Questions tagged [material-selection]
When you are not sure what material to use as a base for your project or task, such as type of fabric, paper or metal. Try to be as specific as possible to help narrow down choices.
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How to cut intricate patterns from velvet?
I want to recreate a certain type of costume:
Image source and copyright: Heimatmuseum Dahme
My specific problem is that the black stripes on the skirt are supposed to be velvet. As far as I know ...
Elmy♦
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What are some inexpensive alternatives to epoxy resin for diorama water effects?
I make dioramas and use epoxy resin for water features. However, epoxy is expensive ($80 for a gallon where I live), toxic, and it gets cold where I live, which isn't good for curing. So what are some ...
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Medium to carry glitter in a DIY glitter pen?
I am making a series of models that have sharp edges, and I want to create a thin line of glitter along them so that the edge will sparkle a specific color when turned under a light.
I have tried most ...
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Alternatives to the most-hyped ultra-black paints?
I have a large body of work that I need to complete, and I had been using Stuart Semple's Black 2.0 and Black 3.0. It seems he's out of stock, at the moment, and I'm on a deadline. I have not done ...
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Cotton cord super stiffener
I am making a cat bed using macrame cord with Elmer’s Glue-All mixed with water, and a giant beach ball as a model. I want it super stiff so it keeps its shape. What can I use?
I should mention I’m ...
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What can I use to slow down the curing of 2-part epoxy?
I've been repairing a Chinese porcelain tea set for a friend using the faux-kintsugi technique involving gold mica powder and 2-part epoxy, based on Elmy's answer here.
I'm using UHU Plus Schnellfest ...
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Repairing a leather and stainless steel bracelet
I have a leather and stainless steel bracelet that I received as a commemorative gift.
Over time one end of the leather bracelet has come out of the stainless steel clasp.
I am looking for the best ...
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Are there every-day substances that can be used to color 2-component epoxy adhesive?
I would like to repurpose a 2K epoxy adhesive in a kind of casting resin: I've got to pour in a small electrical switch into a wooden hole that was drilled too large. The adhesive is transparent, that ...
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How would one go about creating a "trunk" for a gemstone tree?
I am looking to create a gemstone tree as a gift for someone. I think I have a good game plan ready as they do not seem too complicated, but based on the tree I already have and how I would like to ...
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Covering for office chair
I am looking to add some material to the chair seen below that will hold up better than the current material that is covering the chair.
The chair is pretty comfortable, so I like to keep it like that....
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What is a good adhesive for permanently connecting two vinyl (PVC) inflatable pool floats?
I'm working on a project that involves permanently connecting two vinyl (PVC) inflatable pool toys like these: Pool Punisher
I'm wondering if this is possible by using a PVC cement or some sort of ...
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Does psyllium powder improve air dry clay?
Recipes for air dry clay often include:
Materials to absorb water from ingredients that get blended with high water content.
Materials that swell when wet to add temporary bulk during modelling, and ...
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How to temporary stick paper/card together so it can be removed later without tearing and too much residue
I am making a display/collage and need to stick some art works to mounting card to then be displayed in a frame.
However, it is highly like I'll want to rearrange or reuse the works in a different ...
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Using a brush to apply 2 part epoxy resin without destroying it?
I want to paint 2 part epoxy resin onto a 3D print to hide the layer lines.
Is it possible to do this without it destroying the brush that I'm using?
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What is the result if I use a yarn with smaller TEX than the original pattern?
I've been an amigurumi crocheter for a while, so I've never had to worry about yarn weight/TEX, because we have many yarns that are meant for making amigurumis. But recently I decided to make this ...
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Can I make Das air dry clay firmer, like two part epoxy putty, before sculpting?
Is there anything that I can do to Das air dry clay to give a firmer consistency. Similar to two part epoxy modelling putty?
For example, is there a plasticizing additive that I can mix in to it.
I ...
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Acrylic piece vs Epoxy resin
I'm making some pegs for my music instrument. I have seen in the market a lot of these pieces under the category of " Acrylic". They have a metal rod in the down part inside the acrylic to ...
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Solvent to remove melted Perspex from the blades of metal tools?
Is there a solvent that I can used to remove melted Perspex from tools. For example Perspex that has melted on to a drill bit or saw blade during cutting and then hardened as it has cooled down?
I ...
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When would you use an Ink on a Tamiya 1:48 scale aircraft kit? [closed]
When painting a Tamiya 1:48 scale WWII plastic P51B aircraft kit, which parts would you use an Ink on, rather than paint or a wash in order to replicate the picture on the box for the following ...
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What materials are chosen for poly binders?
Consider the following binder:
Such binders are usually made of a single plastic sheet. The sheet is flexible and durable as you open/close the binder. I think they're formed into their U shape by ...
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Giving epoxy resin an opaque color
I have project in which I want to use epoxy resin. I want to get a white non-transparent color, pretty solid though, and I was wondering if acrylic paint is a good option to mix into the resin?
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How do I paint hot glue so that it's slightly translucent?
I'm going to try to replicate the fire effect that you can see in the picture below using hot glue, to produce a ring of flames around a 3" model.
What kind of paints and/or techniques should I ...
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What precautions need to be observed to create a food-safe silicone mold?
I want to get into silicone casting, in particular to be able to make food-safe items out of (platinum-cure, obviously!) silicone. For various reasons (including simplicity/ease), I expect to be using ...
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How to color food-safe silicone?
I'm looking to get into silicone casting, and eventually I'm going to want to produce food safe products in custom colors. (Food containers, utensils... teething toys. Stuff that needs to be safe for ...
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How should I paint/color my Revan fx lightsaber green button to black?
