21
votes
Accepted
What is the way to clean a kneaded eraser?
I can see black patches on it.
That is a part of normal use. Those black marks are graphite, charcoal and etc. that the eraser picked up from your working surface. That is the eraser doing its job ...
- 11k
8
votes
How do I separate the barrel from my fountain pen when it's stuck from dried ink?
Prepare a jewelry cleaning kit...
moisten separate squares of paper towel in common solvents and put each in a separate plastic bag. make one each for clean water, water with dish-soap, rubbing ...
- 3,235
8
votes
Accepted
Instructions for cleaning felt slippers with leather soles & embroidery
Your slippers are as sturdy in water as out. The are good peasant slippers, worn outside in all weathers. The leather can be saturated and then dried in a warm place as long as you don't break or ...
- 96
7
votes
Are you supposed to oil the upper thread tension discs on a sewing machine?
Nope. You do not oil the tension discs. You may need to open it to remove lint or check for damage, rust, and wear. Then, it may be that you need new discs. But they are not part of the lubricating ...
- 1,659
7
votes
Do I have to lower the foot and needle when my sewing machine is not in use?
This is akin to the advice, "Don't run with scissors". As rebusB points out, it isn't a necessity for the machine to work. It's because undesirable things could potentially happen, which ...
- 11.5k
7
votes
Accepted
Caring for Kneaded Erasers
Since a kneaded eraser works by absorbing the pigment you are erasing along with a little friction to lift the stuff, to keep it healthy keep it away from things it can absorb. Like sand or dust. You ...
- 3,729
7
votes
Accepted
How can I keep my metal tools from rusting after using them with plaster?
The grit in your plaster pits the surface of your tools, especially if the plaster still contains moisture while you're carving it. And then when you clean your tools with water the water gets into ...
- 2,966
6
votes
Accepted
How can I sharpen a round leather punch?
The approach is the same. You remove metal from the outside of the periphery of the punch end, at an angle roughly the same as it was originally.
The contour of the round punch adjacent to the ...
- 775
5
votes
Accepted
Do I have to lower the foot and needle when my sewing machine is not in use?
I've heard similar things about bicycle derailleurs, and hand-tools like secateurs (pruning shears), both of which have springs inside them.
There's an "old wives tale" that the spring will ...
- 398
5
votes
How do I separate the barrel from my fountain pen when it's stuck from dried ink?
I'm thinking of buying antique fountain pen, but the barrel is stuck to the nib and section because ink has dried it closed.
No. Dried ink is not why it's stuck together.
With vintage fountain pens, ...
- 2,605
4
votes
Accepted
Is there an easy way to sharpen a wire loop carving tool?
This answer is not based on first-hand knowledge of sharpening wire loops, but is based on extrapolating what works for paint scrapers.
Many years ago while performing one of those early-marriage ...
- 653
4
votes
What is the way to clean a kneaded eraser?
I just tried washing one under a running tap of warm water and lots dishwashing liquid. (I kneaded the rubber while I washed it.) Mine was dark because I used it to pick up charcoal.
Oddly enough it ...
- 422
4
votes
How to fix or remove a stuck cone shape airbrush nozzle
The Taiwanese factory sent me an email to help me fix an airbrush having the nozzle stuck in the head cap 15 years ago.
The solution is to use a needle-nosed plier:
Place the needle-nosed plier's ...
- 171
4
votes
Restoring a dried-out cartridge brush pen
While the ink may not dissolve completely, it might still loosen up to a certain extent using hot water. It only needs to be able to become flexible again, after all. First of all, I'd try to hold it ...
- 11.4k
4
votes
Do I have to lower the foot and needle when my sewing machine is not in use?
Worked in a sail loft for a Summer. Never heard anything about the machines "needing" to be left that way, as in "it will not work when coming back to it". It is just a natural ...
- 3,729
4
votes
Instructions for cleaning felt slippers with leather soles & embroidery
If these slippers are made in a traditional way, it might be relatively easy to remove the leather soles. In ye olde times many items were designed and made in a way that they could be repaired, ...
Elmy♦
- 13.4k
3
votes
Accepted
How to repair leather supports on a sling chair?
The solution I came up with was to leave the leather in place and cover it with something equally strong and durable to handle the stress and wear and tear. I used strong cotton webbing that is ...
- 11.5k
3
votes
Accepted
How to maintain dry ink in a fountain pen and Pilot V7 pens?
Fountain pens and metal-tipped technical pens rely on capillary action and flow limiters to deliver a controlled amount of ink. They're manufactured to precise tolerances, and there isn't really any ...
- 11.5k
3
votes
Removing the clip on Rotring 600
The clip can be removed by gently spinning it to loosen it a bit, then pushing it over the top of the pen. This removes it without damaging it, and it can be re-added by just pushing it back over the ...
3
votes
How do I know when my sewing machine needs a service?
I'm making an assumption this is a treadle, but correct me. I will try to make my answer "power neutral". Any of the following would prompt me to service the unit:
If the belt slips, or is ...
- 382
3
votes
Can an ultrasonic cleaner be safely used on budget art and crafts tools?
I use ultrasonic cleaners in work quite a bit, and have also used them for cleaning bike parts and tools, so here are some thoughts from that:
Anything made as one part (cookie cutters, some ...
- 6,899
3
votes
Accepted
How can I unstick my airbrush needle?
To be honest, I usually just use my teeth in situations like this, because I'm uncouth.
In your case, take a pair of pliers with a wide flat set of jaws, and a thick elastic band. Grip the needle with ...
- 2,114
2
votes
How can I clean a tortillon/blending stump and still keep its point intact?
In my experience, blending stumps can be cleaned fairly well by molding a kneadable eraser around the tip and twisting them inside the eraser several times. If it doesn't get most of the graphite, etc....
- 426
2
votes
Fixing the lens of an Artograph Tracer
The rule of thumb when repairing any kind of projection system, is that it is imperative that the lens is EXACTLY parallel and centered along the light’s primary path. If you mess it up, you fail and ...
- 2,822
2
votes
Accepted
How can I fix the "foxing" of a shoe?
The most realistic fix is to buy a new pair of shoes...
If you must fix this somehow, be aware from the very first second that it will never look new or professional again and will probably break ...
Elmy♦
- 13.4k
2
votes
Accepted
How to avoid stainless steel that rusts?
What causes stainless steel to rust is salt and water. So, if washed and dried it should not rust. I agree Henkels has a good reputation and seems unlikely to use carbon steel. However there are many ...
- 1,245
1
vote
How to reduce ink flow of Pilot Parallel Pen?
With most fountain pens, adjusting the rate of inkflow usually comes down to adjusting the fit of the feed (the plastic piece that lies against the nib) to the nib. The bigger the airgap between the ...
- 2,605
1
vote
Loose ferrules on my oil brushes
If the hairs go out of the ferrule
One idea which I plan to test (without destroying a good brush just for testing purposes) is to inject some kind of glue at the base of the bristles / hairs.
My ...
- 1,846
1
vote
Husqvarna Viking 2000, on the off chance anyone knows the specs of the drive belt
According to sewingpartsonline.com (not an endorsement) the Husqvarna Viking cog belt (short 9 1/2") part number is 4111940-01:
Guaranteed to fit Husqvarna Viking Sewing Machine Models:
#1+, 100,...
- 446
1
vote
Hard foam pad replacement
I bought a piece of 1/16" rubber sheet. Glued it to bottom of old pad on sander.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1ggm4j56fym0mdl/20180827_122005.jpg?dl=0
Because of the extra thickness, the sand paper is ...
- 311
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible