Mixing Acrylic Paint With Water ( And Storing It ) A few weeks ago I asked a question about Alternatives to Citadel / Games Workshop Paints, and the feedback suggested that I could simple use tubes of Acrylic paints from local hobby type shops as an alternative for painting miniatures/figures.

Some suggestions were to use a flow/pouring medium to thin it down a little, but I've seen that simply using water ( up to 50/50 mix ) is a very common practice when using acrylic paints.

So my question - Is water really a recomended element to thin down your paints? And if so, how would you store your mix for use in the near future?

I'd like to create my own little pots like the ones that citedal / games workshop use.

Paint is a chemical with a blend of several characteristics. Two of those characteristics are:
- Carrying a pigment (color)
- Sticking to a surface (glue)

A 50/50 mix would reduce the binder (glue) in the paint to half of what it was when it came out of the tube. If you were painting on paper or a medium that absorbed the paint you might get away with 50/50. Some paint makers recommend never thinning paint more than 25% with water (Liquitex thinning recommendation - not an endorsement).

  Think of the polymer molecules (the binder) as forming a sort of glue that holds the pigment onto the surface. When this glue, known as polymer, gets thinned by water, it loses its strength to bond. When the paint pigment is left unbound, over time it will release from the surface on which it was applied (usually canvas) and begin to flake off. "Don't user Water to Thin Your Acrylics"

Miniatures don't absorb paint so you are relying on the strength of the binder to hold the paint onto the miniature when dry. it would be best to "stick" to the paint maker's recommendation on using water to dilute paint.

I'm a little paranoid. When painting I use as little water as possible for spot thinning. When I need thinner paint for a large surface I use a painting medium to thin the paint. I don't want to do the work of painting only to have it mess up months or years down the road because I used too much water.

  Acrylic painting mediums can be used to thin acrylic paint in unlimited amounts "How to Thin Acrylic Paint"

You mention creating your own little pots like the ones the Citadel workshop uses.
Adding tap water to acrylic contains microbes and minerals - this can damage the paint. If you use water and plan to store the paint it's best to use distilled water. It's safest to use a painting medium.

The keys to storing paint are:
- Don't let it get contaminated
- Don't expose it to air.
- Use clean, air tight containers.

  Believe it or not, tap water is a contaminant. Tap water contains microbes and minerals. If you add tap water to a jar of acrylic paint and store it for a few years, it will probably develop mold.  from Does Acrylic Paint Go Bad?

The linked article above has good information on what makes paint go bad and how to store it.


Make Cement with Lots of Holes What would be a good way to make cement with lots of hollow areas? I want it to resemble a sponge when cured. I’ve see a similar material used as siding in buildings.

You could try Orbeez / water beads.

Thoroughly water them to make them inflate as much as possible. Then mix them into the moist cement and let the cement set for several days. The moisture retained in the orbeez should slowly evaporate through the pores of the hardened cement, leaving behind a sponge-like structure (and the shriveled, dried out Orbeez of course).

Here's a video of someone mixing Orbeez into transparent epoxy resin (start watching at 11:00 minutes) and a closer look at the result in a second video (trigger warning for Trypophobia).


What is this type of art called? What is the type of art below called?
And what type of paper and colors are used here? Can I do that using acrylic colors?

It's an aquarelle painting and from the looks of it either watercolors or inks (or both) were used.

This technique uses lots of water, so you need really thick paper for it. Many hobby / craft / art shops sell special aquarelle paper. It's as thick as cardboard but white.

Acrylic colors are not well suited for this kind of art because they dry too fast and become waterproof after drying. But you can experiement with acrylic colors and see what kind of effects they produce.

You might get the idea of using a cheap, school grade box of watercolors, but these will produce muddy and chalky colors and nothing like the warm glow in the center of the picture. Aquarelle colors are rather expensive compared to acrylic or oil colors because they contain lots of pigments and not much more. They are usually sold in little cubess or disks and you use them by brushing a wet paint brush over them. And one disk or cube of watercolor goes a long way.

If you want to learn painting with watercolors, start with learning about the different effects of wet-in-wet and wet-on-dry technique.


Make foam rubber case I am interested in how I might go about making a neoprene (closed cell) foam rubber case for a clock. The clock looks like this:

The clock is about 10 inches wide at the longest dimension.

I know how to get foam rubber. The problem is how to turn it into a case that opens and closes.

When you suggest that you are using foam rubber, the term invokes many different types of materials with the same name. The density and stiffness of the various choices provide some challenge to a good design.

The better options include neoprene and also EVA foam. The latter is relatively inexpensive and can be found in the form of floor cushion squares with puzzle cut edges. It is rigid enough from which you can build a box, yet protective enough for your clock.

Additionally, one can find it in various colors, although grey is most common and probably the least expensive.

The foam will melt if you use hot glue to assemble the box. A better choice is a contact cement, specifically a water based product to prevent the foam from dissolving from the cement. Epoxy will also work well, but takes longer to cure.

For a lid to open and close, you can secure a piece of thin leather (long lasting, durable, flexible to one edge and the top or front. Embed magnets in the foam edge to match and you'll have a secure closing system as well.

EDIT: with the additional awareness that the foam is neoprene, I've found there is a solvent based contact adhesive specifically for neoprene. Search for "contact adhesive for neoprene rubber" and you'll have plenty of returns. Amazon lists many and I'm sure there are other sources.

You don't have to have thick rubber to make the magnet idea work either. You can bond a magnet inside a flap of rubber in the box and another flap of rubber in the lid. Use as many as needed to ensure a solid closure.

One might suggest velcro, aka hook-and-loop, but my experience with that material is that it eventually loses grip, as the loops will pull open over time.

Mechanical clasps can be mounted to thin panels of wood which would be bonded using the aforementioned contact cement, but the flexibility of the enclosure may make that too much of a challenge.


Sewing pattern confusion In this pattern step what do I do with the bodice lining?

In short, you get the lining out of the way as much as possible. Fold it up as far as it will go without causing the outer layer to wrinkle too much.

The instruction is to sew both skirt layers (outer and lining) to the outer layer of the bodice. The seam allowance gets pressed towards the bodice (upwards, from the finished dress perspective).

There should be a step (not necessarily the next, but probably soon) where the lining gets placed back to the original position again, the seam allowance folded inwards, ironed and sewn down, so that all excess material is hidded inside the bodice part. This makes the seam look nice from the inside as well and is more comfortable than having the seam allowance bits directly against your skin.


How to shorten a maxi skirt while keeping the bottom hem? I purchased a maxi skirt that goes above my waist, and I still have to wear heels just to get by.

I wish to shorten it. However, it has a hem at the bottom.

What is the best way to shorten this maxi shirt to proper length without removing the hem?

This is the skirt in question - notice the pink hem that decorates the edges:

The biggest problem is getting a straight hem line. There are skirt hem markers designed specially for this purpose. They have a little chamber with powdered chalk in it and a little bag bellow with which you blow a fine line of chalk onto the skirt.

If you don't have one of these, you either need a sewing bust (set to your corect proportions) or the help of a second person.

Additionally, you need some tool to measure the length of your skirt. A rigid ruler works fine, but in my experience something that can stand upright and has an adjustable height works great, like a mini camera tripod. You can put a water-soluble fabric marker on top to easily mark the desired length.

There are 2 basic ways to shorten the skirt: either cut the original hem off and sew a new one instead or pleat the fabric to create a blind hem without cutting. If you don't want to sew at all, you can create a blind hem with fabric glue instead, but I've made the experience that this glue dissolves in the washing machine (despite all claims by the manufacturer) or stays visible even after drying.

If you're ok with cutting the fabric, follow these steps:

Wear the skirt and the kind of footwear you like to wear with it (can be barefood, too)
Stand on some kind of podest, stool, crate or bucket. You need to let the entire length of fabric hang loosely without it touching the ground.
In this position, determine how long you'd like the skirt to be. Mark the position with water-soluble pen, chalk or a needle.
If you have a sewing bust, put the skirt on it and set it on the podest. (If you don't have one, ignore this step and let a second person help you with the next steps.)
Measure the distance between the ground and the mark. If you have a tool to help you, set it's height to this distance.
Move the ruler / tool around the skirt and create marks on the way until you marked all around. Be sure not to pull the fabric while marking the hem line.
It's always a good idea to pin the skirt to the new length and wear it again to see if you measured correctly before cutting.
Don't forget to add seam allowance to hem the skirt! If there is not enough length for allowance, consider the blind hem solution instead.
Cut the skirt at the mark + seam allowance and sew a new hem.
If you like the pink detail on the original hem, you can add it as a trim line by cleaning up (hemming) the cut edge and sewing it behind the hem you created (just a few millimeter lower so it peeks out under the hem line). Maybe it's just a pink cord you can remove from the original hem and apply to the new one.

If you prefer the blind hem, you'll have to adapt the measuring process:

Follow steps 1 - 3 above (mark the desired length of the skirt in one spot).
Measure the width of the original hem.
Adjust your marking tool to mark the skirt at desired length - original hem width (shorter than the first mark) and mark all around the skirt.
sew the seam line of the original hem to the mark you created, right sides together. Fold the rest of the fabric up and sew a blind hem:

The black line is your skirt, the loop is the original hem, the blue line is your mark and the green line is the blind stitch. First pin the seam of the original hem to your mark and sew right over the seam. Then iron then fabric up to reveal the original seam. Actually sewing the blind hem requires some more folding. You want to sew mainly on the excess fabric and only tiny stitches through the upper part of your skirt.
Basic tutorial for blind hem
Video: sew blind hem with sewing machine
Video: sew blind hem by hand

There are several pitfalls that await you in the process of measuring.

Wash, iron and/or hang the skirt before measuring. Cotton shrinks when first washed, so you want it to shrink before you shorten it. Wrinkles pull parts of the fabric together, which might result in an uneven hemline. If you cannot iron the skirt, let it hang freely from a sewing bust or a coat hanger to let the fabric reach it's natural form and length.
Measure from the ground up, not from the waist down. Your body is more flat in the front and more rounded at the sides and backside. Rounded parts require more fabric to reach the same length. If you measure the same length from waistline to hemline all the way around, you and up with a skirt that's too short in the back.
Wear the skirt while marking the new hem line.  If you measure while the skirt hangs on a cloth hanger, the hem will look different once you wear it (because of the shape of your body).
Wear the shoes you prefer to wear while measuring. Wearing high heels requires a little more length in the back, while wearing flat shoes shortens the back line.
Stand on a podest so the fabric hangs free all around you. If some of the fabric lies on the ground, it props the parts above it up, while other parts hang down lower. This results in an uneven hemline.
Don't pull the fabric while marking it. The professional skirt hem markers blow powdered chalk onto the skirt to mark it without touching it. If you don't have one of them, you must be very careful not to pull the fabric while putting a needle in or drawing a line with chalk.


What components, wiring, and electronics needed for helmet internals I am  completely new to cosplay and am needing help with some components for a build I am working on. My goal is to have a helmet system that can hear people around me, and I would like to be able to speak to others. I know at the very least I will need a power source, two sets of speakers, one for my ears, and the other for my voice to be projected, as well as a microphone. I am unsure as to what would be the best power source for this project, such as a 9v battery, or a 4 pack of double or triple A's. I also don't know the proper wire to use for this project. Right now, I just need to get everything wired up to test if it works, then I can work on a mounting system and then fit the helmet around that. What would be the best place to look for these components as well as how to properly wire everything together?

One option you have is to use off-the-shelf items rather than to try to build your own from components. So many different options are available for the objective you describe, but I think I've found one that fits well with your use.

It's a wired intercom kit that uses a 9V battery and a pair of wires to connect one station to the other. The $19.95 price is for one unit, you'd have to buy two for your purposes.

The microphone is the silver cylinder in the lower left corner of the circuit board and could be extended to the outside (ear?) of the helmet, while the board and speaker would be mounted inside. If you wanted to go slightly overboard, get one set for each ear and one for you, with the speaker at the outside mouth location and the board and microphone inside near your mouth.

As a kit, you'd have to be able to solder the components to the board, but that's a good start in the maker world and a skill that may serve you again in the future. The kit is a good one for learning to solder, as there are few components and nothing too small or complex.

Unfortunately, the instruction manual does not include part identification, nor sequence for assembly, and is therefore lacking as a true tutorial for soldering, but it is not advertised as such. It should still be possible for a novice if appropriate searches are made online for the polarized components.


Do high-temp vacuum-sealed reusable bags exist? I need to vacuum seal and compress two things together and then bake them at 300-deg F so they will bond.
Do high-temp vacuum bags exist? (silicone, etc)
I'm looking for something like these vacuum foodsaver ziplock bags, but they melt and the plastic bonds at about 280-deg F.
Ideas?

There are silicone sealable and reusable food storage bags like these that are good for over 400 degrees: Silicone Food Storage Bags Reusable (looks like this particular product isn't currently available at Amazon, but you can find similar items or they may come back into stock; at least it's clear that such products exist).
They are sealed with a channel that slides over the opening.  What comes with it looks like plastic, so you would need to make a similar channel or clip out of metal or some other material that would withstand the high temperature.  You would also need to figure out how to suck out the air and complete the sealing of it.  It might require embedding a tube at one end of the opening, sealing the bag, evacuating it, then sealing the tube.
One other product I can think of that will take the temperature is Reynolds Oven Bags, which works in a 350F oven and comes in various sizes.  Those are designed to be tied with a provided nylon string.  It isn't clear how many uses you would get from a bag, but they're a lot cheaper than the silicone bags.  Again, you would need to find a way to suck out the air and seal it.  You could do something like wrap the opening around a tube, suck out the air, than tightly twist and tie the bag below the tube, perhaps folding the twisted area.
Creating an air-tight evacuation port in a sealable bag can be done, but is often a challenge.  The OP reports a clever idea to solve this.  Sous vide is a cooking method that involves sealing the food in a vacuum bag and cooking it in a water bath at a controlled temperature.  Silicone bags are available for this purpose, and come with an evacuation port built-in.
The OP found these Sous Vide Silicone Bags and reports that they worked.


What will permanently fill the hollow backs of alloy pendants? I have two crescent shaped 3" alloy pendants with hollow backs (like a scooped out avocado). I want to fill the hollows, insert a two-pronged hairpin between them and attach the pendants back to back.

It would be best if one material could both fill and adhere, but if this is impossible, what material can be used to fill, and what separate material will glue the two sides together?

It would be helpful if you could determine the exact type of alloy your pendants are made of, and if they are painted or coated in any way (in which case they may require sanding, chemical etching, or a primer to get the best bond). There are many multi-use products that could work, but you will achieve the best result using an adhesive made specifically for the metals in your pendants and for your application. For example, if your pendants will be exposed to water/humidity, or UV light, look for an adhesive made to withstand those conditions, or apply a protective top coat after the adhesive is dry. If you need to retain a certain degree of flex, or if you need the bond to dry clear, look for adhesives with those properties, and so on.


Copying a large plaster tile by latex moulding it; is my plan correct? I have a large rectangular plaster tile with an interesting relief pattern of bumps, dips and waves, but it's broken and I need to make a copy of it. It's not a bad break, 3 clean snaps making 4 pieces that go back together easily
My plan is to:

Make a wooden frame around it, a few inches higher than the highest relief and lined with a strong plastic membrane
paint it with several layers of latex
talc coat and peel this latex off and then lay it back on so it's loosely on the original
mix up some normal drywall plastering plaster (I've got loads kicking around, too old for plastering the wall with) or sand/cement mortar mix
pour this into the mould on top of the latex and let set to form a supportive reverse mould
lift off the plaster/latex reverse mould and separate the latex/plaster from each other
flip the whole thing over and reassemble the reverse+latex+frame and set about filling it with plaster of Paris and maybe some gauze/mesh/glass fiber weave that I have to add a bit of reinforcement
separate the newly cast panel from the mould, peel the latex off it and repeat if I need more

Have I thought of everything? Will the latex separate easily from drywall plaster/plaster of Paris? Do I need a release agent? Will my chosen materials suffer any shrinkage or warping (they don't seem to when left in a bucket after a plastering job; it'd be a lot easier to clean if they did!)

You're on the right path; the only things I would change in your plan would be not to remove the latex mould (often known as a print mould) before adding the supportive plaster mould (known as an overmould or mother mould). Shawn Thorsson's blog has a good tutorial on one piece moulds - he works in silicone rubber and plastic, but the principles are the same.

Plaster* and latex don't stick together much, so you shouldn't have any issues without applying talc or another release agent as long as you let the plaster dry for long enough, but there's no harm in applying one - the Hirst Arts website has a good guide to them.

Both latex and plaster do shrink a little, so consider applying multiple coats of latex to get the correct thickness when building the mould. Since you're doing a one piece mould, you can deal with the plaster shrinkage by over filling it and then scraping off the excess. Once again, Hirst Arts has a good tutorial on casting one piece plaster moulds.

*Admittedly my casting experience is solely with dental stone, which may be less 'sticky' than drywall plaster. Your mileage may vary.


How can I use a fountain pen while onboard an airplane? When a fountain pen is onboard an aircraft, it can leak ink due to the strong pressure difference inside the pen vs. outside the pen. This can result in messes to clean up on the flight even if the pen is not used, and at best ink blots when it is used.
Most of the advice I've been seeing about bringing fountain pens onto airplanes is that one should either completely fill them, or leave them completely empty before boarding the plane. However, this only works for storing the pen while in flight, and not for actually using the pen while in flight.
How can I effectively use a fountain pen while on an airplane? Is the only way to leave it empty and to fill it while onboard? I can think of a design for a pen that would allow it to be used on a plane effectively (store the ink in a bladder that changes size), but are there any pens that work like that?

There are things you can do to reduce the risks, as described in the other answers, but I would be wary of using any kind of pen containing liquid ink on a plane (although a "felt or fiber tipped" pen may be OK; never investigated that).  I've had a Pilot Precise technical-style pen that uses disposable refills (the entire guts of the pen), leak while sealed in the tip-up position.
If you need to write on a plane, pens with gel ink (which also includes most ballpoint pens), are much less likely to leak.  The best type would be a Fisher "Space Pen" (various other pens can also use those refills).  These are manufactured pressurized and are designed to use that pressure to feed a very thick ink without leaking (they can write in the vacuum of space without leaking).  If writing with a fountain pen is important, I would just wait until you land to do it.


Masking tape tears paper off! Well, I thought masking tape is used for painting on paper because it can come off easily. I simply put masking tape on a drawing sheet and just to see whether it comes off easily or not, I started peeling it from paper - slowly.
It tore paper. A layer of paper came off with the tape.
Is there some particular way of putting masking tape on drawing sheets?

There are a few tricks of the trade for using tape on drawing paper. Here are some of them:

Use good quality paper.
Try using different types of tape to see which kind works best with the type of paper you're using.
Stick the tape to your pants one or more times before sticking it to the paper.
Don't leave the tape on the paper for more than 24 hours.
Remove the tape slowly, pulling away from the illustration instead of straight upwards.
Use a blow dryer or heat gun to heat up the tape slightly and soften its glue before removing it.


How to drill a hole on diecast toy using dremel? I just bought a new-ray helicopter diecast toy. I want to modify it a bit, and one of the plan is to make holes for the windows (square, around 5mm by 5mm). What I'm thinking is to use dremel to drill a small hole (around 2mm diameter) and then enlarge the hole using dremel metal grinder bit.
However, I'm not sure how to start.
Dremel bit catalogue has drill bit for metal, for soft metal. I am not sure what kind of metal the diecast is. The thickness of the diecast is around 1mm.
I also checked dremel speed guide chart, but could not find the speed for drilling.

Is it ok to use these drill bits for that purpose? What speed should I use?

For delicate work in soft materials, I still like to use my old wheel brace (hand drill).  I've used it on plastics, wood and aluminium when I don't want to risk marring the surface as I break through.  Securing the workpiece is an absolute requirement as it's a two-handed tool.  I'd start with a 2 mm drill bit, then use a 4–4.5 mm bit so you've got the minimum at the next step.

You could then square off the corners with a needle file.  My square needle file is about 2–3 mm at the widest point. This will give you much squarer corners than any rotary tool can provide.  Even if you start with the dremel, you may need to finish off with a needle file.


What are these colored tabs in my art supply kit? I got an art kit as a gift and have been going through the different art utensils and came across the picture below. I lost the paper which outlined how many of each art tool were given, however I know that the kit is from Artist's Loft, and it is either the 100 or 126 piece set. I think it may be paints but there is already clearly labeled Acrylic and water color paints in tubes. There is also supposed to be oil pastels but I've worked with those before and this pallet doesn't seem to be holding oil pastels...so what is this art and how can I use it and make it pretty?

This is what I think are the oil pastels

Click image to enlarge

The art in question! What is this and how can I use it?

Click image to enlarge

You probably have the 101-piece set, the 126-piece set doesn't appear to include any supplies that look like those.

Here's the product image of the 101-piece set, for reference:

This set contains, among other things

  12 oil pastels
  12 soft pastels
  10 watercolor cakes

Based on the product image, the oil pastels are likely the items shown leaning in front of the bag in the center, with the blue and white wrappers. They should look and feel kind of like crayons. I've only seen these sold in cylindrical form which also matches with the photograph.

So instead, your first image would be the soft pastels. They usually come in rectangular form, and feel like chalk.

The second image is most likely the watercolor cakes. Although the colors and amount seems to differ from the product page I found, this is the only type that makes sense. The cakes are compressed pigments which you use by adding water (typically by mixing on the palette).


How can a repair a hole in my sheepskin jacket? I mistakenly put my jacket on a rounded hook. The weight of the jacket put it through. Now, I have a thumb size hole under my collar. I could leave it but I worry it could get larger over time and would like to stop that.

I don't think that I can sew it. I feel the thread would just tear through it as I was tightening the seam. The jacket feels thin there.

Is a leather patch the ideal way to go here just to be sure the fix is more long term?

What should I do to repair the thumb sized hole in my jacket?

I'd suggest you use leather glue to glue a patch from the inner side (with either leather or cloth - whatever suits the design of your jacket best). You can get creative with that and glue some logo or image instead of just a blunt patch (if so, you can do it on the outer side instead of the inner side). But from what I can visualise the leather is not only torn, but also stretched and deformed at the place. If that is the case, I'd suggest before you glue it to try to bring it back to its original shape as much as possible by dampening the affected place with cool water. Water will cause the stretched leather to shrink slightly once dry but while it is still damp you can also stretch it a bit if necessary. Do that only if you are sure water won't damage the jacket.


Can I use thinset instead of grout for mosaics? Do I have to use grout for my mosaics, or would filling in the gaps with thinset mortar (I am using thinset) be sufficient? What is the point of grouting if I can just use mortar to fill in the gaps?

Thinset Mortar should be sufficient as a mortar grout in your project.

  Thinset (also called thinset mortar, thinset cement, dryset mortar, or drybond mortar) is an adhesive mortar made of cement, fine sand and a water retaining agent such as an alkyl derivative of cellulose. (1) It is usually used to attach tile or stone to surfaces such as cement or concrete. It is particularly popular among mosaicists for outdoor applications (2) - Thinset (Wikipedia)

Make sure you "use a wet toothbrush to scrub your grout joints clean as you are installing your floor (Thinset Mortar Selection).


Is there a good technique or tool to keep long macrame threads from getting tangled? I'm working on a macrame belt, so I need pretty long threads for my project. How can I handle those, without them getting tangled?

I've already tried two different things:

Just leave them as they are, and treat the project carefully. The amount of tangled threads is workable, but it takes about forever to form a knot and pull the whole thread through it.
Use 'knitting fishes' to wind the threads:

This way the project won't get completely tangled, but you constantly need to push/pull a rather large thing through each knot. Not convenient either.

What can I do to make working with those long threads easier? I'm looking for answers that include either better tools or techniques.

You don't need to work with cord that spans the length of your entire project
You have a couple of options that depend on what aesthetic you are trying to achieve and what you are willing to accept as far as look.
Adding cord with knots
There is a family of knots used to add in new cords to your project. Mostly suggested as a means of adding more colours or something like a handle. Regardless this is to show that you can make changes on the fly. Something like the fisherman's knot you could use to start and stop cords.

Looking at the linked page above you will see many other knots. I only showcased the fisherman's as I am familiar with it as far as connecting two cords goes.
Beads
Only issue with adding cords is that you still have to hide the ends. None of the knots I found that are used in this way were accompanied with end hiding instructions.
From what I understand beads are used for flair. However you could easily hide ends inside the beads as well. If you tie a bead close enough to neighboring knots the bead will not be able to slide around. Then you can hide cord ends inside the bead(s). Gluing it inside the bead could also help.
Splice your ends
A better solution would be to splice your ends. You can do this with either sewing thread or, preferably, strands of the cords you are using.
If sewing: pin the cords ends with their butts facing each other to prevent them from moving and get proper alignment when completed. Get the first few stitches in, for stability, and remove the pins so you can finish.

It's same principle using the cord in the project. Pull out a strand and use that to bind the cord ends. Since you are using the same material you can hide the connection easier.

In either case you should stagger the cuts so that they don't all stop at the same point. This will help with the overall strength. Also, it will be easier to hide individual splices inside other larger knots.


How to sand food safe glass by hand I have a few kitchen items that have become chipped from use (such as pint glasses and mixing bowls) and I would like to sand them to make the edges dull so they are safe to use again.

I saw the question that asked about sanding hand cut glass, but most of the answers talked about using electric tools and techniques. I would like to do it by hand because the pieces are not flat (oddly shaped), and not very large; a machine tool would be overkill.

What grit type of sand paper or other hand tools will help me with this task?

I know already I will need

Proper eye wear
Proper face mask
Some kind of lubricant

You would use a hand held diamond file.  They are sold specifically for the purpose you are describing (fixing chipped articles).  There are a number of articles and videos online which detail the process and specify which files to use (flat, rounded, etc.).


Concrete objects constructed to look blurred It is commonplace to blur images and paint portraits or scenes as though they were blurry. Think of a photo of a person or object or scene. Now imagine it out of focus. In other words blurry. It might have been blurred deliberately by panning as it was shot or afterwards, with a digital treatment. That is a blurred image. If you have short sight and look at an object far enough away if will look blurry because it is out of focus.

My question is: has an object been constructed that successfully looks out of focus when someone with good eyesight looks at it. This object will in fact be in focus but because of the art and craft of the maker it will appear out of focus, ie blurry.

The first thing that comes to my mind are the works by the contemporary German artist Gerhard Richter. He has a huge body of paintings that are famous for being blurred, like this one:

Or, to a lesser but more photographic extent:

Early 20th century, artists that were part of the futurism movement, wished to portray movement. This might no be exactly what you're looking for, but it does involve blurring, as this is one of the few methods that can be used to depict movement in a static, two-dimensional image (motion blur).
An example is this work by Giacomo Balla, 'Dynamism of a Dog on a Leash':

In sculpture, similar things were tried during the futurist movement. An iconic example is 'Unique Forms of Continuity in Space', by Umberto Boccioni. Again, it does not come across as blurry, because the movement - the blur - has here been solidified:

A similar, recent sculpture is made out of glass shards:

Because it's glass, the outlines are less defined, and the material even changes colour and brightness based on the environment. So not only does it depict blur, the sculpture itself is blurred against its background.

And another recent example of motion blur in sculpture is this work by Ryan Johnson, insinuating a more pixelated or artificial motion blur:

Abstraction is (mainly, arguably) a simplification of form, something that blur results in as well. The problem with sculpture is that it needs solidity, mass, and volume, whereas visual blur, as Elmy mentions, is a visual phenomenon: it's essentially non-physical, non-solid, a mental interpretation. That's why it might be hard to find what you're looking for in a three-dimensional object (although I had hoped to find some sculptures made out of fur, or a similar material, as that has a natural blurriness to it. Like this

but focused more on the visual quality of fur).


How can I do the hatching shading technique properly? I really like the hatching technique especially with pens, or 'calligraphy pens' but I cant seem to get the style correct, I try to hatch but it ends up not looking properly done.

Are there any techniques that could help me hatch correctly?

What are hatching and cross-hatching?
This article from the Drawing Magazine explains the basic idea of hatching and cross-hatching:

At its most basic, hatching, also called hachure, refers to setting down a pattern of short, rhythmic, parallel lines close together and evenly spaced in order to darken a passage or increase the sense of form in a drawing. The initial “screen” of hatching may be overlaid with subsequent series of lines drawn at contrasting angles, creating crosshatching
and further darkening the value of the area.

