Questions tagged [tool-selection]
Selecting a tool based on requirements of a specific application or project.
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Beginner Question: How would I cut this shape out of 6061 Aluminum?
I have 36" of Aluminum 6061 square bar (5/8"x5/8") that I am trying to cut into uniform I-shapes shown below where two parallel 2" x 1/8" x 5/8" sections are cut from the ...
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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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What kind of laser cutter is required to cut 3mm plywood
What should I look for in a laser cutter intended to cut 3mm plywood with the aim of making custom shelves to display painted miniatures or to make the base structure for table top gaming.
For example,...
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Is there such a thing as a refillable porous point pen?
I'm wondering if there's such a thing as a refillable porous point pen. To clarify:
By refillable, I mean from bulk ink, like a fountain pen, not where you reuse the pen body and replace both the ...
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Is it safe to dry or dehydrate things in a microwave using the keep-warm setting?
Many crafts can have a need to reduce or remove water from something. This is often done in a regular oven at a low temperature setting, or using a dehydrator that basically does the same thing. ...
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Pros and cons of classic crochet needles and handled crochet needles
Assuming both are of excellent quality, on what basis do I decide which ones to purchase?
I don't have any experience crocheting.
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How can I protect my herbarium?
I want to protect my herbarium specimens. They vary in thickness quite a bit.
Initially, I looked into using a laminator, thinking that would do the trick by acting like a vacuum-formed shell. Such a ...
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Low RPM buffer/polisher for plastic
I am looking into polishing 3D printed models to a high shine after sanding up to 3000 grit. I am currently trying a rotary tool but it is small and would like something more stable.
I have seen some ...
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Can you use a standard ceramic kiln to melt bronze for casting?
I'm starting a home foundry, based in the UK to make small metal casts in aluminium and bronze - practicing with aluminium and moving on to bronze once I've got the skills and equipment set up right.
...
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How much should I budget for a soft tipped clay sculpting tool?
I have been using hard tipped sculpting tools to crate parts and effects on Warhammer scale figures for a couple of years. I am looking to move to a much larger scale and I am looking for soft tipped ...
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What do I need to buy to run an airbrush on this compressor?
I've used airbrushes before, but only in art classes, so I know very little about them beyond using them to paint with.
This is the compressor that I already own. I'd rather not buy another as I don't ...
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How do I identify good nippers for metal minis?
I can find a lot of recommendations for good nippers to use for plastic and resin miniatures (Tamiya, Godhands, DSPIAE and so on). However, when I look at their descriptions, they specifically say ...
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What binding options are there for an A3 sketchbook that I can rearrange or add pages to?
I want to start a project sketchbook where I will put all of my existing notes for 1 specific project, separated into different sections, and with a table of contents, to arrange them and have a ...
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is there such a thing as a wide belt sander attached to a flex shaft?
I want to sand/polish resin mold crafts. Most of the pieces I work with are around 2" on their widest sides. I am looking into a belt sander to avoid the manual process of sanding by hand. So far ...
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Paint or marker for insulated cup decoration
I am looking to decorate one of those “Yeti” brand insulated coffee cups for my brother for Christmas, and I am not sure what to use so that the decoration does not wash off. I have researched a bit ...
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Guidance on what to look for in a paper cutter/trimmer
I have been drawing and painting for a while now on smaller paper sizes, i.e. up to 11" x 14". I am looking to "go bigger" upwards to 18" x 24" possibly even 24" x ...
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Rolling the rope of a kite
The base question of the problem is here. Another related question here.
Additional to the material of the rope, I also need to be able to deal with the said rope when lowering the kite, when the fun ...
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Double-sided Eyelets?
I have some cheap eyelet pliers and aluminium eyelets. They produce reasonable attractive results on one side but an ugly mess on the other.
Often this doesn't matter as you only see one side, but ...
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Does a flex shaft need to be on a stand?
I am thinking of getting a flex shaft for jewelry and stone setting. I have seen most installs require a stand but every once in a while I'll see a video/pic where someone has forgone the stand and ...
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Trying to turn a vintage wash basin into a vessel sink. How can I get rid of this standing water?
First off I screwed up where I drilled the hole for the drain. The middle of the bowl is actually raised so the water pools in a circle around the drain:
I'm curious what my options are now... Is ...
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Whats is the mm equivalent of US / old UK knitting needles?
When converting from US or old UK knitting needle sizes to mm, what are the conversions for these?
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Why and how do some people use circular knitting needles when working flat / not in the round?
Some people use circular knitting needles when they are working flat, aka not working in the round. Why is that and how does it work?
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Engrave a design into slate sheets
I currently have multiple sheets of slate measuring 8"x12" at 1/4" thickness, and various gauges of colored wire (picked up the wire from the Beading section of a hobby store).
I have been scaling a ...
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How Can I Create the Metal Comb of a Music Box?
I want to design and create my own music box by hand. I'm looking for a way to create the metal comb/teeth. It would need to be a thin but sturdy metal in order for it to make tones.
I'm looking for ...
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Gloss coat then matte coat?
I’ve heard that matte coatings are less durable than gloss ones.
