Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with custom

Ethically-sourced sapphires and fair dealings.

Anonymous — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 06:12:34 -0800

Are certificates of origin for sapphires a scam? Is my jeweler going to overcharge me for a sapphire, and should I get one online instead of through him? I'm trying to get a custom sapphire engagement ring made. My beloved has picked out a ring from Brilliant Earth which she likes, both for the design (which I'm using for inspiration) and for their ethical origin materials. As far as I can tell, their claims for their sapphires are based on them coming from Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka's strict worker-rights laws and ecological preservation practices.

I'm thinking that it's reasonable to conclude that "Ceylon" sapphires, from Sri Lanka, are about as ethically-sourced as it gets. I brought this up with a jeweler I'm working with, and he said he doubted his sapphire supplier could produce certificates of origin, and that the whole concept was more or less a ruse because you just can't trace a sapphire's origin in this market.

I'm also concerned about getting a fair price. For my price range of ~$500, he estimated that a round-cut mined sapphire would be around 0.75-1 carat. But online it looks like they're in the $200 range or cheaper, for larger Ceylon stones with the same cut and with a bright color (which is supposed to be more expensive).

Is the jeweler just shining me on because he can't get ethical sapphires? Is it rude or foolish at this point (he's already ordered some in for me to look at, which should be arriving soon) to tell him I'd like to buy one elsewhere (from a presumably non-scamming website) and bring it in to be set?

I'm aware of lab-created sapphires, and am pretty sure I don't want one. For private responses: mefiengagement@gmail.com (previously)

ISO: Cake Pan in shape of Comedy/Drama Masks

He Is Only The Imposter — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 06:49:29 -0800

I'm looking for a cake pan/mold in the shape of the traditional theater comedy/drama masks. This is for a gift, so I need an actual pan, not a workaround for making the cakes. Googling got me cookie cutters but no cake molds. Thanks!

Overseas tailors?

btkuhn — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 09:44:24 -0800

Please share your experiences with overseas tailors I'm looking to buy two new suits and some dress shirts. I don't know much about clothes, so while searching for posts on clothing advice for men I came across several threads discussing tailor-made clothes abroad. It looks like there are lots of tailors in HK, Vietnam, India, Thailand, etc who do this, and the prices (especially for Vietnam, India, Thailand) are much better than I would expect to pay here for an off the rack suit. So of course I'm interested in this. A trip to India or Vietnam would negate most or all of the cost-savings, but most of the websites I've come across have diagrams showing you how you can make measurements on yourself, send them in to them, and they will build your clothes based on these measurements.

So my questions are:

- Can you share your experiences with overseas tailors? Were you pleased with the quality, prices, etc? I'm interested especially in the places other than Hong Kong since prices seem to be higher there.

-Has anyone done the "take your own measurements" thing, and sent them to an overseas tailor? What are your experiences with this?

BTW, I'm not picky about clothes. I'm just looking for clothes that will look good at work and not wear out after a few months.

Thanks

Show me your Vul...Volvo!

TomMelee — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:43:03 -0800

This is a question about a 30 year old Volvo and making it awesome. HHO generators, paint, and maintenance included. So the other day I was innocuously sitting at work, and I decided to pop onto craigslist. Lo and behold but do I see before me a posting entitled:

"1979 Volvo $200", so I click it.

Inside, it says "Runs great, 190,000 miles, just don't need it any more."

So of course I go look at it, and it's awesome. Truly amazing. I say "$200? You're sure?" And he says "Yea, I figured anyone who would buy this thing would have to be looking for this exact car." So I hand him $200 and I drive it home.

It's great. Shifts perfectly (manual, cable clutch), overdrive works great, interior is in good shape, all lights work, dry...everything. I also have the service records for the entire life of the car but the last 20k miles.

It's a 1979 Volvo 245 DL, it's got the 2.1 engine and the Lambda Sond package.

I have ordered the Haynes manual from abebooks, ($8 shipped!) and it's on its way, in the mean time I'm just looking for ideas.

I'm going to build an HHO generator for it, and even if I don't get anything out of it (mileage wise), I think it'll be a fun learning experiment to create flammable gas. If anyone has experience, plans, warnings, whatever, I'd love to hear from you.

All the car needs, I think, are paint (they sprayed it silver) and to have the mixture adjusted, it's running a little rich.

What awesome things should I do to this car? The chrome is all intact and perfect, the stainless and aluminum are all there too and there's no rust or pitting. I'm thinking flat-black paint to make the chrome pop. What color do YOU think would make it awesome? I also considered grinding it down to shiny metal and clearcoating it.

I'm also considering putting the back window on a hinge so that I can open and close it independently of the hatch.

So, summary:
-Ever build an HHO booster? Tell me about it
-What color should I paint it?
-Openable window in the back?
-What else should I do?