... as well as what they can be used for in art:

The basic illusion of hatching is that a sequence of separate lines will read as a solid value from a slight distance. With hachure a draftsman can evoke a middle tone, a core or cast shadow or the atmosphere around a figure, as well as provide a means by which disparate elements of a drawing are unified.

Objectives, techniques, and variations
This online tutorial with pictures and videos tells you some of the basic techniques and variations of the art of hatching and cross-hatching. I'll provide some of the most useful quotes for introductory guidance.

Hatching

Hatching is created when non-crossing lines are used to indicate the value on or around an object. The value added to the object is dependent on the location of a light source. More marks are added in the areas of core shadow and cast shadow, while less marks should exist in lighter areas.
When hatching is used, the lines drawn generally go in the same direction and are mostly parallel with each other. Sometimes, the lines may curve slightly or even a great bit depending on the contours of the object. Lines of this nature are referred to as cross contour lines.
When used correctly, cross contour lines can further the illusion of form by giving the viewer information about the actual 3-dimensional qualities of the object.
By changing the frequency of the use of line, and the amount of space between the lines, the artist can create a full range of value in the drawing. Assuming that an artist is working on white paper, more space between the lines (more paper showing) will lead to lighter values in the drawing. Less space between lines will naturally lead to darker values in the drawing.

Cross hatching

When cross hatching is used, the artist may begin adding value as hatching, but then allow the lines to cross over each other. The more that the lines cross over each other, the darker the value becomes.
Many artists approach the addition of crossing lines as a science, following a specific order of vertical lines, followed by horizontal lines, followed by diagonal lines, and so on.
This method produces very deliberate and controlled marks that are very exact and precise. Others simply cross the lines at random leading to “looser” drawings. Neither way is better, per se. Some looser approaches work better for some subjects, while more rigid approaches are suitable for other subjects.

For a more visual way of learning how to do hatching and cross-hatching, there are various tutorial videos online. Here's one using a calligraphic pen and ink:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHoqh27vQRw
And another one using a pencil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxZwO_tIpns


Can I mix acrylic paints into resin? I use resin a lot and have pigments for them as well. These are extremely expensive though. Is it a good idea to mix acrylic with resin? Has anyone done this? If yes I'd like to know how it turned out and how to actually proceed with this technique.

Yes, you can mix acrylic paint into resin (I assume you mean epoxy resin), but the results may wary from paint to paint.
The general rules apply:

You can mix wet ingredients (paints, inks) up to 10% of the volume of resin into it. Anything more makes the resin cloudy or not cure correctly. Better be safe and limit it to 5%.
If possible, mix the wet ingredients into the hardener before mixing the hardener and resin together. That guarantees even mixing and doesn't shorten your working time.

I strongly advice against using cheap acrylic paints, because they contain less pigments and more water than high quality paints, and sometimes additives like chalk. That means they make the resin opaque and you need more paint to reach the desired color of resin, which leads us back to problem 1: your resin could become cloudy.
I've had a bad experience with transparent glass color, probably because it wasn't acrylic based. The color didn't mix with the epoxy at all and formed little flakes of color in the otherwise untinted resin instead. Have a look at the result here.
I've had good experiences with acrylic colors and food colors. Both tend to mix well with resin, but both can change color quite drastically. Have a look at my results here.

Some food colors changed the physical properties of the resin and made it goopy
Some food colors didn't mix well with the resin
All food colors changed color in the resin
Food colors are not light stable! They will fade when exposed to light
All acrylics mixed well with the resin
Some acrylics changed color in the resin quite drastically, others not at all. I assume you'll face color changes especially with red paints because red pigments are known to be less stable than most other pigments.
Some acrylics are less light stable than others and will slowly fade when exposed to light. The amount of light stability is usually printed as a symbol on the tube of paint (at least on high quality paints).

I've had the least problems at all with powders like cheap eye shadow. It makes the resin opaque, but often adds a shimmer or pearlescent effect and in my experience never changed color in the resin. Be aware that powders sink to the bottom of the mould, which might look odd...


What material can be used to create a mold for pouring any molten metal without problems? I have found that for one to create a mold for pouring molten plastic in it, it only requires clay.

But what about metals? Are there easy materials to find so that I can use them to assemble them and create a mold for pouring any molten metal for giving a shape to it?

For use with the widest range of metals, a properly prepared ceramic mold is your best bet. It can tolerate high temperatures and capture fine details well. However, these are commonly single-use molds that are broken to remove the cast object.

Rather than trying to find a "silver bullet," you're better off targeting your specific needs for each case. If you're casting a single sculpture in bronze or aluminum from a wax base ("lost wax" casting), use the ceramic mold. If you're doing a styrofoam master sculpt to cast ("lost foam" casting), use sand. For precious metals, use kiln-dried plaster. For low-temperature metals in one-off casts, plaster works well; for multiple casts, a heat-resistant rubber or some metals will work better.


What size saw blade should I look into for cutting letters out of a 1/32" sheet of metal (I think steel) with a saw From this question How would I cut out lettering from a stamped piece of thick-sheet metal

I am looking to use a Jeweler's saw to cut through a piece of what I believe is stainless steel.  According to my measurement it was measured at about 1/32 of an inch which according to Google is 0.79375mm.  Essentially it was sized at one of the little notches on my tape measure which I believe was 1/32 of an inch.

I am curious what blade sizes would be recommended?  From what I have seen from some charts online that the thickness of the blade could make the hole bigger, but I want as thin a cut as possible, while being able to cut nicely through this material and cut the letters properly and with precision.

I have been checking out these charts https://www.google.com/search?q=jewelry+saw+blade+chart&sa=X&tbm=isch&gbv=2&sei=F5T-V97jBcLRmwGM54TgBg#imgrc=Xum-J5TEfM8JxM%3A

But don't really understand which materials need which blade, except the one chart that discusses materials, except for metals, which is what I have.
Some charts discuss ability to cut precise cuts and such like that, so I want to make sure I'm working with the correct blades.  I believe I got 1/0 to 8/0 blades with my saw.

AS mentioned in the above topic, I am looking to cut out letters in this material such as this.

Thank you all.

NOTE:  The Jewelers saw failed as it's not tall enough, bought a Fretsaw and Coping Saw to replace it, hopefully that does better.

If I understand what you are attempting to accomplish, this is exactly the right type of project for a jeweler's saw.  You use a technique called piercing to cut out those type of interior shapes.

I found what looks like a pretty good tutorial here, but the basics are:

Using a very fine drill bit, create a pilot hole somewhere inside of the shape that you want to cut out.  Make sure that the pilot hole is large enough that your saw blade will be able to fit through the hole.
Attach your saw blade to the handle at the bottom, but leave it unattached at the top.
Feed your saw blade through the hole in your piece of metal, and then attach it to the upper part of the saw handle.
Begin sawing towards the outer edge of the shape (in this case a letter), and once you have reached the edge, saw around the outline until you have removed all of the interior material.  In this picture, you can see her pilot hole, the straight cut to the outline of her shape, and her continued cut line around the perimeter of her shape.

One big challenge with your particular project however--jeweler's saw blades are extremely thin and easily broken. You need to be very careful not to bend them at all, but instead always keep your saw frame in basically the same orientation to your body--i.e., the blade is always facing in the same direction, and you are always sawing away from your body.  This means that you need to move the piece of metal around as you cut out a shape.  This gif illustrates how to move the metal.

It looks like the piece you want to cut may be too large to move it in this way. You might be able to follow this exact process using a really deep fret saw frame instead of a jeweler's saw frame. I have never used one, so I don't know if they can handle blades as fine as a jeweler's saw blade, but they have a much deeper frame, which might work better for a larger piece of metal like the one you show here.

Fretsaw:

Don't know what all of these saws are, but the two saws at the lower right are both jewelers saws, so you can compare the frame depth with the fret saw shown directly to the left.

EDITED TO ADD:  I completely forgot to answer the actual question about the size of the saw blade. The size of the saw blade is dependent on the narrowest area that you want to cut out.  Since none of the areas in your image are particularly fine (compared to the width of the saw blades), I would use the thickest jeweler's sawblade that you can use, to limit breakage.


Can I use wood glue to fixate poster paint? With my son I made a wooden shield, glued canvas over it and then he painted the canvas with his sigil. We used poster paint (children's paint) because I remembered I could not completely wash it out of clothing.

However there seems to be wiggle room between 'not coming out in the laundry' and 'being fixated to a DIY project'. The paint does come off when wet, not completely, but enough to stain seats and clothes.

Could I use regular wood glue to fixate the paint? Just applying a thin layer?
My other option would be varnish.

The main point is that the shield will be in use, so whatever I apply cannot be brittle. It should stay in place when the shield is hit by a wooden sword (obviously).

For a quick fix use acrylic medium which is simply clear acrylic binder; acrylic paint without the pigment. It is soluble in water, easy to thin and work with and clean up after, and it dries waterproof. Available in any art store or online. You can get it in matte or glossy or in between. That should bind the poster paint no problem.

And for the next shield you paint, start with acrylic paints. There are affordable grades equivalent to poster or tempra paint, but they start off waterproof (when dry). And you can get higher quality colors, different thickness mediums to add texture, better range of colors, etc.

Just remember to rinse out your brushes as you use them, the acrylic will dry to waterproof in the bristles too and destroy them.

Oh... and you could use wood glue maybe thinned a bit, but it would be a poor solution. Likely to dry too slowly and the colors will bleed. Also may not have as nice of a finish, may remain sticky. Finally it will likely lead to discoloration over time. Its possible it would still be water soluble too so don't use wood glue unless there is absolutely no alternative.


