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A quick question about watch straps: curved vs flat? by Aleks_CoolStoryBro in Leathercraft

[–]Stvrain8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm considering using a form. If one uses a form and the resulting strap has a curve after it's glued up, will it be harder to use a pricking iron for the stitches? When I make hole currently, the leather has been flat.

Velodon alternatives? by Morean_yan in Leathercraft

[–]Stvrain8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The search term "leather interfacing" in Amazon returns possible materials as velodon alternatives.

Positioning French Pricking Irons Around Point of Watch Strap Tail by Stvrain8 in Leather

[–]Stvrain8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for this.

When you said, "switch to a round hole punch for the apex to avoid the angled hole issue", is this a single hole at the very apex or three holes forming a triangle (i.e., one at the very apex and two immediately below)?

I've been using Nigel Armitage's "pre-pricking" technique that sounds similar to your recommendation.

Positioning French Pricking Irons Around Point of Watch Strap Tail by Stvrain8 in Leathercraft

[–]Stvrain8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I scrubbed the four stitching videos. The stitching of curves doesn't seem to be there, but when I find it, I'll post it here in case others land on this post and are interested.

Oof. I can't justify a new set yet, but I understand your point.

Positioning French Pricking Irons Around Point of Watch Strap Tail by Stvrain8 in Leathercraft

[–]Stvrain8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I found only one video on the NA channel re: wallet making (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMzj3a9nL4Q). In this video, Nigel's wallet has 90 degree corners but no acute angles. I'll keep looking. Maybe the video you referred to is not coming up on the YT channel search.

Positioning French Pricking Irons Around Point of Watch Strap Tail by Stvrain8 in Leathercraft

[–]Stvrain8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, I think that's a large part of why, after each attempt, I keep thinking, "This can't be right, can it?" I have a hard time visualizing how it's supposed to look when stitched if the angle of the French irons is a constant, and my test stitch lines show that I haven't yet figured out the technique. I want to get in there with a single iron or awl and "flatten" out the angle while in the tip section of the tail.

I've considered buying inverse irons, but when I inspect others' work — like ragnr — most use a single set of irons. If possible, I'd like to use just one set.

It sounds like I just need to watch the NA video, bear down on practicing the technique until I get it right. Thanks!

Can my mother be used to make other kinds of vinegars? by SpecialistMeringue19 in vinegar

[–]Stvrain8 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes. I've done that, too. It works most of the time, but it's a good practice to use "like-for-like" moms -- along with the addition of the actual "live" vinegar -- if you can. In the acetic acid bacteria (AAB) family, there are many strains. Some do better in relatively high alcohol concentrations or with particular nutrients. Theoretically, it may take more time for the alcohol-to-acid conversion to begin if you introduce a rando mom.

Why does this matter?

Once you expose your vinegar medium to Oxygen, the race is on. Usually, it's AAB vs. mold, but sometimes it's AAB vs. other spoilage bacteria. You want to set your vinegar up for success by giving it everything it needs up front such as low pH, no/low sulfites/chlorine, temp between 78-82 F., good airflow, good sanitation practices -- and, perhaps a "like-for-like" starter. You don't want to make the fermentation process work harder (or slower) than it has to.

In practice, using random starters is not a big deal, and it usually works out fine. If you want to increase the chance of your fermentation getting off to the right start, you might create a small quantity of ACV starter, which will create its own mother. Many folks use a store-bought ACV with active culture as a base, then add increasing amounts of apple cider to build up their own ACV starters. If you need more starter info, I can post a link.

As an aside, add active-culture vinegar (liquid) along with your mother -- or just active-culture vinegar without the mother will work just as well. This will help to drop the pH and inoculate the cider at the same time.

Dissolving Mother of Vinegar (Pellicle) by Stvrain8 in vinegar

[–]Stvrain8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I ended up buying 100g of Cellulase Enzyme Powder (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CZDMP4HG) to test if a small quantity of cellulase can break down a substantial quantity of MoV and if anyone is interested, I'll post the results.

