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Building an elliptic paraboloid

How would I build a shell of an elliptic paraboloid as accurately as possible (in terms of its mathematical properties (all parallel rays end up in its focal point)). Preferably it should be: Made out of a material which is easy to process (like…
holzkohlengrill
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Protection for oil painting on mylar?

I usually work with ink and watercolor on mylar (paper used by architects). I tried to use oil paint on mylar and the effect is real nice. Do I have to protect the finished painting with a varnish or a fixative, is it crucial?
user8237
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Transparent resin to fill small acrylic plastic container?

I have a small clear acrylic plastic container, roughly spherical and about 1.5 cubic inches in volume, with a 1/4-inch wall and thinning to about 2mm at the top edge (near the 1-inch diameter lip). I want to put some objects in it and fill it with…
Some Guy
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Mixing Acrylic Paint With Water ( And Storing It )

A few weeks ago I asked a question about Alternatives to Citadel / Games Workshop Paints, and the feedback suggested that I could simple use tubes of Acrylic paints from local hobby type shops as an alternative for painting miniatures/figures. Some…
W.H.
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Differences between silver jewelry alloys

I have bought 2 necklaces from the same place. The necklace on the left is 3mm width, has a dark metal color similar to that of stainless steel and tarnishes in a matter of days on me. The necklase on the right is 2mm width, is very light, bright…
Deadfish
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What safety precautions should I observe while using a hot wire cutter?

Since I have never heard of one outside of this stack I was curious and looked into the use of the hot wire cutter. Most to the instructional video that use it either don't discuss, or glaze over, safety features of the tool. What need I be aware…
Matt
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Can I use hot glue as resin by melting them in a pan

Suppose I have a detective pikachu mold tray, some hot glue sticks and a small cooking pan. Can I melt the hot glue sticks in the small cooking pan and use it as a resin, to be pour into the detective pikachu mold tray? Will it cause any damages to…
user275517
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Looking for a difficult knitting style or technique, and how to tell whether it's been done well

I hope this question is on-topic -- I'm not a knitter myself, and won't be attempting to knit anything you suggest -- I'm actually trying to write a story. I want to show one character realising that another one knows her stuff when it comes to…
j_random_hacker
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Paint brush hair identification

Years ago, when I was a schoolboy, I used this paint brush with natural hair looking bristles. It is from an Indian brand named Camlin. But these types of brushes are no longer available in the market even from the same brand. Does any one know what…
Thiagu
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Which glue should I use for fabric-shaping?

I'm after a glue to stiffen some fabric into a specific shape. I have tried a couple but they do not stiffen the fabric enough as I'm after a fairly solid finish. It needs to be reasonably resistant to UV too. I'm making a model of a paraglider and…
Rich M
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How does light affect saturation?

Based on my current knowledge, light increases the saturation of a color. If that's the case, then the form shadow of an object should have lower saturation than the part of the object hit by light (not the highlight; just the part of the object…
MeshHead
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What can I expect from a fixative?

I finished a charcoal drawing and want to paint over it with a clear coating (of acrylic gesso). For that I first used a fixative so that the drawing will not smudge when I apply gesso with a Brush. However, it seems that the fixative does not work…
Vincent.W.
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What is the best way to sew knit/stretchy fabrics?

I’ve done my research and actually tried some of them but the end results are the same: wonky. I’m using needles specifically for knit fabrics, I have used a knit foot. I have tried adjusting the tension…I have also tried placing a paper underneath…
CHANAX
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Can an oil painting be finished with wax to create a matte finish?

I've heard of paintings being finished with a thin wax coat, but I didn't know if this could be done with oil paintings specifically. If wax is not compatible with dried oil paint, what other materials could be used to create a similar, even matte…
A. Staffelbach
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Paraffin candle burnt (or rather melted) WAY too quickly?

So... I'm new to candle making; I got some paraffin (nobody here sells soy wax), molds, stearic acid and other ingredients. Today I was trying the second candle I made; it was not a small candle at all, it was about 6cm x 10cm; I used about 240…
Gregorio Litenstein
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