Attached is a picture of my Hasbro Revan lightsaber. It's almost accurate to the actual hilt of the Knights of the Old Republic game. The one thing I want to change is the green button and make it ...
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Strong lightweight material for an art and craft tray
I teach art and would like to make some strong 14"x 12" trays that the kids could easily carry and that can be easily washed. These are high school age kids and primarily sophomores to ...
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How to make something look covered in soil, with out risk of staining/marking
For our wedding we are going for a very light 'alice in wonderland' theme, which includes a 'down the rabbit hole' table where we would like guests to drop their well wishes in.
The table will be ...
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Method to fix charcoal to an oil painting
I often work with the specular properties of my paintings.
Since charcoal gives me a more matte black than almost any (combination of something with) black oil paint could, I at times want to use it ...
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Materials for inflatable structure
I want to make a sizeable inflatable structure about 15'x 15' with a height of around 15'. I want to extend my classroom's workspace during certain times on various days. I need some help with ...
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Collapsible sculpture
Question:
I want to make a human-shaped sculpture, that will have string or rope coming out of it and that string will be tied to something, which will make that string tight and keep the sculpture in ...
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How could I make a twisted cuboid sculpture like this?
I saw a decorative vase or sculpture shaped like what I can best describe as a silver twisted cuboid, please see this 3D model for what I'm talking about: https://skfb.ly/ouSsD
The horizontal cross ...
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How do I thicken acrylic model paint in a consistent manner?
I have several model paints that I use for miniature painting which I need to use in order to maintain color consistency. In their natural state they are too thin for my taste. Almost like an ink or a ...
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High temp castable refractory cement ok for molten silver?
Ive got a tub of Imperial brand Castable Refractory Cement and I'm wondering if it's able to withstand molten silver? Perhaps in casting jewelry or as a crusible.
The online product details are as ...
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Making a Custom-Shape Pillow for Back Sleeping
I hope that this question is not too far off-topic for this stack, but I was hoping to make a custom shaped pillow for back-sleeping that is molded to the shape of my head. I aiming for something that ...
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What is the best material to make a fake muffin from?
I want to make a realistic looking muffin but I am uncertain what materials to use. Other than clay or plaster, what solutions are there?
Is there something that I could literally bake like a real ...
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Corset making: which material should I use for the boning?
I'm interested in historical costume making (or rather "historybounding": integrating historically inspired items of clothing into my day-to-day wardrobe). Currently I want to tackle making ...
Elmy♦
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Ceramic glaze too watery or too deflocculated: specific gravity or thixotropy error?
Hopefully there are some ceramic gurus on here. I have bought a premixed stoneware glaze powder. It has directions to add 1 L of water and 0.5 L of pehatine (so 1.5 L water) to 1 kg of glaze powder (...
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A simple way to create the appearance of wooden roof shingles?
I am planning to make a miniature that is approximately 6x5", with a roof covered in wooden shingles. The body of the model will be PU foam.
Are there any suggestions for materials or techniques ...
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Creating a scaffold for UV resin coated model that will easily peel off once the resin has hardened?
I'm going to make an Alien Pod as an art project. Normally I would create the basic shape using foam, wood or clay, and then pour the resin over the top and harden it with a UV lamp, leaving the ...
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Can you use PLA filament from a desktop 3D printer with a 3D pen?
Most 3D pens on the market (for example the 3Doodler Create and the Mynt3D) use rods of 1.75mm PLA filament.
This appears to be very similar to the 1.75mm PLA used by a desktop printer. Which is ...
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Seeking a material that is softer than resin, but harder than plaster, for casting in a silicon mold?
I have several silicon molds that I normally used for casting with a two part epoxy resin.
I want to use them to make scenery for a miniature diorama at Warhammer 40K scale, but I want to customise ...
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What sort of wall protectors can you paint?
I have a door that swings open quite fast, and we need a sort of decorative strip that can go on the wall to prevent the door handle from banging into it. The problem is that we need to be able to ...
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Pros and cons of using charcoal on a canvas
I have a commission due this Christmas, it has to be on a 40 x 30 canvas, and the whole drawing has to be in charcoal, so I want to know if it'd be the same thing as if I was drawing on paper. Or ...
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Make sphere models
Background
I want to make simplistic models of atomic structures using spheres (overview). Each model consists of maximum 10 spheres that have the same diameter. Normally I use ping pong balls or ...
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Is there a kind of clay or similar material I can easily mold to use as a stand/holder for electronic equipment?
Say I wanted to make a custom phone stand, or a vertical stand/pocket for my laptop -- is there some kind of clay I can get that I can mold/shape and then let harden so I can use it? Something that ...
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Material to fix a small candle in
I'm looking for some material that I can use to fix a small table candle in. The candle will be about 10cm long with a 1cm diameter. The idea is that there will be a wooden board with holes of various ...
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Low cost alternatives to resin for creating the illusion of there being an opaque fluid in a bottle or jar
I am looking for an alternative to resin to fill a series of jars with, that will harden solid.
My aim is to make it appear as if the jars are filled with an opaque liquid that could pass for some ...
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Rock Tumble Epoxy
I would like to reuse the waste material I have from trimming and grinding quartz and I had the idea of mixing the material with epoxy, shaping it, and then putting it into a rock tumbler. Will a rock ...
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Silk clothes for active daily wear - reasonable or not?
I'm interested in making clothing for a rugged, outdoor environment, and using silk for this purpose.
I am used to silk being used for luxury goods which are very difficult to maintain. Although I ...
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Fracture filling a citrine gemstone
Long story short, the gem was dropped on a stone tile floor and cracked pretty badly. The gem was cracked on the inside before but now a few of those cracks run to the surface and a little chip can ...
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