(Not knowing your skill set and tool collection, I will answer this question by describing how I as a professional framer would frame this for a customer.  Many of my methods are basically preferences I have settled into over the years.  Where applicable I have included links to other methods.  In this scenario I am cutting the mat, spacers and the glass myself, but I am ordering a custom-made frame from a supplier.  Feel free to ask for clarification on terminology, tools etc... in the comments.)

[1] Design and Cut the Mat: Considerations include: A mat provides a clean uncluttered field surrounding artwork, which can bring the work forward. It is practical if there are edges to the artwork which you prefer to keep hidden. It can serve the purpose of keeping a vulnerable artwork away from the glass.  You can also use a mat to bring out a particular color in the artwork.

Sometimes you may not even want a mat, for instance here you might prefer that the celluloid float minimalistically within a simple frame.

For examples’ sake, here let’s assume that the celluloid’s actual dimensions are 11” x 11”, that the area of the celluloid which you want to be visible is 10” x 10”, and that you would like a mat of 2” width visible. Because it is celluloid you want the mat-artwork-mat sandwich to be “spaced” away from the glass, (“Since animation cels are painted on both sides of each layer, they need to be matted on both sides to insure sufficient air space between them.”)  , and you want to be able to see both the front and back of the artwork.  (The design I am describing here allows you to take an artwork off the wall to see the back side of the cel. If you wanted the artwork to have a finished frame from both front and back, this would be done by working closely with a framer to choose that type of specialty frame moulding, and the assembly steps would therefore differ.)

When I cut a mat, I add the frame’s rabbet depth (let’s say that is 1/4”) and 1/4” to the bottom part of the mat for the optical effect of it being weighted, which is unconsciously more pleasing to the eye than having all of the sides being the same width. [(Bottom-weighting is of course optional. Here is an explanation over at framersworkshop.com of bottom-weighting: “The optical center is higher than that of the geometric center; in other words, where your eye is drawn is actually above the actual center of the space.” This source uses the golden mean to determine the amount to weight the bottom of the mat. I typically just use 1/4” for an artwork of the example size.)][1]

So far, we have a mat design that is 14-1/2” wide by 14-3/4” high, as I have diagramed here:

Therefore, in order to be able to “sandwich” the cel between two matboards, we will cut two matboard “blanks” to the outside dimensions of 14-1/2” W by 14-3/4” H, then cut the beveled openings using a mat cutter.

2 Cut the Glass: Two pieces (for front and back) will be cut using the same outside dimensions that we used for the matboard. Make sure you select the highest-possible-rated UV Protection glass, because, as you pointed out, celluloid is very vulnerable, and would be readily degraded if left unprotected from light.  (You will also want to display this in a room where there is no direct light.)

3 Frame Design: In order to be able to lower your glass and “mat-artwork-mat sandwich” layers into the back of the frame, the inside dimensions of the rabbet of the frame will need to account for approximately 1/8” “slosh room” in both height and width dimensions.  Some frameshops automatically add this, so when you order the frame be sure to confirm if they will be adding slosh room, or if you should include it in your measurements (which would come to 14-5/8W x 14-7/8”H.)

Additionally, some framers just want to know the dimensions of the visible area of the artwork and mat (not including the depth of the rabbet OR the slosh room), which in this example would be 14” wide by 14-1/4” high.  Again, it is very important to confirm with your framer if they would like the dimensions given to them with or without the rabbet depth.

NEVER phone in a custom frame order.  ALWAYS give your order to a custom frame supplier IN WRITING, be it via fax, email, or a COPIED hand-written note.  This way, if you have the misfortune of receiving a frame that is all wrong, you have a paper trail to confirm the information you originally supplied.

For this celluloid, as I diagramed below, you will want to choose a moulding with adequate rabbet depth for two layers of glass (3/32” each), plus 1/4” front and back for spacers to give the artwork room to breathe, plus two layers of matboard (1/ 16” each), plus a minimum of 1/4” working room for securing the sandwich into the back of the frame.  (The thickness of the celluloid, represented by the red line, is negligable.) This total comes to 1-1/16”, which is a very deep rabbet, but not impossible to find (especially if the framer has frame moulding stock that is used for shadow boxes.)

4 Assemble the Mat-Artwork-Mat Sandwich: Wearing clean cotton gloves, and handling the celluloid only by the edges, position it to your liking on the back of one of the mats. Using archival framing tape (my favorite brand is Filmoplast P90) afix the celluloid to the mat board, carefully placing the tape so that the least amount of celluloid possible (I would shoot for 1/8”) is actually in contact with the tape, yet the artwork is secure enough on all sides to not slip within the mat sandwich.  (Because we are working with a two-sided artwork, there is no advantage to using the Hinging Method here.) Using a bone folder, rub the tape well to enhance adhesion. (The folks over at framersworkshop.com have a much more conservative approach about securing a celluloid: “They should not be hinged to their backings. Instead, we use no adhesives on the cels and recommend the use of edge strips that gently hold the layers in place.”)

Once you have the cel secured to one mat, apply some double-sided tape around the outer edges and secure the mats together back-to-back.  (I use 3M ATG tape for this.  It is not archival, but with a 2” wide mat, the ATG should be at least 1/2” away from the edge of the cel. If you are very worried about the use of ATG adhesive that close to your artwork, you could glue the mats together at the edges with acid-free glue such as Yes Glue.)

5 Assemble and Secure All Layers into the Frame: Again wearing cotton gloves, clean one piece of glass and place it into the frame.

Cut precise 1/4” wide strips of 3/8” Foamcore for spacers. White spacers may be overly visible, in my experience black spacers are not noticeable, so either use black foamcore, or color it black with a felt pen.  Cut the Spacer parts to lengths that will fit precisely into the rabbet from corner to corner. Secure them into the frame, abutted tightly against the glass, with ATG.