How do I do different shades with a gray pencil? I have tried to create different shades with my pencil, but it ended up looking very messy. Would anyone know how to softly transition from light to dark while using only one pencil?

Try doing crosshatching:

Make sure your pencil is always sharp. [The point of a wooden pencil becomes dull after several strokes, so I suggest using a mechanical pencil instead (HB 0.7 works great).]
Don’t smudge your strokes. (If you do it unwillingly with the palm of your hand, then put a piece of paper underneath it.)
Strokes should follow the shape of the object.
Make the stroke in the same direction instead of forwards and backwards.
Apply more or less pressure when you make the strokes to achieve
different shades and if you need an even darker shade, then make a
crosshatch.
Do the crosshatching at a slight angle (about 20o) and not at 90o
If you want some very fine and gradual transition, then make sure your strokes are not too far apart from one a another, and that you rely more on overlapping several layers of strokes rather than relying on pressure.

Here are some good examples to illustrate my points.


Which kind of tool can be used to spread one oil pastel colour over another? For example, I colour a leaf green with the oil pastel. Then I want to spread
that green colour of the leaf edges, outside. For this, I use my thumb. I put my
thumb on the leaf edge on the paper and them push my thumb forward.

This works, but it also make my thumb dirty. It also means that I will have to wash my
thumb with soap every time I want to spread a different colour.
Also because my thumb is big, I cannot spread colours of small areas effectively.

What are my options?

One way to simply keep your thumb clean is to wrap it in a paper towel or cloth. This doesn't really resolve the problem of thumb size, however -- indeed, it makes your thumb larger.

For finer detail work, a tortillion would be better. This is a rolled-up piece of paper that tapers to a point. This is much like Zizouz212's suggestion of an eraser, but perhaps less expensive -- you can purchase tortillions, but it's also possible to simply roll your own from whatever paper you have on hand (here's one tutorial).


How to remove water-based paint? We were painting a lantern, when someone spilled dark paint over a yellow part.

The process for creating is the following:

You stretch the cloth over a wooden frame. (ca 2.5m x 2.5m/ 8foot by 8 foot)
The cloth is then coated in multiple layers of gelatin.
The gelatin tightens the cloth, and hardens it a bit, so you can paint on it.

The problem is, that it is lit from the back, so you can't overpaint it.

We were drawing with watercolor.

We can put a bit of water on it, however, too much will remove the gelatin, which makes us unable to paint there. Rubbing too much will remove the gelatin as well.

This photo is from the inside of the lantern. Click image to enlarge

Is there a way to remove some color, by not destroying the rest?

How would the restoration process look like, when the painting was old?
Maybe I could adapt this?

I suggest to remove the stain with water, e.g. rinsing the part of the cloth or using a steam cleaner which has the advantage to be able to clean smaller parts of the cloth. Afterwards the gelatin will have (at least partially) resolved at the respective part of the painting (along with most of the watercolor).

To retain the structure that is needed to paint on the cloth, gelatin has to be added back on to the parts where the stain has been removed. For this the entire cloth has to be damp (not wet) before the gelatin is added to ensure flexibility of the material and to allow it to stretch evenly along the frame once dry.

remove stain by rinsing with water or with a steam cleaner
cautiously dampen the cloth from the side of the cloth you have not drawn on (this will minimize bleed of the colors). This is the most delicate part. The cloth only needs to be so damp that it will have some slack on the frame.
'paint' the part of the cloth where the stain was removed with gelatin
let dry

At this point you can repaint the cloth.


How can I paint 1000 wooden balls that are 1" each? I'm developing a board game that requires 92 balls that are 1" diameter each. The cheapest balls I've found this size are wood. (I'm skipping Durofoam / Styrofoam because I want them to have some weight.) Since I'd like to make 10 copies of the game to start with, I'll need 920 colored balls that are 1" each.

Which leads me to the idea of painting these wooden balls. I'd like them to be 2 bright colors, like green for one player and blue for the other. Is there an easy process for painting a 1" ball? And do you have any ideas for painting nearly 1000 of them? (Or do you know of an arts-and-crafts source I could buy these from?)

Painting by immersion would be fairly easy, but drying would be harder.  Industrially I suspect they'd be kept moving with warm air.

They'd be too expensive for this quantity, and come in sets of too many colours, but some wooden balls are available dyed.  If the ones you can get are pale wood, this may be an option, and drying would be more even than with paint.  You'd soak them a bit then dry them in a tray shaking frequently (or rearranging frequently if you use the support I suggest for spraying.

They could be sprayed.  It would be worth getting a proper sprayer and I'm more familiar with rattle-cans, but the key common factor is that however you spray you do lots of light coats drying in between. You'd rotate between coats so coverage was even. Reusable plastic egg trays are probably the best support, unless you get through huge amounts of eggs packed in plastic trays.  This would take quite a lot of elapsed time, but not much active time - you'd spray a coat in a few minutes even over hundred of balls, then do something else while it dries.

But while looking online I found that 2 cm painted balls are available wholesale.  Given your quantities you may be able to find them ready-made after all.


How I can protype clothes without making them fullsize? Recently, I came up with some ideas for clothes as gifts. But instead of making them full size and potentially wasting money, I thought of making some prototypes first as a means of displaying them and getting feedback whether the recipient likes them or not.
Would using some doll prototype holder first such as:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/223606337908?hash=item340ff9f174:g:ngMAAOSw3ZhdQVVG
Is making miniaturized versions of the clothes first a good idea?

What you're looking for is called a "mockup" or "mock."
It's very common to make a prototype of a garment from cheap fabric first, then test the fit and, if everything's alright, repeat the process with the expensive fabric. The mockup fabric should be at least similar to the final fabric in terms of stretchiness and heaviness.
Usually the mockup is the same size of the finished garment, because the whole idea behind making a mockup is to test how well it fits. If you want this to be a surprise and not test the fit, you could do a smaller mockup.
When you tested the size and found any problem, you adjust the mockup until it fits. You can sew seams tighter if there is bulkiness or you can piece on another strip of fabric if it's too tight. Once the mockup fits, you mark all the seams on the fabric. Then you pick it apart again and adapt your pattern to the same seams you marked on the mockup. That way you make sure the final garment will fit well.
People usually use cotton muslin or leftover fabrics that are sold cheap for their mockups. You can often find fabrics with Christmas prints or children's patterns for a reduced price in online shops. You can also use old bedclothes or tablecloths if you don't want them anymore, or have a look at second hand shops that might sell tablecloths or curtains for cheap.


What is a proper tool for papercutting? How to cut a tiny circle in paper?
I did link to that question but here I am not talking about circles. I am talking about other parts of that crafts which involve curved and straight lines.
My family normally uses shaving blade for such cuttings, probably because that is the only tool readily available and crafts weren't a hobby of many of us.
I would like to know what is the proper tool for such kind of paper cutting.

Blade

You want to have a sharp knife with a sharp angle.

For example, I found this image on Aliexpress but don't know about this particular store. The left blade is more stable than the right one, in my experience, but is also more difficult to find.

As you can see, the blades can be replaced. This should be done rather often. Especially for fine details you need a sharp blade.

Don't use a stanley knife or standard hobby knife like here:

You need the sharper angle of the first picture to cut sharp turns.

I personally use a much smaller blade (though with the same angle), because I have found that the big blades bend too much under pressure and therefore break earlier. Also, with a smaller blade, your hand is more close to the paper, which I find comfortable.

It's a bit difficult to see because of the shadow, but it has a normal end (like the right one on the first picture). We don't need the extra stability on such a small blade.

My knife is the SDI0491. I got it as a present, so I don't know where it was bought, but if you search for the serial number you can find it. This website seems to be the producer's page.

My snap blades are called BD-100 NT Cutter Spare Blades and you can find them here (unfortunately, I can't find any other page than shops).

Terminology

The knife I'm using (last picture) is sometimes called a D type cutter. You can find a product overview of some producer here (I haven't tried these knifes, but they look similar). It seems characteristic to D type to have a smaller blade.

Haft

You should have, like on the first and third pictures above, a haft with a rough surface around the place where you hold it, for better grip.

I prefer a plastic haft over a metal haft because I have the impression that with metal hafts your hand can get a bit sweaty.


Printing a motif on felt I would like to print a motif on a polyester felt. I have the motif drawn in a vector graphic file on my computer, and would like to transfer it on the felt. What techniques are available to do so?

Screen printing can be done successfully on felt, but it takes a little bit of experimentation due to the rougher texture of the fabric. Screen printing is also useful for making multiple copies of an image - unsure if you plan to make just one or multiple.


What is the difference between a mural and street-art? I have been trying to figure out what is a mural or what is street art and the difference between the two (if there is one). What is the difference between the two?

What would be such kind of art be labelled ? Graffiti, street art or something else?

Generally a mural is any art which is applied directly to a wall, often a painting or drawing although the term can also be applied to sculptural reliefs.

Street art is a bit more general and is usually used for art which takes place in public spaces. As well as semi-permanent media like murals this can also apply to performances or temporary media like pavement drawing. The term can also be applied to things like portrait drawing which take place on the street although in this sort of context the term 'street artist' might be more appropriate than street art.

Historically graffiti generally implies casual drawing of painting on public or private structures often without permission. However it is also associated with a set of painting styles using aerosol cans, often on quite a large scale. As with all definitions of art what is and is not intended as 'art' is debatable and mutable.

In many western cultures street art has associations with urban subcultures and political protest although again, it is becoming increasingly mainstream and there are a few examples, notably Banksy where it it pretty much part of teh mainstream elite art market...although again what this actually means is a whole other debate in itself.

