructions, other instructions for the same item may well help you.
Some websites, (I have no connection with any, I learned my folding from age 4, well before internet was invented.)
Beginners as well as more advanced.
Not as easy but clear indication which models are not starter ones.
You can say that all sites that make you fold a crane as first item are over ambitious.
I am out of the books, as the last one I purchased was 20 years back or so, but I know that if you go to a good bookshop, they should stock some. Look and read, buy a kid book if you can understand what the pictures instruct. You can go on to adult books after you have learned the basics.

There are also many youtube channels and individual videos dedicated to origami. Again I would suggest to start with instructions aimed at children.

While the boxes or packages with nice paper seem quite expensive, you will find that one pack will last quite a few models.

One way to make bigger results of small and relatively simple origami is to put them together and make scenes, birthday cards or pictures. Or to go modular, where you make the same piece over and over and put them together.

If you dream of big and intricate figures you will need to keep improving on what you have learned, using bigger and more difficult models. But do start with baby steps, and keep improving step by step. If you try to go too difficult before you have the basics, you may give up well before you are good enough.


Are spray paints effective on laptops? My younger brother spoiled my laptop with pens. On removing the stains I got marks on the surface of the laptop which make it look dirty. Are spray paints effective for painting laptops or is there any other way to deal with it?

No, spray paints can get into the cooling system through the vents, blocking air flow and gumming up moving parts.  Some spray paints may even conduct electricity  after drying which can short out (seriously damage/destroy) your laptop's electrical components.  The only "safe" way to use spray paint on any electrical device is to unplug (remove battery) and dismantle it, removing the electronic components from the outer shell.  Then paint just the outer shell in a non-conductive paint before reassembling the device.  Since laptops use lots of springs and pressure fitted parts, the dismantling process itself is another great way to destroy a laptop, so don't do it.

Your best bet is to search amazon to see if there are any "laptop skins" specifically made for your model laptop.  These are vinyl stickers which exactly fit the contours of your laptop, leaving all of the vents uncovered and functional.  They come in a variety of imagery and textures.

Alternatively, you could create a jewelry cleaning kit as I described in this answer and use it on the remaining stains.  You might get lucky and return your laptop to its original appearance.


Does knitting needle material make a difference in knitting? Knitting needles are available in wooden, metal and plastic materials.

Are certain needles more forgiving of mistakes? Does the material itself have any effect on the process or product, besides just how it feels in your hand?

If one has an impact on technique, please help me understand how it impacts it.

This question cannot really be answered.  And the answer to why is both easy and complex.
TL;DR: Start with one kind of needles, it doesn't really matter which kind, preferably one you can borrow, or some cheap ones, and decide after that if it feels right or not.
Like someone already said, knitting needles are made of many different materials, the most common are wood/bamboo, metal and plastic.  But you will find other kinds if you look, like carbon, ivory, bone...
Anyway…

Wood/bamboo needles are usually less smooth and slick, it means that the yarn is less likely to fall of them by accident (their smoothness are relative to how fine their varnish is and has been polished);
Metal needles are very smooth and slick, which means the yarn slides more easily on them, and can be more sharp at the end (because metal can be shaped more easily and is much harder);
Plastic are about between wood and metal in smoothness;
Carbon needles are quite smooth, they usually have metal tips.

You can find whole sets of wooden knitting needles for less than $5. They are fine for beginners, mostly because they are cheap, and will give you an idea of what you like and dislike in needles.
For example, I love knitting with metal needles, because they can be more sharp, which helps a lot for fine lace work, and the yarn slides more smoothly on them and you can knit faster. A good friend of mine hates metal needles because they are cold and it hurts her fingers.
But all of this does not really matter. A beginner needs to begin, so, a beginner will get a ball of yarn, and read the label to know what size of needles they need for this. They will then get a pair of needles of that size and learn how to do a slip knot, a knit stitch, a purl stitch, and they will be on their way.
Now, as per why this does not really matter, well, everyone knits differently. I see it in every class I teach. I always have all my students do the same thing: cast on 15 stitches, do a few rows of knit stitch (which is called garter stitch), and then alternate knit rows and purl rows (giving you stockinette), and while they are all doing the same number of stitches, and rows, their little knitted pieces are all of different sizes. This is because we all hold our needles and yarn differently, we all have a different tension on the yarn, and in the end, our stitches are not all of the same size.
A loose knitter will not be able to knit using metal needles because the stitches will keep falling off, since their knitting is very loose. They will often prefer wooden needles, because they are less smooth, and the stitches are less likely to fall off.
A tight knitter, on the other hand, will have a hard time using wooden needles because the stitches will not want to move easily on the needles, and they will be forced to slide their stitches so that they can continue knitting. They will most likely prefer metal or carbon needles.


