I started typing and this ended up being really long, hopefully it helps. I might have gone overboard, so if you need / want a TL;DR or more info on anything just say the word and I'll do what I can :)

My personal preference is to add details and touch-ups to my figures. I've done a few full repaints, and I'm working on my first airbrushed figure, but I really like adding in details where the factory didn't :)

---

Paints:

I've had good results using alcohol based acrylics like Tamiya, Model Master, or Testors Acrylics (I think Enamels are Testors' main line, so make sure to check what type it is). Alcohol-based acrylics thin and clean up nicely with 91% isopropyl alcohol, I usually pick it up from whatever pharmacy is nearby (don't get the 70%, it doesn't work at all).

Citadel and Vallejo make nice water-based acrylic paints in additional colors, you'll definitely need a primer if you're working with Vallejo (I've only used a couple of Citadel paints, so I can't really speak to them).

You'll want to stay far away from acrylic craft paint, I've tried it in the past and it doesn't come out well at all (I just use some empty glass or plastic jars from stuff like sour cream or salsa since they're not too big).

Some folks like enamel paints, and there might be another kind of model paint, but the chemicals in those paints and their thinner tends to be quite strong so I avoid them. I used un-thinned enamels when I first started painting, and when I tried to use the thinner it ended up melting my paint tray and making a mess, so I'm not too keen to give them another try.

---

Tools are going to differ a bit depending on how you want to paint (hand painting vs airbrushing or spray painting).

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Hand Painting:

You'll need paints, some soft bristle brushes (I have a set like these), something to stir your paint (I use a Badger Paint Mixer and love it to bits), thinner (depending on your type of paint), a mixing tray, some pipettes for measuring paint and thinner, something to hold your parts while painting (I like these Aligator Clips), something to stick the clips into (I use a styrofoam block wrapped in plastic from a craft store, but I've seen folks use taped together cardboard like from Amazon boxes or the cheap foam coolers), some fine grit sand paper or nail buffing blocks to help rough up the surface slightly to help the paint stick, and something for topcoat (I absolutely love Pledge Multisurface Floor Care, aka Future Floor Wax, it's a clear acrylic wax that dries to a semi-gloss to gloss shine, it brushes on nice and self-levels for a smooth finish, and one bottle will last a REALLY long time; I got a bottle a few years ago and I've used it on a LOT of gundams and TFs and the bottle is still half full). You may also want some smaller containers or jars to hold your thinner, brush cleaner (alcohol or water), and topcoat if you're using Pledge just so you don't need to keep the big bottle out on your workspace.

---

Airbrushing:

You'll need an airbrush and compressor, and then a lot of the same supplies as above. You'll also want some small-ish jars to store your thinned paint so you can re-use your leftover paint instead of having to toss it, and some painter's tape to mask off parts you don't want to paint and to keep your paint lines clean.

You can airbrush inside the house, but you'll want to do it in a well ventilated area if you don't have a spray booth (box with a fan and air filter to help move the fumes out the window and help keep the paint from spraying everywhere). I'm still learning to paint with my airbrush, so I don't have too many tips here.

---

Spray painting:

You'll need your choice of spray paints, alligator clips, fine sand paper, and some painter's tape to mask off areas so it doesn't get everywhere. I definitely wouldn't advise using spray paints indoors, the fumes tend to be really strong. I haven't really used spray paints in a long time, so I'm not a lot of help here either.

---

Markers:

Some folks might recommend sharpies or paint pens / markers, but I've never had good luck with them.

I do highly recommend using a Micron, Graphix, or Prismacolor marker / pen for highlighting panel lines in .005 thickness for most figures. The .01 and even .05 markers can work well too, but they might be too thick for some figures, so a couple different thicknesses can't hurt (I've got a pencil case full of lining markers from those brands). Don't use sharpies for panel lines, unless things have changed, even the thinnest ones tend to dry a purpley-blue instead of black, and the lines are still really thick compared to the Micron.

---

Painting Tips:

• Always wash your figures in some warm soapy water, rinse them off, and let them dry fully before painting. This gets rid of any leftover mould release from the factory, it helps keep the parts from sticking in the moulds during assembly, but it will repel paint, pledge, primer, and panel lines like mad. I've skipped this step in the past, but things never turned out as well; so now I wash all my figures shortly after I open them up and make sure they're keepers.
  
• Always thin your paints! You might need 2-3 coats to get things just right, but the end finish will look really nice. I've found a 2:1 ratio of paint:thinner seems to work pretty well for most paints, but ymmv (the temperature and humidity can have a huge impact on how the paint comes out, and fans can speed the drying process, which can be a blessing or a curse, heh).
  
• If you're painting parts that will rub against others, lightly sand the surfaces first. This will help the paint stick to the plastic better.
  
• You might need / want to prime a piece before painting it. You can prime by hand with a primer like Vallejo Surface Primer, or with a spray primer. I find spray primer tends to come out smoother, but depending on what you're doing, either can work (priming by hand tends to come out a bit thicker, so ymmv again). When I paint by hand I'll usually only prime if I'm painting a dark piece a lighter color, but when I airbrush everything that's getting painted gets primed first.
  
• After you paint something, let it sit for about an hour before doing another coat, and let things fully dry and cure before moving on to topcoating and panel lining (usually 24 hours between a final coat of paint and topcoat, and another few hours between topcoat and panel lines).

1. A good, sharp chef's knife. Nothing fancy, I use a Dexter that I got for like $20 and have it resharpened. You can get a lot nicer, but you don't have to. The first kitchen I ever worked at (20 years ago) used knives almost exactly like this.
   
   
2. A good meat thermometer. I use this one which works similarly to a ThermaPen but without the ridiculous ~$90 cost.
   
   
3. A good cast iron skillet can be pretty versatile. Cast iron holds heat very well, which means that it's great for stuff like searing steaks.
   
   
4. Some cheap, non-stick frying pans. I recommend getting cheap ones because once the coating starts coming off (and it always does at some point, it seems) you're going to throw them away and get new ones. You can spend $300+ like I did once and get high-end stuff like All-Clad or whatever, but even if you're super careful and use only wood and silicone utensils to cook on it, it'll still start peeling its coating, and then All-Clad will say you used metal silverware on it and your warranty is invalid, blah blah blah, and that's more hassle than you need. Just get cheap ones.
   
   
5. Now THIS is where you can spend some legit money. A tri-ply, high quality frying pan without a non-stick coating. These are great for making pan sauces while you cook, etc. I made a chicken, garlic, and olive oil with a red wine vinegar based pan sauce with this pan (well, and some baking dishes) that was incredible. All-Clad is the industry standard but the Tramontina stuff is 1/2 the price or less and built to near the same level of quality.
   
   
6. A nice, enameled Dutch Oven, whether it be from Le Creuset or Tramontina, these are the best for stews, soups, chili...etc. Hold heat forever, well built, and easy to clean.
   
   
7. A good fish spatula, which I almost never use to cook fish. It's actually just the best shape for omelets, eggs, whatever. Flipping anything in a pan with a utensil like this is awesome.
   
   
8. A thick ceramic baking dish for making things like lasagna or casseroles or even just roasting meats/veggies.
   
   
9. Believe it or not, cookie sheets covered with heavy duty aluminum foil are how I do a lot of my oven roasting of small things, like diced veggies or potatoes. They work perfectly and being so large they're able to be spread out so they get roasted on all edges for a little extra flavor. Brussel sprouts & diced bacon in a cast iron skillet to start and then dump them onto this and blast them in the oven at 425 for 15-20 minutes and you'll have a great side dish.
   
   
10. No matter how careful you are, you're going to get something caked on or get a dish so dirty you think it's uncleanable. For that, I recommend Barkeeper's Friend which is an awesome powdered cleaner. Add a little water, use a paper towel and this stuff to make a paste, leave it in the pan for a few minutes, then rinse. I have yet to see this fail. Awesome stuff. Saved some pans.
    
    
    There are lots of other things I use daily:
    
    

• Good kitchen towels
  
• Heavy Duty Aluminum foil
  
• A good dish scrubber for cleanup
  
  etc.
  
  But the point I guess I'm making is that you can get lots of good, cheap stuff to start with.
  

Overview

Time to finally do my car during the weekend of July 30th. This car had not been detailed since July 2014 and has had a lot more miles added on it. Sunday, 7/16/17, this car turned 5 years old and is now at 53k miles.

This car is garage kept at home for most of the time. Parked in an open parking lot during work hours. Sometimes street parked. It experiences full Chicago winters though and all elements. Sees all driving modes from stop-and-go traffic to 130mph+ highway cruises and local streets.

The goal was to get everything I wanted done on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Friday it decided to rain several times during the wash, but that was all good. I still kept washing in the rain and used the rain as some of my rinses. I had to get out of dodge by 4pm Sunday so I could avoid the country bugs on my drive back home to the city.

I left the following on the table to get done before winter comes:

• Windshield restoration (full polishing and treatment application)
  
• Headlight and Tail Light Restoration (just need to be polished and then have coating applied)
  
  ---
  
  

  Work Done
  

  
  The goal was to get it done so now I don't have to worry about it again for another 2-3 years. I wanted to get the paint corrected to an acceptable level and then put a good amount of protection on it to survive at least 2 winters and 2 summers.
  
  As the title states, I tried to accomplish a lot here.
  
  

• Wash, Clay, & Protectant
  
• Paint Correction
  
• Paint Coating (2 layers)
  
• Tip Restoration
  
• The Exceptional Interior
  
• Paint Chip Repair
  
• Trim Restoration
  
  Services described here
  
  The entire detail is outlined in the album, but I will share the gist of it here so I can link products.
  
  The exterior was properly washed with our 20-stage decontamination and wash process. Here is the fire hose nozzle I use tied up with a quick shut-off valve. TRIX was awesome as always. It turned a good amount of purple all over and made the claybarring step go smoothly. The entire car was 1-step corrected with the PC and a Blue Wool Pad/orange 4" foam pad/hand orange pad and Menzerna Heavy Cut Compound 400 (formerly FG400).
  
  The car was around a 85% for paint quality. I'd say this 1-step easily got it to ~93%. It removed the majority of glaringly obvious defects and it would only take a detailer's mindset now to see that final 7% of defects.
  
  The exterior was completely wiped clean with CarPro Eraser. The car was then coated entirely with CarPro CQuartz (2 layers) and then topped with CarPro Reload.
  
  The interior was vacuumed and then was completely cleaned with McKee's 37 Total Interior Cleaner. This product is my go-to for interiors. It works flawlessly and it has a great smell that does linger and just smells naturally clean. I use these types of interior clothes for working with that product. This brush was also utilized to help really get around the leather pores and locations like air vents and the steering wheel.
  
  All interior hard surfaces were treated with Lexol Premium Protectant. Glass was all cleaned with glass MF towels and Stoner's Invisibile Glass.
  
  I cleaned the engine. Finally. The engine was completely cleaned using Chemical Guy's All Clean+ and just general microfiber clothes from a place like AutoZone. The engine was then dressed with Adam's In & Out Spray to enhance the appearance of all plastic/rubber parts.
  
  Door jambs were cleaned up with an MF and P21S Total Auto Wash.
  
  Paint chips were fixed up with the Dr. Colorchip kit. Felt good to finally clean that rust chip on the hood and fix the trunk damage up some more.
  
  The honeycomb grills were cleaned up with a foam application, MF towel, and Klasse All-in-One. Topped with Adam's In&Out Spray.
  
  The exhaust tips were cleaned up using 0000 Steel Wool and Blue Magic Metal Polish and Adam's Metal Polish #1. I used a metal polishing microfiber towel to aid in this process.
  
  The trim was cleaned with the CG All Clean+ and then dressed with Chemical Guys Natural Matte Shine Dressing.
  
  The tires were dressed with AMMO MUD and the wheel wells shined up with Adam's Undercarriage Spray. Wheels were cleaned up with a very soft microfiber and P21S Wheel Cleaner.
  
  ---
  
  

  Response
  

  
  I loved it. It feels so good to drive it again like this. Just want to touch up a few more things and I'll be fully satisfied. I absolutely am so much happier now that my engine is clean again.
  
  
  ---
  
  

  Reflection and Lessons Learned
  

  
  Not much here outside of just taking care of the car more. I neglected that engine bay for too long but thankfully it was mostly dust. The exhaust tips should have been taken care of more. At least every spring/fall. I will continue to take care of them now 2x a year so they can maintain where they are at and not get worse.
  
  Preventative maintenance very much applies to detailing as much as it applies to anything mechanical.
  
  ---
  
  Total Time: 17 hours on exterior, 3 hours on interior
  
  Total Cost: Obviously free for me, but to give an idea of what I would have charged for this...it would have been $1,933.98. The 2 layers of coating and Reload would have been $900 alone. The rest of my prices you can see on my site.
  
  www.chicagosdad.com
  
  www.facebook.com/chicagosdad
  
  Former Chicago's DAD /r/AutoDetailing Detail Write-Ups

My first six months at site I hand washed. One tub for washing, one for rinsing, then hang to dry. It'd take at least an hour for a week's worth of clothes.

Then I got smart, I came across this website by one of those doomsday preper/apocalypse type guys. He had this idea for washing clothes without electricity and it changed my life. Basically you need just a toliet plunger and large tall bucket, what we call a 5 gallon bucket in the USA. The plunger can be substituted with a number of instruments but I've found if you can get ahold of a plunger, it works best. You cut some holes in the plunger so water can through. Then to do laundry, put a couple handfuls of soap in the bucket, add the plunger, and put all your clothes in around the plunger. Then add water to pretty much the top. I always add about a 2 liters of hot water too as I find that is extra effective. Let soak about an hour. The to wash simply move the plunger up and down for a about 10 minutes. Then rinse in a separate tub and hang to dry. Before each piece of clothing took about 5 minutes. Now all of them take about 10. I'm able to fit a pair of pants, couple shorts, couple shirts, t-shirt, 3 underwear and 2 pair socks all in one load.

My clothes have never been cleaner and it's super easy. Maybe 20 minutes tops per week for all my clothes. This works exactly like an electrical wash machine except you provide the power. The water and clothes and soap all mix together and agitate each other and rub against each other just like they do in your mom's wash machine back in the good old USA. It's brilliant.

After I made the plunger I found out there's actually a whole line of commercial
products you can buy on Amazon to replace the plunger. Look up "magic washing wand" or something like that and read the reviews yourself. I love my little plunger washer. Highly recommended if you can find the materials.

Also side note, I always do my washing inside now whereas before I did it outside. It can get a bit messy, but hcns here would laugh at me if they saw my style (Im a guy). They generally think I have no idea how to do household chores and scrutinize basically everything I do already. But for me at least and my skill set, my clothes are 10 times cleaner than when I was hand washing.

EDIT: link to the commercial version you can buy on Amazon. Fwiw, I still use a toliet plunger and its fine

https://www.amazon.com/EasyGoProducts-Hand-Powered-Clothes-Washing/dp/B00YQCOCAM

What kind of paint did you use? Do you have an airbrush? Do you plan to sand with 800+ grit before coating?

There's a lot to learn about paint jobs and sealing them. After a few failed attempts and weird reactions, I tend to keep same brand paint throughout a piece (for primers I hop around, but let it dry completely before top coating).

If you're using a different brand I HIGHLY suggest you wait until it has gassed out (it doesn't smell like paint anymore lol). This can take several days depending on how many coats you used, and whether you applied them too thick.

Sanding allows for better grip of the clear coat to the paint. Wet sanding is best since it removes the debris of paint and prevents most deep scrapes. It is easy to sand through your paint, especially if you only did one coat (which is why you should do 2-3 with some light 600 grit sanding in between)...

I hate sanding before a clear because I suck at it and tend to create a deep scratch or two because I'm too strong for my own good :P What I have found to work wonders is Floor polish/wax.
This is the ONLY one that a lot of modelers suggest:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ARPH4C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It was known as "Futures" before, but after re-branding and all that, it is now what I linked. You'll need an airbrush for this. Do a light misting of the entire part you're working with, then apply several thin coats allowing them to dry in between (usually 1-2 minutes or less if you have good air circulation). It smells great, self leveling, you can dip small parts into a little cup filled with this stuff... it's fantastic. It's slightly flexible as well. If you wait 38 hours (i think that's what the bottle says) you can apply a second coat for added protection. Make sure to clean your airbrush with ammonia (I use windex), to prevent it from curing inside it.

Essentially, floor polish is more forgiving, but offers slightly less protection than a well applied clear coat. If you don't have time for all that prepping crap (wet sanding before and between clear coats), then definitely go this route.

Well, in that case, if you are going to do that, I don't recommend buying an airfix starter set (it's discussed below for completeness, but while the set of paint and cement is appealing, you'll end up throwing it all away later on aside from the paintbrush). The paints included in there almost certainly will not work well.

Go to a hobby store or something, buy a cheap airfix kit (I recommend either the Harrier FRS.1, Zero, Spitfire PR.XiX (all in 1/72), go to an art store to buy some Golden Talkon brushes (it's the name of the material; its' a super soft orangey bristle), and buy some paints (acrylic, plus a bottle of spray primer), while you're there.

See this old thread below of another beginner (though he was interested in sci fi), of tools you would need.

**That list is configured for the UK.

If you want to build plastic models, I recommend a recently issued spitfire model from Airfix, a few bottles of good, brushable paint (Model Master Acrylic is good, if you use a spray primer), and a few "golden talkon" synthetic brushes, plus tweezers and an exacto knife.

The basic starter sets you can buy are these:

Italeri: http://www.austinsmodels.co.uk/product.php/italeri_jas_39_gripen_172_scale_starter_kit/?k=:::6142968

Airfix: http://www.airfix.com/uk-en/shop/starter-sets-and-gift-sets/small-starter-sets.html.

These are gear towards children, and the quality of the paints are marginal at best. However, what it will do is give you an idea of the challenge ahead.

And some liquid cement.

As for why the long list below, there is an alternative:

Airfix, Revell Germany, Heller, and Italeri ALL make starter kits with paint and cement. However, the stuff in those are generally designed to appeal to children and would have to largely be replaced once you are "serious" about this.

The tools I recommended are more for if you're investing in the hobby for the long run with reusable, useful items you can continue to use for long periods of time.

However, if you are unsure, there's nothing wrong with one of those complete package kits. Warning though, Airfix's start kit paint is absolute garbage. but water soluble and easy to clean up. Strippable with alcohol, at least in the formulation I got a year ago.

And here's how I'd set it up:

1. Airfix Spitfire PR XIX. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-A02017-Supermarine-Spitfire-PRXIX/dp/B0021L9BNI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369626&sr=8-13&keywords=airfix+spitfire,
   OR: Airfix FRS 1 Harrier: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-A04051-BAe-Harrier-FRS1-x/dp/B0021L9BU6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442370019&sr=8-4&keywords=1%2F72+FRS.1
   **you'll notice a theme developing. These are all mostly single color builds, minus some detail work.
   
   
2. Brush pack: Get all the listed sizes, and then one 1/4th inch brush (go to an art store. Golden Talkon synthetic (orangish, really soft) is what you're looking for). http://www.amazon.co.uk/Royal-Langnickel-Golden-Taklon-Synthetic/dp/B000X213JC/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369689&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=golden+talkon+brush+10%2F0.
   
   Or, this: http://www.amazon.com/Royal-Langnickel-Taklon-Brush-Super/dp/B001ARHH7G (probably the better choice).
   
   
3. Knife: in the UK, Swann Morton is probably easier to get.
   
   
4. Cement: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamiya-87038-Extra-Thin-Cement-Toy/dp/B000BMYWYC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369769&sr=8-1&keywords=tamiya+extra+thin Sandpaper pack: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Albion-Alloys-Sanding-Sticks-360/dp/B00DRAEV0A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369797&sr=8-5&keywords=sanding+sticks
   
   
5. Paint is preferably acrylic, so long as it's not Humbrol Acrylic, because that paint is utter garbage (and is what comes with the starter sets and bad, tube-based poly cement).
   
   
6. Consider a can of spray primer (NECESSARY if you use Model Master Acrylic, which brushes well but NEEDS a primer).
   http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humbrol-150ml-Acrylic-Spray-Primer/dp/B004T8TD0C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369901&sr=8-1&keywords=humbrol+primer
   or: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vallejo-Model-Color-Polyurethane-Primer/dp/B004BN5RYG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369935&sr=8-1&keywords=vallejo+primer
   
   
7. Or best primer: http://www.amazon.co.uk/GRAY-PRIMER-180ml-PLASTIC-METAL/dp/B0000WS014/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1442369976&sr=8-2&keywords=tamiya+primer
   Other items:
   
   
8. A bottle of humbrol "Clear" (the substitute for Future/Johnson's floor polish in the UK). Decal setting solution (optional) Decalfix, Micro Sol will work. (In the US, Future is a gloss coating used by modelers, painted on or sprayed on before applying decals, available here: https://www.amazon.com/SC-Johnson-Pledge-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1468023141&sr=8-2&keywords=pledge+floor+care
   
   **Future can be found in hardware and places like walmart in the US, there is no need to order it online except for convenience.
   
   
   
   
   
   

There is also an all natural non-toxic product called Leather Honey. It's been around for a long time.

I've found it to be very useful on all types of leather, from my cowhide backpack, my SO's new winter boots, and my deerskin moccasins. It does tend to darken the leather you apply it to significantly. I've applied it to several of my things several times each and have not yet used a quarter of the bottle. However, I keep a small rag about 2x2 inches in a zipped bag and it's well saturated. I think this helps with not wasting the product.

I think you need to be careful with what you use to condition and recondition leather, especially old leather. Sometimes you might apply something and it works great, but you discover in a couple of years that the leather has begun to rot.

Do what you wish, but be aware that the tanning process (a preservative) can break down over time. When you try to restore your leather, you want to penetrate it with leather-friendly moisture that will not chemically undo the tanning.

Finally, whatever method you decide to do, test an inconspicuous area and wait a few hours. If you like what you see, gently apply your conditioning product (boughten or home made) and let it sit overnight. Sometimes I'll set the item a few feet in front of a space heater to gently warm the leather for a few hours.

I've also been known to use a hair blow dryer on seams to make sure it's penetrating well. Too close will just make it dry and crack. Reapply the next day, and let it soak in. Keep doing this slowly and patiently, until you see that your leather is not absorbing any more. Let it sit another day, then heat it a bit and begin to gently buff away any excess reconditioning material.

You should be left with something pretty amazing.

Best of luck!

Hello all, I have been wearing faux leather all my life from Zara and I just got my 1st real leather jacket, Koopes Leather Bomber Jacket!

Need some advice on leather cleaner and conditioner since I never cleaned or conditioned my faux leather jackets before. There didn't seem to be a good search results on leather cleaning and conditioning or I must have missed it. From most of the threads I read, it seems like the brand name doesn't matter as much for cleaner and conditioner, but sounds like it is important to NOT use my boots conditioner due to silicone.

My lamb skin jacket did not feel as stiff as my faux leather which I really liked since I want something comfortable for usual wear rather than a stiff jacket with a bit more durability.

My research shows Saddle soap may be a great cleaner and Lexol cleaner and conditioner seem to be a great option too. I read Leather Honey is a great conditioner, albeit the premium price!

I wanted to ask the experts at r/MFA what they personally recommend for lamb skin leather:

1. cleaner
   
2. conditioner! I hear different conditioners can leave a different amount of oils and can even change colors a bit.
   
3. waterproofing, is this worth it?
   
   Edit: Also, I just wanted to confirm that Dry Cleaning leather jackets is NOT okay. I read it may dry and/or crack the leather. Is this true? Sounds like I should just use the cleaner and conditioner once or twice a year?

As nice as cast iron is, if you ever want to make any kind of pan sauce after you've cooked your protein that might involve wine or vinegar or lemon juice, you'd be out of luck. I'd go with a good, heavy traditional-finish skillet with some sort of clad construction for optimal even heating across the surface. As far as that sticking issue goes, you don't have to use as much oil as long as your skillet is already heated before you put any food in it. In some cases (not all), meat in a traditional finish skillet will stick at first but release from the surface right around the time it's supposed to be flipped or turned, which is perfectly normal anyway.

One of the other perks of a traditional finish skillet is fond -- a.k.a., the stuck-on brown bits left in the pan after you've cooked your food. All those brown (not blackened, that's too far) bits = flavorful awesomeness, and are key in making a good pan sauce to go with whatever you're making. Deglaze the pan with a bit of broth or wine or whatever and scrape up the brown bits with a wooden spoon, throw some butter and herbs in there, baby, you got a sauce goin'. (Plus, this makes cleaning the pan later a lot easier, since you're using what would otherwise be "mess" to your advantage.")

Problem is, good-quality stainless steel skillets are expensive, and the drop-off in price represents a really steep drop-off in quality, which would of course give you worse results in cooking and make you less likely to want to use one anyway. One thing to watch out for is skillets with disk bottoms, where the only place the manufacturers put the highly conductive aluminum core which appears in most stainless steel cookware in a disk on the bottom of the skillet. These are the cheapest options, but the problem is the sides of the pan don't heat up as evenly or as well as the bottom, which results in uneven cooking if you're using the entire surface of the pan. Better to go with a "clad" pan -- one in which the entire skillet is made out of a layer of aluminum sandwiched between stainless steel. Better conduction, more even heating, better performance, better food. Yes, clad skillets are more expensive (~$110 versus ~$50 for a disk bottom), but 1) Cooking.com, etc. run sales on these things all the time, and 2) as long as you take good care care of them (Bar Keeper's Friend works wonders for me), there's no reason why they shouldn't last a lifetime -- definitely worth the investment.

Hi! So I was in the same pickle as you, really wanted to do cloth but with the washer/dryer situation I was worried it would end up costing us even more. So I investigating the most effective way to hand wash. I use a mobile hand washer with prefold diapers. The AIOs will not work with my method for several reasons but I don't like AIOs anyways, namely because you have to wash both parts every single time you use them. Prefolds + cover, you can reuse the covers a few times before washing. Plus, prefolds are much cheaper, softer, and I think the sizing lasts longer. You can also fold them many different ways to find the best (read: cleanest) fit because every baby is different!

I have 27 prefolds and 7 covers, I believe. This is just enough so that I don't completely run out of diapers by the time the clean ones finish drying on the rack, if I'm leaving the washing til the last minute (usually like every 1.5 - 2 days, but it's better to wash them every day). It takes 10 minutes of plunging in a 5-gallon bucket and maybe another 5-10 minutes of wringing out with cold water. I find it to be kind of meditative and if you get into the plunging it is a good work out, too.

After I bought the plunger I realized I'd need a better detergent solution, too, because I need roughly a cap's worth of detergent each time I do this, which is at least 5 times/week, plus our regular laundry. This is another reason AIOs won't work. The laundry soap I made contains Borax, which will mess with the elasticity of the diapers (the prefold covers, too, but that's okay because I usually just wash those with a bar of laundry soap, Felsnaptha, soak in cold, and throw them in the dryer during our weekly/ twice weekly wash of clothes). Very very cheap to make, 20 cents/gallon.

Oh yeah, and I just throw the prefold diapers in the washer & dryer with the rest of the laundry whenever we do that, whether or not they're dirty (actually, if they're dirty, I still give them a quick wash/rinse anyway, I don't want them yucking up our clothes). They take up almost no room and it keeps them softer.

