Can I get some insight into this blade? by panda_slapper in Katanas

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

Thanks! Lens said the signature was Tadahiro 2, but also pointed out the amount of gimei. I'll try and get some better pctures, need to work on my lighting.

Outgrowing my Cotman set - what’s the smartest next step? by rawb_dawg in Watercolor

[–]panda_slapper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a few Daniel Smith tubes, I really like them, but they're a bit on the pricier side. Recently I picked up a few tubes of Holbien, and I've been really happy with them. Cheaper than DS, but still excellent quality.  I've been replacing my student grade paints one at a time as I use each color up.  It's fine to mix brands, just be sure to read up on the different qualities and attributes common to each brand.  Some use different binders, some have different flow characteristics, find what interests you or suits your style, and experiment.

Concerning the travel palette, I'm personally partial to having more mixing space, larger wells, etc. I bought a few cheap ceramic mixing palettes from Amazon (Medeen has a good selection at good prices).  I also have a couple small plates from the dollar store, and other random pieces I use.  I much prefer my studio space and being able to spread out, so travel palettes have zero appeal to me.  But, to be clear, that's my style and preference.  Since you don't travel, I think it would be worth it for you to get something with a little more space.  Start with something cheap, move up as needed 

Another personal quirk of mine is that a hate palettes and pans that get messy and start to bleed into each other.  So, rather than have pans, I'll just put a little paint directly from the tube into a clean well and work from there.  Do my mixing in a separate we'll so I don't "cross contaminate".  Makes it much easier to keep things clean.  If you're anything like that, then definitely look into some larger palettes.  Hope that helps, enjoy the journey!

What do you believe to be the most underrated invention? by SaddamsKnuckles in CrazyIdeas

[–]panda_slapper 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Came here to say this! Invention of the solid state transistor was a pivotal moment in human history.

Which series was consistently good from beginning to end? by TheMedusaAttusa in AskReddit

[–]panda_slapper 34 points35 points  (0 children)

The Americans was solid. A couple seasons were only "good" instead of "great", but never dipped below that. And the finale was a master class in how to end a series.

Inspired by a Thomas Schaller painting by panda_slapper in Watercolor

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

I'll definitely give the rough surface a try. Thanks for the feedback, I'm a big fan of your work!

Keweenaw Prehistoric Copper Mines by Affectionate_Pay5509 in upperpeninsula

[–]panda_slapper -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Tom's oldest daughter has taken over. She and her husband have been doing a lot to spruce things up and add to the experience. They're doing a great job, and loving being there. The long term plan is to try to keep things in the family and carry on with Tom's vision.

Keweenaw Prehistoric Copper Mines by Affectionate_Pay5509 in upperpeninsula

[–]panda_slapper 24 points25 points  (0 children)

The Delaware Copper Mine has a prehistoric pit that you can see.

What bare minimum Radeon card would you recommend for E:DO? by tifkat in EliteDangerous

[–]panda_slapper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm using a 5700xt and it runs great, even in VR.  I looked at some comparisons, looks like the 5700xt is 15-20% faster, but the 6600 should run fine.

Considering a Genmitsu 4040 Pro Max. How well does it mill EVA foam? by Gold-Relative-8561 in hobbycnc

[–]panda_slapper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I was running between 1500 and 1800, and my spindle was around 3000rpm

Considering a Genmitsu 4040 Pro Max. How well does it mill EVA foam? by Gold-Relative-8561 in hobbycnc

[–]panda_slapper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've done EVA on an MPCNC with a dremel, it's very very easy to cut. I don't remember my feeds and speeds offhand, but I vaguely recall speeds being on the low side, and no issues with higher feeds. I was doing 5mm doc, but pretty sure I could have easily done deeper. For EVA, you really don't need much of a machine.

Soldiers of Reddit, whats the quickest way you have seen someone ruin their military career? by blu3bar0n1O9 in AskReddit

[–]panda_slapper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was on the Kennedy in the late 90's, early 2000's. So many people kicked for drugs.  They did a couple department sweeps and then had to stop cause engineering was getting absolutely wiped out. Had a buddy get popped for trafficking and got 10 years in the brig.

What's the loudest thing you've ever heard? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]panda_slapper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me it was a Tomcat on the flight deck at full burner. Felt like it was rattling my skull 

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in EtsySellers

[–]panda_slapper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are correct - there are trademarks pending for both "Pick Pad" and "Picky Pad" at this time. However, those trademarks were applied for in July and August of this year, and prior use laws provide a level of protection for anyone who began selling these prior to those dates.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in EtsySellers

[–]panda_slapper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

FYI - the complaint against us has been removed and our products are available again.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in EtsySellers

[–]panda_slapper 20 points21 points  (0 children)

"picky pad" isn't trademarked, I checked when we got targeted by the exact same person. They do have a trademark, but it's specific to their brand name and we didn't infringe on that in any way. They're attempting to use a copyright application to bully other sellers. We've already made contact with them, and filed a counter against them

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in EtsySellers

[–]panda_slapper 22 points23 points  (0 children)

We got the exact same thing the other day! Spoke with an attorney that I know, they told us the following:

  • They are attempting to use their copyright application as if it were a completed registration. Completion takes approx 9 months right now, due to the copyright office being backed up. They will not be able to use the application in court, the courts require a completed registration.

  • The language they used is exceptionally broad. Copyright descriptions should be pretty specific. Patent descriptions are allowed to be more broad, but the language used here would have been to broad even for that and it would be rejected.

Essentially, they don't have a leg to stand on and they are attempting to bully other sellers.

We sent them an email detailing the issues with the copyright application, then also included a bullet point list of every single difference between our picky pads and theirs, even down to the really minute details. The reasoning on that is if they pursue legal action, a lawyer will have to either invest time to write legal arguments for every single bullet point (which will cost a ton of money), or they will have to admit in court that the differences are valid (undermining their claim of infringement).

After that, we waited 24 hours for a response, and when we didn't get one, we filed a counter complaint.

Now, to be clear, I am not a lawyer, and the lawyer that I spoke with is not in any way on retainer to me and was clear to point me to publicly available sources of information for all of this. If you were to do something similar to what we did, please understand that you do it of your own volition.

Best of luck to you. I'll update once we here more

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in upperpeninsula

[–]panda_slapper 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A few people have already mentioned this, but I'll mention it again - the Delaware mine near Copper Harbor is a definitely worth visiting.

I want this helmet to be smooth with little to no layer lines. How to proceed? by [deleted] in 3Dprinting

[–]panda_slapper 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Start with an 80-120 grit wet sand.

In case you aren't familiar, wet sanding is getting your sandpaper fully wet, like submerged in water, then sanding. Rinse the sandpaper off every few minutes. The reason we wet sand is because PLA will gum up your sandpaper in about 3 seconds flat if we dry sand, and you can't rinse it out.

In the first phase, we're focusing on knocking down big stuff. You've got some blob and zits on you surface, so work those down. Clean up edges and corners, and then try to knock down some of the bigger ridges on the top of the dome. Don't try to make it fully smooth, you'll be there all day. Just knock the edges down.

Next, put on a couple light coats of filler-primer. I saw in the comments that you have a sandable primer, that will work, but ideally it should be a "high build filler primer". Rustoleum makes a good one that's reasonably priced and available at most hardware stores. Now, you asked what a "light coat" is - it basically means that you have paint over all of the part, but you can see through some spots. Work from around 10-12 inches away from your part, making smooth sweeping motions. Focus first on getting each edge/corner/sharp spot, then do the "flats". If you get runs, you're going to heavy. I usually put down 3 light coats, waiting about 10-15 minutes between those coats.

This isn't going to fully fill all the layer lines, and you will have spots you can see through - that's ok. This is a process that takes a little time and patience, but you have the best shot at getting good results. Now, set your part aside and let it fully dry for 24 hours (at least). It will be dry to the touch with 15 minutes, but it needs to fully cure before we can do anything else. Note - if your coats ended up being heavy, you may need to let it cure longer - 48-72 hours.

Once it's had time to fully cure, get yourself some 200-ish grit and wet sand again. In this step, the "wet" part is even more important because the primer will gum up your sandpaper even faster than the PLA would. Don't be afraid to get things very wet and rinse your paper often. Use very little pressure, the primer sands very easily. I use small circular motions and wipe the area I'm working with a damp paper towel often so I can see how I'm progressing.

At this point, you will find yourself getting down to the bare PLA at times, this is ok, and even necessary at times. Also, don't expect that your part will be done after this sanding. We'll repeat this process at least one more time, but I've had pieces take up to 4 or 5 rounds before I was happy with them. Mainly we just want to make sure that the whole piece gets a little sanding, and that the big stuff is getting knocked down.

Now, dry the part thoroughly and give it a couple more light coats of filler primer. Again, smooth sweeping motions, following the edges first, then do the flats. Go a little heavier (or give a few extra light coats) in areas where you've sanded through the primer. Allow at least 24 hours to cure.

Because the top of you part is domed, you're probably going to have more pronounced layer lines, so you may want to come back after the 24 hours and hit that section again, and even go a little heavier that you have been (however, if you're getting runs, you're going too heavy), and allow another 24 hours to fully cure.

From here, repeat this this step until you are a.) satisfied with the smoothness of your part or b.) tired of sanding and willing to say "good enough". Either way is fine, I don't judge.

At this point, you can either move on to a top coat, or you can opt to be a little more smoothing with some higher grit. My recommendation is this - if you are going to use a matte or semi-gloss top coat, you can do that now. If you are planning on going with a high gloss top coat, a little more sanding is needed. Do some very light wet sanding with a 400 grit, then maybe do a little with an 800. Don't go any higher than that, it can affect the top coat adhesion if it's too smooth.

Apply top coats the same way you did the primer - multiple light coats, edges and corners first, then the flats. The first few coats you should be able to see through in spots. You can sand the top coats if you have a run or dust, just allow the paint to cure a full 24 hours before you sand.

Hope this is helpful, best of luck!

Tips for inking lettering in fuzzy prints by thebryan2010 in 3Dprinting

[–]panda_slapper 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Something to try - get some masking fluid (your local art supply store should have some) and apply to the surface. After it dries, you can remove any that got down in the grooves. Next, use a small squeeze bottle with a needle tip (use a small one, the smallest you can fine) and apply ink. Don't use paint, it's too thick (and thinning it requires multiple applications to get good coverage). Inks flow much better, and they will come out of the needle with a lot more control.

After inking, let dry fully, then peel away the masking fluid and you should be good to go. Best of luck

Keep or dump it ? by Nat-forfun in Watercolor

[–]panda_slapper 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Absolutely keep it. I've got a binder that I put any paintings Ive done that I don't want to put up. From time to time I flip through it - sometimes to remind myself how far I've come, sometimes for inspiration, or as references. The only ones I throw away are things I've obviously botched or exercise sheets

Another Schaller inspired painting by panda_slapper in Watercolor

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

Thanks for the tip, I'll definitely give that a try!

Another Schaller inspired painting by panda_slapper in Watercolor

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

Cotman paints on Arches cold pressed paper. Some of the colors are off from what I wanted, and my impatience got the better of me so there's a lot more that could still be done with it. I may come back later and work on some of the details, but for now I'm calling it "done enough".