Lower the Mat-Art-Mat Sandwich into the frame, making sure the side you want to the front, is to the front.

Repeat the placement of black foamcore Spacer Strips behind the Mat-Art-Mat Sandwich.

Clean and place the back piece of glass.

Secure the back glass into place.  There are many possible methods for this including brad setters and point drivers.  It would be risky to use these tools right next to the glass, since the points / brads could scratch the glass, and the tools (especially the point driver which is spring-loaded) could impact the glass, potentially breaking it.  (These are not concerning issues when framing art that only needs to be visible from the front of the frame and therefore has an acid-free matboard or foamcore backing.)  Since we don’t have a backing to protect the glass, I would cut 1/2” - 1” wide strips of matboard, and ATG them along the outside edges of the back glass, then with either a point-driver or brad setter, secure the glass in place.

7 Finishing Touches: Apply a hanging wire to the back of the frame; apply felt bumpers to each corner on the back of the frame. Voilà!


Will commercially produced soap coated in epoxy resin last?

Once epoxy resin is cured, it's extremely stable and resilient against mechanical and chemical damage. It's impossible to dissolve cured resin in water, so your soap is well protected.

Adding water to resin before it's cured is a problem, though, and probably the reason why the person told you it's impossible. As a rule of thumb, if you add other substances to the epoxy resin (like paint, ink or other water solutions), you cannot add more than 10% of the epoxi's volume. If you add too much other stuff, the epoxy will never cure completely and stay soft or bendable, tacky or even runny like honey forever.


Can you take a regular photo and Mod Podge it to Plaster?

I'll start by asking are you 100% sure it's plaster? I kind of looks like paper clay to me, but that could be the effect of the photo.

If it is plaster:

Plaster likes to absorb all the water it can - from what I remember Modge Podge is rather watery in comparison to other glues. But I believe it can be used on plaster as it is basically a type of PVA.

It'll stick to the plaster, but will sit on top of the surface like a varnish. Moisture will be absorbed into the plaster, the plastic part of the glue will remain on top. Make sure your photo isn't going to bleed when it gets damp (Do NOT use inkjet photos). Those colors will likely sink into the plaster if they run and your photo will be ruined. If you want to protect the whole piece from absorbing finger grease and various other stains that tend to make their way to ornaments despite it being kept in a clean place - you could coat the plaster in it entirely using it as a sealant.

Just double checked the MP website. They say before using it on plaster, wipe plaster down with a damp cloth - likely to remove any dust - I wouldn't go too damp however. If you saturate your piece too much it might become delicate depending on plaster type.


Pony hair vs synthetic hair painting brushes

It depends on the synthetic brush that is available. Generally speaking, pony hair brushes are often used in schools since they are inexpensive, yet strong and soft. However, they do not retain the shape of the brush well when wet. Synthetic brushes on the other hand can be both well suited and terrible for painting with watercolors depending on the quality (which has improved largely).
I would suggest you try both and then decide. Take the brush that can hold its shape best when wet while still being able to hold a good amount of liquid.
By the way, the best brushes for water color are usually made from mink hair (generally referred to as Kolinsky sable). For further information look here and here.


How to do embroidery on tulle netting fabric?

You can use all embrodery technics as long as you realize that the back will be visible. Not just the back, the threads will be visible all along, but so do the knots and mistakes.
It is likely best to keep your fabric in a hoop or stretched over a frame, so you will not draw it in while working.
There are special stitches which are the same front and back. You can find them online or in older books.
One stitch I remember is like weaving, filling a few holes at a time.
But you are not restricted to those stitches, you can use most stitches, as long as the 'back' does not spoil the front.
I just ran a google search on -embroidery on tulle- and got so many results that I tried to specify and added -stitches- but the results are still way to many to pick one.
If you like videos, youtube has several.
This is a random one that I liked when I saw it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzq5d3pP6IQ
And this is a text and pictures page, which does explain how to work on tule, again a random choice, I have no links with the site or people behind it:
https://crewelghoul.com/blog/how-to-hand-embroider-on-tulle/


What could be causing my sewing machine (Singer 3223) to be sewing zig zag rather than straight?

It could be the fabric and needle match. Are you using knit fabric with a knit needle? Are you using woven fabric with a sharp needle for wovens?

Check the manual: https://res.cloudinary.com/singer-sewing/image/upload/v1572776978/Singer-Website-Library/Manuals/Products_manuals/SINGER_3223_and_3229_Sewing_Machine_xresjx.pdf

If the issue is more like “loose stitches” the needle/fabric/thread combination can be the issue.
Have you checked the needle size with the type of fabric?
Otherwise, hopefully it’s still under warranty and you can get a replacement or have it adjusted.


How can I stop dye from rubbing off burlap?

It is hard to guess what went wrong in the dying process, but I am assuming you have a natural jute fiber burlap. You will probably have to dye the fabric again. What usually works is Rit - which you can get at pretty much a y fabric store. Be careful, it is a little caustic and will stain your skin.

If you want to try to fix the dye, don’t use salt or vinegar - caustic soda might work, but you probably want to get retayne as it is described here. Apparently also available at quilting and fabric stores, I must say that I do not know the product but the science seems sound.


How can I effectively adhere things to scratchboard?

I find a hot glue gun very versatile and forgiving for these types of applications. And it works phenomenally well for sticking irregularly-shaped items to smooth surfaces.

Product Search: Hot Glue Gun


What do I use to seal or fix decoupage artwork?

In addition to clear epoxy resin, you have other alternatives depending on what material you are working your decoupage art on.
And often based on the shape of your object also. Like, Epoxy resin isn't a good option in case of curved surfaces.

For coasters made of wood/mdf/acrylic, you may want to use Liquitex's Matte Varnish to give it a non-shiny, matte finish.

On glass bottles and decoration objects, you may want to use DecoArt's Triple Thick Gloss Glaze to give it a shiny glossy finish.