The actual style and medium can vary a lot. From the context of the question it seems like you are thinking mostly about images painted on walls etc but most cultural forms, dance, poetry, music, theatre ect  have some 'street' version which may be either more of less 'underground' or be part of more mainstream cultural as seasonal or festival events.

Consider also Yarn Bombing and Guerrilla Gardening

There is also some overlap with public art (typically large scale sculpture) although street art implies something less formal and less permanent. Similarly 'street' tends to imply a more urban setting.


What needle depth should I set to prevent the machinery from hitting the needle? I'm working on an old Singer sewing machine.  How should I adjust the (highlighted purple) screw in the image below? It sets the depth that the needle goes down below the clothing being sewn.  If I set the nut where it has been locked for decades (based on corrosion and scratch marks) the machinery around the bobbin hits the needle and pushes it forward, against the direction the fabric travels while being sewn.

I'm looking for a spec along the lines of, "The needle eye (or tip) should go 1/8 of an inch below the bottom of the sewing machine foot, when the foot is in the down position..."

You should be able to download the manual for this machine on Singer’s website. I can’t see the model number, it looks like it may be model 457, if so, it’s there. Upon looking at the manual for the 457, it only gives maintenance instructions not repair. This is not unusual.

See the two lines lower on the shaft?
To answer your “spec” query, instead of a measurement, the instructions will be to line up those marks by turning the flywheel. I don’t remember specifically which line to what spot.
Then inside the bobbin area, you’ll need to loosen certain screws to move the catch position so it grabs the thread properly and doesn’t smash into the bobbin.

It seems like it’s that screw, but, it’s the bobbin that needs to be adjusted.

This would be a “tune up” procedure to fix the “timing” if you want to get quotes from a pro repair company.

Start by thoroughly cleaning out the bobbin area, oil the machine and then, it’s best to get a pro to make the fine adjustments.


How to flat weave (n) strands I'm trying to make flat weave scarves and blankets. It occurred to me that you should be able to flat weave any number of strands with about the same method.

For a scarf I hope to flat weave 15 strands since I suspect the process would be most extensible when using an odd number of strands.

Can anyone explain, or direct me to a tutorial on, how to flat weave large numbers of strands?

Edit:

Here are some examples of flat weaves That are similar to what I'm going for. I'm going to be using plush chunky yarn not Paracord, but the material is irrelevant. It's the same idea as a standard 3 strand weave that all children know. But logic says the process should be able to scale up to number of strands. I'm looking for a method for 15 strands to make a scarf, but if a simple scalable logic can be found I would like to use the same process to make large blankets with 50+ strands

Having done an internet seach on -flat weave- I came across this instruction site (registering might be needed.) I found several good pictures and some instruction videos and sites, as will you.

It is basically weaving with free ends, not limited in size but as free ends do tend to get out of hand mostly just done in small stips.
Nothing stops you from adding more sets of strings, getting wider stips0

I would not start with many, I would start with the number in the instructions you use, then add a few more sets of strings, say halve the number again and when that works, start with double the number.
You will notice that the top of the work is not at 90 degrees with the sides, so if you want to do a wider strip or even a blanket, you may need to do several stages of starting, making a sawtooth top.
I even see it as likely your first big work being made up out of several or even many narrow strips, sawn together. Controlling many strings is not as easy as you might think.

Seeing the photos you added to your question, I would call that braiding, not 'flat weaving' and I wrote instructions for up to 6 strings flat a while ago and have them on my (non commercial) website.
Unlike the instructions on the other site, adding more strings working free-hand is very hard to control, but not hard to work out.

On request, a copy of the braid instructions of my site. Copyright Willeke (me, that is.)

Arrange your strings like this. See your strings as two pairs and a single, start counting from the left.

Take the right string of each pair and let it jump over the string on its left.

Now count from the right, take the left string of each pair and let it jump over the string on its right.

From here on you just repeat, start counting on the left, right string of each pair to the left.

Next start counting on the right, left string of each pair to the right.

You can keep on going this way forever.

You can also braid the other way round, but it looks so much the same, you can work it out for yourself.

With most braiding you can just add more strings and keep working in the same kind of pattern. In above set of instructions you can use any odd number of strings, keeping braiding them in sets of two, going from the right for one move and from the left for the next, keeping them going over one, under one for the weave. If you have more than 3 strings you can also go over and under more than one, the more strands, the more patterns possible. But that is not beginners work. When you are ready for that, an internet search (-braiding patterns- -japanese braiding- -takadai- or -kumihimo-) will likely give good results.

One old method of working with many strings is to use bobbins and work on a pillow or a frame.
Japanese frames are on internet, some photos on this page.
And a video with a big piece on a frame (not beginners work.)
And here is one more long video with some useful bits.
Good seach words are

The difference between the instructions on the first site and those on my site is the way the strings cover or not cover each other.


What kind of paints should I use to color / paint on bright wood material? I bought a very small chest for holding small desk items, the chest itself being small enough to stand on a desk.

It is raw, unfinished wood, though it has been sanded smooth. I'm not sure what sort of wood it is, but it has a light color.

I'd like to paint it like a replica of one from a video game and would like to make it look old.

What's the best paint type to use on  this wood that will be long-lasting?
Will I need to pre-treat the wood at all?
How should I finish it to both make it look old and protect the paint?

Here's what the chest looks like:

For natural wood that you want to look like wood, think staining, not painting.

To make that chest look like an old, beaten-up treasure chest, get two colors of stain: one medium-toned one, such as maple or chestnut, and one darker one, like dark walnut or maybe even ebony. For such a small box, you won't need much stain, especially of the darker color, so see if you can get sample sizes. You'll also need some good varnish or polyurethane, not too glossy.

First, stain the whole box with your lighter stain, following the instructions on the package.

Once that's dry, add some realistic-looking damage or weathering: drop the box on its corners a few times to dent/round them off, get something hard and heavy and drop it on top of the box to add dents and gouges, etc.: get creative, but not too creative.

Now, use the dark stain to add "dirt": rub the stain over the box, then immediately wipe it off, but don't do too good a job. The dark stain will remain in the dents and gouges, but not on the surface. Leave more dark stain along the edges and around the hardware. Use a toothbrush to flick stain onto the box to imitate mildew spots. Look up some pictures of the type of old chest you're trying to imitate to figure out where the "dirt" should go.

Once the darker stain has dried as well, and you're reasonably satisfied with how it looks, finish the box with a varnish or polyurethane coating. This is what will make it durable; it will also deepen the colors of the stains. If the result starts looking unrealistic, wait for the varnish to dry, then basically sand it off (or mostly off), adjust the stain, let dry, and varnish again.

If you want to reproduce the metal strapping of the classical "treasure chest", you have several options.

Option 1, you can get what's called "tooling foil" or "embossing foil" at the craft store. It's basically like aluminum foil, only much heavier than even the heavy-duty foil you can buy for culinary purposes. However, it's still light enough that it can be pretty easily cut with ordinary scissors (well, OK, so don't use your nice Gingher fabric scissors - steal the kids' craft scissors instead). To use it, cut out strips in the shape you want, and glue or nail them to your box. You can then use your wood stain to give the metal a more distressed finish. If the stain doesn't seem to be sticking, rub the metal with steel wool to remove the protective finish, and then try again.

Option 2, you can try doing the same thing as option 1, just using ordinary heavy-duty aluminum foil and glue. You can even spray-paint the foil with brass-colored paint. The advantage of this, besides being cheaper, is that the thickness of regular aluminum foil is more in proportion with your small box than the 36 gauge stuff, so you can go ahead and, say, wrap the edges of the opening in a realistic-looking manner, without danger of preventing the box from closing properly.

Option 3, you can get some brass-colored craft paint and paint on the strapping. Do this after staining but before varnishing, and then varnish everything once both the stain and the paint are dry.


Is it really necessary to spray oil pastels with a fixative? So far, I've used oil pastels on paper, mat it, then seal it in bag.
Now I'd like to use oil pastels on stretched canvas. I was told that dust will accumulate and the oil pastel will get smudged, hence I need to apply fixative.
But I am painting for my hobby, and giving artworks to friends, colleagues, etc.
Do I really need to spray a fixative that may change the color, and even be hazardous to my health?

If you don't want the artwork destroyed, then yes. Any contact with unfixed pastel (oil or chalk) will smudge it. This includes contact through the plastic bags you're dropping the art into.
An artist-grade, archival-quality spray fixative should cause minimal color changes to your drawing, and proper handling will prevent any health issues.
In selecting your fixative, you'll want to evaluate whether it's designed for use on (oil) pastels, whether you wish to use it only at the final layer or throughout the work ("workable" vs "final" fixatives), and whether you prefer a gloss or matte finish on the final artwork. You'll also want to test your choice of fixative on a sample piece using your same oil pastels before spraying it on a finished piece, to ensure that there are no unexpected interactions between the fixative and your specific brand of pastels. (If you change brands, you'll likely want to repeat this test.)
As far as safety goes, you can check for an ACMI label of either "AP" or "CL:"

Products bearing the AP seal of the Art & Creative Materials Institute, Inc. (ACMI) are certified non-toxic. A medical expert evaluates each product and its ingredients. A product can be certified non-toxic only if it contains no materials in sufficient quantities to be toxic or injurious to humans, or to cause acute or chronic health problems. AP certification is reviewed by ACMI's Toxicological Advisory Board. These products are certified by ACMI to be labeled in accordance with the chronic hazard labeling standard, ASTM D-4236 and federal law P.L. 100-695.

Products bearing the CL seal of the Art & Creative Materials Institute ("Caution Label") contain ingredients that are toxic or hazardous, but they can be used safely with appropriate caution. Materials that bear the CL seal should be used only by those persons who are able to read, understand, and follow suggested safety precautions for handling those materials. The Caution Label signifies that although the product contains a toxic element, it can be handled safely if the directions on the container or packaging are followed. Many such art products cannot be made non-hazardous, but are necessary for certain creative activities.