The claim was that gloss coatings form a hard protective shell, whereas matte ones do not.
The recommendation was to first apply a ...
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Building an elliptic paraboloid
How would I build a shell of an elliptic paraboloid as accurately as possible (in terms of its mathematical properties (all parallel rays end up in its focal point)).
Preferably it should be:
Made ...
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How can I recreate/restore small text and graphics on a painted surface?
I'm refinishing an old Bausch and Lomb Stereo Microscope and I am trying to recreate the graphics and text on the body, but I am not sure of the method used during manufacture. I would like a method I ...
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What is the purpose of different needle felting needles?
For needle felting there are different types of needle points and different sizes to choose from. How do you select the right ones/what do they do?
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Easter crafts, any besides eggs?
Are there any home crafts regarding Easter besides eggs? Easter will be coming fairly soon calendar-wise after all.
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Affordable micromotor for jewelry
I'm trying to find a cheap micromotor or small dremel suitable for drilling, sanding and polishing jewelry and precious metals.
I'm not sure if it's possible to find something usable for under/around ...
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How to get spray paint off of concrete, wood, and metal
I was working in my basement studio and a piece of acrylic punctured a red Krylon outdoor paint spray can which exploded onto the unfinished concrete floor, concrete walls, metal cabinets, and wooden ...
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Tool To Create Folding Plans
I'm trying to design a leather box, I've got the plan penciled out - but now looking to create a scale model out of card.
I'm looking for a tool that will allow me to make my scribbles into a to-...
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How do you open Castin’ Craft resin cans?
Ok. I have this can of Castin’ Craft brand polyester resin that is brand new. I unscrewed the top and was confronted with a second metal barrier:
I’ve tried:
Prying it with a screwdriver.
Grabbing ...
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What is the best technology to 3D print sextoys?
Most 3D printing technologies create a rough surface. It cannot even be polished without leaving porosities. This is anti-hygienic. The surface has then to be coated with silicone or epoxy gel. The ...
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How to cut a small cylinder out of a chunk of foam with some precision
I have a parallelogram shaped chunk of foam, the kind of foam you find in headphone ear pads. Let's say it's 50mm long on both sides and 5mm thick.
What is the best way to cut 5mm long, 2mm diameter ...
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What tool is available for protecting the box cutter and the surface of the table while using box cutter?
Which tool is most suitable for cutting thick cardboard with ease?
The tool you are looking for is called a box cutter which is just a razor blade in a handle. Make sure to put something uncuttable ...
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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 ...
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What can cut curve curved glass? [duplicate]
Let's say you want to cut around a jar which is very curved, a traditional glass cutter wouldn't work well, so what would you use?
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Building a stop-action rabbit figure
I am constructing a stop-action character in the shape of a rabbit, and I am looking for suggestions about materials and techniques that I can use to build its major body components and fur. I am ...
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Best way to restore my old vintage wooden cricket bat
I own a vintage, wooden bat which I wanted to restore by myself, for myself.
Some of the areas where I require help are:
Removing stickers and their marks:
There are these old stickers on the bat ...
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What type of printer should I use for cardstock?
I am going to be printing my own greeting cards in high volumes. I am looking to buy a printer that can handle the high volume and colors.
What type of printer do I need for this, an ink-jet or laser ...
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book arts: how to make cut outs
What kind of tool should i use to make small cuttings in paper for an art book? I have been using an exacto knife right now but the result is messy and ragged. The paper is cardstock, double layer ...
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Smooth ends of steel wire after cutting it?
I'm cutting steel wire and inserting one end into a wooden base and the other end will be exposed and used to hang items from. I believe it's around 16 gauge, possibly larger (I can't measure it right ...
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How to cut and remove sharp edges on aluminum sheet using a Dremel Rotary Tool or other tool?
I'm working on a project that uses rolled aluminum, the kind for repairing chimney flashing, eavestroughs, etc. It's 0.0125" thick and has very sharp edges, especially after making sized cuts from the ...
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Tool for sealing paper ends
Is there a tool that can seal paper similar to a paper wrapper on a plastic straw. Or how else can a fold the end that will look neat?
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Pliers for chainmail that don't scratch the the rings
I enjoy chainmailling in my free time, although I am still no expert.
I wanted to know if there are special pliers that exist that one can use to open and close rings without scratching the rings or ...
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Ceramics and shellac
I'm exploring water etching by painting designs on bone dry clay with amber shellac. I paint on 2 coats (wait 30 minutes between coats) and then wait overnight before I begin the water etching process....
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What is a good set of tools for a beginner in leather working?
I've always wanted to craft a small bag out of leather for myself, and I've seen so many different tools to use for leather.
For a beginner, what types of tools would you recommend?
Are there any ...
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How can I use soft pastels with an easel?
I am a beginner artist, and have been exploring the medium of soft pastel for some time now and I absolutely love it.
Recently I was looking into different kinds of easels and which one to buy. But ...
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What's the best approach to drawing a colored picture [closed]
I'm not an avid artist, but when I draw, I usually just sketch in pencil because it's such a simple and forgiving drawing tool. I thought I'd try drawing a colored picture, but I'm a bit lost at how ...
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