Recent content by Sooty22

A B-10 flying jacket copy. When I stopped flying, I had a sheepskin jacket that was just too bulky and way too warm for anything I tend to do, so it went on ebay years ago, but it was a very sad moment and I ever since wanted to have something similar but not as bulky/warm. I recently took up...

I kind of cleaned a very old and abused original Swiss Army knife (I think a Soldatenmesser 1908, stamped 1938) and replaced the broken/rotten scales with walnut ones made from bits of an old rotting stock. Very appropriately glued with rifle bedding compound shaded to the right colour, then...

Coyote fur hood trim. I took up sewing in the past few months, and started making parkas, smocks and overtrousers in Ventile, among other things. Living in Scotland, but life took me to the Czech Republic for a few months, and I experienced cold like never before... So, I bought a coyote pelt...

I am on my 3rd F1. My first one -in VG10- was bought ca. 2008, it suffered an unreal amount of abuse, and eventually snapped in two where the blade has the sharp notch nearing the handle, while I was splitting small logs for the fire (which can be done; you rest it on the log, then whack it in...

Tidy stitching. I avoid high-contrast thread/fabric as I make good 'functional' seams but they are never that tidy! I think I'll get the family to each make one bag! That's a great idea for getting everyone to take their bags to the shop; maybe the 'connection' will make it easier to remember...

I was at some point a qualified pilot, taught to fly from A to B via waypoints with map, compass, watch, eyeball Mk1 and a set of chinagraphs. I could do mid-route corrections for ground speed, correct for wind drift, set up diversions on the way etc. My navigation was by all account excellent...

A 'softshell' jacket in a medium weight 100% merino loden fabric, with elbow, hood and shoulder reinforcements in L24 Ventile. I must admit that I shamelessly copied Varusteleka's one, as an overall design / idea. Not doing this commercially in any way and this is just for me and family. I have...

100% Merino Loden henley shirt. Made it a little tighter than my usual loose fits, kept the seams well away from spots that see straps' pressure and rubbing, and tried an 'overlocked' look that keeps the seams flat and out of the way at the neck and shoulders. It is tucked in and used as a layer...

For mushrooms, I started out by reading this book: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mushrooms-River-Cottage-Handbook-No-1/dp/0747589321 The general sections of course, not the whole thing, as most of it is about specific species. However, it provides all methodology for getting a positive ID on most UK...

Makes perfect sense! I just read a bit more about it, and it turns out the Russians procured the Fisher space pen for their space program from 1969 onwards Anyway, my wife is a geologist and apparently they all have a thing for kit that writes anywhere in field conditions. They all use the...

The Fisher space pen is pretty good, it works underwater, upside/down, in zero gravity, in vacuum, whatever, any conditions. The Americans developed it for use in their space program. A bit pricey, probably 30-40 quid, but it will work in the wet. The Russians used a pencil. It works in the...

Fantastic, exactly like the kind of stuff I am making. But I can't work out how to do the seams properly to cover the stretch. I seem to have bought Loden that's quite stretchy, which I didn't expect at all, to the point I am thinking of trying an overlocker. What GSM are you using, and where...

Perfect, you'll manage ventile no bother at all! My advice is to copy something you like, or make a 'dry run' garment in ca. 200-250gsm cotton canvas and tweak your pattern as ventile is too pricey for scrapping. Otherwise it is pretty easy to work with, and the weave is so tight that you don't...

Dipped will likely have a slightly conical shape rather than a uniform diameter. The optimal wick size of a candle is that which produces a molten wax pool diameter just a slither under the diameter of the candle; this balances exactly between the points of dripping and leaving a wall of solid...

Dale, may I ask, what diameter are the candles, and where do you buy the moulds from? I have an old folding swiss army lantern, and the candles it came with are ca. 20mm and much harder and slow-burning than the ones I can buy (which just melt and drip all over, as it gets pretty warm inside...