Picture 1, Picture 2, Picture 3

Printing custom ribbon?

Ugh — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 13:42:52 -0800

What technique and supplies are used to print on cotton tape/ribbon? I'm looking to make some custom ribbon and can't figure out how to print on the twill tape. I've seen tutorials where they show how to do iron-on in small batches for labels, but I am looking for something more like continous printing. Eventually, i'd like to print several hundred yards so something like hand stamping or silkscreening won't work. How is something like this done?

Cheap custom t-shirt website

brenton — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 18:00:57 -0800

Where can I order 25 color shirts with a single-color custom design (that I can upload) on the front? I'm looking for as cheap as possible. I need to do the shirts for a camp that is starting on Sunday. The shirts need to arrive by next Thursday, and I can't spend more than $200 total. I have my own design ready to upload, but I haven't been able to find cheap non-bulk places.

Made in Australia?

Stylus Happenstance — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:18:22 -0800

How can I sell a fairly small number of t-shirts and/or stickers in Australia? I run a Facebook fan page (not for a celebrity or company or anything copyrighted) that has nearly 10,000 fans, and I'd like to try to sell t-shirts and such. For some reason unknown to me, the vast majority of my fans are Australian, and I'm American. Cafepress has an Australian site, but it still seems that the shirts ship from over here.

Is there a company that actually makes this kind of stuff and ships it from Australia? I really have no idea how many shirts I could sell, but I have several thousand Australian fans.

Custom Playing Cards

NotMyselfRightNow — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:53:16 -0800

I'm looking to make a couple couple custom decks of playing cards. Google returns a ton of companies that do this. Does anyone have any personal experience and recommendations? And, any idea on what I can expect to pay?

Where to find extra large cloth for poker table?

Alec Loudenback — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:26:42 -0800

Poker table cloth fabric (velveteen or similar) that is larger than 60" wide? I'm looking to build a poker table top/cover for our dining table, which is 60" by 60." I've been doing my research and don't think it would be too difficult to build, however I am having trouble finding a fabric that would cover that area and have room to go over the side and staple to the plywood's underside.

The largest I've found is 60" wide at this site, but I don't think that 60" alone is wide enough.

Can somebody recommend a place that sells velveteen (or something similarly suited for poker) online in sizes greater than 60" wide and/or point me in a direction for a local store in the South Denver/Denver area?

Many thanks in advance!

#,###

lou — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 09:21:00 -0800

I need a custom number format for Excel that only gives me a decimal when I need it. What I have: a list of numerical data from 0 to, say, 9999. I want it to display with commas (ie "1,234"). Easy enough. But some of these numbers have a .5 after, as in, "1,234.5". I want to tell Excel to display the numbers, with comma, and display the .5 only when required. I do NOT want it to use a .0 for the integers.

I can get close to what I want with the format "#,##0.#" but then the period is on every number, which is also undesirable.

There must be an easy way of doing this, but I'm tired of trying to find it. Thanks in advance!

How can I best spray paint my white Macbook's exterior?

ilumos — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 07:51:01 -0800

How can I best spray paint my white Macbook's exterior? I'd like to (durably) paint the outside of my white macbook. I've got experience with spray paints and stencils, but as the outside of my mac is glossy plastic, I wouldn't know how to best make the paint adhere. Is this possible, or will I just have to sticker the hell outta it instead?

Thanks in advance

Opensource software CMS: Looking for a build that supports blogging, CMS, registered areas, and such. More info after the link.

spinko — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 13:34:20 -0800

Opensource Joomla CMS addon: Looking for a build that supports blogging, CMS, registered areas, and such. More info after the link. I'm thinking on building a site that will showcase information, however information from people who create accounts (abit like wikipedia) but with more security.

I would like to use Joomla for CMS and Blog, I know it can support 3rd party addons. However I am open to anything, even If i have to pay a charge.

Here is what I am after:

1) Site blog - joomla
2) Site CMS (i.e. homepage, about, contact, etc) - joomla
3) Registration - joomla
4) Categories
5) People can submit articles to categories (new users) not like a blog.
6) People can comment on the articles
7) Admin control - ban / remove / edit people / approve articles

Navigation will show articles like this.

Cat 1 [no of articles]
Cat 2 [no of articles]
Cat 3 [no of articles]
/Cat 3 sub cat 1 [no of articles]
/Cat 3 sub cat 2 [no of articles]
Cat 4 [no of articles]

How do I mount a wrinkled print?

allisonrae — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 16:10:52 -0800

How do I mount somewhat wrinkled prints for framing? Or alternately, how can I smooth out a wrinkled screenprint before framing – would a water bath be a horrible idea? I have an assortment of large prints I've purchased at odd sizes. Most of them have come in mailing tubes and have a curl to them.