(source and more details: Dick Blick Health and Safety Info
The primary health hazards you'll encounter with an aerosol fixative will be particulate and organic vapors. If you plan to use sealant frequently, you'll want to get a half-face respirator mask rated for particulate (N95+ in US standards) and organic vapor protection. You'll need to ensure the fit is correct, keep the mask itself clean, and replace the filter cartridges regularly. You'll also need to fit-test it every time you wear it (done by putting the mask on, covering the filters and inhaling to ensure no air comes in, then covering the exhalation valve and exhaling to ensure no air escapes), to be sure you've got it properly sealed.
While the specific hobby focus is different, this page has some excellent overall information on how to select and maintain a half-face respirator, with more detail than I've gone into here: Respiratory Protection (Note: this page duplicates a separate one blocked behind a registration wall on a private forum.)
Two key hilights from the page are:
Regarding particulate protection:

For sanding applications (including sanding of resin, apoxie and other sculpting materials, and wood), you need a respirator that provides at least N95 level protection. It should say N95 somewhere on the mask itself. If it doesn't say, it is not good enough. There is a scale to protection levels and anything above N95 is also acceptable (of course).
The levels are:
N95, P95, N100, P100

Regarding organic vapor protection:

The process of spraying releases aerosols (and this is true whether or not you are using an aerosol spray can product. Airbrushing paint creates aerosols too!) for which an N95 filter is not effective.
At this point, you will need to move into a mask that protects you against Organic Vapours AND has an N95 filter. This will mean moving into a half-face respirator.
Your respirator is no longer disposable and can be used again and again without ill effect; the only thing that will need replacing is your filter and (if applicable) your prefilter. Some respirator brands have an N95 filter built right into the Organic Vapour cartridge, but I recommend looking for one that does not, for ease of replacement. Cartridges and filters have different life spans and it is more economical to replace only the part that requires replacing (more on this below!).

If you want your work to stay in good condition, not smudge, and not transfer to the skin or clothes of anyone who brushes up against it, you'll need to spray with a sealant, but in no way does that mean you are going to "ruin" either your artwork or your health.


How do I approach cutting a new marquetry inlay to fit the space in a metal bracelet I have a metal bracelet with inlaid strips of wood approximately 0.5mm thick. Unfortunately I have lost one, so am planning to replace it.

The two challenges I have (aside from sourcing wood that matches - but that's a separate issue) are:

cutting the piece accurately - how can I transfer the shape to the wood
gluing the piece securely - I have asked a separate question regarding the glue.

I think that a great way to transfer the shape to the wood would be to use a rubbing to create an outline of the space which you can then cut out of the paper and transfer to the wood. This is sort of reminiscent of how Indiana Jones saved the instructions for finding the grail from the shield under the library:

You can use either a crayon or chalk or pastel or some similar flat-sided medium and a piece of thin paper like tracing paper or tissue paper.

Place the paper on the side of the bracelet where the opening is and hold it in place firmly.
Rub the crayon on its flat side along the paper.

The high points on the bracelet should be colored in and the relief area you're trying to fill with wood should stay either white or be much lighter in color.

If you've held it still enough, you should have the exact shape you need. At this point, you might want to make a copy or two of your rubbing so that you can cut it out of slightly thicker paper and preserve the rubbing so you don't have to redo it.

Cut out the white area and test it to see if it's a good fit inside the space (it should be).
Use the cut-out as a pattern to trace onto your wood.

Be certain to cut it out slightly larger than necessary so that you can allow for final shaping to be done as you're sanding after cutting out the shape.

If you take your time, you should get an excellent fit out of your wood inlay.


What makes the Hobbit Holes look so cosy? I hope I chose the right SE site for this question and it is not too general, but I'm having a hard time to approach this question and I did not find any better place to ask.

I'm trying to identify what it is about the Hobbit Holes, as seen in Peter Jackson's films, that makes them look so extremely cosy, but I have almost no knowledge about interior design or design in general, and I'm struggling to identify the key concepts.

So far, I looked at a whole bunch of screenshots from the movies, like the two examples below, but I did not manage to extract the design concepts from them.

I also searched for concept art (which I were also willing to pay for) in the hope to get some more info from the designers (I was looking for John Howe, Alan Lee and Ted Nasmith, did I miss someone?), but the artbooks seem to feature mostly creatures and/or weapons.

Also Tolkien himself seems to know how to create a cosy-feeling description, but I can't tell what exactly makes this feel cosy either:

  "It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats--the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill--The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it--and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining-rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the lefthand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river."

Nonetheless, I would assume that people who know how to create such cosy interiors, have, besides the talent and intuition I lack, a bunch of concepts that are articulable and not a professional secret. I just don't manage to extract them from the pictures and descriptions, while there are other places, which are not Hobbit Holes, but are clearly built in the same style. I think those two below are from the Green Dragon Inn.

Sure, those places use a lot of wood, light and dark brown tones in general, have a cave-like shape, feature a lot of small details and ornamentations and so on. But this knowledge is not enough, at least for me, to imagine how I could adapt the style to create something on my own. And by creating I do not necessarily mean a physical creation, so far I would be satisfied, if I were able to look at a place and to have just an idea of how this place could look using this style.

In addition to the elements mentioned in User18849's excellent answer, I think the simplicity of each element (in terms of usability and function) and obvious quality of everything, greatly contribute to the apparent coziness.

This hobbit hole is an unintimidating space where you don't have to worry about figuring out how to use anything, nor that you might accidentally break an element because it is flimsy or cheap. This is a space that can be lived in without effort or disproportionate carefulness.

Additionally, the walls, doors and even the windows seem thick and solid; which reinforces a sense of safety from the dangers outside


Easy shaping material to use as blank/base/reference for silicone casting/molding First of all forgive me for not using the correct term for this. I know there is a proper name for the very first mold that is used to create casting jackets, but I cannot remember what it is. Hopefully my description will be sufficient, or maybe someone can in due time post an edit with the proper term in order to improve this question, which I would be very much appreciated.
I am trying to create 2 very basic shapes and I am planning on using silicone casting to make them, but I need a reference object first in order to create those casts. I am trying to find out what would be an easy to obtain, and easy to shape material that I can use at home to create these two shapes by hand, with minimal tools required (a simple file, chisel, easy and basic tools that can be found in general hardware stores):

These are examples of the two objects I want to create. They are about 1mm or 2mm, I'll be playing with those dimensions after. One is a simple flat square piece with rounded corners and the other is a squared short tube with no bottom (in the photo there is a bottom, but for what I want there won't be one) and rounded corners as well.
What kind of material can I easily obtain in order for me to shape them into these "raw" first examples in order to create a silicone cast?
To make it clear, I do not want to find a material that can already be used to create the objects out of the silicone casts, I just want to find a material that can be easy to find and shape in order be used to create those silicone casts/molds first.
EDIT: Information requested.
The 1mm or 2mm are the thickness of the walls of the hollow shapes and the thickness of the flat pieces. This does not need a lot of precision, but shouldn't deviate too much, about 0.5mm or it might be trickier for what I need. It will not require that much precision fitting, these will be used to build a small box, like those typical ring boxes from jewelry stores, that is less than 4cm all around and they will be lined, so the surface finishing is also not necessary to be perfect, but if it can be sanded it will be even better.
I already looked for rectangular tubing, but for these dimensions where I live none exists. It's either too big, too small or not available in plastic.
I also already looked into 3d printing, but the options I have available are closed down because of covid, and the ones that are open are too expensive due to min-order purchase.

The terminology varies from "industry" to "industry" but the concepts are the same. I watched years ago a video teaching creation of molds from fiberglass cloth. The original was called a plug, the mold was created from the plug and the part was created from the mold.
In jewelry casting, the concept is the same, but the words are different enough that I was chastised online for using the wrong words. Their plug is called a pattern and the rest doesn't matter.
You haven't indicated what you'll be using for the casting material and that's not necessarily critical, as one can use casting resin or, with high temperature silicone, molten metal!
Your post states that one possible plug/pattern is not available in plastic. The material of the plug should not be a concern, as silicone sticks to nothing other than silicone. Mold release can be used for ease of separation, but is not always required. A metal original will release just as easily as a plastic, wood or clay version.
fixer1234's suggestion is certainly a valid one, if your objective is to create the plug/pattern, the shape of which will be that of the finished part. Sculpting clay that can be sanded and shaped by tooling after curing will provide for a finish limited only by your patience.
The same applies to 3D printed plugs/patterns. There will be layer lines, but they can be sanded smooth, or with ABS, vapor smoothed.
For that aspect, consider to locate a makerspace in your area. Our makerspace is closed due to quarantine, but our online resource is active and I've taken on commissions from people who need 3D prints made at non-commercial rates. You may find similar results in your area. With the internet, it doesn't have to be local, of course.
For wall thickness design considerations, use a multiple of 0.4 mm to ensure good results. The most common nozzle diameter is 0.4 mm. If you need something near a 1.0 mm wall, you'd want to design in a 1.2 mm wall. For 1.5 mm, design at 1.6 mm.


How can I dop opal for cabbing? I have some small pieces of Australian lightning ridge opal I'd like to make into cabochons.

Normally, I'd use jeweler's wax from my electronic dop pot, but I've heard that opal is very heat sensitive, and can very quickly lose play of color if it overheats.

If I use black dop wax, which I think has a lower melting point, is it safe to use on the opal?

Is there a safer way?

