There is a huge list of things you need to do to keep your sewing machine in working order but these are the basics that you need to look out for on a daily basis. Not only will this list keep your machine working it is also important for your safety. Sewing machines are not toys. They can maim or even kill if not serviced correctly. For safety reasons we advise unplugging your machine from the mains before attempting to do any maintenance.

Removing Lint

Lint is a build up of fluff from using thread. Although it looks harmless enough it builds up in hard to reach areas and clogs up the mechanism of your sewing machine.

Open up any casings you can on your machine and clean the lint out with a small brush. You will generally find a build up near the bobbin case. Don't use a vacuum cleaner. It has too harsh a suck and can remove small parts and oil.

Try to clean the lint from your sewing machine every time you have finished a project. That way your machine will always be ready for use.

Sewing Machine Oil

Use proper oil! Don't use the stuff you put in your car engine because it won't penetrate the moving parts properly. Proper sewing machine oil is clear and you may have had some included with the purchase of your machine. If not you can buy it quite easily as most sewing shops. Refer to your owners manual for the areas that need regular oiling. Some machines have these areas marked but check your manual anyway.

After oiling run a few stitches over some scrap fabric. This allows any excess oil to escape onto the scrap piece and not on your new sewing project.

Oiling your machine properly stops wear and tear and keeps everything working smoothly. It also prevents rust which can form on surface areas. Rust doesn't only stain your fabrics it gets into the mechanism of your sewing machine and grinds away at the moving parts.

Loose Screws

As you oil your machine check for any screws that may have become loose and tighten them as necessary. Some may require a hex key to tighten so it maybe worth getting hold of a set if you can.

If you find a missing screw don't use the machine until it has been replaced. A missing screw can cause huge damage to your machine particularly if it's part of the timing mechanism.

Electrics

Look out for wires that have split or where the outer PVC covering is becoming worn. This won't usually be a problem on the inside workings of the sewing machine as those wires are generally fixed and don't move.

The most common fault is with the cable on the pedal. Make sure it's not being stretched when in use. Make sure the outer PVC of the cable is not split and showing the copper inner cores.

Check the plug where it fits into your machine. With a lot of use these can wear and become sloppy causing your machine to short out at the most inconvenient of moments.

If you find any electrical faults I would advise taking your machine to a competent electrician or servicing agent as you cannot be too careful when it comes to electricity.

To Conclude

As I said in the beginning these are only the basics of sewing machine maintenance. Later I will go into more detailed servicing but if you follow the simple steps often you will spend less time having your sewing machine repaired and keep your machine in good working order.

For more tips on keeping your sewing machine in good order checkout our site:
Sewing Machine Repairs

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_F

This is the third in a series of articles about dyeing wool using liquid dyestock, percentage-based formulas, and the three primaries. As mentioned before, when I first began wool crafting, I decided to to try dyeing my own wool to save on money and time shopping. I didn't see a lot of selection online (the web was relatively new) and Dorr Mill, while blessedly nearby, was still an hour away. I knew that I wanted a large selection of colors to use for projects, and I knew this could get prohibitively expensive. The purist in me had already decided to use only primary colors for dyeing, rather than listening to the reasonable side of me that said to use all the lovely pre-formulated colors available. Using those colors would have been easy -- I could just go envelope-by-envelope and try them all. But I found the color selection somewhat limiting (not that it really is, mind you, but when your greedy heart wants every color of the rainbow, it feels a little binding). Despite all of this initial thinking, when my first shipment of dyes, wool and equipment arrived in the mail, I stood there scratching my head, wondering where on earth to begin. I wanted to experiment with many colors from all over the color wheel, but I could see no clear and organized path in front of me using primaries, which was unsettling, given the magnitude of the Grand Plan I had laid out for myself. How would I make deep pumpkin orange, or a soft, wheat yellow, or the palest grey green? I had no clue how to formulate those colors, and I didn't like the idea of hit and miss -- I could see wasting a lot of time and money that way, and I didn't have much of either at the time.