I am also a cheapskate when it comes to custom framing. Lately I've taken to purchasing assemble-it-yourself frames at custom lengths from an online store. Upon trying to frame the prints, they all appear buckled and do not sit flat under the mat like I want. The plexiglass does press firmly against the mat by way of some springy clips, so that's not the problem... it's more the print against the mat window and foamcore.

So, am I missing a crucial mounting step? Is there an archival spray adhesive that I should be using to affix the print to the foamcore?

Furthermore, the one print I like the best is the most wrinkled of the lot. It is a screenprint on recycled 100# cover. Would it be ill-advised to give it a water bath in the hopes of evening out the ripples, and then reframing after it has dried?

Where are custom settings stored in Word 2000?

roxie110 — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 19:57:31 -0800

What file are settings (created macros, custom toolbar buttons, etc.) stored in in Word 2000? I want to try upgrading to Word 2003 but don't want to lose all the custom stuff in my current version of 2000 (in case I decide to go back). When I reinstalled Photoshop in a new computer, I was able to find a settings file that preserved all of my created actions. I think something similar must exist with Word, but I haven't been able to find it. Help!

Extra credit points if you know whether it's possible to import custom stuff from earlier versions into 2003 after you upgrade!

How can I get sweatpants with custom words across the butt?

grobstein — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:33:45 -0800

How can I get sweatpants with custom words across the butt? Women's sizes. Like those sweatpants that say "JUICY" across the ass, though of course now they say lots of other stuff too. I want to get them with custom words on.

I've looked at the websites for companies that do custom sweatpants, but can't find one that does this. Does anyone have ideas? I'd like either

a company that can do this for me over the web, or

a strategy for doing it in my city, like: "Get such and such blank sweatpants, go to this kind of merchant, tell them you want such and so."

Thanks a brazillion.

Find Heat Press Letter Shirt Maker In NYC

josher71 — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 09:13:25 -0800

I know that I can get single custom made shirts from Cafe Press and some other places, but does anyone know of a place in NYC where I can get a heat press letter shirt made? I just want to walk in and walk out with the shirt done.

How to make Windows use only the working part of my screen?

xxnopiratesxx — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 07:00:41 -0800

The right 1/3 of my laptop's LCD is unusable. Is it possible to make Windows XP display on only the left 2/3 of the screen? At first I thought that a custom resolution would solve this problem, but it is actually more of tricking Windows into thinking the screen is only as big as the left 2/3s that works.

The laptop is an Inspiron E1500 and has Intel's GMA950 as its video card.

Where do I find a black leather bifold wallet with card slots inside and out, and a zippered change compartment?

L'homme armé — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:17:48 -0800

I want to find a replacement for a men's Gucci wallet from the late 90's - either the same wallet (new or hardly used, ideally) or one with all the same "features". Can you help me find one, or if not, find out how to find it online or at a store in New York? I can't find the style at Gucci or similar ones at dozens of department stores.

I don't really know "wallet vocabulary" (translations welcome), but here's a shot at a description: it was made of black leather, and bi-fold. When you open the wallet and lay it on a table in front of you, it is configured like an envelope for the money (the cash-compartment is accessed from the top and runs the length of the wallet.) On the front surface of the 'envelope' is a zippered change/condom container on the left, and slots for credit cards on the right. When you close it, one side has a thin slot for another card or two.

Is there anything (serial #) that if I were to look closely at the original wallet, I could use to identify the model? (This is a gift, so it may be tricky to get my hands on the original.)

I am willing to spend a lot of money (up to $1000), so custom made is a possibility -- does anyone in the NY area make custom leather wallets?

Build a Bike

god particle — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:50:36 -0800

I want to build a custom bike, and I've got a few questions... First of all, are there any recommended online guides for doing this? Where online can I order the individual parts, preferably in custom colors? As an alternative to custom colored parts, what company makes the best spray paint that holds well on metal, in a wide variety of colors? I believe I used Krylon spray paint for my old bike, but I'd like more color options that I see on their site.
My current bike is a Trek mountain bike that's several years old. I really like the sturdiness of mountain bikes; I feel like they can handle any terrain and all sorts of bumps and potholes in the road - I think it has something to do with the frame and the wide wheels. Also, I feel like mountain bikes are more maneuverable, but that might just be because I've had much more experience on them than on road bikes.
I admire the speed and elegance of road bikes - is there anyway to incorporate the speed of a road bike and the stability/sturdiness/maneuverability(?) of a mountain bike? I'm not too well versed on the physical differences between road bikes and mountain bikes, other than that road bikes are usually lighter and have larger wheels (and have different handlebars).
Finally, I'm thinking that I will want this bike to have only a single gear, since I rarely switch gears anyways and it will probably be easier to build and maintain that way. When I was a kid, my first bike had only one gear (I think) and no handbrakes. The way you braked was by backpedalling. I found this to be really intuitive as I was learning and was really weirded out by handbrakes, although now I'm used to them...in general, how does the backpedalling breaking system compare to the handbrake system? The handbrake system seems like it would be more complicated to install (as mentioned here), with the cables running everywhere, but I'm not sure if they're safer than the backpedalling breaks.
I'm not necessarily looking for recommendations for each component, though that would certainly help.
I'm not looking to build the bike out of scratch (ie put the wheels together myself), but buy the individual parts myself and then assemble those.
And finally, this bike will be used for riding around the city, so I don't need state-of-the-art super-lightweight carbon parts or anything like that.

And one more question - are all the parts of a bicycle pretty much interchangeable, or are there only parts that will only work with other certain parts? (for example, are all the seatposts standardized? will I buy a nice seat and then find that its post doesnt fit into the frame?)

Thanks!

Specific custom self inking stamps?

simplethings — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:11:39 -0800

Can you help me find a very specific custom rubber stamp? I'd like to get a custom stamp made. I've spent the past hour or so searching custom rubber stamp retailers online but none have had the format I'm looking for.

I'd like the stamp to be self-inking. It would also have one line.
On the left would be the date (which would have the dials so I could set the current date). On the right side would be my name:

NOV 4 2008 simplethings

This seemed like a typical stamp design but the only dynamic date + static, custom text format I could find is date in the center and text either above or below.

I've seen a similar non-self-inking design where you would have the date followed by a dial with generic accounting phrases (e.g. PAID, VOID, RECEIVED).
However, it's not self-inking and I haven't come across a retailer that would allow me to customize the text dial.

I also came across a retailer that had a very complex alphanumeric stamp designer... this might have been what I was looking for but it was too user-unfriendly for me to figure out.

Can you point me to a legit (and easy to use) website that can take care of my needs?
Thank you!

How do I get a Leather Handbag reproduced?

parrotmom99 — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 08:47:17 -0800

How can I get an old leather handbag reproduced? I have a vintage leather "hobo" or "bucket" bag that I picked up at an estate sale for $1 years ago. The leather is high quality, heavy, but not stiff. It's a nice medium tan shade. I can't find a designer's name anywhere on it. I use this bag every day, except when I need a black leather bag.

I'd like to find a manufacturer to reproduce this bag in black leather. How do I go about finding such a manufacturer?

Thanks!

Can you help me find where my edgy target market shops for jewelry?

Redruin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:27:18 -0800

Help me find places in the Washington, DC Metro area to sell edgy men's jewelry, and discover where my target customer shops. I have recently decided to start an high quality silver jewelry brand to cater to an upscale but "edgy" underground or indie crowd, and now I need to figure out where to sell it. Can't start my own (brick and mortar) store yet, so I would love advice on shops/boutiques that might sell this kind of thing in the DC metro area.

The aim of the brand, which will become more evident as the designs mature, is to offer fashionable non-boring jewelry that men can wear, and that rises above the cliche of skulls and/or snakes that dominates the biker/rocker jewelry tradition. I think I can provide a higher-class and higher-quality alternative without being cheesy, bringing more of a luxury fashion experience to those with less straightforward tastes.

So does anyone know where the slightly more affluent and discerning eccentric would shop in DC? I would love any info on the process of how selling in someone elses shop works, though I'm sure I'll learn along the way. Also any especially good places to advertise would help, like niche magazines, websites, etc. I am somehow out of touch with this demo in the area where I now live.

I'm sure it's not an easy question, but I will love any info you can give me! Feel free to buy the stuff too =)

I'd give the shirt off my back for this shirt

Advocate, I — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 19:19:37 -0800

Help me make a special t-shirt I'm looking to make a custom (long sleeved) t-shirt for an upcoming anniversary. The overall design would be handprints and armprints on specific areas of the shirt like; handprints on the shoulder to signify dancing, arms around the midsection to signify a hug, arm on a sleeve to signify walking arm in arm. Some quirky prints may also be included (set of catpaws on the chest, pinch on the right nipple) so it's still a design in progress.

I'd like to find someone in or around the Fresno, Ca area who can help me with this, both conceptualizing and making. If all else fails, someone who specializes in this type of work that can collaborate and do business online.

Much thanks for all the help I can get.

How to turn a podcast into a ringtone?

Asherah — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:00:17 -0800

How can I make an iPhone ringtone from a portion of a podcast? This would not be my podcast (obviously). Is this even possible? If so, what application would I need, and/or what steps can I take?

Customising the Google Maps design (specifically the popup bubbles)?

newformula — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 01:46:36 -0800

I'm trying to find some examples (of code, or finished applications) of highly customised google maps implementations - in terms of design. Specifically, I'm looking to see if anyone has customised the popup bubbles in a neat way, and/or has made good use of customising the map icons too.

Does anyone have any links to good examples of a) good implementations or b) a how-to? I can't find info on customising the bubble display in my googling.