How can I tie a tight knot? I'm working on making some chimes, which involves tying a (tuned) piece of metal to a piece of wood fairly tightly - ideally, so that there is always a gentle force pulling the chime together with the wood. For context, here are two pictures of the setup, one from the top and one from the end:

(Ignore the holes in the aluminum; they are from an earlier, less successful experiment.)

The string passes through the holes to the side of the tube, and loops around the tube itself on top and is tied underneath the wood. The knot needs to be tight because, if it is not, the tube can jump around when hit with a mallet (which is bad) and the vibrations of the tube can create buzzing against the wood (which is also bad). This design seems to yield really good results when I test it out while holding the strings taught prior to tying them, but it doesn't work very well when I tie the knot. (Also, since it's probably important: I've been using overhand knots to make the loops of string - it's the only knot I'm familiar with, so I would be satisfied with an answer that points towards a more appropriate knot to use, if that's the problem)

Is there some technique I can use to ensure that a loop of string stays under tension after I tie it into a knot?

As you know, the vibration of the chime is what causes the sound. Within that vibration are peaks and troughs of vibration, but there are also nodes where the vibration is barely, if at all, noticeable. If you don't tie down the chime at exactly one of these nodes, you'll attenuate your sound and cause buzzing anyway.

Instead of tying your chimes, think about laying them in a way that makes them act like you want without the problems you don't want. This, believe it or not, has been figured out by makers of xylophones and marimba.

For example, a xylophones has lots of tuned steel slats that are struck by mallets, just like you want to do with chimes. They do bounce a little, but that's addressed by having a hole in one or both ends and a pin loosely in the hole preventing it from moving in an undesirable way. These slats are also resting on felt or other cloth risers at their nodes to prevent buzzing and damage from striking too hard & bounces. (I've left the image large so the cloth strips can be easily seen.)

Also, most chimes for music are held in place by either loose cords or a rod. Granted, these are also generally vertically mounted, but it's something to think about, since you are going the opposite direction in that you want to tie them securely down.

I'm not recommending a product or website, but if you look at how someone else makes something similar, you'll notice that the chimes appear to not be held down at all. It would be interesting to look at this from the ends of the chimes to see if there's a cord running across the tubes, but just hidden. The supports here look like rubber to prevent buzzing.

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/20inwoodstockpipedreamwindchime.cfm

On the other hand, a single chime seems to be supported and held down by the same attachment device. It's a bad pic, but the support looks like a rubber O-ring, also presumably to prevent buzzing.

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/woodstockzenergywindchimesingle.cfm


How do I determine optimal bake time for a polymer clay sculpture? When making polymer clay sculptures, I often end up with pieces of varying thickness (e.g. thin at the edges, thick in the middle). How do I select an appropriate baking time to avoid burning delicate details, but still ensuring thicker parts are solidified?

Is there a general formula, or do I have to rely on instinct -- "hmm, it's starting to smell really burnt, I should turn off the oven"?

If you burn your clay your oven is too hot. So turn down the heat a bit.
You can also put your creation into a box made from aluminium foil pans. This will protect it from direct heat.

You can also bake the clay multiple times. So create the bigger pieces first, bake them, add the details and bake everything again.

Another option is to bake everything separately and put it together using glue or even the varnish for small details.


How can I use soft pastels with an easel? I am a beginner artist, and have been exploring the medium of soft pastel for some time now and I absolutely love it.