Washer
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SQ7I5S/ref=oh_details_o03_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Diapers:
4 packs of these -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AJXY1U/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i07?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1 of these (super deluxe, was a gift, sooooo soft) -
http://www.amazon.com/BabyKicks-Pack-Prefold-Diaper-Small/dp/B001NAAQPU/ref=sr_1_1?s=baby-products&ie=UTF8&qid=1376071041&sr=1-1&keywords=baby+kicks+diapers
7 of these -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AJXY1U/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i07?ie=UTF8&psc=1
1 pack snappis
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YWKWJO/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Detergent recipe - http://theurbanfarmingguys.com/diy-laundry-soap-20-cents-a-gallon
Products -
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000R4LONQ/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029XNTEU/ref=oh_details_o02_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063KXEIG/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I've never regretted it for a second. I have two kids (1 and 4) I wasn't sure if the white dash would be broght/ distracting but it's not at all and I love it so much. Also EVERYONE thinks it's awesome. Plus it cleans very very well.

I use chemical guys CarGuys Super Cleaner - Effective All Purpose Cleaner - Best for Leather Vinyl Carpet Upholstery Plastic Rubber and Much More! - 18 oz Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071XB18BF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_-yEZDbPHFR6W5

Works like a magic. I just spray on microfiber and whip down a few times a month. KEEP THE WHITE😎

So I've done a lot of mopping in my day. Over 2 decades combined working at vet clinics and restaurants, both of which are mopped daily.

Throw out the cheap sponge mops, twirl mops and gimmicky mops. Get a mop bucket with a wringer and a mop handle with a detachaable, washable mop head. I prefer the plastic attachment to the metal on the mop. I've seen the metal get all rusty. This is the mop bucket I got.. It's decent, just feels a little cheap compared to the more commercial ones I'm used to. I would rather a bucket like this which is more sturdy, but I was trying to save money.

For mop heads, do yourself a favor and spend a couple extra dollars and get the kind with the loopy ends that are stitched across like this, instead of the ones that are all loose and cut like this.. The loose ones come apart in the washing machine and get all tangled. I like to have 2 mop heads that I rotate.

Now for the mopping. Make sure you sweep/vacuum before mopping. I find dust mops work best for cleaning up fur and hair. Use hot water in the bucket, and the add your cleaner according to the instructions on the bottle. I've used Pinesol/Mr. Clean/Lysol all with about the same results. Thoroughly wet your mop and then ring it out in the mop bucket. Mop your floors in an figure eight pattern going with the grain of the wood for wood/laminate floors. For wood and laminate floors, it's important not to have too wet of a mop. You do not want puddles of water on your floor as this can damage the floors in the long run. Rewet and ring out the mop frequently.

If I have time, I will sometimes go over my floors a second time with something like Pledge floor cleaner. for shine. These cleaners are not meant to be diluted with water, but applied directly to the floors.

This is not the most exciting video, but it shows the two cleaner process I use as well. You may notice that her mop head attachment is rusted, and she does not use the loopy mop head. Obviously it's not wrong, I just prefer slightly different tools. (She does have the better mop bucket).

If you are a visual learner, there are a bunch of YouTube videos with professional cleaners showing good mopping techniques.

I don't know how well I can answer your questions, as I'm new to lead issues and abatement. You've probably educated yourself on a lot of what I'm going to say, but I'm going to throw it all in this comment, anyway.

I live in a 110 year old house that is basically a ball of lead. The plumbing had lead joints, the service line is old and lead, the windows have lead, the doors have lead, the walls have lead, and the city is concerned that our water mains are shedding lead. And now, my child has a very slightly elevated lead level. Prompted by her most recent blood test, we are attempting a sensible lead abatement plan for our home.

First, figure out where the lead is. You can pick up water testing kits as well as swabs for surfaces. Once you know where the lead is, you can assess your risk and choose an abatement plan.

For instance, we have a small amount of lead in our water, which is likely a consequence of the service line. We got a bid for replacing it, and that was about $10k, plus the cost of fixing the yard that would be torn up. We went with a 10 year filter for the whole house, and that was about $900 including tax and installation.

Use the surface swabs on your windows that were installed before 1980, and if you have woodwork that was painted white, check that, too. It became popular to paint dark woodwork white in the 50s/60s to brighten up houses, and people used lead paint. We have solid wood doors and a ton of trim that is absolutely smothered in many coats of paint, and sure enough, it's super leady.

With windows, the act of opening and closing the windows can cause friction on the paint, which produces inhalable dust. If your family isn't experiencing significantly elevated lead levels, you have the option to simply wipe down the windows with a damp cloth to remove the dust. If you are more concerned, have the budget, or just want new windows, you can replace them. Check to see if your local municipality has a lead abatement grant for windows. In my city, they offer a $350/window grant to replace windows that test positive for lead (along with a few other qualifiers), and that really puts a dent in that cost.

With other painted surfaces, you're likely to be fine with encapsulation, which is a fancy way of saying painting over it. Lead is only really dangerous if you inhale the dust or eat the chips, so if you paint over it, it can't create dust. This will likely mean that you'll need to do a little scraping, which will obviously create dust, so you need to use a quality mask, and then clean like mad when you are done. Wet mop, dry dusting/sweeping is not good enough.

I'm in the process of restoring the woodwork because I prefer a stained finish, and for all the trim that isn't especially decorative or historically significant, I'm just replacing it. For our lovely doors, I sent them out to be dip stripped because it just wasn't worth the risk of my daughter sucking in all the dust while I removed the paint.

Because I have a young child, I'm not fucking around with lead, but the majority of people with lead paint in their homes are going to be just fine if they don't sand lead paint, carefully wipe up the dust with a wet cloth in areas that have lead paint (like windows), and prime/paint over the lead paint.

You're very welcome; I'm just a mere nomo who's happy to help.

All of that said in my original post, if I were you I'd try something a little less permanent on the first try. I'd also want something that would have no chance of flaking off and making a big mess of my mod (lacquer will eventually fail). After polishing and a solvent cleanse, I'd probably apply a wax. It's not a forever solution, but it should reduce how often you'll have to polish and it's pretty easy to remove/polish/reapply.

Renaissance Wax is a museum quality product renowned protecting antiques/collector items and it works great on all metals and more. Amazon carries 65ml and 200ml containers at a fairly reasonable price.

That's probably where I'd go first, but my experience with applying coatings is very limited...I spec them all the time, but never have to actually use them. :) I hope your experiment goes well!

I think everyone else has the basic cleaning tips covered already. I listen to an audiobook, podcast, or other such things when I clean. I find it makes the work go easier because I have this fun and interesting thing to listen to and if I get into it enough I want to keep cleaning so I can listen more. Music doesn't usually have the "I want more" aspect and doesn't work as well for me.

Good luck with your spring cleaning! I hope you keep feeling better and don't get sick again!

Edit: Oh! Bar Keepers Friend is amazing. It is the only thing I have found to clean my flat ceramic stove and it works wonders on the shower floor too. That floor was stained yellow when we moved in and this turned it white again. Amazing stuff.

This. Don't fuck around trying different kinds, allow my 10 years of trial and error to work in your favor and just get this brand:

http://www.amazon.com/Glass-Flower-Daisy-Screens-Container/dp/B00J1U26AC?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00

The screens are great at keeping your piece really clean, especially if you have a bong or bubbler. I started using screens when my piece broke like your gf's did, but I use them now in every piece I own.


EDIT: While you're at it, pick up some of this stuff:
http://www.amazon.com/Grunge-Off-Super-Soaker-Cleaner/dp/B002LURISY?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

It's an all natural cleaner, best I've ever used. After you've used a screen for a couple days and it gets gunky, just toss it in a shot glass with this cleaner. After a week or two, after you've gone through ~10-15 screens, dump the cleaner back into the bottle (it's reusable, like 20x or more reusable) and the screens are clean as when you bought them. It works on pipes, too. Just pour it in at night, and dump it out the next morning, and you piece will be perfectly clean. It's a little expensive, but like I said, it's reusable. I'm a heavy smoker, and I've been using the same bottle for almost a year now.

There is a product called Barkeeper's Friend. It's very cheap and it is a miracle worker for stainless. Will make it shine like brand new with very minimal effort. This is what you are looking for, but honestly you can get it at most grocery stores or even Home Improvement stores for about $1-2.

As far as cooking with it, just make sure you have enough fat/oil/butter/etc. to keep things from sticking. I like using avocado oil because it has a really high smoke point and a very mild flavor. I can get it pretty hot without smoking and doesn't alter the flavor of whatever I'm cooking. But the great thing about stainless is that no matter how bad you burn things or screw them up, barkeeper's friend will make that sucker shine like new pretty easily.

I purchased this Cooks Standard set 4 years ago for $225 and I've been loving it. No need to worry about using metal or scrubbing hard. I do occasionally use Bar Keepers Friend to polish up the pans for a brand-new look.

If you don't want this brand/set specifically, for sure get at least tri-ply like already mentioned. I think metal pans (vs non-stick coating) are better for all around cooking. Sure, you need to use more oil/butter in your cooking, but moderate amounts of fat are important in a diet. Its highly processed, added sugars, and excess salt you need to worry about.

For when I needed a non-stick, like for eggs, I picked up this T-fal and the non-stick is fantastic, even after a few years of careful use.

I also have a Lodge cast iron dutch oven set which is great for when I use it, but I find it difficult to use effectively. Perhaps I'm just not using the proper techniques, so I don't get much use of it... but I do love to use it when I get around to it. Learning proper care for cast iron is essential - read up before you use (and possibly ruin!)

Actually...yes, assuming you have your own bathroom and/or very understanding roommates :
Use a detergent that has both water softener (to counteract the hard water) and enzymes in it.
The easiest one to find is probably Tide.

But of course, there's a catch.
The catch is that you'll need to soak them for several hours, and because you don't have your own washer, you'll need to soak them at home and wash them by hand. And you'll probably need a second set of sheets if you don't already have one.

If you want to make a small investment that will keep you out of the laundromat and let you wash all your laundry at home (not just sheets) you might consider something like the "wonder washer" https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002C8HR9A and a folding drying rack.

If you want to go the cheaper route, some folks use a 5 gallon bucket (from Home Depot or similar) to wash by hand, but I find a big plastic storage tub works better. Use a small amount of detergent (about 1/3 of what you'd use for a normal sized load). If you're using powdered detergent, dissolve it with hot water, then use whatever temperature water you want. Put your sheets in and add enough water to cover the sheets by a few inches. I use a 15 gallon storage tub and usually fill it 2/3 of the way.
Take a clean laundry only plunger (I use this one and love it https://www.amazon.com/EasyGoProducts-Hand-Powered-Clothes-Washing/dp/B00YQCOCAM ) or your hands or clean legs and feet and squish the sheets around in the water for about 5 minutes or so. Then let the sheets sit. The longer they sit, the better the enzymes will work. If you can soak them either overnight or while you're away at work, that would be awesome, but even just two or three hours will make a big difference. When the soak is done, use the plunger (arms/legs/whatever) to squish them around again for about 15 minutes. It's ok to take a break if you get tired, but you want to agitate them for about 15 minutes total. Then empty the water out, and start the first "rinse cycle". Put clean water in the tub and squish the sheets around to rinse. Empty the water and rinse the sheets again.
Then wring them out using your hands and hang them to dry.

TL;DR Wash at home and soak your sheets in a detergent that has water softeners and enzymes.

Dowels and chopsticks with sandpaper wrapped around them, and a Dremel with a variety of stones. It's gonna be a labor of love.

Proluxe is good, but it's really just a deck stain. And the semitransparent is a water based acrylic... you're not gonna like the finish it gives you on that beautiful old hardwood. It'll look like plastic. I'd personally go with an Old Masters penetrating stain (you can go with a wiping stain if you wanna tone down the grain a little... wiping stain will give you a little more of the semitransparent look) followed by a spar finish (3 coats, applied with sponge brushes, light sand with 220 between coats - juuuuust kiss it with the sandpaper). It'll give the door a richer and longer lasting finish than a simple coat of deck stain, and the spar is UV protectant.

I'd use Evaporust or Metal Rescue on any of the ironwork that can be removed and allowed to soak (with both products, you strain the soak and pour it back into the jug - it's reusable several times). After the rust removal soak, clean with acetone and use a self-etching primer. For anything you can't remove and soak, use Rust Reformer after wire brushing instead of a simple primer for tough surfaces - it converts surface rust to magnetite to stabilize it. Then proceed with your black color coat. After the black, spray with a couple coats of satin clear. All the paints I linked are available at any auto parts store and Walmart, and I believe Home Depot carries Metal Rescue.

That's a gorgeous door. Take pictures and post a project gallery!

Edit: added that Proluxe semitransparent is water based.

I just got a stainless set for Christmas this past year. I was really excited but also terrified, then I did some research. The key to stainless steel cooking is heat the pan first before adding ANYTHING. I believe the adage is hot pan, cold fat.

So, say you want to cook something over medium-high heat.

• Turn the burner on to that, set the pan on it and forget about it for a few minutes so the pan comes up to heat empty.
  
• Then, add your fat, so butter, olive oil whatever (I don't do this with bacon because the bacon is essentially the fat, just heat and slap in your bacon), let the fat come up to temperature. You want to wait until you see a nice shimmer on the surface for things like olive oil. * Then add your food.
  
  I can even scramble eggs in my skillets and they slide out like nothing. You'll notice after a little practice that these babies are, when used properly, less prone to stick than something with a non-stick coating, unless of course you burn the shit out of it. :)
  
  Also, for cleaning, let the pan cool before you wash it. My favorite things to use are either no scratch Scotch Brite pads or Scotch Brite Dobies but in most cases I don't really need to scrub. That being said, you're going to encounter situations where you burn things or the fat oxidizes on your pans and for this, hands down, get some Bar Keepers Friend. It's the best thing ever.

Wheels can be the time consuming part, but the most fun.
My set-up for wheels & tires:

Tuf Shine Tire Brush:
This is better than Mother's Tire Brush, just does the job better. Obsessed Garage talked about it, it's bound to be good.

