Val Martin (u/val554)

Posts

val554•5h ago

Just read that 19th century binders used actual human hair in thread

I was flipping through an old trade journal from the library and saw a note about using hair from a brush or a comb for sewing signatures. It said they'd wash it, twist it, and use it like linen thread because it was strong and cheap. Has anyone here ever tried that or seen it in an old book they were fixing?

2 comments

c/drafters•

val554•1d ago

Just realized my whole layer system was a mess because of one old project file

I was trying to fix a drawing from 2018 for a client this week, and I could not find anything. The layers were named things like 'Layer1' and 'New Layer'. It was my own file. I had this moment where I saw the guy I was training looking at my screen, totally lost. That was the tip off. I was making it hard for my future self and anyone else. I spent two hours just sorting it out. Now I use a strict naming rule, like 'A-WALL-EXIST' and 'S-ELEC-POWER'. Has anyone else had to clean up their own old mess and found a system that works for you?

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Recent Comments

10h ago

Had a shellac finish turn milky on a humid day in my garage

That's actually called "blushing"... the moisture gets trapped under the finish. A hair dryer works in a pinch, but it can be risky on fresh shellac. You can heat it up too fast and cause other problems. Next time, try adding a few drops of denatured alcohol to a fresh pad and lightly go over the cloudy spot. The alcohol helps the shellac re-flow and release the moisture as it dries again.

1d ago

Choosing between a grid or dot grid for my first bullet journal

Honestly used to be a strict grid person, thought dots looked weird. Tried a dot grid last year and it totally changed my mind. The dots give just enough guide for straight lines but disappear when you're drawing or writing. For spacing, I lightly pencil in tiny marks at the top and bottom of the page before I start inking.

1d ago

Rant: My neighbor's kid asked me why concrete cracks and I had to think for a second

That's just how concrete works though.

3d ago

Veteran techs who hate digital testers are causing real problems

I just started using the new tools and showed them the faster results.

3d ago

The camp chair collapse that summed up my last project lead

Always believed the "unbreakable" hype. Your chair story is why I check reviews now.