Recently I was looking into different kinds of easels and which one to buy. But I noticed that the tripod easels (even the ones that are specifically made for pastels) don't come with any boards, they just come with an horizontal metal or wooden piece to place the canvas on it, and a top piece to hold the canvas in place. But this does not really work for me since I paint on soft pastel paper and need to apply some pressure on it, so I will need some support for the back of the paper like a board or something.

This is the easel I want to buy on amazon, it is cheap and sturdy.

So my question is how do pastelists use such tripod easels for their art, and what can I do to make this easel fulfill my requirements?

You use a drawing board. When I was in high school we used these for our drawings and paintings all the time whether using an easel or sitting at a table. It allows you to easily move the paper around without touching it as much and gives you something to hold onto. I remember we taped the paper down to the board to keep it in place.

Here's an example of a similar easel on Amazon and it includes an image of a drawing board to illustrate how it's used (it doesn't include the board).


Best sort of artificial light for indoor painting I like to paint after work, but as the days get shorter here, I find myself spending more time painting while under the illumination of incandescent light bulbs. My ability to distinguish shades of yellow ochre are diminished.

What sort of light bulbs or other lighting will give me a good enough approximation of natural sky light?

At one time, people would get plant grow lights that mimicked sunlight.  Those were pretty much limited to fluorescent tubes that went in "shoplight" type fixtures.  Those are still available, but "daylight" bulbs are now also readily available in most bulb styles (shape and base) in fluorescent tubes, compact fluorescent, and LED, as a standard choice for color spectrum.  So you can get "daylight" illumination in pretty much any fixture or lamp you're using to light your work.  Note, though, that you can't go by just a "daylight" designation, as this might actually be bluer than sunlight, so yellows won't be accurate.

Bulbs are labeled in a number of different ways.  There are descriptive terms for ranges of color temperature, roughly:

warm white/soft white: 2700K-3000K (yellowish, like incandescent)
cool white/bright white: 3500K-4100K (white)
roughly 3500K-3800K is sometimes labeled "neutral white" because it lacks a color cast.
daylight: 5000K-6500K (bluish)
5000K-5765K is sometimes labeled "full spectrum" because it most closely resembles sunlight; 6500K is more blue/less yellow than actual sunlight.

To get the most accurate color, you might want to use neutral white.  To get colors the most similar to sunlight, look for "full spectrum", or "daylight" close to 5000K.  Going by the color temperature will be a more accurate selection than using the descriptive terms.

You can also look at the Color Rendering Index or CRI number.  It's a scale that goes from 0-100 and reflects the ability to show true colors across the spectrum.  The closer you get to 100, the more accurate colors will be.


What's the name of this cartoon style? What's the name for this style of cartooning? Has anyone written about its history? It's been around for a few years and people are using it everywhere.
Some things I've noticed:

It's used a lot by corporations for web artwork. The sample below was grabbed from a YouTube newsletter.
It often has pastel colors.
There is never or rarely any shading, colors are completely flat.
No/rare borders around shapes.
It often includes humans.
Humans have "chunky" bodies. In the picture below the man has a gigantic hand and too broad shoulders.
Bodies and especially limbs are drawn with curves. The man below doesn't have a sharp elbow, he has a noodle.
Diverse skin colors.

Everyone is doing this so that means everyone's copying off of everyone else. But who came up with the original idea? Is there any relation to Apple's iOS 7 flat design?