So I revisited the article by Linda Knutson in a very old issue of 'Threads' magazine that had already guided my decision-making to that point. I remember reading the article, when all the light bulbs in my head started to flicker on. I made a spreadsheet on the computer of all the possible combinations of red, blue and yellow, in 5% incremental changes, using only two of the three colors for any formula. For instance, I started with 100% red, and the next formula was 95% red and 5% yellow, then 90% red and 10% yellow and followed this pattern down to 0% red and 100% yellow. Then I repeated this, starting with 100% yellow and the remainder blue, then 100% blue and the remainder red. This approach was easy to understand, and it thoroughly and systematically covered all colors around the outside of the color wheel, producing a lovely collection of vibrant colors. Many were near-duplicates, so I culled through them, choosing colors that produced a nice, even progression all the way around the wheel. It was exhilarating to have a start, something to branch out from.

Below is what a chart of two-color formulas looks like, with a numbering system that shows how much of the "main primary" is in the formula. It is essential to use some kind of numbering system if you plan to do quantity trialing of colors -- you must label each piece with permanent marker before you dye it, so that you can keep track of the formula for each piece. If your attention span is like mine, you will forget what you did five minutes ago, or less than that, if the phone rings.

Notice that I use the initials 'R, Y and B' (red, yellow, blue), rather than M, Y, C (magenta, yellow, cyan) only because this is how I have always thought of the primaries, so it is familiar. Also notice that no matter what the formula is, the chart is in the same order -- R-Y-B -- because I have learned from unhappy experience that keeping all the labeling and dyeing in the same order all the time prevents mistakes, like putting 75% blue into the pot, when it should have been 75% red, if I'm lazy about charting the colors. You may choose a different way of organizing formulas, but this is one option that I have found to be logical and easy to work with.

-----------R----Y----B---------------R-----Y-----B----------------R-----Y-----B
R-100 - 100 - 0 --- 0 ---- Y-100 - 0 --100 --- 0 ----- B-100 -- 0 --- 0 - 100
R-95 -- 95 ---- 5 -- 0 ---- Y-95 -- 0 -- 95 ---- 5 ----- B-95 --- 0 --- 5 -- 95
R-90 -- 90 -- 10 -- 0 ----- Y-90 -- 0 -- 90 -- 10 ----- B-90 --- 0 -- 10 -- 90
R-85 -- 85 -- 15 -- 0 ----- Y-85 -- 0 -- 85 -- 15 ----- B-85 --- 0 -- 15 -- 85
R-80 -- 80 -- 20 -- 0 ----- Y-80 -- 0 -- 80 -- 20 ----- B-80 --- 0 -- 20 -- 80
R-75 -- 75 -- 25 -- 0 ----- Y-75 -- 0 -- 75 -- 25 ----- B-75 --- 0 -- 25 -- 75
R-70 -- 70 -- 30 -- 0 ----- Y-70 -- 0 -- 70 -- 30 ----- B-70 --- 0 -- 30 -- 70
R-65 -- 65 -- 35 -- 0 ----- Y-65 -- 0 -- 65 -- 35 ----- B-65 --- 0 -- 35 -- 65
R-60 -- 60 -- 40 -- 0 ----- Y-60 -- 0 -- 60 -- 40 ----- B-60 --- 0 -- 40 -- 60
R-55 -- 55 -- 45 -- 0 ----- Y-55 -- 0 -- 55 -- 45 ----- B-55 --- 0 -- 45 -- 55
R-50 -- 50 -- 50 -- 0 ----- Y-50 -- 0 -- 50 -- 50 ----- B-50 --- 0 -- 50 -- 50
R-45 -- 45 -- 55 -- 0 ----- Y-45 -- 0 -- 45 -- 55 ----- B-45 --- 0 -- 55 -- 45
R-40 -- 40 -- 60 -- 0 ----- Y-40 -- 0 -- 40 -- 60 ----- B-40 --- 0 -- 60 -- 40
R-35 -- 35 -- 65 -- 0 ----- Y-35 -- 0 -- 35 -- 65 ----- B-35 --- 0 -- 65 -- 35
R-30 -- 30 -- 70 -- 0 ----- Y-30 -- 0 -- 30 -- 70 ----- B-30 --- 0 -- 70 -- 30
R-25 -- 25 -- 75 -- 0 ----- Y-25 -- 0 -- 25 -- 75 ----- B-25 --- 0 -- 75 -- 25
R-20 -- 20 -- 80 -- 0 ----- Y-20 -- 0 -- 20 -- 80 ----- B-20 --- 0 -- 80 -- 20
R-15 -- 15 -- 85 -- 0 ----- Y-15 -- 0 -- 15 -- 85 ----- B-15 --- 0 -- 85 -- 15
R-10 -- 10 -- 90 -- 0 ----- Y-10 -- 0 -- 10 -- 90 ----- B-10 --- 0 -- 90 -- 10
R- 5 ---- 5 -- 95 -- 0 ----- Y- 5 --- 0 --- 5 -- 95 ----- B- 5 ---- 0 -- 95 --- 5

