19
votes
Trying to turn a vintage wash basin into a vessel sink. How can I get rid of this standing water?
If you don't object to a transparent substance in the bottom of the basin, you can use acrylic casting resin, aiming for a product which specifically advertises itself as clear, as some of the ...
- 7,454
14
votes
Does knitting needle material make a difference in knitting?
This question cannot really be answered. And the answer to why is both easy and complex.
TL;DR: Start with one kind of needles, it doesn't really matter which kind, preferably one you can borrow, or ...
- 291
13
votes
Accepted
How can I efficiently make the loops for chain mail or small chain crafts?
When I took jewelry making classes, we used the saw method mentioned in Kellerra's answer section "the slow way".
You start by wrapping your desired wire around something round like a dowel to make ...
- 3,506
12
votes
Does a minimal difference in hook sizes really change the outcome of a project?
You'll probably be fine. One quarter of a millimeter isn't a huge difference, particularly considering how large the hook is.
The reality is that the hook size is just a suggestion. Different ...
- 3,506
11
votes
Accepted
Why and how do some people use circular knitting needles when working flat / not in the round?
I personally only use circular knitting needles. To work flat on circular needles, you do not need to do anything special. Just turn them around when you reach the end of your row, as you would ...
- 475
10
votes
How can I efficiently make the loops for chain mail or small chain crafts?
there are a few ways to make rings/loops on your own. If you're just starting out you might want to consider buying ready-made rings in the appropriate size and gauge in a project kit. You would be ...
- 551
10
votes
Accepted
How can I smoothly flatten select parts of a wire design?
The flat parts of the wire are achieved by using a curved face chasing hammer and a hammering block. The chasing hammer has a slightly convex surface that makes those nice smooth transitions from the ...
- 551
10
votes
What criteria should I be considering when looking at a second hand sewing machine?
Basic requirements
For a basic sewing machine that does hems and maybe some simple garment sewing... I'd look for:
Basic stitches - running stitch, zig zag, blind hem stitch
Adjustable tension - to ...
- 343
10
votes
Accepted
What medium should be kept beneath the paper for papercutting?
Self healing cutting mat
I use this for all my craft cutting. You want to be sure that the surface you are cutting on is completely uniform so as to not cause your cutting hand to hesitate or jump. ...
- 11k
10
votes
Accepted
How to cut a mug without breaking it?
A grit edged hacksaw blade (random example) would be the hand tool for the job. It would be a bit of a slow job but not unreasonable (given the rate these things go through tiles).
I suggest ...
- 6,799
9
votes
How to cut a mug without breaking it?
Forward
While this answer might seem long it is unfortunately not as in depth as I want. I have not cut any ceramics with the tools and techniques I am going to suggest. Given the desired end result ...
- 11k
9
votes
book arts: how to make cut outs
You are using a typical tool by having an Xacto knife in hand. If your results are poor, please consider that the blade may be dull. New blades are sharp enough to result in very clean cuts, while an ...
- 7,454
8
votes
How can I ensure my marker tips don't get destroyed?
I have seen children grasp markers in a clenched fist and vigorously fill in large swaths of the drawing area with colour. It's the vigour with which the children fill the area that destroys the ...
- 2,946
8
votes
What kind of laser cutter is required to cut 3mm plywood
The typical hobbyist laser will either be a diode laser or a CO2 laser, when the focus is 3 mm plywood. I have both, with the diode laser having an optical output power of 5 Watts at 100% power. The ...
- 7,454
7
votes
Accepted
What is a proper tool for papercutting?
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, ...
- 900
7
votes
Does knitting needle material make a difference in knitting?
I started knitting last winter, and have since made about a million hats. In my experience, wooden/bamboo knitting needles are great for beginners because they are not quite as a smooth and slick as ...
- 376
7
votes
Accepted
How to color with an even darkness?
The issue is half medium, half technique.
First, your medium. You need something with high opacity. In wet media, we're talking black ink, and probably a wet one. Examples of Black inks which can be ...
- 554
7
votes
Economical ideas for lettered t-shirts
I make shirts, decals, signs, etc for a living. The best way to go is to buy a pack of inkjet shirts transfers (if you have an inkjet printer) If you have a laser printer look for the laser transfers. ...
7
votes
How can I cut a near perfect circle out of a plastic bottle?
Kind of off the wall, but here goes:
Fill the bottle with water and put it in the freezer until the water becomes solid ice. (best not put the cap on in order to allow for expansion of ice.
Using ...
- 653
7
votes
Which tool to use as watercolor paper press
The answer is to pre-stretch the paper before painting, and leave it stretched until dry.
To pre-stretch, wet the paper evenly, then tack down the corners to a drawing board with some slight tension....
- 3,329
7
votes
Pliers for chainmail that don't scratch the rings
In addition to your own answer:
Jewelers (and most chain mail workers that I know, including myself) use a type of pliers called "chain nose pliers." I don't really know why they have that ...
- 1,576
7
votes
Accepted
What is the best technology to 3D print sextoys?
I work for a company that doesn't make sex toys, but we do make silicone products with electronics inside, so I've seen lots of the same issues you're facing here.
The way we do it is to 3D print a ...
- 2,325
7
votes
Accepted
How do you open Castin’ Craft resin cans?
Prying with a narrow screwdriver is a good start. It appears in the photo that you have a bit of a start at the near edge of the top.
This particular seal is a throw-away and you can indeed stab it. ...
- 7,454
7
votes
Accepted
Beginner Question: How would I cut this shape out of 6061 Aluminum?
Don't overestimate the difficulty involved in filing aluminum. One can nearly sculpt aluminum into any shape in a very short time, using a sharp file and a file card. It is even practical to use only ...
- 7,454
6
votes
Accepted
What are good tools for carving in cork?
I would lean toward scalples/X-Acto knives. They a are very sharp, and the blades lend themselves to carving small details well. They are designed for detailed work unlike kitchen knives which are ...
- 1,153
6
votes
What is the advantage of having an angled drawing desk?
A historical reason for having writing desks at an incline was that quill pens work better that way. If you ever tried writing with a quill and ended up with a blotchy mess instead of some nice ...
- 1,818
6
votes
How can I quickly and easily pencil in guide and slant lines for lettering/calligraphy?
Note: This is a more expensive, albeit an efficient method.
Requirements:
A bright lightbox, or lightpad
A grid printout
An alternative would be to get a lightbox/lightpad, and place gridded paper ...
- 558
6
votes
How can I cut a near perfect circle out of a plastic bottle?
Plastic bottles are easy to cut with a sharp scissors.
Before cutting your circle, draw your cutting line onto the bottle with a marker.
Before you can cut with a scissors, you have to pierce the ...
- 396
6
votes
Accepted
What tool is available for protecting the box cutter and the surface of the table while using box cutter?
Cutting mats are avilable in a wide range of sizes. I have A4 and A5, but even A1 (59.4 x 84.1 cm or 23.3 x 33.1 inches) aren't expensive at around £/$/€20. They provide a reasonably non-slip surface ...
- 6,799
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible