Rocky143

After researching this thoroughly, I have decided to nickel plate it. It seems quite simple and there are plenty of tutorial videos.

Title says it all: How do you prevent a (not stainless) steel bench block from rusting?

Keep in mind that a darker color will cover a lot of sins, even if it is not black. Maybe you want it to be a "happy" color. You might try a yellow-orange or yellow-green tint.

A good way to get a marble or granite slab is from a kitchen countertop company. They have many cut-out pieces that are waste. They would rather give it away than spend $40 per ton to dispose of it in a landfill. They will cut it to the size you want for a reasonable price. Two-inch thick is better than a thinner piece. Three-inches is probably not necessary. Broken slate pool tables are good. How to make sound deadening panels, cheap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqodnHxRJ7c&t=1654s DIY Active Noise Cancellation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqodnHxRJ7c&t=1654s At Google Shopping, search for Sound Deadening Material. Look for a high NRC (Noise Reduction Constant), the percentage of sound that is absorbed by the material. The first link above details how to make panels from 2" thick rock wool, which has a NRC of near 100%. Other material less than 1/2" thick has a NRC around 60% and multiple layers can be used.

I think the problem with the grapes is that they are not large enough. Note on the original that the grape circles are all touching each other. Background is kinda rough. Possibly a bar-grounder would be better.

If you look up DIY silicone waterproofing, you will find instructions for dissolving silicone caulk in mineral spirits and using that to waterproof things. I think the ratio is 1 silicone to 4 mineral spirits and I don't know if that is by weight or volume. If you were to soak the leather in that, it would be thoroughly impregnated with silicone. To me, it sounds infeasible to expect leather to endure 20 years of being laundered. Could you make the cuffs removable and expect them to be wiped down instead of washed?

What do people use for ID windows in wallets, etc.? I have had things with ID windows that "melted" photocopy ink which then became fused into the window material. Does anyone know why that happens? How do I choose materials for which that will not happen? What materials do you use and how do you choose them?

At Google, search for: free leather pattern OR template You can restrict it to pdf files: Filetype:pdf fre leather pattern OR template You can find almost any pattern you could want if you do artful Google searches, However, if you want to spend money buying patterns, try: https://www.etsy.com/shop/leatherpatternstore?ref=simple-shop-header-name&listing_id=262257706 https://elktracksstudio.com/collections/free-patterns

I bought some upholstery leather scraps. Some of the pieces were folded . When I try to lay them flat, the folds remain. What is the best way to flatten them out? The leather is all 1 oz to 3 oz. It is vat dried light brown, medium brown, and black. Some pieces have a shiny finish on the grain side with a dyed surface texture. I have thought of ironing it and saturating with water then letting it dry flat. Suggestions anyone?

Abrasives are available in the form of cords and tapes. Abrasive tapes are sold to make non-slip surfaces on stairs and other walking surfaces. Many of them are self-adhesive. They are available in smaller strips and in rolls. There is no information on the grit sizes. There is no claim that they would hold up if used for sharpening. They might only be useful for the roughest sharpening and only if they were less expensive than graded papers. Abrasive cords are a different matter. They are intended to be used for sanding. Different abrasive materials are available. Cord is graded for size of grit and diameter of cord. The thinnest cord I found was 0.3 mm. If you search for "abrasive cord" at Google Shopping, you will find many types. It is also available at (of all places) Walmart.com. I did not find it online at Lowes or Home Depot.

Evan Atwell owns a knife store in San Francisco where he sells primarily Japanese knives to mostly chefs. He recommends the following four knife sharpening videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/JKnifeImports/featured https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMgrrl7g7pU-BAQtzDqx7Dg/playlists https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw0XmK5fYv3n_LL8_jkk9dQ https://www.youtube.com/c/HITOHIRAJAPAN This was published in a an article at Thrillist.com: https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-tips-techniques-sharpening-knives

The best selling leather conditioner at Amazon is Leather Honey. It was developed by a family in West Virginia, which is where I live. It has been in the news here with glowing reviews from many people. It has been on the market for some time, so I think it is a dependable product. http://www.leatherhoney.com https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Care-Products/b/ref=dp_bc_aui_C_4?ie=UTF8&node=15718561

For the top of your stamping, punching area, ask a terrazzo contractor to quote you a price for making you a terrazzo counter top. Also, there are plenty of videos about DIY concrete counter tops. Be aware that stones like granite and basalt are denser than concrete, so if you opt for concrete, you may want it to be a little thicker. Thickness of the top should be taken into account when calculating height of the table.

Terrific upgrade to an otherwise mundane object!

Wow! A masterpiece. You sure know how to do flowers!!