More suggestions would include:

water based: MINWAX's Polycrylic
oil based: MINWAX's Polyurethane


How should I keep my unframed A3 size pencil drawings?

A3 Drawings Briefcase

Google search link


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 a "spring" of circles and then you cut them apart with a saw.

The best setup I found was to have something... either a dowel or steel bar... with a notch cut in the end as a "guide" for your saw blade with the far end held in a giant clamp attached to a table. Here's an image I found that shows what I'm talking about:

Use tension in your off-hand to pull the rings towards the blade notch... note that as you cut through each ring, it will drop, so you want something to catch them unless you want to spend an hour finding where they rolled on the floor.

The saws are pretty easy to use once you get the hang of them... but you will probably break tons of blades when you first start out because you're going to have to figure out the right amount of pressure to use that will cut the metal without snapping the blade.

And, once you get used to the saw, this is actually pretty fast. Granted, it's not as fast as some of the machined methods which, if you're really that interested in speed and you can afford it, are a good option... as is simply buying the rings premade, which isn't as expensive as you might fear if you buy in bulk, though it is more expensive than buying the wire alone.

I think you'll find the cuts to be quite a bit cleaner with this method than with a lot of other methods around, particularly using wire cutters.


This isn't just for fabric, but carpet and all sorts of material on rolls. A linear metre simply means 1 metre length off the roll. It says nothing at all about the width, which is usually more than a metre for fabric, but for some things may be much less.

The width should be specified elsewhere in the description, to allow you to calculate how much to buy. You are likely to need to take more into account than the total area, for all but the simplest project with plain fabric.


How does embossing powder work? What paper is most recommended to be used with it?

The kind of embossing powder that I'm familiar with, is melted with a heat gun. After being melted, it gets smooth and creates an embossed layer above the paper.

I think any kind of strong durable paper that can tolerate heat as well as a little weight, e.g. card stock, could work well.


According to this link, adding more borax, starch or talcum powder will make the slime more rigid.  Also kneading the slime repeatedly with dry hands will extract moisture, further adding to the slime's ability to maintain its shape while air drying.


What circular knitting needles can I use if I am allergic to nickel?

Non-metal circular knitting needles (wood or bamboo) are also available.

This is an example of bamboo needles with a plastic cord connecting them:


How do I fold step 3-4 in Maarten van Gelder's caterpillar model?

Diagrams 4 and 6 are very misleading and diagram 2 isn't to the same scale.  The end isn't as shown, so don't try to make the end look like the diagram.  Also, the diagrams don't use line formats to indicate mountain and valley folds, they just show sequence.

Actually, steps 2 and 4 aren't needed.  Make the creases in Diagram 1 then Diagram 3.  Diagram 3 will add perpendicular creases to accordion fold the strip, and additional diagonal creases (you can identify exact locations by intersections of prior creases).

Note the 6 small diamonds running across the center of the strip.  Those will create the peaks at the top of diagram 6.  The outsides of the diamonds are mountain folds; the lines dividing the diamonds in half are valley folds.  Focus on getting those diamonds folded and that will force the rest into the general "house" shape of diagram 6.

Basically, the perpendicular folds between the diamonds (the even-numbered creases) are valley folds that swing down and meet in the middle to separate the segments.  The odd-numbered creases that divide the diamonds in half are valleys inside the diamond, and mountains outside the diamond, where they form the sides of the house shape.  Just fold all the segments the same and don't worry about making the ends look like diagram 6; you just need the outline of the segments in the "house" shape.

Starting with the crease pattern in Figure 3 (just the first four diamonds, I replicated this on a short scrap of paper), this is an overhead view of the shape of the folds that produce the house shape:

There's a bit of an optical illusion; those are valley folds bisecting each diamond.  Above and below the diamond, they change to mountain folds.

To get to diagram 7, fold each segment side in half in both directions to get a good score line where diagram 6 shows the dotted lines.  Open up the segment a little and you'll see the rectangular crease lines shown in diagram 5 for each segment side. Push the side in to invert the rectangle on the fold you just made.  When you're done with all the segment sides, it should accurately look like diagram 7.

That last step added the rectangular creases on the segment sides, shown in Diagram 5.  If you compare Diagram 5 to Diagram 3, there are also some dotted diagonal creases between the sides that will be missing on your model.  Those are where the legs are reverse-folded in step 7.  Since this is a continuous sheet, it will be hard to reverse fold the legs without manually adding those fold lines.  Open and flatten the model again, and add those missing creases.  It may also help to create the row of reverse folds to train the paper as you add those creases.


What are the preferred ways to fill areas with pencil colors in 2d drawings?

I am the OP of this thread. Following is what I tried again:

Here the color pencils are same, but the drawing sheet is different (145 GSM) and the technique is different.

This time instead of drawing any kind of back and forth line, I started drawing extremely small circles, joined together and overlapping each other tightly, with the color pencils. These circles were drawn like the text of cursive handwriting where we do not pick up hand from the paper till the word is complete and all the alphabets are joined to each other.

This was done with an extreme light hand. Virtually zero pressure applied.
Then I repeated the procedure on the same area with the same color 4 times.

5th time, I applied pressure, and the 6th time I applied heavier pressure.

Basically, the following smooth coloring is the result of 6 layers.

I have taken this photo with a macro lens so you can see the tooth of paper also. The light in the room was dim, hence the dark photo, unfortunately.

Though the colors are still the same student grade, but the results are different and stunning. I believe if I use a high quality paper with better tooth, I will be able to apply more color which may result in darker coloring.


A sewing machine without thread does a great job at making a perforation in most paper. Depending on the settings it can be rather coarse, or quite fine. Much of this will depend on what stitch types your machine is capable of. I would not use your nicest needle however, as it will most likely wear prematurely.

Otherwise, there are purpose built perforators available for ordering online, that work much like a rotary paper cutter, with the obvious difference that they do not completely sever the paper.