So I dyed these 60 formulas to a medium value, dyeing six 4-gram squares at a time, one in each of six beakers held in a dry casserole and placed in the microwave. (More on the detail of this method in the next article.) This took several days, mostly because of mistakes I made in basic technique. Once I got into the groove, things moved along more quickly, and later I could do this many colors in one day.

This exercise completed, it was time to venture deeper into the color wheel, by adding the third primary to the formulas. I knew this would increase the number of possible formulas exponentially, forcing me to think three-dimensionally. (I hate that.) So I had to figure out an organized way to approach it, and I ruminated for some time. Finally, my "Eureka!" moment came one day at my son's basketball game, and I wrote down my plan on a scrap of paper with a pencil stolen from a student sitting next to me. I started with 90% magenta this time (since I already had 100% red), adding 2.5% blue and 7.5% yellow. Next, I used 90% red, 5% blue and 5% yellow, and finally 90% red, 7.5% blue and 2.5% yellow. Then I followed the same pattern, using 80% red with all possible combinations of blue and yellow in 5% increments (I could use larger incremental changes with 20% of the formula to use, vs. only 10% of the formula, when the red contributed 90%). And I speculated that, in general, there would not be a discernible difference in color with a 2.5% change in formula. I repeated the process down to using 50% red and all the combinations of the other two colors. Then I followed this same pattern using blue, and then yellow, as the main primary.

Below is a chart showing how this looks for red formulas, with a numbering system that you could use, that indicates in shorthand the name and quantity of the main primary for the formula, and how much blue is also in the formula. (When blue is the main primary, you could use numbers that indicate how much yellow is in the formula.) If you know how much of two colors are in the formula, then it is easy to figure out the rest. This may seem like overkill, but it comes in very handy when you have about 200 squares spread out all over the living room floor, and you wonder which formula you used for a particular piece, as compared to the piece next to it. For serious color study, having a code like this written on each piece is very useful.

------------R------Y------B------------------R-----Y-----B-------------------R-----Y-----B
R-9-2 --- 90 --- 7.5-- 2.5 ----- Y-9-2 --- 7.5 -- 90 -- 2.5 --- B-9-2 -- 7.5 -- 2.5 -- 90
R-9-5 --- 90 --- 5 ---- 5 ------- Y-9-5 ---- 5 --- 90 --- 5 ---- B-9-5 ---- 5 --- 5 --- 90
R-9-7 --- 90 ---2.5 -- 7.5 ----- Y-9-7 ----2.5 -- 90 -- 7.5 --- B-9-7 --- 2.5 -- 7.5 --90
R-8-5 --- 80 -- 15 ---- 5 ------ Y-8- 5 --- 15 -- 80 --- 5 ----- B-8- 5 --- 15 --- 5 -- 80
R-8-10 -- 80 -- 10 -- 10 ------ Y-8-10 --- 10 -- 80 -- 10 ---- B-8-10 -- 10 -- 10 -- 80
R-8-15 -- 80 --- 5 -- 15 ------ Y-8- 15 --- 5 -- 80 -- 15 ----- B-8-15 --- 5 ---10 -- 80
R-7- 5 --- 70 -- 25 --- 5 ------ Y-7- 5 --- 25 -- 70 --- 5 ----- B-7- 5 --- 25 --- 5 -- 70
R-7-10 -- 70 -- 20 -- 10 ------ Y-7-10 -- 20 -- 70 ---10 ----- B-7-10 -- 20 -- 10 -- 70
R-7-15 -- 70 -- 15 -- 15 ------ Y-7-15 -- 15 -- 70 -- 15 ----- B-7-15 -- 15 -- 15 -- 70
R-7-20 -- 70 -- 10 -- 20 ------ Y-7-20 -- 10 -- 70 -- 20 ----- B-7-20 -- 10 -- 20 -- 70
R-7-25 -- 70 --- 5 -- 25 ------ Y-7-25 ---- 5 -- 70 -- 25 ----- B-7-25 --- 5 -- 25 -- 70
R-6- 5 --- 60 -- 35 --- 5 ------ Y-6- 5 --- 35 -- 60 --- 5 ----- B-6- 5 --- 35 --- 5 -- 60
R-6-10 -- 60 -- 30 -- 10 ------ Y-6-10 -- 30 -- 60 -- 10 ----- B-6-10 -- 30 -- 10 -- 60
R-6-15 -- 60 -- 25 -- 15 ------ Y-6-15 -- 25 -- 60 -- 15 ----- B-6-15 -- 25 -- 15 -- 60
R-6-20 -- 60 -- 20 -- 20------- Y-6-20 -- 20 -- 60 -- 20 ----- B-6-20 -- 20 -- 20 -- 60
R-6-25 -- 60 -- 15 -- 25 ------ Y-6-25 -- 15 -- 60 -- 25 ----- B-6-25 -- 15 -- 25 -- 60
R-6-30 -- 60 -- 10 -- 30 ------ Y-6-30 -- 10 -- 60 -- 30 ----- B-6-30 -- 10 -- 30 -- 60
R-6-35 -- 60 --- 5 -- 35 ------ Y-6-35 ---- 5 -- 60 -- 35 ----- B-6-35 --- 5 -- 35 -- 60
R-5- 5 --- 50 -- 45 --- 5 ------ Y-5- 5 --- 45 -- 50 --- 5 ----- B-5- 5 --- 45 --- 5 -- 50
R-5-10 -- 50 -- 40 -- 10 ------ Y-5-10 -- 40 -- 50 -- 10 ----- B-5-10 -- 40 -- 10 -- 50
R-5-15 -- 50 -- 35 -- 15 ------ Y-5-15 -- 35 -- 50 -- 15 ----- B-5-15 -- 35 -- 15 -- 50
R-5-20 -- 50 -- 30 -- 20 ------ Y-5-20 -- 30 -- 50 -- 20 ----- B-5-20 -- 30 -- 20 -- 50
R-5-25 -- 50 -- 25 -- 25 ------ Y-5-25 -- 25 -- 50 -- 25 ----- B-5-25 -- 25 -- 25 -- 50
R-5-30 -- 50 -- 20 -- 30 ------ Y-5-30 -- 20 -- 50 -- 30 ----- B-5-30 -- 20 -- 30 -- 50
R-5-35 -- 50 -- 15 -- 35 ------ Y-5-35 -- 15 -- 50 -- 35 ----- B-5-35 -- 15 -- 35 -- 50
R-5-40 -- 50 -- 10 -- 40 ------ Y-5-40 -- 10 -- 50 -- 40 ----- B-5-40 -- 10 -- 40 -- 50
R-5-45 -- 50 --- 5 -- 45 ------ Y-5-45 ---- 5 -- 50 -- 45 ----- B-5-45 --- 5 -- 45 -- 50

You may wonder why we stop at 50% for each main primary. Any formula that contains 50% of any one color will also contain the other two colors in increments of 10%, 20% 30% and 40%. So those increments were already covered in the existing charts, in fact the only formulas not covered by the charts above were those where no primary contributed more than 40% to the formula. So I worked up formulas for these nine colors, which of course, are mostly grey, listed below. You can see that there is no color above 40% or below 20% in any formula. Formulas with 10-15% of one of the primaries will be more like a dull secondary color, and probably very near one that has already been produced. Only when there is at least 20% of all the primaries in the formula do you start to see greys, near-greys, and browns. Notice that you don't need to repeat the process using yellow and blue as the main primary -- this will duplicate formulas. The combinations below are the only ones needed to finish sampling. You may want to explore using each main primary at 45% and 35%, as well -- this will create some discernibly different shades, especially when yellow is the main primary, because it is so easily altered by small changes in the other two primaries. But if your color needs are simple, the formulas below may be enough.

R-----Y-----B
40---40---20
40---35---25
40---30---30
40---25---35
40---20---40
30---40---30
30---35---35
30---30---40
20---40---40

You may also wonder why I jump 10% with each main primary, while using 5% increments for the other two colors. I realized that by using 5% incremental changes for the main primary, it would greatly multiply the amount of colors to trial! Also, jumping 10% each time with the main primary makes it possible to keep the percentages of the other two colors in round numbers. And I didn't think that using smaller increments of the main primary would produce colors that were discernibly different, for all the extra work, and I have found this to be generally true. I experimented with formulas in between some of the colors and found a few that were new, but in general the colors in between were only marginally different. I also tweaked a few formulas to split the difference more evenly between the two colors on either side. Ultimately, I created about 165 "master colors".

In this manner, I sampled the entire range of colors that could be made using the three primaries, resulting in a wonderful collection of color from every part of the color wheel. Naturally, once I had a lovely universe of colors, I felt it absolutely mandatory to explore the values of light and dark for these colors (an announcement that caused a lot more spousal eye-rolling and sighs from the rest of the tribe, who wanted dinner in the pot, not wool). Mentally, I multiplied 165 times 6 or 7 values for each, and felt completely overwhelmed by the number that resulted. But, as you can see, I never do anything small. So I took a big breath, apologized to my entire family, and plunged in.

Before continuing, let's return to the concept of the '1% dyestock solution', which, as you may recall from the first article, is 1 part dye powder and 99 parts water. Also remember that 1 ml of liquid weighs 1 gram, making it possible to compare liquid and dry measurements equally, using metric.

It is known that doubling the amount of dye with each darker value will provide a nice progression of a color from pale to dark, in 6 to 8 jumps -- this is the principle at work when using the jar method. I knew this would be the case before I started, so for me the only real question was where to begin to create a pale shade, and then see where doubling would take the color from there. So I experimented until I found a good progression of values, and it is listed below. There are, of course lighter and darker values than these, but these meet my needs.

The lightest value I generally produce (a pastel that I refer to as Level 1) uses a 5% "saturation" of dyestock, meaning that for a 4-gram piece of wool, (the size of the samples for all my trials) I use 5% of that amount in dyestock, which is.2 ml, to achieve a pastel value. (Multiply 4 times 5%, or.05, and you'll see that the answer is.2. Remember again that the ml measure of the dyestock and the gram weight of the wool can be related on equal terms to each other.) A 10% saturation, or.4 ml, produces Level 2, and so on.

Here are what the numbers look like on a 4 gram piece of wool:

Level - 1 Pastel---------5% saturation --.2 ml dyestock
Level - 2 Med Pastel--10% saturation --.4 ml dyestock
Level - 3 Light---------20% saturation --.8 ml dyestock
Level - 4 Light Med----40% saturation -- 1.6 ml dyestock
Level - 5 Medium------80% saturation -- 3.2 ml dyestock
Level - 6 Dark Med---160% saturation -- 6.4 ml dyestock
Level - 7 Dark---------240% saturation -- 9.6 ml dyestock

I found that most colors follow a predictable pattern, value-wise. However, when moving around the color wheel towards yellow, about 2/3 of the way through the greens and the oranges, the amount of dye must be increased to keep the values about the same, visually, as more yellow is added to each formula. Here are the numbers for making similar values in yellow shades on 4 grams of wool:

Level - 1 Pastel--------7.5% saturation --.3 ml dyestock
Level - 2 Med Pastel--15% saturation --.6 ml dyestock
Level - 3 Light---------25% saturation -- 1 ml dyestock
Level - 4 Light Med----50% saturation -- 2 ml dyestock
Level - 5 Medium-----100% saturation -- 4 ml dyestock
Level - 6 Dark Med---200% saturation -- 8 ml dyestock
Level - 7 Dark--------300% saturation -- 12 ml dyestock

There are couple of exceptions to these numbers in the brighter red and blue families. Some of these pastels run a little dark using a 5% saturation, and for a few of those I start with 3%. You may find your own preferences, but this is a good starting point. When I am working up these values on wool samples, I don't label them -- the values are obvious when they come out of the pot. I dry them, stack them together, and place a folded piece of card stock around them, which contains the formula number, percentages in the formula, and the saturations used for each level.

On the very first day of my Grand Plan, I imagined dyeing perhaps 300 colors, total. Today, I have close to 1,200 in an inventory that I offer for sale, and I have near-future plans for adding at least 70-80 more, plus many more specialized colors in the future. It was quite a process to organize all of this, and I couldn't be happier with the collection -- there is not one color I don't love!

I know that this is a different way of approaching color, and I hope it helps you, should you take on your own Grand Plan, or even if you just want to do some dabbling.

Copyright Susan Sylvia 2010

Susan Sylvia has ten years of experience in wool dyeing, using the methods in her articles. She is the owner (and chief pot washer) of Ram in the Thicket, an online store dedicated to the art of hand dyeing wool. She thanks you for your interest, and invites you to see the results of her many color trials using metric measurements, standardized formulas, liquid dyestock, and the three primaries by clicking below:

Rug hooking wool.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Susan_Sylvia

Whether you are in the winter of your life or whether the time of year is winter where you live, working on crafts can really liven up the days! Crafts don't have to be messy or expensive, but they have to be something you are interested in. What's fun about working on crafts is that you can throw away your mistakes. In time, most people who habitually work on crafts have to give them away or sell them; otherwise, they won't have the space to store them.

Personally, I don't recommend storing completed craft projects. Due to evolving trends in home décor, I have found that craft items can quickly become out-dated too. Instead, give them away and try to find good homes for your crafts. You know how some people try to find good homes for their pets? Do not some people diligently try to make sure that the caretakers and the pets are well-suited for each other prior to handing over their pets? Well, the same is holds true for crafts. Don't give your crafts away to people who will be unappreciative or who will store them for you. When giving your crafts away, be mindful of the home decor and settings of which your crafts will be placed. Give them to those who would like them for sentimental reasons if for nothing else. You should even consider donating them to care facilities for terminally ill children or senior citizens.

Don't ever forget, if you give your artwork to someone―it's theirs to choose what to do with it―in spite of what you have into it. Let it go! Move on to your next piece and have fun crafting!

(revised 2/12/2006)

Debbie Jensen, Graphic Designer and Photographer http://www.debjensendesigns.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debbie_Jensen

People in nearly every generation love Elvis and they like to show this appreciation with crafts. There are certain things that make Elvis special. He was a hit in his own time and he continues to be a hit well after his death. You can use these crafts for many different reasons. If you are a particularly large Elvis fan, then you may want to decorate a room in your house with these crafts. Or, you could celebrate either your own birthday, or Elvis's birthday with these crafts as well.

The biggest Elvis craft is the velvet Elvis. This is a painting of Elvis made on black velvet. You can do this yourself fairly easily if you have some proficiency in painting. Even if you do, this can be a really fun activity to do that can really get your creative juices flowing. Find a picture of Elvis's face that you really like, and then paint that image onto the velvet. You can then hang this up in your home's regular décor, or you could use it as a focal point for a party. What you choose is completely up to you.

Elvis crafts are great because you can really show your appreciation for your favorite entertainer. These crafts are easy to do so that you can have fun with the making of them as well. Don't be afraid to use your imagination while making crafts related to Elvis. You could use his music and his movies for inspiration while you create.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Elvis party supplies and fun Elvis party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Elvis Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino

Many hobbies involve building, carving, or wood burning which require speciality woods. These hobby and craft woods are available for just about any purpose. Hobbyists may choose from balsa, basswood, plywood, walnut, cherry, maple, among others for their project needs. Sheets or strips of these fine woods are available in thicknesses from 1/32 " to one inch, and in widths from 1/16 through six inches. You may purchase either sheets or strips.

Balsa is the most versatile of the hobby woods. Native to South America, these sixty foot trees are grown on large plantations. The wood is lightweight and strong. South Americans have been using balsa for boat and raft building since antiquity. Anyone who can recall Thor Heyerdahl's Kon Tiki adventures will know of his successful attempt to reach the Polynesian Islands from South America on a balsa raft.

Balsa's fine grain combined with its strength and light weight have made it valuable for a great number of uses. Its heat retention ability has made it useful for insulating refrigerator and ship holds. It is used in aircraft to reduce vibration. Surfboards and life preservers have also been manufactured from balsa wood.

Crafters and hobbyists will find balsa very easy to cut and carve, making it ideal for a multitude of projects. It can also be painted or stained any color the hobbyist desires. Its greatest value for hobbyists is undoubtedly in the construction of model airplanes. Free flight , control line, and radio control aircraft are all made primarily from balsa wood. Other uses for this versatile wood include model boat building and dollhouse construction, as well as many other craft projects. Model railroaders can use balsa for scratch-building houses and other structures, bridges, and structural support for scenery.

Basswood, or linden, is another wood crafters and hobbyists find very useful. This North American wood is grown primarily in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. Heavier than balsa, it shares many of it's characteristics - close-grained, strong, and lightweight. Basswood's hobby uses mirror those of balsa, but its heavier weight limits its use in building model airplanes. Because it carves easily, it is the premier choice for both beginning and advanced woodcarvers. Novice wood burners will also find basswood friendly, as it burns well. Like balsa, it is available in strips and sheets. Additionally, specialty shapes for dollhouse building include molding, siding, and roof shingles.

Special project needs may require the use of hobby plywood. This extremely high quality plywood ranges in thickness from paper thin 1/32 of an inch to 1/4 inch. Birch is the wood used, so it can take any stain desired. It is very durable and suitable for many uses.

Other woods are available for specialized hobby projects, including walnut, maple, cherry, and mahogany. Twenty four inch lengths include both strips and sheets. The maximum width for sheets is four inches.

Basswood and balsa are the most commonly available hobby/craft woods. Other types may need to be special ordered from your local craft or hobby shop. Check out the selection today for all your project needs.

Have you ever watched a metal craftsman in action such as a Blacksmith at a country fair... most people watch in awe as the Blacksmith carefully heats a piece of iron in a charcoal forge before placing it on the anvil and then proceed to hammer it into all kinds of unique shapes, it all looks pretty simple doesn't it...and the Blacksmith would probably tell you that it's not that difficult to hammer & shape things from red hot metal simply because it is quite fluid.

He's right you know, generally all it takes to work with metal is a small amount of knowledge & instruction, and some solid practice, and before too long even a novice will be producing good quality metal craft items.

But there is a lot more to metal craft than just blacksmith work.

While you can't deny that blacksmithing is a lot of fun, and a skilful worker can make many practical and ornamental items. With a little practice you could also produce beautiful iron work, simply by using basic skills & equipment.

In the early days the blacksmith was one of the most sought after "skilled" workers in the village.

But you know, you can take the art of blacksmithing another step. You could use the forge to melt metals.

What if you created a small charcoal fired furnace using your existing forge, it wouldn't take much work to build up a simple circle of bricks on the forge hearth to form a deep bed of charcoal so that you could produce a bed of red-hot glowing coals which will produce a large amount of heat. Enough to heat and melt aluminium... maybe even bronze.

Of course a crucible is required to place the scrap metal or ingots in for melting purposes,and the crucible needs to be buried in the bed of coals so the heat of the charcoal will do its work for you.

All you need to do now is to apply a gentle blast of air from the forge bellows to begin building the heat in the charcoal, and the crucible with the scrap aluminium, or home made ingots will quickly melt in the crucible.

Most hobby workers use a small electric motor attached to a blower to produce the correct amount of air blast, but for the moment, the manual operation of the forge bellows will suffice.

High quality hardwood grade charcoal will produce a high amount of heat, in fact you'll notice with the added heat the alloy ingots will soon start to melt, and once that happens the pool of metal in the bottom of the crucible rapidly promotes the total melt.

Once the metal has all melted, it is ready to pour into a sand mould. The idea is to prepare your sand moulds well before the metal has melted, so that everything is set up and ready to go. Once the methods & techniques are learnt, the whole process is quite easy and straight forward.

Any practical minded person could do it.

We have many people visit our web site: www.myhomefoundry.com looking for information about metal casting... lots of people around the globe are involved in metal casting, it can become quite addictive which is not surprising, when you realize all of the things that you can make.

For the home engineer, inventor & project builder, hobby metal casting could be just the thing, if you want to create your own special castings at almost zero cost, i.e. once your mini foundry is established.

If you take your time to build all of your equipment properly, it should last you for many years.

To find out more about hobby metal casting and how you can employ the methods & techniques to build & create your unique projects, visit our web site to download a free ebook to begin your understanding of this intriguing metal craft.

Are you going to a Christmas party? Do you need a novel fashion accessory to complete you outfit? This sparkly tinsel accessory costs a snip to make and can be worn as a hat or a wig. It can be made with as many or as few colours as you wish, so that it will suit any Christmas outfit. If you don’t fancy the full version, make a smaller version and wear it as a hair accessory - Put your hair into a 'bun' style and then cover it with your tinsel hair accessory, very cute for younger disco divas.

To make a tinsel hat/wig all you need is... Some tinsel in whatever colour your choose, 4M is more than ample. A stocking or a tight leg and a needle and thread.

Start off by cutting the toe from the stocking and disregarding it. Pull the leg part of the stocking over your head so that it sits comfortably in place. The finished hat/wig will end up being a little smaller, pull down the stocking an extra few centimetres, maybe so that it covers your eyebrows.

With the stocking still on your head (You don’t look silly at all Ho Ho Ho!) Tie a knot in the surplus stocking hanging at the top of your head. Make the knot small, neat and tight and very close to your head, mid your hair though. This is the base of your hat/wig.

Pull the stocking over a football. This keeps the stocking taught, as it would be on your head.

Starting at the knot, stitch and secure a length of tinsel to the stocking. Working in circles around the knot, tack the tinsel to the stocking. The stitches can be roughly 3 to 4 CMS apart. If the hat/wig is to be one colour, continue working round in circles until the stocking is covered.

For two colours, join the second length of tinsel next to the first and take it in turns with the colours to make circles. The tinsel will spiral down the stocking. Continue in this way until the stocking is covered in tinsel.

Did you know that in the old days wigs were not just worn as a fashion accessory but they also hid skin diseases and head lice - Yew!