The style could be named after its instigating minimalistic 'Flat design', or is simply called 'flat illustration', but it could also very well be there's no (official) terminology for this specific form of graphic design (yet).
'Flat design' has become very popular in the last 7 years or so. I think a major influence on this style becoming more common was the increasing popularity of tablets: as they are controlled through touch screens and have relatively large screens, they required a new way of navigating, and large and easy to see tiles were an obvious choice.
As dynamic, coloured tiles organized into grids were used, the need for hierarchical vertical navigation diminished, and so did the need for extensive use of highlights, drop shadows, and other depth simulating effects and 'skeuomorphic' design elements (iOS 7 indeed embraced this need for a renewed design, but I think a better example of these changes is Microsoft Windows 8, which design is called 'Metro' (a.k.a. 'Modern UI').
Around five years ago, the need for a more intuitive design became apparent, and innovations on flat design were grouped under the name 'Flat design 2.0' (or 'semi-flat' or 'almost flat design') (for more background information, see here, here, and here).
These innovations include a reintroduction of shadows and other 3-dimensional effects.
As common user interfaces change, graphic design and illustration have to 'evolve' along with them (arguably because users like their digital experiences to be unified), and this is why flat graphics and illustrations have become very popular.
Good design necessitates the need for specific changes within these styles to be compatible with and complement the other, so improvements are made constantly, and these influence naturally occurring preferences (like in all art styles).
The current trend in illustration seems to favour somewhat naive depictions, as in the image you have posted. The increasing presence of humans (of different skin tones) could be a reaction to current political events, or simply to the idea that (web) design ought to be all-inclusive.


Why can't you tool chrome-tanned leather? It seems to be common knowledge in the leather working community that chrome tanned leather doesn't work for tooling, I.E. carving and debossing, but I've never seen any explanation as to why this is so.

What properties does chrome tanned leather have that make it unsuitable for tooling, and how does the process of chrome tanning give it these properties when vegetable tanning does not?

So, I did some research, and although I never found anything that specifically said "This is why you shouldn't tool chrome-tanned leather," the information that I did find suggests a reason.

Lots of resources describe the difference between chrome- and vegetable-tanning.  I think this quote (from the GoldBark Leather site) summarizes things pretty well:

  There’s a lot that goes into each of these tanning processes. What’s important to know is that one uses vegetal oils (from tree bark) to tan and another uses chemicals (chromium) to tan it. Vegetal tanned leather, generally referred to as veg tan, takes a longer amount of time to create, is considered higher quality, and therefore costs more. Chrome tanned leather has a quicker turn around time and therefore costs less.

  The end product of these two processes are drastically different. Veg tan is generally thicker, more firm, and more durable. It’s the kind of leather you see in a nice pair of leather shoes. Chrome tanned is thin, very stretchy, and less durable. It’s the kind of leather that you see in a car that has a leather interior.

The Carryology site also has some interesting information about the actual chemical processes and how they differ. It explains that in vegetable tanning, tannin molecules displace the water molecules that are bound into the collagen within the leather. In chrome-tanning, chrome molecules replace the water molecules within the collagen. It goes on to explain:

  chrome ions displacing the water and binding with the collagen are much smaller than vegetable tanning molecules. This generally makes chrome tanned leather thinner and softer than vegetable tanned leather.

Because I don't know anything about tooling leather, I did some searching about that process, and ran across some good information on this forum posting. From the fourth entry:

  You simply can't tool, carve, or stamp Latigo or oil softened leather
  like you tried to use.

  You need to start with Vegetable Tanned Tooling Leather. It's almost
  white, and almost hard when you buy it.

  Then wet it damp, but not soaking wet. Then wrap it in a towel and let
  it set for an hour or so to 'case' it. That allows the moisture to
  work through the leather fibers and prepare it for tooling.

  Once it reaches damp, but not dry enough to turn light color again.
  You can carve & stamp it to your hearts content. It takes tooling,
  molding, and shaping around a gun almost like modeling clay!

  Then once dry and oiled, it will retaing the stamping & shaping
  forever.

  Avoid belly and leg cuts as it is soft & stretchy and will not retain
  its shape.

Once I read this information, it seems obvious why chrome-tanned leather won't work well.  Chrome-tanning reduces exactly those elements that make a piece of leather appropriate for tooling--thickness and stiffness.


Is there a standard angle to use for drawing and drafting tables? I just moved into a new place, and plan on creating a desk that can be used as a computer desk, quilting desk, and drawing/drafting table. While often it will be a flat surface parallel with the floor, I would like to be able to angle the surface for drawing, painting, etc.

Is there a specific angle used for drawing and drafting, or is it purely personal preference?

It hugely depends on you. Typical setups are around 30-40 degrees, but personal preference is paramount. Find an angle that you are comfortable with, and stick with it.

Personally, I prefer a flat desk, but some people I know aren't happy unless it's closer to 45 degrees.

Bear in mind that whilst learning, some teachers will encourage you to change your angle if you are having problems with distorting your proportions. It will force you to look at the drawing differently whilst you draw it.


Pony hair vs synthetic hair painting brushes Which one out of "pony hair" and "synthetic hair" painting brushes should be used for water colour paintings and cloth painting?

Is one in any case superior than the other in terms of quality?

Which one should be preferred for what? I am asking about these two specifically because where I live these are the only ones available.

It depends on the synthetic brush that is available. Generally speaking, pony hair brushes are often used in schools since they are inexpensive, yet strong and soft. However, they do not retain the shape of the brush well when wet. Synthetic brushes on the other hand can be both well suited and terrible for painting with watercolors depending on the quality (which has improved largely).
I would suggest you try both and then decide. Take the brush that can hold its shape best when wet while still being able to hold a good amount of liquid.
By the way, the best brushes for water color are usually made from mink hair (generally referred to as Kolinsky sable). For further information look here and here.


Using objects to depict other objects I was wondering if there exists a term that describes the practice of using objects to depict other objects.

To give an example:

In the painting "The Librarian", Arcimboldo uses books to depict a person.
So the artist uses objects (books) to depict something entirely different (a person).

Thanks!

Pareidolia

  Pareidolia is the tendency to interpret a vague stimulus as something known to the observer, such as seeing shapes in clouds, seeing faces in inanimate objects or abstract patterns, or hearing hidden messages in music.
  source: Wikipedia

There are many examples on the internet beyond Arcimboldo, just look for Pareidolia in art.

Women Forming A Skull By Salvador Dali


How to apply diamond dust to a canvas? How can I apply diamond dust to a canvas or photo?   I've searched the web but can't find any information about it. I've used photo spray glue but it's too sticky.

"Diamond dust" refers to glitter than is actually composed of crushed glass instead of the traditional shiny flecks of plastic. This differs from glitter in that it is composed of larger pieces and therefore has more problems with adhesion. My guess, based on the limited information, is that Summer Rose is having a hard time because the glitter is leaving gaps where the adhesion shows through and is too sticky?
To avoid this, there are a couple options.

1. Use a better glue

For glitter like this that is both heavier and larger, a more robust glue is needed. Instead of spray glue, try using PVA glue or hot glue. If you find these adhesives do not dry completely clear and do not offer the desired effect, there is diamond dust specific glue called Diamond Glaze which seems to be popular among crafters if you'll be using diamond dust frequently.

2. Use traditional glitter instead

Traditional glitter is cheap and super easy to use. It can be adhered with nearly any liquid glue. Just don't accidentally drop it on yourself.

This forum on diamond dust also might be helpful to you where a similar question is asked. It's lengthy, but you might get some good tips outs of it!


Mice/hamster chew proof plastic material I am making a custom enclosure for small animals.

I was wondering whether non-toxic and chew proof plastic exists and what is it called?

Smooth surfaces without ridges or angles for teeth to grab onto are as important to a successful design as your material choice.  Think of your enclosure design from the point of view of its occupant.  Any joint between two surfaces which are narrow enough to fit between its teeth will become a focus for gnawing.

Air vents are also common weak points because simply drilling a hole in an otherwise flat wall leaves a right angle which hamster teeth can work with.  Metal vent covers can fortify these necessary weak spots.

Manufacturing can also play a part in making an escape proof cage.  3D Printer surfaces, no matter how hard the plastic, will have ridges in them that hamster teeth can find and exploit.  There are chemicals which can smooth out these ridges, but they may not be food safe.

As for plastic types, there are food safe versions of most of the hard plastics.  PET or PVC would probably serve your purposes, but for absolute certainty, I would make the surfaces that need to be transparent out of glass and the rest out of sheet steel.  Plastics are great for a lot of projects, but hamsters are world class escape artists and they deserve a cage that can truly test their capabilities.

Good Luck!


What name best describes this style of pen-and-ink art? I have been working with pen and ink, doing pieces of this style for more than a decade. Many times, I have been asked for a name to describe what I do, and I'm continually left with stating that it is simply "my style."

Is there a specific style of art that would aptly describe this type of highly-detailed pen-and-ink work that uses small drawings to work together to create the whole of the piece?

So, when I first looked at it my reaction was "mosaic" was the root of the style and so I did a little digging and came across the concept of "doodle mosaic" that really seems to fit. The other reason that worked for me its the there is a Zen Doodle feel as well, the sense that the sum of the parts are creating a bigger result.


Raising the bobbin thread doesn't work I am just learning my Singer Inspiration 4210 sewing machine.
I've had some good luck with it so far, got some basic stitching done.

Then it jammed up on me, I had to pull it all out and tethered the bobbin and now I can't raise the bobbins thread. From what I can see, when I turn the wheel towards me, it's spinning around the bobbins but that piece doesn't grab the thread on my needle.

Little video of it not working.
https://youtu.be/yPNt2UKMleU

Did we pull to hard and forced it out of wack? Is there an adjustment screw?

After much searching, reading and watching videos I figured it out. I took the machine apart to adjust the "needle timing" (key words to search for). Sadly there is no video or instructions for this model specifically, so I'll summarize here:

Remove the back cover
Remove the bobbin assembly, and the cover over the spinning hook mechanism
Note the gear on the bottom with 2 screws, loosen the screws just a little and the spinning hook will move freely.
Align the tip of the hook to start just above the hole of the needle.
Tighten screws and reassemble.

MAKE SURE your needle is on the upswing, not the down swing. Before reassembly, pull the wheel towards you to ensure it spins around freely. Also, if you adjust it to be left/center/right or zig zag, I recommend aligning the hook and the needle on the left.

Maybe i'll make a video....


How do I determine if an origami crease pattern is at the intermediate level of difficulty? I understand the theory behind learning to fold a model from a crease pattern, but given that CPs are more a tool for designers than folders, there doesn't seem to be much intermediate ground between trivial "here, do a bird base..." lessons or "just do it" basic advice; and people posting triumphs about solving some super-complex Kamiya CP.  But given that some of the more prolific and complex designers don't have the time/energy to spend on diagrams for many of their models, but are still willing to publish a CP, this is a skill I'd like to master.

But in the learning resources I've found, it's all frustratingly lacking in hard advice or practice pieces in the middle.

What do I need to look for in a CP to judge its difficulty level?  I don't want to get so frustrated that I give up all together, but neither do I want it to be so trivial as to be boring. Is it just how dark the grey value of the printed CP is? :) Is there a good learning resource for bridging this middle ground to CP mastery?

While there is no surefire way to know, some cues may indicate a simpler or a more complex model:

If it's a box-pleating model or the CP is otherwise based around a grid, the size of the grid is usually correlated to the model's complexity. As a rule of thumb, something that uses a 16×16 grid will usually be simpler than something based around an 48×48 grid.
The complexity of line intersections in the CP may indicate how many layers of paper there are in different parts of the model which in turn may indicate the complexity to fold. So intersections where a larger number of creases meet may indicate a more complex model. There will, of course be exceptions, as a simple mountain fold over multiple layers may have the same CP (except for fold orientation) as a complex closed sink along the same line.
Look at the finished model. The amount of detail will often indicate the complexity. Bad surprises do happen, however.
Look around forums for people writing about the model — either the folders themselves or people commenting their work will often mention the model's complexity, especially if it is high. Don't be afraid to ask, either.
Get some experience by folding simple designs first. Even if you do not intend to fold tessellations in the future, they may be a good starting point into Crease Patterns since tessellations are often published in the form of CPs but at the same time the complexity of these CPs is usually much lower than that of animal model CPs. As you gain experience by folding simple Crease Patterns, you will become more proficient in judging the complexity of a CP.


Building closed loops with springy wire Background: I am a mathematician who is attempting to build some simple visual aids to assist in the presentation of my research.