SuperClean Degreaser:
I like this one because the smell isn't as strong as Meguiar's Wheel Brightener, and I can use it for both wheel and tires at once. Scott from Dallas Paint Correction & Auto Detailing recommend this one and it's hard to look back after using it. Buy a small bottle first before buying a gallon to see if you like it.

Wheel Woolies:
I hesitated to spend $50 on these brushes, but after buying them I had no regrets. You don't get the splash back from other wheel brushes.

Black Wash Mitt:
I used to use this one but I find that using a black microfiber mitt for the face of the wheel and in between the spokes made it a lot faster, and you can get behind the spokes too. But that brush is useful for lug nuts though.

Creeper Seat: This is a nice to have if you're working on a flat surface. Nice to have but not a necessity.

Don't waste your time with a grinding wheel! Ah! There are sooo many better ways that are substantially easier and are much less harsh to the stove and to you. I would highly suggest just getting a large tub (rubbermade stuff) and putting any piece you can remove (top, legs, doors, etc) in it with a few gallons of white vinegar. Plain old vinegar does an amazing job on at removing rust. Literally eats it right off and doesn't hurt the metal. Even just using a mild acid like lemon juice or soda with some tin foil will be easier then a grinding wheel. Look up some rust removal videos on Chrome parts on youtube, same logic.

Check out this steel tank I cleaned up.

http://imgur.com/a/eb8Wv

Photos almost don't do it justice. The first photo I had already started cleaning it. I just let it soak for a couple hours and used the stainless steel dish scrub and the rust started coming right off. put the tank back in overnight and it came out as you see in the second photo. again, scrubbed it more and hit it with some baking soda to stop the acid reaction. cleaned it with a towel and dried it in the oven. 0 tools used. no grinding and the metal came out gleaming.

for anything that's to big to soak, can also use this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GRSOJSS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

very safe and isn't harsh to work around. a grinding wheel will take you hours and is going to eat away a lot of good metal. it's also going to potentially ad brush marks. even if you paint over it, still might see them.

good luck!

edit: just wanted to mention, in the second photo, the bottom half of the tank was sitting in the vinegar over night. that's how clean it came out without evening touching it with a scrubber.

well, the most important part of this is how thin do you want your paints to be? Most advice on the internet says to aim for "milky" consistency. This results in the paint being just thin enough that it takes multiple coats to apply a color, but not so thin that it just runs off of the model. Something you could do to acquaint yourself with the way this looks is to buy a small bottle of 2% milk, pour it into a plastic cup and use your paintbrush to "paint" it up the sides of the cup. This should give you an idea of what your final goal could be.

As for materials to thin paint with, you can use several different products:

1. Water - very basic.
   
   
2. Water + future floor polish - the floor polish supposedly helps to break the surface tension of the paint, and gives it a gloss coat, but I have little experience with it.
   
   
3. water + Matte Medium - An acrylic medium that does not alter the color and dries into a matte finish. Can be used with water to thin thicker paints, especially artists acrylics. I like to use some combination of this with most of my paints.
   
   
4. water + Glaze Medium - another medium, does not alter the color, but gives the paint a glossy sheen. Can also be used to make a glaze, similar to a GW Glaze pot.
   
   
5. water + Flow Aid - Flow aid is an acrylic medium that acts similarly to future floor polish, in that it helps to break the surface tension of the paint and let it flow smoother.
   
   
6. water + Flow Aid + Slow-Dri - Using this combo both makes the paint flow smoother off of the brush, as well as increases how long it takes for the paint to dry (both on and off the model!). useful in dry climates or when using some of the more time intensive techniques. Must be used with water, as the slow-dri doesn't work without it.
   
   As you may have noticed, water is a fairly consistent theme. I've hear that you can also use windex + water, but that seems like a waste of a good bottle of windex ;)
   
   Another option, if you are finding it hard to consistently thin the paints, is to use a wet palette. If you keep the wet palette fairly full with water, it will automatically thin down the paint to a certain degree, after which you can add mediums or more water to push it further. It also has the added benefit of keeping the paints wet for an extended period of time. Here is a guide for making your own wet palette to try out: http://www.miniwargaming.com/content/Zpt5gLOoldY1

Atrium Anniversary! 🥳

In honor of today’s Drop of the Abacus I decided to polish up my Copper Atrium and carry it today at work. I can’t believe it’s been two years since the original Atriums dropped. Preorders started 10/22/17.

After receiving it I ordered tritium vials in Green and Purple and added them with UV resin. Have been real happy with how they turned out and a delightful display in the night.

I have been letting my Copper pieces patina. But about once a year I have been repolishing them with Blue Magic and then recently started applying Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish. I have been super impressed with this wax and how long Copper and Brass/Bronze items remain shiny. Some are free from patina even when they come back around in my rotation a month later.

Blue Magic 400 7 Ounce 7OZ MTL Polish Cream
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BO8Z9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_5h2PDbNMVKHCA

Renaissance Micro-Crystalline Wax Polish (65 ml)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DSZWEM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_PosSl7D59dCRQ

I had the beige cloth in my 2015 and had to clean them a lot. Water left spots on those seats! My favorite product I found is this cleaner from The Car Guys.

I bought it mostly for the dash, but came to find it worked great on the seats as well. Some set in stains came out super easy. Has a really light smell too, so doesn’t leave your car smelling of cleaner.

Wow I love the look of that kit!!! I'll tell you right now, Pledge clear will be your best friend for removing any stress marks or scratches from removing/sanding nubs

http://www.amazon.com/SC-Johnson-Pledge-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451352679&sr=8-1&keywords=pledge+clear#Ask

As far as clean decal work goes, make sure to clean the surface of the model with a degreaser before applying the decal. Then, after you cut out the decal and soak it, take it out of the water, still on the paper, and slide it straight on to the model.

There's a lot of stuff out there you can use. But given that you're indoors and can't easily remove the bar to take it outside, there are fewer options, but still some. My personal recommendation is Evapo Rust:

https://www.amazon.com/Evapo-Rust-ER004-Super-Safe-Remover/dp/B00GRSOJSS

It's a lot safer and less toxic than other common chemicals used to remove rust, which is important because you're using it indoors.

You may want these other tools in case abrasive action is needed:

• Steel wool
  
• Wire brush
  
• Sand paper
  
  You might not need all of them, but just see how it goes.
  
  Edit: Make sure you soak the rusted areas of the rod as much as you can. If it's light rust, most should disappear in 30 minutes, but if it's heavy it's supposed to sit overnight (preferably soaking in the stuff, but that might not be possible unless you can remove the bar). Wipe off with water, and use a wire brush to clean up anything left on.
  
  
  Additionally, protect the shower from future rust by applying a thin layer of mineral oil to it periodically.
  
  Edit 2: I found some information on the internet that suggested you can even use vinegar to remove rust. Use what you want. I think Evapo Rust is superior. Some people say vinegar can kind of turn metal kind of a gray matte and not shiny. To keep the rod soaked, you can saturate paper towels, wrap them around the shower rod, and then wrap aluminum foil around it and leave it there for however long (preferably overnight).
  
  If you decide to replace it, maybe go with something low maintenance like plastic or something corrosion-resistant like galvanized steel.

I asked my mobile service tech and he reminded this but I haven't tried it yet: CarGuys Super Cleaner - The Most Effective All Purpose Cleaner Available on The Market! - Best for Leather Vinyl Carpet Upholstery Plastic Rubber and Much More! - 18 oz Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071XB18BF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_N9gaCb5ST6WSK

I spent the past week cleaning all of my NES, SNES, Super Famicom and Famicom cartridges. Taking the cartridges apart just makes it easier to get leverage while polishing the pins, and it just helps with wiping down the PCB and the inside of the cartridge shells.

I mostly followed this guide I found on Ars Technica.

I happened to have a can of Brasso metal polish laying around so I used that instead of the polish the article recommends. I also picked up a pack of Target brand magic erasers to use to clean the outer part of the cartridge shells.

In my experience, polishing the pins does more than just wiping the pins down with isopropyl alcohol. It's also a judgement call. If the pins look pretty clean then you probably don't need to polish them. Here's a before pic of a NES cartridge. And here's what it looks like after I polished the pins. This is was one my cleaner games before polishing. I wish I took before and after pics of one of my dirtier games.

Hi girls! So I bought a black Gucci Soho Disco from Joy about a year ago. Honestly do not love the quality because when compared to an auth. the leather isn't as supple/buttery, and a well used auth. sort of falls into itself whereas my version is still super stiff and boxy, even after I've used it a lot. I'm not even sure if it's real leather, but it just goes with SO many outfits, so I still wear it quite a bit.

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to try to condition the leather on your reps to make them look more authentic/improve the look of the leather? I was looking on Amazon and found this, which has a bunch of good reviews but wanted to know if anyone had any better suggestions?

https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Honey-Conditioner-Furniture-Accessories/dp/B003IS3HV0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1519753442&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=leather+conditioner&psc=1

Thanks so much!!!

Agreed, it's your business. She can hire her own inspection done if she wants.

That being said, maybe not a terrible idea to purchase a lead detection kit to make sure there's no lead - for your own peace of mind if nothing else. Lead chips taste sweet so young children really will eat them.

It's also not unusual especially for first time moms to overworry about their kids. If you think she's a good tenant and want to keep her I'm sure there are some basic reassurances you can provide. If not, I agree with u/NetWareHead that you maybe just don't renew the lease.

Good luck!

• I bought a Kind Creations coil, they're a local glass blower in Fort Collins, CO. However, I don't think they make these anymore, on account of the glue used to seal the glycerine in the tube eventually wears away when frozen and thawed multiple times, leading to cheap, but annoying repairs.
  
  
• This was $300 for the beaker and the coil, but most cost more.
  
  
• In total with the coil on it's about 18" tall...I think. I'll have to measure it when I get home.
  
  
• You can hit it when it's not frozen, but then it's essentially just a normal bong. When it's not frozen the coil doesn't do anything. I keep mine in the freezer all the time though, so I can't say I have much experience with it.
  
  
• This is a loaded question. Yes and no. It's the smoothest piece I've ever hit, hands down. However, it takes a lot of maintenance. When it condenses the smoke, it removes some of the tar. This sticks and it gets dirty really fast (keep in mind that mine has two, smaller coils instead of one large one, so that factors in to how fast it gets clogged). I personally love cleaning my glass; it's therapeutic to me. But, if smoked consistently, the coil itself needs a cleaning about once a week. If you don't like cleaning, or you don't have consistent access to somewhere you can clean, I would say stay away.
  
  
• I know you didn't ask, but one thing I've found that makes it much easier to keep clean in the activated carbon filter (attached to the bowl). It filters out almost all tar and acts as an ash catcher, which is much needed for this bong. I've also found that Grunge Cleaner works the best out of anything I've tried for cleaning glass.

If I could tell my family I smoked and just had to worry about fixing the smell I’d just invest in getting a smell proof case and using mason jars to store my bud. There’s also reusable cleaner for bongs and water, like peace water, that keeps the bongs relatively clean. Keep your pieces clean and your mom happy. I can only dream of the day I can tell my parents.


Grudge Off
Grunge Off Super Soaker Glass Pipe Cleaner, 16 Ounce https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002LURISY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_UPx6Cb3JT8HV9

Just my $0.02 after years of fiddling with electronics and various gadgets. This goes for a lot of cleaning questions and tips here.

DON'T use a toothpick or compressed air unless there is a route/path of egress.

Sure, if you're careful you may be able to brush out some of the dust and grime, but forcibly doing so (using a toothpick or compressed air) is also very likely to push dust and dirt into areas where you really don't want it.

Unless you've disassembled your device and are cleaning it from the inside out, you are pushing junk into the device.

If you have some loose-ish stuff that won't come out by gently tapping the device face-down against your palm, for example, then you can try a soft-bristle brush. Again, though, this introduces a force that can push debris into the device.

You can try something called Cyber Clean , which is a putty that is specifically meant to lift stuff off/out of surfaces and crevices.

For prevention, the best option is probably a case (that wraps around/covers the gap. This will still introduce a little 'nook' between the front panel and the front edge of the case, but this is much easier to clean. Just take off the case and wipe away the 'frame' of grime left behind. Make sure not to wipe it over the gap between the front panel and the phone body, though.

After painting, I recommend you spray a glosscoat, apply decals, and then spray a final glosscoat; imo I think Sinanjus look better with a glossy shiny finish, but that's just me.

If you have an airbrush or handbrushes, I recommend Future Floor (previously Pledge) as the first (before decals) and last layer of glosscoat.

If that's not your style, there's spray cans as well, such as Mr. Hobby Topcoat.

There's much more info in the sidebar, so if you really want to make it look good, refer to those links if you're on a computer. Really helpful stuff!

Rubbing alc + salt to get rid of the bulk of the garbage. After that, I really can't recommend Grunge Off enough. This is the best cleaner on the market, you really won't find many glass aficionados speak out against it sans the fact it might remove a label if you rub it against it enough. If you can't get grunge off this works well too which has the same active ingredient limonene-d (which is just a terpene from oranges). Soak your pieces over night, depending on your tube if its not a pipe you can get a glass stopper instead of a bowl so you can fill it to the top. You can reuse the stuff quite a bite before having to buy more. It's maybe 5 - 10 minutes of extra work every night for perfectly clean like you bought it new glass (with that new-shine look because it removes hard water).

Sounds like a good answer. I'm assuming that you can't go wrong with either, as the design is fairly simple/similar. My only regret for not going with aliengear was the price so far, but I'm perfectly happy with my galco.

Something you might be interested in:

http://www.amazon.com/Leather-Honey-Conditioner-Since-Bottle/dp/B003IS3HV0

Here's an amazon link for Future Floor Polish.


They changed the label a little while back, so it doesn't say Future on it anymore, but it is the same product.

I use this stuff all the time, and it is very effective at tightening joints. If robot disassembly isn't your thing, you can even use an eyedropper or pipette to apply it directly into pinholes and joints.