What is a good technique for binding a saddle stitch booklet with a hard-ish cover?

When using 120 grams paper, it's best to use several signatures/booklets of 4 pages each. Then you can sew these together using a bookbinding technique (I like coptic binding - YouTube has great tutorials).

If you don't want to use a different bookbinding technique, you can make your booklet flatter by folding all the folded pieces separately and making sure you have a sharp fold before putting everything together.


What are some good car-crafts for long trips?

Kits in general are good because they tend to be self-contained with all the materials, and tell you what else to bring - forgetting a key item is frustrating for everyone.

There are various sewing craft kits, often using a plastic needle and pre-punched holes at least for younger ones.

Faux stained glass kits are tidy but might need too much of a steady hand for road trips, depending on your roads.

I don't think of them as craft but books with reusable stickers and background scenes are good, and can include a story-telling aspect if you like.

These kits can get repetitive or expensive if you travel a lot, so some alternatives:

Anything with stickers should work - perhaps sticker mosaics.

For an (almost) free option, collage using glue sticks and pictures from old magazines.  You may want to pre-cut the magazines, or have an adult cut them, as depending on the age of the kids and the state of the roads scissors may not be a good idea for children.  When using a glue sticks, a plastic lap tray with edges.

This will depend on how messily your children use them, but rubber stamps and ink pads can be quite fun (I've seen children playing together, one with clean hands, another using the ink pad for hand-prints - and it wasn't washable ink)

Activity books that mix colouring/drawing activities with non-craft activities such as puzzles will give some variety.
Definitely not craft, but games involving looking out of the window are always a good bet: who can spot something first (horse/emergency service vehicle/purple car etc.); guess how many of a particular object you'll see by the time you reach some defined point (about 10 minutes works) - who gets closest.  This works from surprisingly young as they just need to be able to count; you can also bring in basic arithmetic ("you guessed 8, we've seen 7, so one more and you win").


What is the best method of hanging canvas on a wall to work on?

Staple gun or hammering finishing nails to the wall. How will it be presented after completion?


Just a few thoughts:

Embroidery is usually done on a plain canvas. If the background has too much of a pattern, the embroidery will simply fade into the background. You'll want a very plain and even crochet stitch for the afghan.
Use unicolor yarn for the afghan or the embroidery might fade into the background.
If you'd like the afghan to have more of a pattern (like granny squares), insert a patch of very plain stitches where the embroidery is going to be.
Embroidery is not stretchy at all. You'll want a crocheted background that is not stretchy as well. Look for "opaque" crochet patterns for some inspiration.
Don't forget to crochet some test swathes to see how a pattern turns out and if you like it. This is also the best way to assess the stretchyness of the pattern and to compare different patterns.

The yarn size depends on your personal preference and the hook size depends on the yarn size and how tight you want to crochet the pattern. As a rule of thumb, thicker yarn means you crochet faster, but very loosely spun yarn can rip and tear faster once the afghan is finished and in use (this is especially important if you have kids or pets).
Embroidery is also a very broad topic... there are so many techniques that are all called "embroidery".

Use a yarn that has a contrasting color to the afghan.
The yarn should be at least as thick as the one you used for the afghan.
To make the embroidery more obvious, you could embroider with 2 strings of yarn at the same time. That makes the lines thicker without doubling the number of stitches you have to do.
The example in your question is not done 100% with yarn alone, it has patches of (what looks like) felt stitched onto the canvas.


Can you do a Garter stitch on double pointed needles?

Yes.
Assuming you still intend to work in the round, you'll need a stitch marker for the start of the row. You'll need to ironicly alternate between plain and purl each row. Otherwise you'll just get stocking stitch.

If you intend to work flat which given the pattern is garter it probably is. I would recommend cables over DPNs.


Matte repainting technique for action figures

First, if you haven't already, disassemble the figures. This will allow for easier reach of those parts that are usually obscured, a more even application of the paint, and a cleaner colouring around the joints.
You can carefully use a blow drier to make the plastic a little less rigid.
Wash the figure or parts with a little soap to get rid of any dirt that might prevent the paint from adhering to the surface.
This might also be a good time to trim or sand excessive plastic (like edges).
It's not always necessary, but I suggest priming the figures with an acrylic ground layer, preferably sprayed on (using an airbrush and NOT cans, as they contain solvents - an exception being Duplicolor Vinyl & Fabric, as a user on the thefwoosh forums suggests, as this apparently does work on soft plastics) to retain a smooth surface, but at least applied in thin, diluted layers.
Apart from allowing the paint to have a stronger bonding, this will also form a neutral 'canvas' to see how the colours work together, and to ascertain the colours won't differ a lot from how they are advertised (you can also try out the paints on similar material or parts that will be hard to see on the finished figure [like the soles of the feet]).

Now you can paint your action figure using matt(e) / flat acrylic paints.
You can find those in your local hobby store, or online.

OR

Use regular acrylic paints, and seal them off with a matte finisher.
And again, if by hand, instead of using an airbrush, always paint in thin, diluted layers. Also make sure the sealer can be used for soft plastics/PVC, as some people experienced the layer getting tacky again after a while.
Noteworthy is that that same poster mentioned earlier suggests not using any sealer at all, as they always have a certain amount of sheen, even if advertised as matte or flat, with Testors Dullcote being the sole exception in that user's experience.

Always make sure you work in a dust-free environment.

Some additional resources to browse through for some advice:
https://www.reddit.com/r/ActionFigures/comments/5unmtp/best_paint_for_marvel_legends/
https://myfigurecollection.net/blog/7299
https://forum.rebelscum.com/threads/question-about-what-paints-to-use-to-custom-paint-figures.1089439/


Do you need a buffer to get a shiny finish on jewelery?

No, you definitely don't need a buffer

Image from Wikimedia Commons

This gold belt buckle dates from the 6th century - long before buffing machines were invented. Finishing jewellery by hand is the traditional way to do it, and as you can see the results can be excellent.

