16
votes
What can I do to smooth and polish hand cut glass edges?
I think I can help you. To make a living, I carve glass. Tabletops, door fronts, serving platters, and almost anything else made of glass has seen my efforts.
By far the best tool to use would be ...
10
votes
Low cost alternatives to resin for creating the illusion of there being an opaque fluid in a bottle or jar
You can make a firm gel using agar mixed with hot water. It's clear, colorless, nontoxic and is actually edible. It looks like Jello after it sets, but it doesn't melt at warm room temperatures. You ...
10
votes
Low cost alternatives to resin for creating the illusion of there being an opaque fluid in a bottle or jar
A fairly easy solution would be to use candle wax. This can be melted and coloured then you can either fully fill the vessel or apply as a thinnish layer to the inside of the glass to create the look ...
9
votes
How can I secure stiff fabric to wood without risking ripping and without adhesives?
Instead of securing the fabric with the scews, I'd let the fabric secure itself on the outer edge of the wood. The less holes you poke into a fabric, the stronger it is to withstand tearing or wearing ...
Elmy♦
- 13.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Glue for sides of cross stitch work
You could try fray check. These glues tend to be thinner, which would give you a less noticeable and stiff edge. They are usually clear, but may yellow over time.
If that isn't strong enough, you ...
8
votes
Accepted
Why is wearing a mask recommended when carving antler?
I think @matt's response is exactly correct, but I wanted to add a bit more to it. There are two concerns about inhaling dust--the size of the dust particle and the chemical composition of the ...
8
votes
Accepted
What can I do to reduce pain while crocheting?
So I'm a big knitter and crocheter and a musician with tendinitis for the past 20 years. Aside from the standard advice (NSAIDs, massage, etc) there are a few things that you can do to mitigate the ...
8
votes
Low cost alternatives to resin for creating the illusion of there being an opaque fluid in a bottle or jar
Paint that's fairly compatible with the material of the bottle can be applied evenly by pouring it into the container, swirling round and tipping out. You may need to do this 2 or 3 times. This ...
8
votes
Low cost alternatives to resin for creating the illusion of there being an opaque fluid in a bottle or jar
Would it be possible to do this with sugar?
If you boil a heavy sugar syrup enough it will set hard and clear, almost like glass. I accidentally filled a bowl with brown "glass" and bits of ...
7
votes
What can I do to smooth and polish hand cut glass edges?
A tile cutter with a diamond blade works to smooth the edges of glass. I bought one at a garage sale to cut slate tiles and found it also works to finish glass edges. Mine has a way to tilt the blade ...
7
votes
What can I do to smooth and polish hand cut glass edges?
By the sounds of your application, a table-top glass grinder is the right answer. I'm saying this from a couple assumptions:
It sounds like you're making many of these and just want a nice edge to ...
7
votes
How can I remove CA glues (e.g. Super Glue) from a material?
While superglue is strong enough to seal many things, it does have an enemy: acetone. Acetone is able to break down superglue bonds.
To get the superglue off of your shoe, try and use nail polish ...
7
votes
Accepted
Information regarding skin friendly wax candle additives
As far as I'm aware for BDSM purposes you want to get the melting point low enough to not burn the skin, but high enough for the recipient to have intense sensations.
Paraffin and soy wax are common ...
Elmy♦
- 13.4k
6
votes
Why is wearing a mask recommended when carving antler?
I will make a comparison with wood. Ever have a splinter before? They can hurt and bleed and become infected in some cases. Now imagine small microns of bone dust in your lungs. They can cause minute ...
6
votes
Accepted
How can I remove CA glues (e.g. Super Glue) from a material?
Acetone is the well-rounded budget conscious option. Zizouz212's answer generally covers this. It is hardly the only option though. It largely depends on the material the glue is on well.
When it ...
6
votes
Accepted
I am looking to melt some leftover acrylic into a mould, at home. Are there fumes that I should be worried about?