After curing for 24 hours, even a small amount worked into a joint can make a huge difference.

An extra bonus is that it is fairly water-soluble, so you can undo a tightening or clean off excess with just a little water.

Cleaning:

I've gotten cleaning down to two products: Bar Keepers Friend and 7th Generation Powdered Dish Soap. These products are basically magic, if you allow them time to work. BKF works on things that are baked or burned in and for use on metal (except aluminium) and glass. Sprinkle BKF over the area to be cleaned, wet it until it's paste like, then walk away for 30 minutes or so. When you come back, re-wet it if it's not still wet, and use a paper towel to polish off the stain. Usually comes right up with very little elbow grease. Same principle applies to 7thGen. Fill your kettle/carboy/whatever with water and add about a tablespoon of powder per gallon of water. Let it sit overnight. I've yet to find grime that will stand up to it. It's magic works on a combination of what is basically oxyclean free and enzymatic cleaners. Much in the same way enzymes break up starch in malt to make it into sugar, these enzymes break up proteins and junk to release it from whatever is clinging to it. The only gotcha here is the enzymes have a shelf life, so you can't let it sit around forever. If you use it in other household cleaning, you can go through it at a fair pace and always have an opportunity to freshen up your supply.

Sanitation:

StarSan is clearly everyone's favorite sanitizer, but I do worry a bit about it's effectiveness over the long term with organisms building up resistance to it. I currently try to cycle in Saniclean every now and again, which has some of the same ingredient as StarSan, but uses a slightly different chemical to help keep the foam down while still sanitizing. I'd love to find out if someone has found another product as effective as these two that isn't iodine or chlorine based. In the mean time, to help keep things shaken up, I use heat where ever possible to add in an additional layer of sanitation. A pro brewer once told me cycling 180F water through your system for 15 minutes will kill just about anything you have to worry about. Seems solid and I like the fact it isn't an additional chemical.

Sterilization:

I only really use this for canning wort right now, but a pressure cooker is a nice thing to have. I've also been known to use tyndallization on items that might not quite make it through the pressure cooker. If anyone is regularly sterilizing things, I'd be interested in hearing what you're sterilizing, what method you're using (heat, steam, gas, ultrasonic, etc.), and why.

edit : Fixed the linking I think.

So this may not be the perfect solution, but this worked-

​

• disconnect the horn's fuse in the fuse panel
  
• scrub over and over using blue shop towels using Car Guys Premium Super Cleaner*
  
• *I had tried that before as it's now my go to cleaner instead of Armor All - but prior attempt, I was using a chamois but it just flaked some of the chamois (again, this wheel was super sticky! Like fly trap sticky!)
  
• I used about 7 shop towels total
  
• Covered the towels in the cleaner, and just scrubbed until there was no more black residue coming off- I imagine that's years of Armor All that came off
  
• Because the horn wasn't working, didn't worry about being delicate
  
  ​
  
  Results- not perfect, but much much much better
  
  End result- PHOTO

Super simple. Just get a microfiber cloth or old rag or whatever, some non-abrasive metal polish like Flitz or, I like to use this stuff
Apply polish to cloth and just scrub until it is all shiny and sexy. Alternatively, you can use a dremel with a buffing attachment, but I really enjoy polishing by hand.

That's all there is to it, other than taking a toothpick and getting into the grip serrations to scrape out the years of accumilated Isreali soldier finger crud.

1. The last time I needed to buy something, I bought it online. It was so cheap. 14" stainless steel food tongs for only Rp. 7000? Yes, please. You get what you pay though, the tongs were pretty thin, but more than enough for my needs. I've seen similar quality products for more than twice the price in physical stores. If I buy offline, I usually buy from ACE or from some stores in ITC Mangga Dua.
   
   
   
   
2. House warming gifts, maybe. Weddings, no, we usually give money.
   
   
3. Gifts for someone you know likes to cook, I suppose. I bought a Victorinox kitchen knife for my mom once haha.
   
   
4. It really depends on the person.
   
   Anyways, I'm still looking for a place that sells Bar Keepers Friend. If anyone here knows where to buy one, please let me know :D Cheers.

I've had really good luck with Grunge Off. It's a cleaner made with citrus oil and unlike the iso method or Orange Chronic, this is meant to soak your pieces in. If you take the bowl and soak overnight it should clean a lot of the build up away. Rinse with hot water. You may have to rinse it out and soak again the following night but it will eventually break down any build up you have on there. It smells great to! Amazon link below so you can see what it looks like but don't buy from there because that price is stupid! I think i pay $18 a bottle. It's reusable many, many times.

https://www.amazon.ca/Grunge-Off-Super-Soaker-Cleaner/dp/B002LURISY/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_121_tr_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZM0MZ1HD5MKQ514V37SH

​

And once you get it clean use a few drops of Rez Block in the water to prevent it from getting dirty again. This stuff works wonders!!!

https://www.amazon.ca/RezBlock-Concentrate-420-Science-Cleaner/dp/B00C6L66CC

​

Good luck!

I used one of these and a 5 gallon bucket to wash clothes for a couple of years. That was for two adults, a toddler, baby, and included cloth diapers. It’s quite an arm workout, but was doable. It was tedious to hand wring everything out before hanging it to dry, but overall saved us so much money in laundry costs. It’d be a really great option for a single person.

Looks like it could be some hard water staining. I agree with the barkeepers friend. it will bring it back to life. it won't even take much scrubbing to clear that up. You can get it at Walmart or most grocery stores.

You want the powder cleanser. the liquid cleaner is shite! this is what it looks like. it's really cheap like a dollar something per canister.

https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend-Powdered-12-Ounces/dp/B000V72992/

>lead in the sliding tracks of the old double hung wooden sash windows (which we are leaving closed for now).

Old windows like that are the worst for lead dust production.

Wet mopping followed by tack cloth is one of the ideal ways to ensure you're cleaning up the site as best as possible.


The "trick" we're taught in the cert class regarding swab testing:

But a lead test kit like this. Instead of dabbing the end of the tester on the scores in the paint you've made (you do know that in order to test for lead paint you have to score down to the base material, because testing the top layer of paint alone doesn't give accurate results), you squeeze out the testing liquid onto q-tips and then swab the q-tips onto the surface you desire to test.

It is possible to get up to about 8 q-tips sufficiently wet with the test liquid to perform tests, which means you can perform about 8 tests per tube of test fluid.

If in doubt about the results, retest a spot directly with a full tube.

Regarding your vac, just to be clear...did it come with a certificate stating what RRP tests it passed?

The way HD's description reads doesn't clearly indicate that. Want to make sure you're not being mislead by the vendor.

You should be able to find something like this in your vac literature:

>Certified to meet EPA RRP standards: IEST-RP-CC001.5 insuring a minimum filtration efficiency of 99.97% at 0.3 micron

The write up for the Rigid vac just says it "Meets the EPA's definition of a HEPA vacuum under the RRP rule for lead paint renovations".

It doesn't state that it is certified for use. I would follow up on that if I was in your position.

This is lame, but I love doing laundry! First off, use all of the settings on your washer. Take the time to switch the water temperature, spin speed, etc if your washer allows it.

For whitening clothes, I like using some Borax (I put it in the spot for the prewash detergent), and then when they seem to be getting dinging some liquid bluing. That will usually do the trick with tee shirts, towels, sheets, etc.

For hand washing I usually, resolve a little bit of the same Borax in my sink. I used to use woolite, but I always forget to buy it, and the Borax seems to work the same (so one less thing to remember at the store).

Yeah it’s purple. Used to be called Castrol super clean, now it’s just Super Clean.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/SuperClean-101786-Cleaner-Degreaser-Trigger/dp/B0039ZBLEC

Most mink oil will do. I have had great success with this, and this, it also helps that it is free shipping with amazon prime.

People would melt lead ingots in them and use the melted lead to make fishing weights or bullets, most commonly. It's not terribly common, but it definitely happened and is possible. [This] (https://www.amazon.com/3M-717834209102DUPE-LeadCheck-Swabs-8-Pack/dp/B008BK15PU) is one of the better ways to check if your pan is contaminated- ideally when restoring and it's stripped down to bare iron.

Aluminum Cleaners are popular in automotive and marine aisle, Blue Magic works nicely

https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Magic-400-Ounce-Polish/dp/B000BO8Z9I

This will help with the oxidization. I like to use it with a wool buffing head on my drill. Saves elbow grease. I can get a nice finish this way.

if you want a more highly polished finish, get some wet dry metal sandpaper above 800. I use it in steps from 800 to 2300 to get a mirror finish on vintage pots and pans.

[presently working on a book on restoring vintage kitchenware]

Unless that's anodized aluminum, you can clean it up to look nearly brand-new with some barkeeper's friend. Don't get it from Amazon, though. You can get it cheap from your local supermarket, in the cleaning products aisle. This stuff is pretty much mandatory in restaurant kitchens. It's surprising how many people don't know about it for home use, so their pots and pans get pretty tarnished over the years, especially stainless steel and copper.

I say "nearly" brand-new because there's naturally going to be some scratches and dings. But that's what gives these things character :)

I got some car guys super cleaner
https://www.amazon.com/CarGuys-Super-Cleaner-Effective-Upholstery/dp/B071XB18BF

Works well. Recently found some blue jean stain transferred on the driver seat and it wiped off easily with some dog wipes I had in the car (probably the same as baby wipes, but 10x more expensive, haha).

Enjoy the X! I almost went there, and I think eventually I’ll have one too :)

Grunge Off is the best cleaner, plus its super cheap because its reusable. The bottles I have i've been using for 4 months are pitch black and still clean my pieces like new.

Yeah, that's pretty much the order. Some guys will throw extra layer of gloss here and there, for example between panel lining and decals or after those if they're weathering. That's personal preference though.


As for gloss - it often depends on what you can get locally. Most cost effective option is airbrushing FFA, if you can get your hands on it. As for spray cans, Mr.Topcoat is often recommended. I've had a good experience with it so far, though it is a bit pricey for the amount you get. I'll probably be decanting and airbrushing it for my next project.
If those don't work for you, most other major paint manufacturers like Tamiya, Vallejo, AK, Testors and so on have a gloss coat (sometimes called varnish) in their lineup.

1)I disagree. I tried 6 different flat topcoats, and by far the FLat Acrylic Crystal clear is the best deal. For $5 bucks you get a can that is more than enough to finish 2-3 HGUC kits.

Name one other flat coat for roughly the same price/amount ?

2) For decals you should buy Pledge Multipurpose Polish (rebranded Future Floor wax). That bottle will last you the rest of your Gunpla career. All you have to do is brush it on where you are going to put your decals, let it dry for a bit and then apply your decals. Another trick (that I did with better results) was you can put your decals on first and then brush on the future floor wax afterwards. This seals in the decal even better, hides the decal edges even better and GURANTEES that your decals will not silver. The only negative to brushing on clear coat is that there is a slight "edge" to the clear coat if you look at it at certain angles.

After that apply your Flat coat as usual

CarGuys Super Cleaner - Effective All Purpose Cleaner - Best for Leather Vinyl Carpet Upholstery Plastic Rubber and Much More! - 18 oz Kit https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B071XB18BF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_s-GvCbG820P3M

CarGuys Super Cleaner - Effective All Purpose Cleaner - Best for Leather Vinyl Carpet Upholstery Plastic Rubber and Much More! - 18 oz Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071XB18BF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4m10CbSFZ3KAD

I've been loving this:

CarGuys Super Cleaner - Effective All Purpose Cleaner - Best for Leather Vinyl Carpet Upholstery Plastic Rubber and Much More! - 18 oz Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071XB18BF/

I bought a new 50th Anniversary Camaro, which has a Matte section on the hood. I've been searching and reading the wiki, and just want to verify or get better recommendations than what I think I've found.

I first need to wash the car with a matte wash, so I don't get any glossifiers or waxes on the matte section. I found Chemical Guys CWS_995_16 Meticulous Matte Auto Wash, but wasn't sure if there were other recommendations.
After that, I should use a matte sealant like Chemical Guys WAC_203_16 Blue JetSeal Matte Sealant and Paint Protectant.
Then for touch-ups use Chemical Guys SPI_995_16 Meticulous Matte Detailer and Spray Sealant.
With that done, I should tape off the matte section, and care for the rest of the car with regular wax, clay, and sealant as covered in various threads and the wiki here. For the tape, I see some recommend 3M 233+ painter's tape, while others say CarPro Masking Tape. Is there a significant difference between them?

Does that sound correct?

Simple Green is your friend.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017D1GG6?ref_=wms_ohs_product&redirect=true&psc=1&pldnSite=1

This ^ will last you a long time. I clean my discs with it to remove the squeak also.

This http://www.amazon.com/Park-CM-5-2-Cyclone-Chain-Scrubber/dp/B007HDNOT2/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1398709921&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=park+tool+chain+cleaner plus simple green = a super chain cleaning.




Also a little car paint detailer keeps it shiny shiny.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009IQXAE?ref_=sr_1_cc_2&s=aps&qid=1398709624&sr=1-2-catcorr&keywords=meguires%20detailer&pldnSite=1

Just spray it into a rag and not directly onto the frame to prevent over spray on the discs/pads.

As others have mentioned, a good lube (Boeshield T9 for example) should be matched to your riding conditions and applied.

http://www.amazon.com/Boeshield-Corrosion-Protection-Waterproof-Lubrication/dp/B001447PEK/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1398709998&sr=1-1&keywords=boeshield+t-9

Saddle soap is soap + oils. If the leather you're working on is dirty, you should use saddle soap (or a different leather soap) to begin with, and then switch to just a conditioning (oil) product and keep applying layers until it stops soaking it up quickly. The soap is relatively mild, but should be avoided when unnecessary.

I currently use Lexol conditioner because it's cheap and easy to find locally (I was out and needed some STAT), but I've heard great things about Leather Honey and I've also gotten good results from mink oil. Honestly, the brand isn't nearly as important as just doing it regularly.

I bring it to a "do it yourself" car wash. Make sure the vehicle hasn't been running very long and give it 5-10 minutes with the hood open to cool the engine down. I then use a cheap and widely available product called "Super Clean", it comes in a purple bottle. This stuff is the absolute best degreaser on the planet, it is an exceptional product. Anyways, you very liberally spray down your entire engine bay, avoiding the sensitive areas (alternator, plugs/coils, distributor) and let it sit for a few minutes.

Then go put a few quarters into the pressure washing machine, and turn it to the high pressure water rinse. Start very carefully rinsing off the engine bay. DO NOT directly shoot the water into the engine. Stand back quite a ways (5-6ft) and think of it more as a high pressure mist; which will indirectly, yet strongly, rinse the degreaser off. Trust me you do not want to shoot high pressure water into your spark plugs/coils and start to get cylinder misfires and other annoying shit to fix. It is really an easy process, you just need to take your time and be very careful.

After this is done, bring the vehicle back home to the garage and let the engine bay get completely dry. This process can be sped up by using an air compressor and blowing all the water off, or you can just let it sit half a day with the hood open. Once dry, take Armor All and wipe down everything: plastic, hoses, caps, tanks, and covers. Now your engine bay is free of dirt and grease, and has a nice shine to everything making it look brand new. Potential buyers absolutely love to see this and it will significantly help you in selling the vehicle.

I prefer washes and usually use Vallejo washes. Usually Vallejo oil. If you want to use gloss coat by had, check out this. It can be used both by hand and in an airbrush. It will give you a gloss coat to use with a wash. It is acryllic so don't scrub too hard but it can work very well.

I usually put the wash down and let it sit for a couple seconds then wipe away with my finger. If you want to get really fancy, wipe in the direction you would think rain would move the oil stain down the suit. Example 1 and Example 2. This will give you a pretty good looking run mark for the rain pushing oil or rust down from the site. Take into account where it may gather, then go from there. You can use water and a q-tip if you don't want to use your finger. If you scrub too hard with that it will also strip away the gloss coat. It does take a bit to do that though.

I have the best of luck with this product : SuperClean ..



But is do SUPER RINSE after .. since I dont believe any trace of cleaning product should remains after cleaning.. but That stuff is the best for everything almost .

Ack, best to try a lighter conditioner then. Cadillac is great! Personally I like this stuff a lot as well https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Honey-Conditioner-Furniture-Accessories/dp/B003IS3HV0/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=leather+honey&qid=1562611575&s=gateway&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1

Yep, its not a great lubricant but its perfect for getting rust off tools. If that doesn't work, Evapo Rust will do the trick. I use it for restoring old tools, but its probably overkill for something like this. WD-40 should work fine.

It's called Pledge Floor Care Multi-Surface Finish in the US, and goes by various names around the world. Walmart carries it, costs around $6 for a bottle that could clear coat hundreds of models.

It also works pretty well on floors :)

https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Pledge-Floor-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_3_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1493385925&sr=8-3&keywords=pledge+floor+care

Future is used rather often as a clear coat. A bottle of the stuff will effectively last a lifetime.

Concerning decal solutions, either one should be fine. I've used both microsol/set or Tamiya Mark Fit Strong, depending on how cooperative the decals are.

Cyber clean is my best friend.

Cyber Clean 25055 Home & Office Pop-up Cup - 5.11 oz. (145g) https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00375JBL4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_sIGOCb5Q90FRS

I have the matte silver variety. I did a lot of research concerning keeping it clean.

This stuff right here is amazing: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FQHY64S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

And for the love of god, don't wax it or use anything that will get into the pores of the paint. Place I bought mine from has two used streetys with glossy washed out matte paint jobs because their previous owners tried to polish them.

The grips are Ivory and can be worth a huge amount. You should get the two 1862's (not quite sure that's what they are, would need better view of them) lettered from colt. They could be worth potentially 10,000 or more each, especially if that's factory engraving.

DO NOT CLEAN THEM. You do not know what you're doing, you will fuck them up. Your best bet would be to find a professional restorer or gunsmith (not just some jackass that can change a shotgun barrel either) and have them clean them properly. More antique guns are ruined by "I'll just scrub this rust off" and "how could this possibly harm the finish, it's made for guns" than by anything else. If you must do anything, a careful brushing with a firm bristled toothbrush (and nothing else. No copper brushes, steel brushes, steel wool, brass brushes or cleaners on the toothbrush) to remove dust and dirt followed by the use of a product like renaissance wax to impede further degradation is what I would recommend. The ivory needs to be treated especially carefully, as it gets older, it gets very fragile.

I would suggest contacting someone like Turnbull or another well recommended restorer as soon as possible.


http://www.amazon.com/Picreator-Renaissance-Wax-200ml/dp/B0012S1XBO

http://www.turnbullmfg.com/

I second commiecat's suggestion of the metal polish and dental floss. I've used it on numerous razors however I would caution that some razors can get loose at the pivot pin, especially older razors that don't have washers on the outside of the scales and just have the pins peened over. If this happens you can use a (4oz preferably or an 8oz if that's all you have) ball peen hammer to very lightly tap the pin and try to peen it some more and tighten it up. Also, I've tried a few metal polishes and I prefer Blue Magic to Maas or Flitz. It really works on getting tarnish off but does have a powerful stench so use in a well ventilated area.

To prevent rust from occurring again, you should try to get some oil into the hinge and even wipe down the blade if you have multiple razors and won't be using one for a while. Mineral oil is great for this and you can find it in the pharmacy for cheap, it's sold as a laxative, lol. Moisten a q-tip and try to work it around the hinge area. If you want something fancy, look for a Tuf-Glide pen. I found them for sale at an antique store while I was hunting for razors but I would assume they are sold at hardware stores and such.

303 Aerospace should work great it's a cleaner and protectant, but you might also like Nextzett which I posted above.

For matte paint/PPF I would recommend Chemical Guys Meticulous Matte Quick Detailer: https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-SPI_995_16-Meticulous-Detailer/dp/B00FQHY64S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1535948037&sr=8-1&keywords=quick+detailer+for+matte

For towels, I like:

Plush for cleaning: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQYCKE8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Miscellaneous Disposable (not for dirty surfaces since they are low plush): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00937YLE2/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Waffle weave for drying: https://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-MIC_781_01-Waffle-Microfiber/dp/B00BQYCIVI/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1535948166&sr=8-3&keywords=microfiber+drying

Lint free for glass: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00WC5KQGE/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

IMO for cleaning copper I would use Bar Keepers Friend You can get it locally at walmart or your local grocery store usually. Don't have to let anything soak or screw with ammonia which fucking reeks. Put on some rubber gloves (or use a plastic bowl) and pour some powder in there. Pour some water in there to get yourself a nice paste/liquid mixture and then just cover the copper with it. I do this in my hand because its much easier to work over the mod (heh) with. It cleans almost instantly. Threads may need to be cleaned with a toothbrush. Otherwise rinse it off with water and let it dry and you're ready to roll.

Please excuse the Sayid nails
Before and After

fool proof, get a Vallejo wash and just brush it on real fast. I would buy a can of primer from wal-mart first and go over them real fast prior to doing the wash though, krylon is easily the best spray on primer for minis.

alternatively you can dip it in some wood stain and that works pretty well.

and if you mess up, just submerge the messed up mini in a simple green bath overnight and clean it with a toothbrush, and it is ready for a redo.

edit: if you want more detailed info /r/minipainting may be a good resource for you

Can I make a suggestion?

Pick up a bottle of Grundge Off.

It's a little more pricey, but it works way better with way less effort...AND its reusable! I've been using the same bottle since last July on a weekly basis and it still works great! It works way better than iso and salt ever worked for me, is cheaper in the long run, and no weird after taste.

My friend who details cars recommended this stuff: https://www.amazon.com/Tuff-Stuff-Multi-Purpose-Cleaner-ounces/dp/B0009PCPNQ

It works great. You can use it on pretty much any surface in the car. It got cream cheese out of the perforated leatherette seats, and glue that dripped when I got a new windshield installed off of the steering column.

We had it tested but I cant remember off the top of my head what was in it. Yes the hot water smelled like sulphur and it would leave rust colored streaks where it was left to dry. I ended up having to buy this in order to clean it.

If it has become foggy from micro-cracking as larwk mentioned you may want to try Future floor finish. It is an acrylic coating that will fill scratches and cracks amazingly well and self-levels beautifully leaving a crystal-clear surface on plastic. It is a tried and tested procedure in the model-making world. Check out this page for a lot more info on its use. Obviously you'd want to try it out on a small area first, but even if it doesn't work for you it is easy to remove with a quick alcohol wipe. You'd also want to use nothing more than a mild detergent to clean it after it is applied and dried.

Yep! There's some kind of UV coat or something on the lens and it oxidizes. It's not dirt, don't bother with windex,

Best way to clean it is to get some of this shit and a q-tip or cotton ball. Takes 15 seconds, your camera will work like new again.

Usually I just clean it normally with a sponge like any other dish. If something gets burned on I'll soak it or boil some water in it. Maybe once every year or so I soak it in Barkeepers Friend paste(http://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend%C2%AE-Cleanser-Polish/dp/B000V72992) and then scrub with a sponge and it gets any stuff that was burned on the bottom or tough stains off. That brings the shine back and makes it look brand new. All in all very easy to keep clean. No seasoning to fuss with or teflon coatings to be careful with.

The warped bottom you can't really fix. If you have a gas stove, it probably won't matter much, but it's annoying for sure. The other stuff... you can try some bar keeper's friend, or you can try the boiled salt water again... assuming you actually pay attention to it. What you're doing is basically deglazing the pan. I typically do that every time I cook, makes cleanup a breeze and sometimes is great for an awesome pan sauce.

I just got some of this stuff off of Amazon. How am I supposed to go about using it?

Do I try to get my pipes as clean as possible with soap/water, and then use this as a finish? What parts of my bike can I use this on? What parts am I not allowed to use it on?

Do you have any hints or tips about how to use it in the best possible way?

Thanks!

I am not sure how the side view mirror is actually mounted on this model but I can give a general idea.

On the inside of the door there is a plastic triangle trim right on the opposite side of where the mirror is and usually it pops off by pulling on it. This will give you access to some screws that hold the whole assembly to the door.

From there you will have to work your magic to figure out how to get it secured nice and tight as I don't know how bad it is.


The bumper is usually held in with screws or some clips or slid into something. Once again I don't know exactly how it is on this model, hopefully some one can tell you how to fix it correctly for this model. But for now you can go and inspect around to maybe figure out how it should be mounted.

The side trim on your TDI should be held on with tabs build into the side trim, inserted into the holes on the door and locked in some way. Either the tabs have broken off so one way would use some double sided tape made for side moldings/body work.

For the headlights I use Blue Magic Polishing Cream that a friend left at my previous house years ago. It works well and only removes surface oxidation. If it's there deep this polish won't be enough and very fine grit sandpaper is what you will need to use. I have to warn that this polish has ammonia in it so work in a well ventilated area. You will need to follow up with a sealant or it will turn yellow again in a month or two.

SuperClean has worked wonders for me! I soak my models for 48-72 hours then go at them with a denture brush. Paints easily strip off while the primer remains intact. It can also be useful to dismantle models. After about a week or two of soaking, you can pull apart a model like you're separating lego pieces. So far, I've only used it with GW plastic, but for that, it works great!

I use acrylic paints so I use my airbrush to seal it with Pledge Ultimate Floor care (Used to be called Pledge with Future and is much cheaper at Lowe's than Amazon) acrylic sealer. I then add my decals and weathering then spray the entire model with the varnish I will be using. Either glass, matte, or satin.

The major modeling paint companies all have good top coat and varnish options out. Also, check out some videos on YouTube. There are some great resources out there too.

I would suggest washing in a bucket because it's easier to swirl around and scrub the clothes. This should help with the musty smell. You can wash your clothes with a bar of Zote or Fells Naptha which is $1 at Walmart and should last a few months. In the longer term, you might want to invest in a washing board, washing wand or manual washer.

Can you line dry? I think it's one of the best ways to dry clothes and your only costs would be a line and some clothes pins. If you can't line dry, maybe a drying rack would work. In the long term a port

If line drying isn't an option

This is what I have always done. It cleans them well. I have also used Bar Keepers Friend and had great results. I have the cheap Orgreenic pans and have been using them for the last three years or so and they still work great. My only real complaint about them is that I wish they were a bit thicker.

Get this stuff. It's FANTASTIC!! Best results are when you get a good amount of rags tho. Apply some of that scrub, clean rag, clean off. Repeat until it's to your liking.
Here's how mine came out, not a drastic difference because I don't let it build too much, but it works wonders!

Highly rated pan right here. Remember to use wooden or plastic spatulas if you want to keep it looking pretty. Metal spatulas will scratch the hell out of it, but honestly doesn't affect the performance of the pan. Also, Barkeeper's Friend is the best thing for cleaning it.

IMHO antistatic cleaning putty (like this https://www.amazon.com/Cyber-Clean-25055-Office-Pop-up/dp/B00375JBL4 ) is by far the best thing to clean controllers, especially when they're greasy from chipsfingers or have little dust or other particles in the tiny slits you can't regularly clean.

The putty costs like 10 bucks and usually lasts around a year before it dries out (depending on how often you clean I guess).

Terro liquid is the best of the commercial, ready-to-use stuff. But if you have a little time, you can make your own bait that's much cheaper than Terro, and just as effective (I'm not a chemist, but I'm fairly sure it's the exact same chemical composition as Terro).

Mix about 1 cup of sugar with about 1 tablespoon of Borax, in some vessel that you don't plan to eat from. Heat up about 1/2 cup of water to boiling (or thereabouts), pour it into the sugar/borax mix, and stir it all together until it dissolves. Let the mixture cool a bit, then spoon it into bottlecaps, used jar lids, or onto pieces of wax paper, and set those in the area where you see ants.

When the ants discover what you've left for them, you will initially see many more of them swarming to collect the mixture. In a couple of days, though, they'll take enough back to kill off the whole colony and you won't see any more. If you do continue to see ants, try mixing up another batch with a bit more Borax than before.

I've also heard that some ant species prefer the Borax mixed with peanut butter or something "proteiny", but I've always had good luck with the sugar water base.

Note: Borax isn't terribly toxic to us vertibrates, but you still probably want to keep it out of reach of children and pets. This is one aspect where the commercial Terro is nice, since it comes in dispensers that are capped off. You can usually jury-rig something that lets the ants get to the poison but keeps the kids and pets out.

Oh my.

Dry washing the car is definitely going to lead to scratches.

Not washing your car is going to lead to paint failure faster than if he protects his paint.

Rust is a valid concern, a lot of antique cars aren't washed with the 2 bucket method for fear of water puddling and creating rust in a spot that the owner won't catch till it's too late. If he feels that strong, consider rinseless washing.

Slinging polish around with a PC means that you put too much polish on the pad. It's tiresome holding on to a machine that is essentially sanding down a minor amount of clearcoat, but the shine is worth it.

Swirls will happen, even with proper use of the two bucket method. But they can be minimized greatly with proper washing techniques.

Is the stripe vinyl? Something like CG Meticulous Matte Detailer & Spray Sealant can be used to clean it and seal it.

That's a lovely piece, and an inventive way to decorate some pretty labradorite.

I use Renaissance Wax polish (Amazon) to finish all my oxidised work. It was was developed by The British Museum for protection of fine art and will not stain or discolour with aging. It is acid neutral, water and alcohol resistant. You may wish to re-apply this coating in time due to wear / usage.

You've done a great job, especially considering it's your first and you chose an airplane - they're generally a little more difficult than armor. Is that a Typhoon? What's next in your build queue?

Like another commenter here said, before applying decals, put down a gloss coat. I've found that [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ARPH4C/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1) and this work well. After getting the decals on, then seal them in with another coat, and you can do your weathering without worrying about damaging them. You might want to use Microsol or Markfit when doing the decals - those solutions soften the decal and you don't get the "draping" effect over little surface details. Just be careful and test with the least important decals first, some kits have really thin decals that get destroyed. Other kits have thick decals that need repeated applications of Markfit strong to soften.

If you ever want to make more transparent masks, I highly recommend Future...oh right they changed the name. [Johnson bought it off] (https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Pledge-Floor-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1478320050&sr=8-1&keywords=Future+shine+floor+wax), but it's the same formula. What you do is pour a bit into a cup, mix in a little dye/acrylic paint to your desired color, and then dip the mask in and leave it in there. No chance of mask melting/deforming, and a nice and clean process.

I found this last year and tried it on my mafex Batman and it worked!!

how to

link to floorcare

Works like a charm. Hope it helps

I don't have dogs but I've been super pleased with this and have seen several people speak highly of it.

honestly, this stuff works wonders


http://www.amazon.com/Grunge-Off-Super-Soaker-Cleaner/dp/B002LURISY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374728391&sr=8-1&keywords=grunge+off

let it sit in the bong for 30 minutes or so then pour it out and rinse with hot water, works sooooo much better than isopropyl. The best part is you can pour it back into the bottle and reuse it, I have been using the same bottle for ~6 months.

Bar-keeper's friend and elbow grease.That is sure to clean this up real nice.

https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend-Powdered-12-Ounces/dp/B000V72992

Pledge floor wax, under plastic wineglasses from Walmart to keep the dust out while drying.

Put the pledge into a dropper bottle, you can apply a drop directly to the area you want to work with and push around with a brush. Because it takes a few minutes to dry, it self levels out the brush strokes, but you should cover it while drying to keep clean of dust and hair.

Use as protective layer, mix with paint as glaze, apply before doing chipping, or seal whole mini and then airbrush, because overspray is much easier to remove from clear coat than from paint.

Thin coats, and try to leave surface level while it dries, since it dries slower than other products, you don't want it sliding down hill.

Frankly it has so many uses I'm still exploring.
Use anywhere you would use lahmian medium, and most places you would use ardcoat. It's about seventy times cheaper, so you can afford to experiment.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_xSd8BbJQS4J8Q

These are the test strips, they're mostly used for lead paint and sold at most hardware stores too. The blood lead test is a simple blood draw, just tell your primary care doctor that you may have had some chronic lead exposure recently and want to be sure you didn't get too much in you. You're probably fine, but it's best to get checked so in case you were significantly exposed via your clothes/toiletries/etc it can be treated.

I use super clean, works well, let the plastic soak for a day, then brush them under warm running water with a tooth brush.

https://www.amazon.com/SuperClean-Multi-Surface-Degreaser-Biodegradable-Concentrate/dp/B0039ZBLEC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1538956711&sr=8-3&keywords=super+clean

Griot's Garage would be my go to general interior cleaner. Virtually no odor, no residue and cleans phenomenally.

Chemical Guys make a decent product as well. I wouldn't say it's an as effective cleaner as Griot's but does offer UV protection. CG's cleaner does have a fruity smell (fades after a few hours) and is colored as well.

Haven't had to use it in the BRZ (thankfully) but in past cars and friends, for the suuuuper filthy or large stains, Tuff Stuff's Foam Cleaner is a go to.

Other than that, compressed air for the nooks and crannies.

Nobody has mentioned it here, so you all need to know about this stuff called "Barkeeper's Friend." It is a miracle cleaner and many people don't know about it. It's not that easy to find in stores (or it's relegated to the bottom shelf); I usually buy it from Amazon.

Without being there to see it in person, it's hard to judge...but it looks like some of that could be hard water stains, not just dirt/y. You know how sometimes toilets get that brown stain that doesn't go away when you flush...hard water stains. They are horrifyingly difficult to get out, build up over time if you don't stay on top of them and look disgusting. The reason that people can usually live with it is because though it looks dirty, it's not usually slimy (although sometimes people just get discouraged with it and stop cleaning at all...perhaps some of that is going on). The reason I don't think your friend is necessarily completely gross is because the little counter right next to the shower looks to be pretty pristine AND because the "dirt" doesn't go all the way up the shower.


Buy the Barkeeper's Friend for your friend and follow the directions...make a paste, it's an acid so wear gloves if you have sensitive skin, let it sit for a couple of minutes, then scrub it off. It works on ceramic, vinyl and fiberglass. Brown hardwater stains come out like you did a freakin' magic trick. If this truly is hardwater stains, you could have that all cleaned up in like 10 minutes. Even if prior scrubbing with bleach, scrubbing bubbles, ajax, magic erasers or any other commercially available cleansers didn't work.

Post an after picture for karma!!

Edits: grammar, clarity


TL;DR: Barkeeper's Friend. More than 160 five star reviews on Amazon. It's true. It's a miracle, and your grandma should have told you about it. It's been around since the 1880s for some reason.

Lodge Cast Iron Skillets are great but you have to make sure you clean them immediately afterwards.

For something more practical (and cheap), take a look at these guys (depending on what size you are looking for. You can sautee something, throw it in the oven, and when they start to get ugly, take some Bar Keepers Friend and go at it. It will look good as new in no time. P.S., please don't pay $5 for BKF, it is at your grocery store for only a dollar or two.

Edit: Here is a test of this one vs. the expensive All Clad version.

You want something that has only lye in it.

https://www.amazon.com/Sodium-Hydroxide-Grade-Devil-Caustic/dp/B0039CPO34?th=1

personally I just stick my cast iron in the oven for a self cleaning cycle (none of it is collectable just like yours). Trick is this has a higher chance of warping the cast iron if anything goes wrong. Course for me if anything goes wrong I stroll over to the 3 second hand stores near me and get another one for $5 so it is all about costs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf_gnyxyKKw

this is my favorite seasoning video... and please PLEASE dont smooth out your pan to season it every time... just skip that part and follow the seasoning parts.

Lye is definitely the way to go. Especially for flavor. It's really not that expensive. please please please use gloves and be careful handling it. Read up on it first.

This is the answer. If you've got a lot of minis, just buy a big jug of it. If your minis are plastic, this is really the only answer. Put them into a glass jar filled above their heads with SG and give it a good swishing around every 24hrs. The longer you leave it in, the easier the paint will come off. Most stuff is easily taken care of by 24-48hrs, but if your model has a lot of deep nooks and crannies you might want to consider giving it a week. But as /u/Grammar_Cowboy pointed out, you can always clean them, then throw them back in for another soak too. Of note, the SG doesn't need to be drained after each batch of minis. You can reuse a full container multiple times.

I you want to break the minis down to re-glue, re-pose, or whatever, leave them in the SG for about a week. It'll make the glue very brittle and the pieces can then be carefully snapped off and the dried glue removed with a hobby knife or needle-nose pliers (my weapon of choice).

If the minis are metal, acetone (nail polish remover) works even better. It'll strip the paint and turn the glue into a soft, almost gel-like consistency. Which can then be easily cleaned off. The only downside it acetone will literally dissolve plastic. If your minis are on a base, the base will turn into a soggy, soupy mess.

$0-$5

Bar Keepers Friend - This stuff is magic for cleaning. It gets rid of all kinds of stains on tile or porcelain and makes sinks look awesome.

$5-$10

Magic Erasers - These are obviously sorcery

$10-$20

Power Squid - Helps deal with the situation around my computer and tv.

$20-$50

14-Piece Knife Set - Not a great knife set, but better than a drawer of miscellaneous knives, which is what I have now! Decent reviews, too.

Did you try scrubbing it or did you just pour the bleach/cleaners in and let them soak. That pink stuff looks like biofilm. Most of that should come off with some comet or other cleaner and some scrubbing.

If not, drain the toilet by shutting off the water supply and flushing it. Then scrub it with a pumice stone like someone else suggested or Bar keepers friend. http://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend%C2%AE-Cleanser-Polish/dp/B000V72992/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420410568&sr=8-1&keywords=bar+keeper%27s+friend+cleaner

if it's rust then bleach wont work as it just further oxidizes the iron.

Darn. It sounded cool. I'm not sure what area you're in, but I use Bar Keepers Friend on just about everything I can, and it works great. I don't have any cool copper stuff I can test it on, but it might be worth a shot.

My wife is short and I installed the "mini-apes" on her bobber to help with the stock seating position (which is uncomfortable as all hell, IMHO) - she has no issues reaching the mini-apes and it puts her upright.

As far as your Matte paint, I've got a '19 Chief DH as well as her Bobber. I've had great luck using this to "wash" them and then spraying [this product] (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FQHY64S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) on to "seal" the finish.

I've been messing around with a bunch of products / sealers / washes...etc... this combo seems to give the best results.

I went through this with my son around one as well, For 6 months his levels where elevated.

Call your doctor and ask who they would recommend you speak to about lead being in the home. My doctor sent me to my local county health authority. They came out and inspected my house from the floor up. We discovered our issue was an old built in cabinet and had it removed. Other options are avail even though.

They explained that you can buy lead test sticksamazon carries them as well as most hardware stores and can test the house yourself. You will want to start in areas your toddler frequents, and start low aka their level. Document all areas that pop positive for lead.

Whatever you decide to do...make sure you brasso the shit out of it when your done to make it shine like new.

Girl you need to get some Barkeeper's Friend pronto. It is amazing stuff and so cheap too.

Also works really well in the kitchen, like for anything covered in cooked-on grease or even for stainless steel cookware that is discolored.

when you clean fabric seats you certainly dont want to soak the seat when the shampoo dries alot of times the dirt will float back up to the surface

i would reccomend tuff stuff its foam so you coat the seat, let it sit for like 30 seconds and scrub with a towel. you may need several applications to get the seat clean...tuff stuff is also the only thing ive found to actually clean suede and not ruin the material

Pledge Floor polish is the best option for tightening most joints as well as ports. Takes a bit to dry, but it doesn't damage the plastic, it's reversible and one bottle is enough for the rest of your life.

This video explains how to apply it properly (he uses it for a port around the 5:30 mark, but I recommend watching the whole thing).

Not sure why this hasn't been suggested yet, but Pledge Future floor polish works as an amazing gloss top coat. It's cheap and comes in large quantities. For about $5, you will have all you need for year.

Here's a link to what I bought, and here's a link on how you should use it!

Being that the paint is dry, something abrasive is probably your best bet, vs. a solvent. I always use Bar Keepers Friend on my white ceramic sink to make it absolutely shine. It will likely remove your paint. It can be had at most grocery or general stores. http://amzn.com/B000V72992

Another endorsement for Barkeeper's Friend right here!

Edit: If you don't have some, get some.
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I have this one and really like it so far, I just spray it on microfiber and wipe down

car guys super cleaner

I use this stuff on metals, including occasionally on pens I want to protect:

http://www.amazon.com/Picreator-Renaissance-Wax-200ml/dp/B0012S1XBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418940793&sr=8-1&keywords=renaissance+wax

My jar is 20 years old, but seems to work fine and looks just like the one @ amazon. I originally got it to keep swords from rusting while unused.

I have one dwarf whose like that. If you want to try to fix it, put a drop of super glue or plege floor finish on his hips and work the joints for a few minutes to get it inside and it'll dry while your still moving the legs and that should help tighten them up.

Only because it looks like you might have stripped the paint and might be sanding and that looks like older paint

use $20 and buy some EPA lead test swabs to check the paint for lead https://www.amazon.com/3M-717834209102DUPE-LeadCheck-Swabs-8-Pack/dp/B008BK15PU

lead is a powerful neurotoxin and if inhaled or absorbed through your skin - you won't finish the last tread before you start feeling the effects of lead (you'll find other things to do than finish the treads)

I haven't tried it but this putty seems pretty cool:
Putty

Seriously Barkeeper's Friend is my favorite cleaner. I use it on my glasstop, my stainless steel cookware, my knives...it's amazing!

Can I get a good, concises overview of leather shoe care?

As I understand, it's along the lines of:

• Use cedar shoe trees when not wearing, to help dry them out
  
• Every couple weeks (or however often the shoe needs it) apply some shoe polish
  
• Every month or so apply shoe conditioner
  
  Would this be a good choice for the shoe polish and brush/rag? Then this for the conditioner?
  
  Also, some sites mention applying waterproof paste every year or so. Is that necessary for shoes that don't aren't expected to withstand rain (such as a pair of oxfords, which will readily leak water by the lacing regardless if the rest of the shoe is water proof or not)? If so, what's a good product to use?

I know a polish like that serves no practical use but they sure do look purdy!

Here is the polish & the felt wheels, I also had to pick up the chuck just to make is easy.

Cyber Clean

It's amazing! Your keyboard is fresh and not at all disgusting ever, I wouldn't want to go without it \^\^

What spray cleaner do you guys use to clean the alcantara?

I was wondering if this $20 Sonax cleaner was worth it: https://www.amazon.com/Sonax-206141-Upholstery-Alcantara-Cleaner/dp/B00BBWJ16U/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1494953995&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=alcnatara+cleaner

or can I get away with a $3 bottle of Tuff Stuff? https://www.amazon.com/Tuff-Stuff-Purpose-Cleaner-Cleaning/dp/B0009PCPNQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1494953867&sr=8-4&keywords=fabric+cleaner

edit: or can I even get away with just vacuuming and using a damp microfiber cloth?

It may not clean it super well, but I usually use this to clean. I'm sure it's not the safest cleaner, but you can reuse it over and over and over. Once the liquid gets black, all I do is pour it through a filter and it's good again.

Since it leaves a little bit of a pungent smell, I run vinegar through after and then a little water. It seriously cleans it Brand Spankin' New.

However, coarse salt and alcohol/vinegar is always a solution too.

Personally I don't like this stuff cause of the residue left behind. It's also been a long time since I've used it and I know a lot of ents that swear by it.

I prefer to use a product called Grunge Off which has always worked well for me and is a great value for what you get.

Probably the best product to coat your barrel with to prevent rust is Renaissance Wax. This is what museums use to protect metal, and other, objects in their collections.

I remember trying a product called [Cyber Putty] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00375JBL4) a while back and I found that that worked really well. Sometimes there was remaining putty on the keyboard but nothing you couldn't get rid of with another roll of the putty. It was always difficult to get in between the keys but this pretty much did the job. The best part was that it was reusable...up to a certain point.

• One of these. in 1.6 and 6.5 qt
  
• One of these. Cheap, tri-ply (stainless and aluminum) induction-ready. No nonstick to coddle, no ceramic to chip, no weight like cast iron, read the reviews on how to use them and they are all you will ever need.
  
• One of these
  
• This to clean all the above. *optional, obtain a dishwasher-safe brush at walmart.
  
• A few of these. If you want to invest in them over aluminum foil and parchment paper. If not, omit.
  
• A bunch of these. Wood handles are important. Plastic will melt when leaned against the pot and then snap off.
  
• These for when those don't work.
  
• A ton of these. Like, 10. Get them at wallmart for $2. Cut meat? New board. Cut onion? New board. Grate cheese and get schnibbles everywhere? New board. It's like instantly cleaning your countertop.
  
• A set of these.
  
• Knives and some sort of block/bar. Those are personal thing, only you can choose those. Size-wise think one for cutting cherry tomatoes, one for pitting avocados, and one for cutting cakes.
  
  Everything else, crock pots, even measuring cups, is optional. Slow cookers, microwaves, electric kettles, and rice cookers are all nice, but there is nothing you can make in them that you can't make in a pot, like humans did for thousands of years. You'll want measuring cups for baking, but for cooking you're adjusting on the fly anyways.

This stuff, Grunge Off, my friend uses is unbelievable. http://www.amazon.com/Grunge-Off-Super-Soaker-Cleaner/dp/B002LURISY he first uses an alcohol-Epsom salt-420cleaner mix then rinse with water and does a final rinse with the grunge off to keep the glass smelling nice and looking shiny.

Clean them with some saddle soap. Use good brushes. Then apply some leather honey on the brown parts. It'll help bring back some of the original color quality, but boots that old, and that worn, are going to be hard to get back to the original finish.

On the plus side, boots that old and that worn are supposed to look like that. Clean them up a bit and take care of the soles and you should have no problem getting another 15 years out of them.

I like the Pledge Floor cleaners for gloss. The regular multi surface cleaner is good, but you might want a product like this.

I've seen this recommended on the Tesla Facebook discussion. It depends a bit on whether the color is removed or the material is actually scratched - and I can't tell from the photos.

https://www.amazon.com/Solution-Finish-Black-Plastic-Restorer/dp/B006NZRAFE/

If the material underneath is actually scratched away you might need some sort plastic/vinyl repair.

If this is sort of scratch mark made by the material being left behind - like chalk or something leaving a mark behind - then I'd clean it with something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071XB18BF

You can use this lye to make soap (or clean your drains). After you make soap, keep part of it for yourself and give the rest away as gifts to make others happy!

How to make soap

The old man is snoring.

Got mine here. Shipping adds a bit to the price, but I still have a bunch and I've made many dozens of pretzels.

Just read up on using the stuff before hand. It is very caustic. I know from experiance that a small amount of solution splashed on your skin can go unnoticed for several minutes and result in a nasty "burn" and a permanent scar.

As an alternative you can bake regular baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to form sodium carbonate using the method outlined here. Not nearly as dangerous but still stronger than simple baking soda.

I guess people can't buy concentrated all purpose chemicals and spray bottles so they can save an assload of money.

http://www.amazon.com/Simple-Green-11001-All-Purpose-Concentrate/dp/B0017D1GG6
http://www.amazon.com/Proforce-Commercial-Spray-Bottles-Ct/dp/B006SVSH9Q
http://www.amazon.com/Ivesco-One-Ounce-Dispensing-Pump/dp/B0024J2VO8

For a steep $17 you get 256 spray bottles full of all purpose cleaner. $0.0664/spray bottle of cleaner.

A total of $42.71 for everything pushes the total cost to $0.1668/spray bottle of cleaner.

I noticed the exhaust tips could use some polish. I highly recommend this [metal polish](Blue Magic 400 7Oz Mtl Polish Cream https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BO8Z9I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1AZ5AbHD4C68K). Great job overall!!!

Bar Keepers Friend Works awesome on porcelain and metals for removing rust and discoloration. I use it on any stubborn stains. Best way to clean burnt stainless steel pains and bring them back to new.

They are called finger pump oil cans. Thanks for making me look that up!

First thing I did was scrub it down with some 000 steel wool and Goo Gone. I've never honestly seen anyone else use this combination but it works amazing on aluminum, steel, plated metals and tons of other stuff.

After I got all of the grim off I wiped it down with some all purpose cleaner.

Next I put a buffing ball on my drill and used some Mothers Aluminum polish. After a few pases with the mothers I cleaned off the ball, and finished out with some Blue Magic 400. The Mothers polish has a small amount of abrasive which helped smooth out what the steel wool did and the Blue Magic 400 has no abrasive and leaves a longer lasting protective coat then the Mothers. I have found you can make just about anything look new with this quick and easy method. Check out how nice it cleaned up the shocks on my bike Album.

Looking great ! what cleaner do you use for your wipe down? I have been using this one http://www.amazon.com/Chemical-Guys-SPI99516-Meticulous-Detailer/dp/B00FQHY64S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453325921&sr=8-1&keywords=chemical+guys+matte in between washes, mostly for bird poop.

Barkeeper's Friend will remove the scratches:

Bar Keepers Friend® Cleanser & Polish: 12 OZ https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000V72992/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_96FeAb3K8H79A

Recently I cleaned up the exhaust headers on my KZ1300 build before installing them.

One before-and-after

The whole set of 6

It took several hours -- probably about 10 total -- and a lot of elbow grease.

I started with Brasso to remove the rust, rubbing it along with a #1 steel wool pad (#3 if it was really nasty). Then I cleaned that off and repeated as necessary.

Once I had a good foundation I switched to a milder metal polish (here), rubbing that on with a Scotts towel and letting it sit. I then gave it some elbow grease with a #00 pad until it turned black, wiped it off, applied more, and rubbed it with a #0000 pad and then wiped that off.

The results were quite good, but it definitely took a bit of time. I spent a lot of time listening to Hardcore History while working at my bench!

Your method is good, and that polish is fine. I use BlueMagic metal polish (http://www.amazon.com/BlueMagic-400-Metal-Polish-Cream/dp/B000BO8Z9I) and love it but the Mothers stuff will work fine too.

Looks like this: https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend®-Cleanser-Polish/dp/B000V72992/ref=sr_1_4_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1520100723&sr=1-4&keywords=BAr+keepers+friend

Add just a little bit of water to make a paste. Works for a bunch of different things- also awesome on stainless steel cookware too if you get food stuck or burnt on.


I use these for quick wipes: https://www.amazon.com/Weiman-Stainless-Steel-Wipes-Count/dp/B00Q8VI480/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1520100859&sr=8-1-spons&keywords=stainless+steel+wipes&psc=1

Maybe there's a similar brand in the U.K.?

Simple question: Any consensus on using Leather Honey for good boots? I've used it and it worked fine on some leather items, but I managed to over-condition some pieces and it really darkened some veg-tanned leather.

What conditioner/cream should I be looking at if I want to make sure not to darken brown/tan leather?

This stuff is highly rated on Amazon, and according to their website:

>Leather Honey is free of animal products, silicone and solvents as well.

the absolute cheapest route, and safest for paint compatability, is Pledge (aka Future Floor Polish). https://www.amazon.com/Johnson-Pledge-Floor-Multi-Surface-Finish/dp/B000ARPH4C/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1504883161&sr=8-1&keywords=future+floor+polish

It is super tough, doesn't yellow, and will not react poorly with any type of paint. Oh, and you can brush or spray it on.

Pick some up some Bar Keepers Friend (https://www.amazon.com/Bar-Keepers-Friend%C2%AE-Cleanser-Polish/dp/B000V72992) and some copper or steel wool.

Get in there good, then season. You'll need to dry it immediately after use.

This stuff is pretty good: http://www.amazon.com/Picreator-Renaissance-Wax-200ml/dp/B0012S1XBO/ref=sr_1_2/185-1115514-7925907?ie=UTF8&qid=1397488317&sr=8-2&keywords=renaissance+wax+polish

Cheers mate. Simple green over here doesn't exist, variation of is rubbish. I've read so many things to use, dettol, cheap disinfectant, nitromors, meths. I just want an easy solution, I don't want to have to scrub the buggers. I've a memory from being a kid and using nail varnish remover and the paint just going a smudgy mess that came off in strings, it was such a pita I never attempted it again.

I'm also struggling to find some future at a decent price, I'm pretty sure this is the stuff but it's quite pricey.
I'm wondering whether this is the same. Reviews on both say they're both the right stuff. I'm annoyed as thought it was easy to get in the UK and left two massive bottles of it in Aus when I moved. I've got an empty Tamiya paint pot of it and then it's gone.

Time to have a crack at my exhaust! Once again it's a pity to strip as she looks pretty good to me!

Cool beans! Thanks for the info.

Would this work for conditioner? Or is there another product that would be more bang for buck?

In regards to polishing the shoe, would regular kiwi brown shoe polish work?

So should I use mink oil, or not? Is it for something completely different?

So far, it looks like I'm getting this, this, and this. Should I get a shoe conditioner like this, too?

Do yourself a favor and pick up some Chemical Guys matte wash and detailer. I have a 2015 Gunner with the matte green finish and that stuff works wonders. Don't need a lot of the wash either to get the job done. Also, don't go cheap on some good quality microfiber clothes, with the matte finish, don't have a whole lot of protective coating so can easily be scratched.

Have you ever used Barkeeper's Friend? I use it to clean my stainless steel pans, and it works great. I haven't used it on chrome, so I don't know if it would damage it. It's worth googling around to see if people have tried it.

Good to know, thanks. So if I used this one the shoes maybe twice a year:
https://www.amazon.com/Leather-Honey-Conditioner-Since-Half-Pint/dp/B003IS3HV0

They could last for 3-4 years?

I got this:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FQHY64S/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

i guess you just spray that on, wipe it off, good to go. Seems easy.

clean your piece!! May i recommend Grunge off

Thanks!

I was thinking of putting some airbrush advice on here, but I figured that most newbies are a long way off from getting an airbrush.

Regarding thinning for airbrushing: I use future floor polish. It's a really thin, clear acrylic that I learned about during the hours of research I did before buying an airbrush. I think it's an old scale modeler's trick.

This is in my Christmas cart, wish me luck.

What you want is a compound with boric acid in it.

It's a desiccant meaning that when ingested, it will cause the ants to dry up from the inside-out.

Borax is a name for a commercial version of it: https://www.amazon.com/Borax-Mule-Team-Detergent-Booster/dp/B000R4LONQ

However, you can also find it in most ant-traps like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hyv4r0gRtVo

Most roach powders also have boric acid as the main ingredient.

It works really well, but to get them to eat it, you need to mix it with sugar/honey. What I like to do is to take small amount of flour, dissolve small amount of sugar/honey in water, and a tiny amount of boric acid and mix it into a dough. You make small balls of the stuff and leave it around where you see ants.

They eat the boric acid and bring it back to the colony and the entire colony dies by desiccation.

this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009PCPNQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

and these

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GJ3EJS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1

worked pretty well for me

This is what I use. But my understanding is that any degreaser concentrate works, but some can eat or deteriorate plastic.

Simple Green 11001CT Clean Building All-Purpose Cleaner Concentrate, 1gal Bottle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017D1GG6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_yx3RybSCJ4WEJ