Green dop wax is best. Don't use glue. I read something about colour loss up there, god knows what they are on about this is untrue. Opal is relatively soft, treat it with care.

To get the stone off again, leave it in the freezer for half an hour to harden the wax, it will pop off.

I grew up on the field in Lightning Ridge and found, cut and sold my first opal when I was seven years old. I have 35 years industry experience. I say this to give you a base line to judge the value of my advice against others who might say otherwise.


What material is this jacket made of? You can see it clearly if you zoom on the torn sleeve.
It doesn't look like gabardine or corduroy to me, so I'm a bit confused.
(The screenshot is from 2015's TomorrowLand, in case that helps.)

The jacket appears to have at least two different types of woven fabric.
The lower lighter khaki color looks like a twill fabric that has a dot overprint.

The upper dark brown fabric over the shoulders looks like a rib.
There may be a hoody underneath, either separate or as part of the jacket. In that case, the hoody fabric will likely be a Jersey knit construction.

There is no way to tell from the photo what the fiber contents of the separate fabrics are, i.e., are the fabrics cotton, wool, polyester, a blend?  That would require testing.

If you are interested either in patching the torn sleeve or replicating the jacket, you will have the best chance of getting close to a match (I doubt very much you'll be able to get an exact match), by taking the jacket to a fabric store and looking for something similar.

If you are trying to describe the jacket for a print ad (for example), this assessment of the fabric construction will be as close as I can get without actually seeing the jacket, but you will also need to tell readers what the fiber content is.  Big differences between the fiber content possibilities as far as look, feel, and care.


Should I add certificates of authenticity to limited prints of my digital artworks? I'm an amateur artist and mostly do digital artwork. When I print my works I usually do very limited editions (just one print). I donated some of my printed artwork to a charity auction a year ago and they sold quite well. All I did at that time, to make the prints feel more like an original, was to put my signature on the back (because there already was one on the front that was part of the artwork) and write some additional information, like date and purpose of print, title of the work, serial number and a random personal quote on the back of the canvas.

I recently read that artists should add a certificate of authenticity to an artwork to show the buyer it is an original.
I wondered: Should I do that too? Since I'm a digital artist, there isn't an actual original, and even the one time print is basically just a copy of the digital image, so I'm not sure if it's appropriate.

The provenance that a certificate adds, when combined with a bill or contract of sale, is more than just proof that you did it. It is also proof that the holder has a legitimate claim to a legitimate artwork. (Kind of like the idea behind a bearer bond.) This can be useful for insurance claims or for reselling a work.

They can also be used as a means to show that there is a limit to a production run, such as 1/10. However, it is helpful to have this kind of document co-signed, such as by a gallerist or notary public.


Okay to use a wire-brush on angle grinder to remove rust? I found this old hammer head and I'm trying to restore it. I've had some luck removing the rust with 40 grit sandpaper and a sander but I'm going to need to get into those grooves and though that a wire brush on an angle grinder might be faster.
The objective is to remove the rust. What would work best in this scenario? And how do I remove the rust from inside the handle hole?

I'd use my drill-mounted wire brushes on the outside.  I've got a range of shapes and the slower, speed-controlled drill would be gentler on the workpiece.
For the inside, I think you'll have to do it by hand.  Steel wool wrapped round a dowel, or better a piece of 2x1 planed down to to an oval that fits freely inside the hole, should do the trick.  If you use enough steel wool you can wrap it onto the end of your stick and staple/nail it in place


What are some DIY simple tools to use to make a model scale home? I am interested in architecture and have been wanting to design a house/building and then create a model for quite some time. I just am now able to do this, but I am not sure where to start.

My current resources are Walmart, Home Depot, and Joanne's.

I want to create something that I can do in the small space of my apartment room at college. I don't have a garage to use, so any big tools would be really inconvenient, and I obviously don't have the funds for that.

I've been looking at some wood and papers used for model homes, but I'm not sure that I can find them at the places I listed above (I also don't have a car, so I have to walk with these items up to 2 miles)

So what I'm looking for are suggestions for some cheap material that I can use to create a small model home. All materials such as for the structure itself, substance to attach the pieces together, tools like X-Acto knife or something, etc.

I could think of some things myself and do it by trial and error, but I would prefer help from somebody who has made model homes themselves and knows whats best with cheap materials. And if cardboard is your suggestion, then tips on what to use to cut the cardboard with would be helpful! (Scissors suck)

Thin foam core or cardboard, card stock, and balsa or lime sticks.

All three of these things together are light weight, inexpensive, and should be available at craft stores or on the web (the balsa can be purchased on Amazon but you may find it in JoAnn's). They can all be cut simply with a sharp Xacto-type blade or scalpel. You'll likely be able to find these items at either a craft store or (possibly) an office store. I used to work at a university book store and they actually sold kits for the architecture students in the art section, so if there's a university nearby with an architecture program, see what they have on hand.

A basic guide supports these:

  As far as materials are concerned, unless you have easy access to a workshop and a reasonable level of experience with machinery, it would be best to work with card or foam-board or similar, easy-to-cut materials such as Balsa or Lime wood. In other words, anything that you can cut with either a sharp blade or junior hack saw and stick together with conventional shop bought glues.

It also recommends using some other tools to help ensure your lines are perpendicular (or at the proper angle you wish) and straight.

  And when you are cutting, if possible, try to use a square, especially if you are cutting out floor plates or elevations. Keeping everything square is crucial if you want to achieve a neat, crisp finish for your building. It’s also worth investing in a metal ruler as you will find a plastic or wooden ruler will get damaged very quickly.

As for how to use the knife, the importance is patience and technique. Use several shallow passes to get through the thicker foam or cardboards:

  Whether you’re cutting with a craft knife or a scalpel, it's better to use several light passes rather than trying to cut all the way through with one go. You’ll get a cleaner cut and you’re less likely to slip and cut your finger.

My dad was an architect and these were the sorts of tools he used, so if they're good enough for pros, they should be good for you, too! Best of luck finding the supplies and building your dream home (scale model)! Oh, be sure to do a lot of practicing before trying to build your final house. This is a slow, careful process that takes a lot of practice, so be patient with yourself.


What clasps are used for closing lockets? I'm making a wooden locket, and I've got everything together, two halves hinges and everything, but I can't for the life of me find anything about what sort of clasp I should use to close the halves.

Anything I search about jewelry clasps, regardless of whether I include the word "locket", only ever returns info about bracelet and necklace clasps. I'm assuming the word "clasp" is probably incorrect in this context, but I don't know the right term to use; searching with "closure" instead seems to yeild similar results.

Any hints? One thing I should mention is that plain magnets embedded in the halves are a no go for my locket; I'm really looking for a clip or clasp to attach to the side opposite the hinge.

I know what you mean about terminology being the key. My quick pop of research shows me that you might want to use "friction clasp" as the search terms, especially as a number of sites which return from this have direct reference to locket construction.

The publisher of this page attempted a friction clasp closure for the locket and was not happy/successful in the result and created an alternative, which may also suit your purposes.

The selected solution is shown below:

One can see the pin was removed from the first attempt and the hole was not filled in. I believe one can still refer to the solution as a friction clasp, from a mechanical standpoint.

Another site goes into great detail regarding making a locket including the creation of a friction clasp, which appears some distance down the page. It appears that the process results in the rejected design of the first page I've listed, yet I suppose it's personal taste and ability split down the middle:


How to make a silicone mold of a fiberglass object? I have an fiberglass object, that I want to make a mold of.
Commonly known is that fiberglass and silicone don't like each other.
And when I tried to make the mold, I experienced what I expected got a gooey consistency.
I believe this phenomenon is called cure inhibition.

Is there a way that I can make it work?
Or is there a different material that would work (soft molding material)?

Would a two step process work? Make the first mold off of the fiberglass with latex rubber (or another molding rubber that is not anti-fiberglass) then make a plaster positive from that. So now you have the fiberglass form in plaster, use that for the silicone mold.


Permanently mark pin placement for shirt I have a light blue button shirt with a couple of ribbons that are attached via pins. The placement is very specific and I'd like to mark the exact position of the pins on the shirt. I thought about using a permanent marker (Sharpie), but am worried that the ink may run when washing.

What would you guys recommend?

Sharpie might work, but will have some bleed on the fabric when applied that may cause the mark to spread farther than would be covered by the pins. Additionally, while you want something "permanent" right now, what happens if you lose the pins but still wish to wear the shirt?

Instead of using a permanent marker, I would recommend getting a hand-sewing needle and a bit of contrasting thread (black and white can generally be picked up quite inexpensively). Thread your needle with a doubled length of thread, then, starting from the inside of the shirt, add a single small stitch where you wish to put the pin. Tie the end off, then add a few more stitches (in either an X or straight line pattern, your choice) and tie off again before trimming the ends. This will give you a visual indicator with no bleeding, that will stay as long as you want it to stay, but can still be removed if the pins are lost or the placement isn't quite right.


What kind of resin can be used to fill a gap in a piece of wood? If filling a piece of natural wood with grooves in with resin - clear or coloured - what is the best kind to use? This would need to allow for the wood to be used as a table top.

An epoxy resin, or polyepoxide: a resin mixed with a hardener.
This can be used both for filling in gaps in wood as well as encasing wood.

  Epoxy can give wood a waterproof, resilient finish. In most cases, it is an ideal coating for wood projects that will be exposed to moisture or wear. (source)

Some epoxies are intended for use with wood, or, more specifically, wooden furniture (called 'tabletop epoxy', for example), and will be clearer, more UV-resistant, and less prone to forming bubbles.

Whether coloured or clear is a matter of taste.

If you're thinking of casting the entire piece of wood in resin, you can calculate how much you are going to need here (NB that's a commercial website).