To build the desired models, I need two things:

Exceptionally springy wire.  By springy, I mean that it should quite difficult to put a permanent bend in it.  Guitar wire seems like it could be a possible candidate here, but I'm not sure.
A way to fuse this wire together.  It could be soldering, crimping, etcetera—I simply need to be able connect two loose ends together in a permanent way.  (Note: Any sort of connection that allows the wire to twist will not suit my purposes.  I need to maintain torsional pressure on the wire.)

I've already managed to build models of what I want using the wire manufactured for high tensile cattle fence (you can get crimps that go with that wire), but the wire is so stiff that my models are too big to travel with.  Does anyone know of any potential material and/or methods I could use in place of the fence wire and crimps?  I'm at somewhat of a loss, so any advice here is much appreciated.

Not the most professional pictures, but this is what I have right now (banana for context):

What you are looking for is called spring steel or spring-tempered wire. Tempering is a process where the wire is hardened by heating which allows the resulting spring steel to return to its original shape, despite significant deflection or twisting. When you bend a spring wire, it will maintain a strong, circular loop without kinking anywhere along its circumference.

Product Search: Spring Tempered Wire

To close the the loop, you can use a wire crimp sleeve. They come in many many lengths and diameters, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find one that fits your needs.

Product Search Wire Crimp Sleeve


What magnification do I need to read an inscription on a gemstone? I want to get into gemstone collecting. Some gemstones have laser inscriptions on the side from the grading lab that gave the gemstone it's color. What level of magnification would I need to read and verify these inscriptions?

Let's assume that I'm working with stones that are about 5mm across. and the laser inscription is written within that, so we're talking about some very very tiny inscriptions . . . would 30x be enough for that?

It should be possible to calculate this, but note that it will depend on your eyesight as well, and the contrast you can get (directional lighting may help)

If you look at how many characters there are in a typical inscription (I've seen up to about 30 for synthetic diamonds online;this is lovely to be a worst case), and how much space they fit in, you can work out the character spacing. 30 characters in one row of 5 mm would be 0.17 mm character width including separation. 30x would make this equivalent to about 5 mm which is very large print. Normal text is more like 1-2 mm per character, which you'd achieve with a 10x jeweller's loupe. If you're collecting gemstones you probably want a good loupe anyway, and if this doesn't allow you to read the inscription, it should at least allow you to count the characters and rerun my calculation.

I do suggest getting a decent loupe. Mine is only a cheap thing, but at 10x still allows me to resolve features down to that sort of scale with decent eyesight; reading inscriptions of about twice the size I calculated above (on electronic parts) is trivial. I don't have a gemstone, let alone an engraved one, to test for certain.

You could also resolve this with a decent camera with a macro lens or extension tubes. If you have access to an SLR a cheap set of extension tubes would allow you to record the inscription. Holding everything steady and focussing can be more of a challenge


Possible to model Viking longboat with Popsicle sticks? I bought 100 normal popsicle sticks with the idea that I could submerge them in almost boiling water to model them into a viking ship. Before I give it a shot, is there anything I should be aware of? Do popsicle sticks easily splinter? Is there a better alternative for this?

I was planning on 1 - 3 popsicle sicks for the keel by first shaping them after being in the hot water. Then, I would glue and clap them in position for them to dry. I haven't thought of what I would do with the sides yet, but I will probably clap them in some way to retain the curve then just glue it all together.

So, is this easily possible or should I be going about this differently?

On the assumption that you're going to try and mimic the clinker-built (that is, overlapping planks) construction of the real thing but not smaller details such as the riveting of planks together with trenails, then you should be able to use popsicle sticks for the planking - as you said you'll want to shape them with hot water (or better, steam) to get the correct shapes.*

Where you'll struggle with popsicle sticks alone are the large, complex shaped timbers like the keel, bow/stern posts and keelson. For these I'd recommend buying some larger pieces of basswood and carving them to shape rather than sticking popsicle sticks together. You may also find it easier to carve the frame timbers from basswood also.

For reference, this is a picture of a longship I took last year, showing just how huge the keelson is.

*I suspect that the popsicle sticks are too brittle to attempt riveting or similar (the wood in viking ships was usually worked green not seasoned), but if you're just glueing them together they may be fine