However, you can't get this kind of finish just with sandpaper

Going up through the grades of sandpaper is a good way to start, but to achieve a truly smooth finish you need something finer. There are a few different things that are available now for final polishing, but the traditional one is ferric oxide, also known as jeweller's rouge.

You can use this by applying a little to a polishing cloth, and polishing the piece until it's done (you'll need to wipe the rouge off afterwards)


What kind of paper should be preferred for fountain pens?

Fountain pen ink is more watery than the ink used in many other types of pens, and fountain pens put a lot of it on the paper.  The combination creates a challenge for the paper that makes it difficult to have the "perfect" paper in every respect.  You typically need to choose what you want to optimize, and use a paper that optimizes that.
The challenges created by fountain pens and their ink

There is a lot of very liquid ink applied to the paper.  The liquid dries through absorption and evaporation.  If it is heavily absorbed by the paper, it spreads sideways (the lines get wider), and it "feathers" (feathery bleeding so the line edges aren't sharp).  It also soaks into the paper, which can cause it to bleed through to the back (you see some of the ink on the back surface, even the front surface of the next sheet).
If the ink is kept controlled on the surface of the paper, a lot of it requires evaporation to dry, which is a much slower process.  As long as it's wet, it can smear and get picked up by your hand (and transferred to other surfaces).  But once it dries, you get the crispest lines.  In some cases, this can allow you to see a sheen, which some people find desirable.  Even though the ink stays mostly on the surface, there is a lot of it, with a lot of contrast.  If the paper is not fully opaque, you can see "ghosting" of the writing through the paper on the other side.

There are characteristics that make paper more fountain-pen-friendly.  Heavier-weight paper helps with bleed-through and ghosting.  Smoother paper reduces its absorbency (the fibers are more compressed).  Sizing (chemical treatment, not the paper dimensions), and coatings reduce its absorbency so the ink doesn't soak into the paper as much.
However, while super-smooth paper produces crisp lines, it also eliminates most of the friction of the pen nib on the paper, so you lose that feedback -- the feel of the pen moving on the paper.
So there are trade-offs in fountain-pen-friendly paper.  Some people want the best possible lines.  Others want more of the feel of the writing experience as long as they get good-enough lines.  The crispest lines also tend to be more slow-drying.  The best-optimized papers are somewhat niche products; they can be expensive.
You can expand the range of papers that will work well by using fast-drying ink and/or a finer nib.

Paper Selection
If you use ink with a very rich color, you might also want to use paper that is extremely white.
If you're starting from scratch and want to try some random papers that you have ready access to, the best results will generally be with very smooth, heavier-weight paper, so start with those.  But not all of them will be good, and there are lots of exceptions.  Much depends on how the paper was made.  It doesn't hurt to try almost any paper you can get your hands on just to see the results.
Fortunately, fountain pens have a dedicated following.  There are lots of web sites devoted to using them.  Among aficionados who have explored the available papers, a relatively small number of papers have risen to the top.  I'll include links to a number of sites and paper evaluations and preferences (some have more detailed descriptions of the papers and the specific version recommended; some cover different "formats", like notepads, stationery, journals, etc.).
A large number of lists have these papers at or near the top (in varying orders): Tomoe River, Rhodia, Clairefontaine (made by the same company as Rhodia), and Midori,  Also near the top of many lists was Oxford Optik.  One that made a number of "favorite"  lists because it generally works pretty well and is inexpensive was HP Premium Laserjet Paper (especially 32 lb).
Many stationery stores will provide, on request, a sample pack of a mix of different papers of interest (a few sheets of each one, typically either free or for the cost of postage).  It's a good way to compare high-end papers without spending a lot of money on full packages.

Further reading:

The Best Fountain Pen Paper | JetPens
Best Papers for Fountain Pens - Inks and Pens
What Is The Best Paper For Fountain Pens? - Fountain Pen Love
In search of the best paper for fountain pen use – Pennonia
The Best Paper For Fountain Pens | Unsharpen
The best paper... in the world – Nero's Notes
What’s The Best Paper For Fountain Pens? – Savoir-Relier
Tomoe River Paper is One of the Best Paper for Fountain Pens (...but)
In Your Opinion What Is The Best Paper Brand For Fountain Pens? - Paper and Pen Paraphernalia - The Fountain Pen Network (just an online survey, but consistent with reports on other sites.)


What causes frosting when applying a varnish?

What system are you using? Airbrush or bottle spray?

I have experienced a lot of frosting when applying varnish in humid environments.
I have observed more frosting with spray bottles compared to airbrush (I dilute the varnish for airbrushing with Vallejo airbrush thinner).
Only apply a very thin layer of varnish at a time. I have observed frosting when I put too much varnish at once, especially with spray bottles. If more is needed, several thin layers may be applied.


The one in the picture appears to be laser engraved, so I assume that that is infeasible. You could get a similar result more easily if you tried to brand it, but that still requires your design to be shaped out of metal and then heated really hot. If you really want the professional look, I would suggest just buying a leather stamp online.


What is "liquid white" that Bob Ross uses?

It's a proprietary product from the Bob Ross company.

There's 3 such basecoats that the company makes: Liquid White, Liquid Black, Liquid clear.

The official description reads:

  Liquid White is one of three Bob Ross Liquid Basecoats essential to the Bob Ross Wet-on-Wet Technique®.  These basecoats (Liquid White/Black/Clear) allow us to actually blend and mix colors right on the canvas rather than working ourselves to death on the palette.  The Liquid White/Black/Clear can also be used to thin other colors for application over thicker paints.  The idea that a thin paint will stick to a thick paint is the basis for this entire technique.

Bob Ross's mentor, Bill Alexander, used a similar wet-on-wet technique using "magic
white" as a base, or sometimes called "fluid white".

It seems entirely possible to make your own.

  All you need to do is dilute titanium white with linseed oil. Mix these together until you get a creamy consistency. Some artists choose to mix equal parts of linseed oil and Turpenoid (or turpentine) to create this homemade medium.

So, linseed oil and titanium white (paint). I would presume that the quality of the titanium white paint you use will affect the quality of the fluid white you make.

Since oil paint itself is generally made from linseed oil, pigment, and a binder/emulsifier to get the oil and pigment to "stick", it's likely feasible to make liquid white using pure pigment (titanium dioxide), linseed oil and something like white beeswax.


How can you make a costume with opaque eye covers?

For this Lego Batman costume, we covered the eyeholes with white gauze (ok, actually patches cut from some old pantyhose). Vision was only very slightly reduced -- much more so by the small eye openings (and loss of peripheral vision) than by the gauze.


Can any leather crafters tell me what tool this is?

Awls are typically used for punching holes into objects, awls come in different styles. This one in particular, if you look at the back end, looks very durable, and able to be hammered on the back without issues. So it is able to push through thick leather easily.
Standard image of an awl:

Awl being used to punch hole:

Awl being used in practice to lace leather:

Sources:
https://hausoftools.com/blogs/news/tools-of-the-trade-tools-for-leather-working
https://www.instructables.com/how-to-prepare-leather-for-sewing/


What steps do I take to prepare a plaster block?

The first thing to bear in mind is that different grades of plaster have different properties. They can broadly be divided into (harder) alpha plasters and (softer) beta plasters. Obviously for carving there is a compromise between how easy it will be to work and how strong the finished article will be. A softer plaster will obviously be easier to carve but a harder one will allow you to create finer detail and be stronger overall.

there is also a large rage of specific formulations in between hard and soft. Specifically Herculite may be a good compromise for carving.

It is important to use the correct ratio of water  to plaster, follow the manufacturers instructions and take the time to measure out the quantities accurately.  You can also get various polymer additives which strengthen the plaster further.

Be aware that mixing even quite small quantities of plaster can be a messy business. It's not especially hazardous, but as with any fine dust avoid breathing it in too much and prolonged exposure can dry out your skin a bit.

It is a good idea to keep a bucket of water handy for washing utensils as plaster in an excellent way to block a sink. Rubber mixing bowls can easily be cleaned by knocking the plaster out, rigid containers are much harder to clean.

If you sieve the plaster before you mix it that will help to prevent any lumps in the mix. It's usually easiest to mix moderate quantities by hand as this allows you to feel any lumps, wear rubber gloves if you wish. Hand mixing also tends to introduce less air. Make sure that your mixing bowl is thoroughly clean, any traces of set plaster in the mix can cause lumps and hard spots in your casting.

It is probably best to mix it in a separate container from  the one you mould it in as you will get a neater mould. Try to make up the correct amount as pouring a new batch onto setting plaster can cause problems. Once the mould is poured and before it sets gentry tap it a few times to help release any bubbles.

If you want to colour the plaster it's usually best to colour the water with a water soluble dye or pigment before you mix it, if you want to obtain an even colour.

As well as casting into a mould you can let the plaster set a bit and then mould it by hand like clay. A few minutes after mixing it goes from a fluid to something a bit like soft cheese. At this point it will hold a shape reasonably well and can be formed into shapes without needing a mould. You do need to work quickly as you will only have a few minutes before it sets.


What components are involved in this kind of scroll?

These types of scrolls do exist.

One example is called an "Esther" scroll case.

Here are some examples.

http://www.museumsinisrael.gov.il/en/items/Pages/ItemCard.aspx?IdItem=ICMS_IMJ_366069

http://www.magnes.org/collections/museum/jewish-life/synagogue-and-communal-life/esther-scroll-collection

http://www.imj.org.il/imagine/galleries/viewWallE.asp?case=34&srm=Purim&swl=The%20Esther%20Scroll

And ... if I were to try to make something similar I would break it down to the following parts.


Remove duct tape adhesive residue from fabric

Goo Gone and similar products work quite well on hard surfaces for removing adhesive residue. You will find that the recommendations for such products also include testing on a hidden portion or similar piece.

It's likely that Goo Gone will work and you may be able to soak the fabric in the liquid to allow better penetration. Once soaked for a while, a detergent wash is likely to be needed to remove the oiliness of GG.

Alternatives to GG include WD-40, with the same oiliness factor, as well as baby oil, mineral oil and peanut butter.

Work the selected substance in the fabric frequently to ensure good distribution.

A quick search using "goo gone fabrics" shows that many posts have been made to indicate the product works on clothing.

Of all the above, I think peanut butter involves the most effort and perhaps the lowest risk of discoloration, but I've never used peanut butter!


Mice/hamster chew proof plastic material

Smooth surfaces without ridges or angles for teeth to grab onto are as important to a successful design as your material choice.  Think of your enclosure design from the point of view of its occupant.  Any joint between two surfaces which are narrow enough to fit between its teeth will become a focus for gnawing.

Air vents are also common weak points because simply drilling a hole in an otherwise flat wall leaves a right angle which hamster teeth can work with.  Metal vent covers can fortify these necessary weak spots.

Manufacturing can also play a part in making an escape proof cage.  3D Printer surfaces, no matter how hard the plastic, will have ridges in them that hamster teeth can find and exploit.  There are chemicals which can smooth out these ridges, but they may not be food safe.

As for plastic types, there are food safe versions of most of the hard plastics.  PET or PVC would probably serve your purposes, but for absolute certainty, I would make the surfaces that need to be transparent out of glass and the rest out of sheet steel.  Plastics are great for a lot of projects, but hamsters are world class escape artists and they deserve a cage that can truly test their capabilities.

Good Luck!


Gluing fabric or ribbon to walnut shells

If the ribbon is polyester or nylon, it will be hard to make a strong bond to it.  Most adhesives will stick a ribbon to something if it's only decorative and won't really get pulled.  You need something more secure if the ribbon is going to serve as a hinge or closure.
If you can use a ribbon made from cotton, lots of glues will make a strong bond.  Even regular PVA glue (e.g., Elmers), should work well.
If you prefer to stick with a polyester or nylon ribbon, at least you won't need a "structural" adhesive (something that makes a bond as strong as the material, itself); a locket won't get "abusive" handling.  So an adhesive like E6000 would probably be strong enough for that purpose.
Another approach would be to create a hinge with a strip of cotton fabric that can be bonded well to the walnut.  The walnut is a curved surface, so a wide hinge won't work (everything but the widest part of the shell will move apart when you open it).  You would need to create something with an "H" shape (turned sideways).  The connector in the middle would be the hinge, located at the widest point of the shell.  The long legs would each go on one half of the shell to provide a longer gluing surface.  Embed the polyester or nylon ribbon tie under the hinge part in the middle so the hinge holds the ribbon in place.  A little glue on the ribbon will provide enough friction so it won't easily pull out.


TL;DR

About a quarter to a third of the pastel colours visibly change when exposed to natural light for a period of several months.
Among pastels (of any brand), reds and pinks seem to suffer the most from light.
In reaction to a test (referenced in this answer), NuPastel removed the 17 least lightfast colours from their product range somewhere in or before 2019.
No official lightfastness testing has been carried out by NuPastel, since they're (still) not legally obliged to.

Back in 2013, a 90 day light-fastness test of 95 specimens of NuPastels was performed by Rick Petersen, and the results were posted on his blog.
Petersen placed a sheet with streaks of the 95 different colours in a south-facing window (from January to April, in what I think is Florida, U.S.A.), meaning they received a lot of direct sunlight.
The results were judged by eye after 90 days.
The colours that showed the most change ("significant change in hue and value") were Pale Vermillion, Salmon Pink, Orchid Pink, and Old Lilac; the outlier being Madder Pink which seems to have almost completely faded.
Orange, Maroon, Burnt Orange, Carmine, Rose Pink, Carnival Red, and Flamingo also didn't fare well, showing "slight change in hue and value".
"No changes" were observed in most ochres and other earth tones, the greens, browns, and yellows, however. This is likely due to them containing iron hydroxides, which "are the most stable lightfast materials in any media" (source).
66 of the 95 colours passed this 3-month test without visible changes.

Another test of the PrismaColors NuPastels was performed by Colleen Wampole in 2015, over a period of six months. Her conclusion was as follows:

Some colors within the Prismacolor Nupastel line faded dramatically during this six-month period. This was expected, since this lightfastness test was inspired by my observations of these pastels fading within the store at which I work. Pastels have a reputation for being fugitive, and this line of pastels was no exception.
The colors which faded the most were: B[urnt] Orange, Deep Orange, Madder Pink, Salmon Pink, Pale Vermilion, Scarlet, Persian Rose, Orchid, Eden Green, Carnival Pink, Orchid Pink, Rose Pink, Crimson, Old Lilac, Maroon, Pistachio Green, and Neptune Green.
I noticed slight fading in the following colors: Light Naples Hue, Chrome Yellow, Burgundy, Light Sap Green, Carmine Madder, Flamingo, and Carmine Red.

(The results can be seen here (unfortunately these photos there are of very low quality).*)
71 of the 95 colours stood this 6-month test.
It's interesting to see how a bunch of these colours overlaps with Petersen's results, but others acted completely differently: Eden Green, Pistachio Green, and Neptune Green, specifically. Do these react differently to other environmental conditions, or is their reaction to UV non-linear?

Comments posted by customers who bought the NuPastels and left a review, support these findings or speak of similar conclusions.
Even though there are relatively few users mentioning the light-fastness, do note how most of these comments are based on hear-say or personal tests of which the results are inaccessible.

A 2-star rating on DickBlick mentions "I have done my own tests and have found that the majority of the Nupastel colors fade. I encourage anyone who doubts this to do their own tests and see for themselves".
A 3-star review tells how "the company has told [the user] they do no testing on their pastels for lightfastness as it's not required."

On WetCanvas user PeggyB opines "Are they using NuPastels as their “underlayer”? Now there is a brand I’d question the quality of! There are way too many of them that are known to be not lightfast."

More interestingly:

In 2019, a customer review on Amazon mentions how, based on Petersen's test referred to above, they "removed the 17 colors in the 2-5 categories".

However, while this reflects badly on PrismaColor NuPastels, the problematic lightfastness of certain colours is not unique to specific brands. Disappointing as it is, a lack of lightfastness testing also seems to be the norm.
Someone on WetCanvas states the following in this thread:

I’ve come across Jackson’s house brand of soft pastels. They have the pigments listed and lightfast ratings for each stick. Though I’ve been confused and wonder if there are mistakes in the information they have listed. They’re listed as Excellent, Good or Fair, similar to their watercolor and gouache ratings. I understand what that means at least in the water media, and am not sure if it is the same for pastels, though I would imagine so. I haven’t gone through every color for their pastels, but so many of the pinks, lilac, violets, Carmine’s, magenta’s are considered fair, which at least for watercolors means not lightfast enough I would use it for any serious works. I understand these are always the problem colors in terms of lightfastness.

A lightfastness test of almost 5 years of Charvin Paris pastel sticks here shows a remarkably similar result. In her summary, Jamie Williams Grossman writes:

The good news is that the earth colors and grays did not change. [..] The yellow ochre is beautiful, and held up perfectly.
Only one blue showed significant change, in spite of the fact that most of the blues are rated only "***Good."
Three of the greens I felt did well enough to hang onto. The others either lost much or all of their yellow component, or in one case lost blue.
Now for the really bad news. All of the pinks, reds and violets have got to go. The only bright yellow in the set is also completely fugitive, and nearly disappeared like a magic trick. (I'm sure it would be gone completely if left a few more years in the window!) Most of the yellow tints also faded.

The results can be seen here: yellows, reds and pinks, greens, greys, browns, and blues.*
All of the findings and conclusions mentioned here are repeated in this post.

An interesting read is the following comment written by Michael Skalka, chairman of the subcommittee of the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) D01.57, Artists' Materials, in reply to Katherine Tyrrell, which was published on the latter's website. She had contacted him after making the claim in a WetCanvas thread that no ASTM standard exists for pastel lightfastness.

No lightfastness standard from ASTM exists yet. Manufacturers, not consumers, have been the driving force behind getting oil paints, watercolors, gouache, acrylics to have lightfastness standards. Standards create a level playing field and that brings out the best from all concerned. Companies that can’t conform stand out when a standard can be used as a yardstick to determine overall quality.
Nobody has the edge on lightfastness for pastels yet because no standard exists. You can argue that some manufacturers knowingly put fugitive materials in pastels but without them conducting a well -formulated testing protocol, they cannot know if the colors they use are lightfast. So for right now ignorance by the manufacturers is bliss.

* I've uploaded the images of the specific tests on Imgur for longevity's sake. The credits and rights of these are for their specific authors, of course.


Boning around the rim is a good idea to make the bag stiff enough to hold itself open, but boning in the corners would make it impossible to fold the bag up for storage. You can add boning only in the green lines.

A heavy canvas is strong enough to hold the bag open, especially since the material is doubled in the corner seams. You actually don't need much strength to hold the bag upright because its own weight is negligible.

For the boning itself you should use plastic boning. Since the bag is supposed to carry potentially wet items into a potentially wet environment (the pool), you should avoid metal boning because it could rust in time.

You need to cut seperate strips of boning for each edge around the rim. After cutting the right length, clip or file the corners of the boning to avoid damage to the fabric. If you think the boning is not strong enough to make the bag as stable as you'd like, simply add another strip of boning to the same edge.


What do those material measurement metrics for a drill represent?

Thats the maximum bit diameter.  There are a couple of limits that are relevant: the outside of a large drill bit moves fast, so you may have to slow the drill down, but then it becomes less powerful and could stall. An optimised drill bit is assumed (e.g. using an HSS bit in wood is fine for many tasks, but at the large end it won't work). In practice you can often go a little bigger than they say with flat wood bits:

or hole saws if you're gentle.

For many applications it's possible to have a drill with a shank that's smaller than the cutting end, hence the chuck size is less of a limitation. For example step drills are used for drilling sheet material:

This one has a shank of about 10mm and a maximum hole size of 26mm, mainly for metals.

Reduced shank drills (or blacksmith drills) are used for deeper holes, again mainly in metals. These are a 16mm and a 25mm, with 13mm shanks:


Realistic tempered steel effect on aluminum

It's possible that the only option available would be to use anodizing of a single or multiple colors. There are many resources, especially the YouTube type that can advise you. One recent video that is clearly presented is "Easy Aluminum Anodizing - Wawa dog tag"

It's generally considered difficult to get uniform coloration, although the result in the video is quite good. In your case you may not want it to be particularly uniform. You can accomplish gradients by immersing the part in stages. The first section will be in the longest and have the deepest coloring, while later segments will be in for less time.

The reverse can be true too, in that you immerse the entire part and remove it in gradual stages.

Heat can't be used to accomplish the desired effect. It works great on some steel and on titanium, but simply melts aluminum.


You can make a very basic small loom out of a single piece of thick cardboard.

This is ideal for small weaving, around 10cm - 20cm size. You can use it to make small patches (or even small pouches/bags). I learned to do this at primary/elementary school, so it is very accessible.

This gives you a loom that you can use for tapestry weaving. I will explain the basics of how you would start weaving with such a loom, but details of how to weave are outside the scope of the question.

To make a simple patch: Take a piece of cardboard a little bigger (1 cm in each dimension) than the size of the patch you want to make. Cut notches 0.5 cm long, 0.5 cm apart on two opposite edges. Now you have a loom!

To set up the loom, you need to add the "warp" threads, which form the basis of the fabric. I would recommend something like knitting yarn for this. Arrange the loom so that the notches are top and bottom. Take some yarn and wind it a couple of times around the top-left notch, ending with the long end of the thread at the back. (This is just to keep the thread secure while you weave. At the end you will remove it from the cardboard and you can weave in the end of this thread.)

Bring the thread from back to front through the top-left notch. Then take it down to the bottom left notch and thread it through to the back. Bring the yarn to the front through the second notch on the bottom.

Bring it to the next notch at the top, round the back and so on... Keep going until you have filled all the notches. Wind a couple of times around the right.

Now you can take your "weft" thread and weave it through under and over starting on the lower right and going through to the lower left. You can use something like a pencil to press the threads firmly down to the bottom. Then weave back from left to right, alternating the over and under threads. Press the thread firmly down again. Keep going until you have filled the card. Then you can remove it from the loom, weave in the ends, and you have a piece of woven fabric.


The way I see it, even the base material is not cut / prepared really properly. Even if you make a very good stitching, there is a chance that the material itself will fail during the next "shocking experiences".

I would do it in two steps:

stitch as good as possible, to make sure that the sand will stay inside. Please stitch each layer individually, for increased strength;
Wrap the area with strong ribbons (let's say, similar with the safety belts in cars; similar to wearing belts for pants). Be sure that the belts close with good quality metal, not with cheap plastic.


What is the difference between cheaper oil paints and more expensive ones?

There are many things that can set apart great paints from others:

working-qualities of the oil
specific source of the oil
chemical pigments
pure-mineral pigments
colorfastness of the pigments
metals in the pigment
consistency of pigment grain-size
pigment density / fillers.

Each of these can mean different things to the rest of the materials you will use in producing your painting, which is a bit beyond the scope of this question.