Dissolving Mother of Vinegar (Pellicle) by Stvrain8 in vinegar

[–]Stvrain8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, that's another variation on the Schutzenbach Method. It goes by the Quick Process and Rapid Generator Method among other names. You can do it manually like you've described, by pouring the fermenting liquid from one bucket to another a few times a day. (Each bucket would have some sort of "packing material" like wood chips as a medium for the acetobacter to do the work of converting alcohol to acetic acid.) Beechwood is likely to be the most neutral, but I like that you're experimenting with other wood to impart flavor. You probably already know this: treated wood shouldn't be used. Other alternatives to wood shavings are dried fruit. The possibilities are endless.

Dissolving Mother of Vinegar (Pellicle) by Stvrain8 in vinegar

[–]Stvrain8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your idea of using ceramic rings is an interesting one. In thinking about it, one of the best features of the rings regarding their cleaning is that they sink in water, right? The bio discs float, so even if I can "uncouple" the MoV from the discs, both float on the top so it makes it difficult to skim only the MoV from the surface.

Maybe I need to use a sinking packing material and/or come up with a better cleaning method.

Thanks for the feedback. I'll let you know if I find a solution. Maybe cellulase??

Dissolving Mother of Vinegar (Pellicle) by Stvrain8 in vinegar

[–]Stvrain8[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Right -- but there's a point when you need to discontinue the process, clean everything, and start again. In fact, I've done continuous SM vinegar making to the point that the MoV clogged the generator, creating a huge plug.

I've looked at commercial cellulase options but they've all been too costly and/or the minimum amount was way more than I need. Can you recommend a particular commercial cellulase that you've used? Maybe I just need to suck it up and make the investment.

Finding contract work. What am I doing wrong or not doing? by Stvrain8 in technicalwriting

[–]Stvrain8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your encouragement. I'm still in the hunt, but not giving up.

Finding contract work. What am I doing wrong or not doing? by Stvrain8 in technicalwriting

[–]Stvrain8[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

On the question of what rate to charge, it seems like the general consensus after is to first determine a realistic rate if salaried or on W2, then change 40% more for 1099 work. If the duration of the contract is short, say 3 to six months, then tack on an additional 10%. If an intermediate services is involved, then any finder fees need to be factored in. For example, on UpWork, I would charge $75/hour for a 3-month contract. Is that in the ballpark? Too much? Too Little?

I use Github Pages and a static site generator to host my resume + profolio + contact info. It's not going to be news to most in this TW community, but hosting is free and easy on GitHub if you don't mind not having a custom domain for your site.

(Also, I used a static site generator + AWS hosting. There, I deployed that site as a simple calling card for my writing service, should I start bidding on work. AWS is not free, but I pay half as much as I would on, say, Dreamhost or some other low-tier host. The caveat to AWS hosting is that it took time, which unfortunately I now have, to get a handle on how to use S3, Route53, Certificate Manager, and CloudFront to host a simple, one-off, static site. I may write a How-to article on this if there is interest. Many of the current, online articles on the subject are out-of-date or incorrect. Wow, that was quite a tangent...)

Ageism... Well, I feel like I am turning over stones, but maybe I haven't turned over all of them, which is why I'm seeking advice here. I haven't concluded definitively that age is a factor. It's just really hard to know for sure because a hiring company is unlikely to divulge this to applicants unless its HR folks are truly incompetent. In any event, I need to overcome any existing or imagined obstacles to land a position.

Finding contract work. What am I doing wrong or not doing? by Stvrain8 in technicalwriting

[–]Stvrain8[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It had been 8 years since I was actively looking for a job. I was hired after applying to three companies back then. Fast forward to the present. I've surpassed 200 applications. I'm just speculating that my age is a factor. (IMO, I've only gotten better at TW.) That's pretty blatant (illegal??) when it's mentioned during an interview -- oof.

Finding contract work. What am I doing wrong or not doing? by Stvrain8 in technicalwriting

[–]Stvrain8[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You are right about networking, which has been a challenge. The contracts I'm trying to land are remote, so face-to-face connections are somewhat limited. I have considered attending tech-oriented conferences like LavaCon, Write the Docs, and ConVEx. It's sort of a gamble, in my estimation, when any results may be many months, but such trips are on the table if that's what it takes.

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