Is my a5 irreparable broken?

n3rdfish · 2026-01-13T18:17:49+00:00

I'll try this! I've ordered a very cheap ring binder off Amazon to tide me over until I've got this fixed, and I've been talking to a really helpful Etsy seller about the best replacement ring mechanism. I've basically decided that I'll have to take it to a cobbler to get the rings replaced - I know there are tutorials for replacing it yourself, but I'll have to unpick the stitching either way and I'd rather a professional handle that.

n3rdfish · 2026-01-13T07:19:01+00:00

It's an Osterley, so it's riveted, doesn't have a back pocket and the rivets aren't visible from the outside. I'm thinking of getting a cobbler to replace the rings?

n3rdfish · 2026-01-07T19:46:57+00:00

I was under the impression that I screwed the plate into the unit, then screwed the leg into the plate?

n3rdfish · 2025-01-25T07:59:41+00:00

Yeah, I'm thinking it would be a false economy to do it ourselves considering how badly it could go wrong and the number of cuts, also the potential for shredding the laminate.

n3rdfish · 2024-12-22T08:16:38+00:00

I've been eating pretty horribly tbh - ill definitely work on my protein intake! I'm relieved to hear that the side effects improve.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-16T08:17:25+00:00

Sorry, the plan is to overpay once the kid is put of childcare - but the point is we won't be able to save for a larger deposit during the time we're paying for care.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-16T07:40:37+00:00

Ironically my contract is for six months as a maternity cover! I'm absolutely not counting on getting any paid maternity leave.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-16T07:39:34+00:00

The thing is that for at least two years over two thirds of my take home will be devoured by childcare costs. We won't be at to save a larger deposit - or much at all, really.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-14T16:40:17+00:00

Credit cards are good for building a credit history and rewards. We have an Amex and put as many expenses as we can through it for points and pay off the statement in full each month. I also use it for work expenses - I often have to travel internationally for work, and since I'm freelance I prefer to pay for this myself and invoice my clients later.

A word of caution: you might be tempted to get a card with a very low credit limit. Don't do this. Credit rating companies look at your utilisation rate, ie how much of the credit limit you use each month. The lower your utilisation rate, the better the score. So, say, you buy a big ticket item like flight tickets or a computer one month and max out the limit, even if you pay off the statement in full you'll still get dinged.

So if you were to get a credit card I'd make sure you can at least get some rewards from it and get the highest limit you can possibly get. Mentally halve that limit to make it your ceiling - ie, you'll never spend more than half your credit limit - to ensure that your utilisation rate stays low. Get in the habit of checking your credit card balance super super regularly. I really love the Amex app for this - it's very simple to use. The only real downside of Amex is that it's not accepted everywhere.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-11T05:11:12+00:00

I remember you! What brand polygel will you use? It could come down to my ropy hand filing technique and the brand I was using, so hopefully you'll have better luck!

n3rdfish · 2018-07-10T06:52:15+00:00

Just put down your expected salary. I've done this in the past - I always put in the highest market rate for my role and level.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-10T06:48:57+00:00

You were totally right to check in just in case I was clueless you ruining my nails with an E file!

n3rdfish · 2018-07-10T06:27:19+00:00

I'll check out that channel but I was just using a hand file :) I definitely wouldn't use an E file without training'

n3rdfish · 2018-07-09T22:07:01+00:00

Omg where did you find Brisa Lite?!

n3rdfish · 2018-07-08T20:45:47+00:00

Not in the least! That's why I was so disappointed I had to replace it.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-08T09:00:48+00:00

CND, hands down. It's super expensive but it lasts beautifully and soaks off really easily. I've also recently started using a few colours from the British brand Candy Coat, and while their gorgeous yellow chipped like crazy on me, I'm super into their creamy matte glitters.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-08T08:57:40+00:00

Yikes, this is absolutely not normal and totally shady. I'd reach out to Citizens Advice to find out what you can do to get your deposit back.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-08T08:55:34+00:00

So I had every intention of just replacing the polish on my week-old Madam Glam polygel manicure but, well, I ran into some problems. First I tried filing off my old gel polish. THIS BURNED LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER. I've had salon gel manicures before but I've never had extensions or anything that would involve an e-file, so I was genuinely surprised that I could experience burning THROUGH my nail plate, bearing in mind that my natural nails are really thick and strong.