There are lots of links that describe toxic fumes from burning or laser-cutting acrylic. Apparently, the risk also applies to the molten plastic, as you would encounter with 3D printing or molding. ...
6
votes
Low cost alternatives to resin for creating the illusion of there being an opaque fluid in a bottle or jar
An alternative to the agar gel in MTA's answer is a gelatin and glycerin mix.
The basic recipe is food safe and often used to make molds for food items.
You can store it in a freezer for months (...
Elmy♦
- 13.4k
6
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to use outdoor upholstery fabric for apparel?
I'm afraid it's impossible for anyone to tell you if this fabric contains harmful chemicals if you don't know what exactly this fabric contains. But AFAIK simple outdoor fabric usually doesn't contain ...
Elmy♦
- 13.4k
5
votes
I have a model with a latex allergy: what are my other options?
The "go-to" material for a lot of people is something that is inexpensive and easy to make using gelatin and glycerin (and sometimes additional ingredients). It can be used directly or ...
5
votes
What can I do to reduce pain while crocheting?
As with any repetitive strain injury (RSI), rest, moist-heat-then-ice, massage, compression, NSAIDs and, of course, physical therapy can all help. For me, I've generally found that plenty of aerobic ...
5
votes
Accepted
Are there toxic concerns with using a heatgun/torch on plastic/acrylic?
Yes, if you overheat it, most thermo-plastics will give off dangerous gases when heated above a certain temperature. For bending, you need somewhere between 100C - 170C (212°F - 338°F). Cast ...
5
votes
Accepted
Is there anything wrong with mixing incompatible paints?
So, from my experience...
Wrong? No. Basically, looking at the major art paint options I can't see any that, when combined, would result in a dangerous mix. Some, however, will mix a bit better ...
5
votes
Accepted
What safety precautions should I take when working with 316L/A4 steel?
Main precaution ; Do not touch it while it is hot. No vapors will come off the steel . What does A4 mean ? Your heating would be about right for forging. But for bending , try room temperature. It ...
5
votes
Accepted
How to sand food safe glass by hand
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 ...
5
votes
How to get germs off of paper?
Your best bet would be to laminate the picture at a local print shop. That would seal whatever has gotten onto the paper behind an impermeable barrier of clean plastic.
Barring that, you can ...
5
votes
Accepted
Proper disposal: Can oil colors spontaneously combust?
Yes, there is still a risk, as the hazard is in the oil; as the oil dries, it emits heat (an exothermic reaction) which, if it's in a pile of other flammable objects--such as other oily rags, papers, ...
5
votes
Adhering felt to felt
Another option is to needle felt the two together.
You’ll need loose wool fiber (cat hair and dog hair also work great) and felting needles (very sharp, use with caution!).
There’s lots of great ...
5
votes
Low cost alternatives to resin for creating the illusion of there being an opaque fluid in a bottle or jar
PVA glue is available in white, yellow and clear varieties. I've had the white and yellow stuff set up (cure) in bottles and remain liquid appearance, but have not used the clear stuff to know what ...
5
votes
Accepted
Are alcohol inks safe to use in a public makerspace?
When you say "alcohol inks", do you mean those small dropper bottles, that are sold in packs of a dozen different colors in craft stores?
The short answer is, yes, they are perfectly safe.
...
4
votes
Accepted
How toxic is baking polymer clay?
I am not an expert on this subject, by any means, but I can share the information that is available so that you can at least make a more informed decision yourself. Polymer clay, just like most other ...
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible
Related Tags
safety × 43glass × 5
material-selection × 4
adhesives × 3
sewing × 3
paint × 3
painting × 2
tool-selection × 2
fabric × 2
plastic × 2
crocheting × 2
food-safe × 2
oil-pastels × 2
makeup × 2
bone × 2
paper × 1
wood × 1
preservation × 1
acrylic-paint × 1
oil-paint × 1
metalworking × 1
metal × 1
cutting × 1
printing × 1
restoration × 1