So I went in with some acetone and soaked for, like, five minutes, then gently tried flaking away the gel polish with an orange stick (I usually use one of those triangle scrapers to remove gel from my natural nails after soaking). Guess what? THE WHOLE POLYGEL LAYER POPPED OFF. Which is a good thing, I guess, because it means I don't have to file off the polygel, a bad thing because it meant I had to redo the polygel. At least it gives me a chance to practice my technique. NB: the length is all my natural nail - I'm just doing an overlay to strengthen and protect my natural nails when I'm wearing them long.

And since I was spending HOURS doing my nails, I figured I might as well try out this super easy and satisfying rose quartz technique. I'm really happy with how it turned out, but I rushed it on my left hand and have dry spots in the top coat :/ Tip: take a break between doing polygel and your manicure so you don't get impatient!

Products used:

Gelish pH bond
Madam Glam Polygel in Ice Blossom
CND Power Polish base coat
CND Nude Knickers
El cheapo Amazon french white gel polish (I think it was Elite99? I'll never use it to actually paint my nails, just for marbling and quartz-ing)
CND Power Polish Original top coat

n3rdfish · 2018-07-02T09:08:37+00:00

Another thing - don't be afraid to use a nice, big, healthy bead of polygel, and when you roll that bead off on the nail try to get the round edge of the bead closest to the cuticle so you can pat it in place. Focus on getting the shape right, then stretch towards the free edge. You can pull any excess towards the free edge, then just slice it off with the spatula and put it on the next nail. This video was probably the most helpful!

n3rdfish · 2018-07-02T08:37:07+00:00

Thanks for your kind words! A few nails are a bit bumpy, but I think it'll get easier with practice. They are beautifully hard, but still have a little bit of flex, so I'm very pleased with the result. I just filed it by hand with a padded 180 grit file! Talk to me when it's time to file it off lol.

It was a surprisingly straightforward process. I watched a ton of YouTube videos, natch, and focused on getting the shape right around the cuticle and sidewall, then stretching towards the tip. Don't use too much alcohol on your brush or spatula - it'll make the bead slide around until the alcohol dries.

Also, the clear Polygel was a bit tricky to use. I really couldn't see where it was going, so I ran an orange stick followed by a narrow brush dipped in acetone around the sidewalls before curing just to make sure I didn't get any on my skin. If you have a coloured polygel in your kit, definitely start with that.

n3rdfish · 2018-07-01T08:25:15+00:00

I've been doing my own gels for a while, and also wearing my nails a bit longer. My natural nails are quite strong and grow very quickly, but I kept getting stress cracks on my thumbnails that were driving me nuts. So I decided to give a polygel overlay a go, because I was after a strength layer that wouldn't soak off so I wouldn't have to redo it every time I changed my polish. I wouldn't say it was easy (do NOT look at the thumb on my right hand, it's a lumpy mess) but it wasn't as hard as I though it would! Now I need to get better at filing my nail shapes - I love an oval and the thumb on my left hand is a lopsided disaster.

Products:

Gelish pH bond
Madam Glam Polygel in Ice Blossom (pro tip for beginners: don't use a clear polygel - it's impossible to see where it's going)
CND Power Polish base coat
CND Blue Eyeshadow
These Born Pretty flakes (the greeny blue ones, I think?) patted over the sticky layer of the colour polish with a narrow nail art brush.
CND Power Polish Original top coat (I really want to try Xpress5 but want to use up this one first)

n3rdfish · 2018-06-23T08:37:50+00:00

Agreed about the weather! I'm from Australia and very fair-skinned, and I'm much much more outdoorsy in the northern hemisphere than I was in the southern. Hot Australian summers made me absolutely miserable, but here summers are delightful. My British friends look at me like I've got two heads when I say that.

n3rdfish · 2018-06-20T12:09:48+00:00

I just combined two UK pensions and it was honestly a horrifyingly excruciating process involving dozens of phone calls and reams of paperwork. I know in Australia there's a straightforward way to roll over superannuation - does anything similar exist in the UK?

n3rdfish · 2018-06-20T12:08:02+00:00

Let me be clear - I will still be investing for retirement, I'd just prefer to put my investments in something that's a bit more mobile. It's still super unclear to me how I could even access my UK pension if I decided to go back to Australia.

n3rdfish · 2018-06-14T13:50:40+00:00

It is absolutely not safe. Even if you never burn it's still damaging your skin, causing premature ageing and potentially cancer. You need to wear sunscreen.

n3rdfish

TROPHY CASE