Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cut

Where in Los Angeles can I Cut and Drill Metal Plates?

VikingSword — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:38:57 -0800

Recommendations for Los Angeles: machine shop - metal work. I have a little project that's extremely simple, but I don't have the tools.

I need some flat metal plates - steel or hard aluminum - cut to a specific size. The plates would be pretty thick 0.25", sizes of 4"x36" and 8"x8".

I also need several holes drilled into these plates of specific diameter and exact placement.

But first, I need to acquire the metal sheets and plates so I can have them cut to size and drilled.

Where can I (a)obtain the steel and/or aluminum plates/sheets 0.25" thick approx 8"x8" and 4"x36" and (b)have them cut and drilled in specific ways?

This machine shop - metal work (maybe even a DIY hobby place) can be anywhere in Los Angeles, though West side - Hollywood area is a plus. Hopefully won't cost an arm and a leg. TIA!

Its hard out here for an 8th grade Teacher

allthewhile — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:57:20 -0800

How much money should I try to raise to get 8 kids in a studio, with a producer, to cut some songs? I'm working with 8 inner city students in the city of Chicago. They all have a passion for music, but limited experience with music. They all write, rap, and a few of them can sing like crazy. I just received a kickstarter invitation, and have no idea where I should set my sites. 1. I guess I should call some studios? Does anyone have any suggestions?

2. Any suggestions as to what cost I'm looking at working with someone to create beats, samples, and recording time in the Chicago area, I would appreciate it as well.

What is the safest way to cut up an old steel water tank in my loft?

mccartrey — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 05:21:56 -0800

What is the safest way to cut up an old steel water tank in my loft? The tank is large and too big to get through my loft hatch but it takes up so much room. I'd like to get shot of it. I have an angle grinder but I'm nervous to use it in the loft as there are wooden joists everywhere and the noise would be tremendous.
Does anyone have any better ideas please?

Did the cut on my hand damage my pinky?

whitedoor — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 20:13:56 -0800

I cut the lower half of my palm with a piece of shattered glass this afternoon. The cut was about 1/4" long, fairly deep, and about half an inch under the base of my pinky. I applied pressure, washed the wound with plenty of soap and water, and applied peroxide before putting on a band-aid. The bleeding has stopped and the edges of the cut seem comfortably closed up, but I experience a dull pain when I bend my pinky finger. The rest of my fingers feel fine, but I can't fully bend my pinky due to the pain. I've buddy-taped it for now, but I'm curious as to whether this is just my body's response to the pain from the cut or whether I might have damaged a nerve.

Final Cut Nightmare

drjimmy11 — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:24:38 -0800

Final Cut Nightmare I have a movie of my own on DVD and in the form of an ISO file. Yes, really, my movie, I made it a few years ago, then lost the original footage and Final Cut project.

I'm trying to cut it up into clips in Final Cut and upload it to the web. This is JUST A FUCKING NIGHTMARE.

Things I tried:
1) installing handbrake on the Mac. Just doesnt work at all. Software doesn't work.
2) installing Mac the Ripper on the Mac. This utterly worthless piece of software seems to only want a disc, not an ISO. it does not acknowledge my burnt DVD in the drive.
3) installing Handbrake on the PC, ripping with various codecs, transferring to the Mac. After a bunch of tries I found one that sort of works. However, the file, which is only 300mb or so, when imported into Final Cut is unusable. Won't play back, can barely do anything at all without a beach ball. This is on a Quad core Intel Mac pro with 8gb of RAM.

is there anything I can do to make this awful experience better? Is there some format i can rip the ISO to that will actually work? Is there another program, for PC or Mac, that can simply snip bits out of a long video clip, and that's it? Anything, please please please.

How long for unscabbed wound to heal?

Malad — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:45:37 -0800

Several days ago I got a cut on my elbow. It scabbed; then there was some pus and later the scab fell off. Now it looks red and white and raw and exposed. For the last couple of days I've been washing it morning and night and putting on bandaids which have built-in antibiotic. The cut doesn't seem to be getting worse, but if it's getting better, it's slow. It doesn't hurt or anything, but how long for this to heal and should I be doing anything differently? Also, right around the cut there's a crust of probably some combination of dried pus and antibiotic ointment. I am tempted to clean it off but don't want to cut tender, growing skin in the process. Should I just leave it be?

Exporting graphics to make an animation in Final Cut?

nextian_geometry — Wed, 20 May 2009 02:05:07 -0800

I'm attempting to make an animation by exporting graphics from Photoshop into Final Cut. The dimensions of the image are fitting, but I think the format of the graphic is making it appear pixelated in Final Cut. What file format should I be saving it as before I import it into Final Cut? (pngs and jpgs are failing, rather predictably).

What graphics card do I need?

drjimmy11 — Wed, 06 May 2009 23:35:18 -0800

What graphics card do I need? I am doing some fairly advanced video editing on my Intel Mac Pro tower (about 2 years old). i thought I had the setup I needed- quad core, 8gb RAM, eSATA external drives.

But I'm getting an error message, specifically calling out my graphics card as not being able to render certain effects with the "size and depth of video" I'm using. In addition, I would like to be able to use my Oleva flatscreen tv as an external monitor, and cannot currently do so due to lack of compatible outputs from the computer.

Is there a card i can buy that will solve both these problems? Also, do I replace the current card, or just add a new one in an empty slot? I know a fair bit about computers, but my ignorance of graphics cards is almost total.

thanks!

Making vectors out of old cuts

Foam Pants — Wed, 06 May 2009 14:42:46 -0800

I have been loaned a set of metal cuts from an old press. I need to create vector images from these items. Should I scan the cut or an impression from the cut and, after picking a method, what would be the best process to get a sharp image?

How can I make a rad Stop-Motion animation in Final Cut

andromache — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:31:33 -0800

How can I make a stop-motion animation in Final Cut Pro from a series of many photographs? Details inside. I have a bunch of pictures that I'd like run in time with Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King." I want to end up with a sort of stop-motion animation of these hundreds of pictures. Ideally, they'll play in time with the percussion (which speeds up--another headache).

When I drop a photo into my timeline, it automatically plays for 10 seconds, which is way too long given A. how many pix I want to show in a two-minute song and B. I want the project to have a filmic quality, and ten-second long frames don't give the illusion of motion. I can shorten their duration manually, but I'm dealing with more than a hundred shots here, but I'm guessing there's an easier way. So my question is:

How do I change my settings so that once I figure out how long (say, 14 frames) I want each picture to play, I can just drop a hundred or more of them into my timeline and they'll play for the proper duration?

Also, any tips on dealing with jpgs in FCP generally? I've played with them a bit in the program, but I've never done a project dealing exlusively with stills.

(My source files are over 100 jpgs, 1200x800px, and I need to end up with a 480x853 aspect ratio. I think I'll just have pillarboxing in my frame so as not to distort my images.)

Please ask for clarification if my query's not clear--I'll check the responses often. Thanks very much.

Who cuts steel?

wannaknow — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:00:10 -0800

Where can I find someone to cut a hole in the side of a steel metal locker? I want to have a large hole cut in the side of this steel locker from ikea: http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00086683

I have neither the knowledge nor the tools to do this on my own, so where I can find the appropriate person to do it for me? It would be quick and easy, so I'd imagine it would be pretty cheap.

Would Home Depot do it for a fee?

I live in Los Angeles.

PS, if you have any suggestions on what to put around the hole so it won't cut someone who sticks their hand inside, it would be appreciated.

How Can I Accurately Cut A Pill

forallmankind — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 19:18:12 -0800

CuttingPillsFilter: I am super-sensitive to anti-depressants, but having found one that works, I'm now trying to hit the right dosage. The pills in question are round and scored in half so creating halves or quarters is easy with a Rite Aid pill cutter, but if I wanted sixths - or even better, 12ths - how could I do this? The pills I get are 15mg (lowest dose) so the only thing I can think of is a professional scale which, for that accuracy, cost $$$. The drug in question is Remeron/ Mirtazapine. After 6 months use I reckon my ideal dose is between a quarter/ 3.75mg and a sixth/ 2.5mg - let's say 3.1mg (like I said - super-sensitive).

I know this sounds a bit mental, and there's probably a ton of folks who'll want to say OMG I take 60mg, how can you think half a milligram will make a difference? Maybe it won't. But I find a quarter too strong, and a sixth not enough. That's all I got. (And yes, my Dr knows I'm experimenting with dosage.)

LOAN or GIFT?

mwhybark — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 11:28:07 -0800

Today was the first day the stimulus withholding showed up in my paycheck. I can't tell: is this additional $13 just a change in withholding, or is my annual income tax actually reduced by $400? If it's just another bullshit rebate, I do not want this money. Please advise. Links and authoritative citations much appreciated!

Recipe for truly succulent, traditional Jewish brisket?

roxie110 — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 19:01:41 -0800

How do you make truly tender, succulent Jewish-style brisket? I've had a craving for brisket-like-my-grandmother-used-to-make for about a year now. I finally got the meat and my mother's recipe and cooked it today. The taste is great and the thin end of the meat turned out close to what I was hoping for; the thick end is cooked through but not moist and falling apart like brisket in my world should be, and when I stick a fork in it gives a lot of resistance. I don't know if I over- or undercooked it. I should mention that my "dutch oven" (really a stockpot) was too narrow so I used a Calphalon deep covered 13" nonstick skillet instead--maybe a big mistake? I am such a brisket novice.

Below is a quick recap of how I cooked it. I've looked up a ton of recipes but each one is slightly different, and life's too short to try every one. My question is this: who has a foolproof (mostly) recipe for truly tender, traditional Jewish brisket!? And just as important, how do you know how long to cook it and when it's done? (Can you overcook a brisket, as long as there's still liquid in the pan?)

Recipe I used for half a first-cut brisket, about 3 pounds, fat trimmed:
Preheat oven to 350. Place thickly sliced onions, carrots, and a couple chopped garlic cloves in bottom of Dutch oven. Rub ketchup, ground pepper, paprika, and one envelope onion soup mix on all surfaces of brisket. Add liquid to 3/4 inches deep (I used 1.5 cans low-sodium beef broth; most of liquid was absorbed by the end of cooking). Place chunks of potato around meat. Cover tightly and roast for 2.5 hours. Baste two or three times during cooking. Remove from heat, cool meat, and slice across the grain.

Help! And thank you!

How do I tell my partner that a recently acquired haircut is...bad?

hal_c_on — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 13:40:05 -0800

So how do I tell my partner that a recently acquired haircut is...bad? So I'm a pretty low-maintenance person. I moved recently (after finding an EXCELLENT hair cuttery), and was forced to find a new barber/stylist. I found one that I could literally walk to, so problem solved, right?

The haircut was pretty bad. I'm the guy who always feels the haircut is great because now there's less hair on top of my head. I've had my hair cut by 80 year old barbers, 19 year old stylists, people in beauty school, friends, family, and even some high-end stylists. I have almost never had a bad haircut, I have always left satisfied. I have a VERY high threshold for bad haircuts.

This haircut was so bad, I actually could see where the stylist was lacking in technical expertise, and I DONT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT CUTTING HAIR. How do they forget to cut a clump of hair? Of course, I was home before I noticed, so I chalked it up to "my fault".

Being a very smart consumer, I visited this place a few more times with the same results (different stylist/same business). I really thought "oh, it must have been the stylist", or "oh, i didn't explicitly state that I wanted them to cut hair from all parts of my head". Then on my most recent visit (yeah, I'm telling you...I'm not that bright), I realized why I always had bad hair...they cut my hair in about 7 minutes. They had always been that fast at this establishment, while everywhere else, it had taken AT LEAST 20 minutes.

I went home, and noticed that they forgot to cut a clump of hair from the back. Seriously...how does one forget that; its the back of MY head, not THEIR head. The next time I was due for a haircut, I went outside with a pair of clippers and cut my hair really short. My partner helped me out with the hard areas, and bam...a GOOD haircut. I'm low maintenance like that.

So a few minutes ago, my partner (also, rather low maintenance) left to get a haircut...at the SAME PLACE. I reiterated my story; we laughed...but I don't think the partner was dissuaded. Maybe...but probably not.

What can I say when there's a knock at the door, and I open it up to a bad haircut? It STILL is V-Day weekend, and I don't really want to go "damn...I told you...get me the clippers and sit still".

Reading this over, I realize that we sound pretty insane. Yes.

Yes No Maybe is all I need to hear from you

clearly — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 11:04:11 -0800

MusicFilter: I recently discovered Cut Copy and think that their new album is fantastic. Do you have any suggestions for similar upbeat feel-good electronic music?

Small Production Office Needs a File Server

captainscared — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:04:50 -0800

I work in a very small office, less than 10 people, that is mac based doing primarily Final Cut Pro editing. I know a lot about the mac but not much about putting a server together. Here are our needs: - We will continue to work on independent systems but would like the ability to keep some files centrally located. These files will be copied to the seperate workstations as needed.
- a fast transfer protocol. Currently we are using ethernet which is not fast or efficient enough to tranfer large video files.
- We'd love the ability to harnass the prossecor power of all the computers for rendering, particularly with renders and encodes. (Is a render farm even possible using Final Cut? And how would you do it? I know this is a seperate issue from the files sharing above but we'd like to accomplish both tasks.)
- No one is particularly UNIX savy so if actual server software is avoidable all the better. But certainly not a deal breaker.

So to reiterate: our two primary goals are the ability to make quick transfers between machines and two, a way to harnass the processor power during renders and encodes.

Hot 4-Way Mouse Scrolling (FCP edition)

andromache — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:32:54 -0800

What's the best mouse to use with Final Cut Pro 6? I've done the Google and found a few responses, but in this, and most cases, I trust MeFtes more than the Internet body politic generally.

I'm currently using the Mighty Mouse that came with my aluminim iMac. I find it a little lacking, not least because the scroll ball has been behaving erratically after just a few months of use (I've noticed this on three newish Mighty Mice--get it together, Apple. We pay a premium for your fancy, curvilinear products, and we want them to last). I've also tried a Logitech trackball, but it doesn't seem to be quite precise enough for Final Cut business.

Top priority is 4-way scrolling so I can move through the timeline horizontally. Best would be an actual ball, like the Mighty Mouse's, but if that's proprietary, I'll take a good scroll wheel that leans side-to-side. I like clicky scroll wheels, and wireless would be nice. I've got big ole hands (Jesus, remember those tiny circular mice that came with the candy-colored iMacs? That was hell for those of us with Michael Phelps hands).

When a version of this question was posted a few years ago, the concensus was the Logitech MX 1000. Is this still the standard? Is it fully compatible with Macs, and, more specifically, FCP?

If I didn't look like Darkman, I'd come to your office and yell at you...

Inspector.Gadget — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 10:31:38 -0800

Thanks to a douchebag contractor that dumped a cubic yard of broken cinder blocks in the bike lane, we're back to the eternal question: Is it better to leave a large but shallow scrape injury open to the air or cover it? Or is there some other thing I should be doing? Thus far, I've cleaned the wound vigorously with warm water and removed all the visible/palpable sand and gravel. I've also applied a thin layer of Neosporin but otherwise left the wound uncovered. Its on my forearm, if that makes a difference. So what's my best course of action, for a wound that will probably take 2-3 weeks to fully heal?

How can I install Final Cut Express plugins/effects?

eric1200 — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:03:22 -0800

How can I install Final Cut Express plugins/effects? I am using Final Cut Express HD 3.5.1. I downloaded some free plugins but I don't know how to install them. I haven't been able to find ANY information about this anywhere!

The closest I have come is reading that I should drag them into a plugins folder, something like Library>Application Support>Final Cut etc. However this folder doesn't even exist on my computer.

Where should I drag these plugins/effects?? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE (even if you tell me I'm clueless and it's not possible).

Natural-looking (read: undetectable) highlights in New York?

pearl228 — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 12:39:33 -0800

So I am a female in my 20s, just moved to NYC, and need to find a top rate hair salon that does natural-looking highlights--which, as all we women know, requires word-of-mouth recommendations. Please, beauty junkie mefites, help! I have been going to O Salon in DC for years, having my terribly fine, medium brunette hair highlighted to a light brown/dirty blonde shade in tons of microscopic strips for about $250 a pop. The idea is that you can almost not see that it's colored, yadda yadda; there are no streaks. I also enjoy not having to touch them up for 12 weeks if I choose bc they are so subtle.

As any of you ladies who have your hair colored this way know, 98% of salons can't actually do this, despite the reviews they get on Yelp, Allure, etc.

Location, as long as it's within Manhattan, is not an issue. Price <$300 would be preferable.

Thank you much for your suggestions!

Final Cut Express HD 3.5 - all imported footage is slightly out of sync!

eric1200 — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:19:15 -0800

I have imported three DV tapes into Final Cut and they are all out of sync, by what seems like 1 second (but maybe less?). It's out of sync in the viewer, out of sync in the timeline, when I render it, and when I export it. However, the tape itself is not out of sync when I watch it in the camera. I read something about a "frame offset" setting in Final Cut that is automatically set to 4, but that setting doesn't seem to be in my version of Final Cut at all.

Did I import everything wrong? Is there an easy way to fix this? I'm just starting out on Final Cut and I am totally stumped.

What song is being sampled in this song?

Paul KC — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:45:17 -0800

What vocals are being sampled in this song? Here is a preview from Amazon. Just click the "Preview All" button and the sampled vocals begin immediately and last for about 15 seconds.

What is a good daily diet for someone looking to get cut?

wildrain2008 — Thu, 01 May 2008 19:20:25 -0800

What is a good daily diet for someone looking to get cut? I like routines so I don't care if it's the same for most of the week. In fact I'd rather it be the same so I don't have to really think about it. Some background:
I've been going to the gym 3 days a week for almost 2 months.
So I know this is too early to expect results, but I can say that I feel them—my abbs have gotten harder and I see some body definition. Problem is there's still flab! I'm not fat, I weigh 190 and I'm 5'11. I want the flab gone! I want to see definition!

Currently this is what I eat:

bkfast.. rarely on time if I even have one.. usually vegetable omelet and ice tea (low sweet)

lunch: salad with dressing or if hot plate.. meet/potatoes/steamed veggies

dinner: meet/broccoli/mushroom stew.. (my own creation.. my fav)

supper: ah .. anything i can get my hands on in the fridge.. fruits/yogurt... sweets..

My ears are opened.. what do you guys suggest

There's a hole in my cheek. Should I worry?

btkuhn — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 11:13:28 -0800

Disclaimer: I know you aren't my doctor, and I've made an appointment with a doctor for next week, but I'd like to make sure that I'm ok not going to an emergency room (I can't afford to if it's not necessary, which I don't think it is). Also, warning: slightly gruesome/gross if you are squeamish. Here's the story: I was pretty sick last week and spent about 2 days in bed nonstop. When I finally got up and out of bed I thought I was okay but apparently was not, and I passed out walking down the stairs. I fell on my chin and was left with a pretty nasty gash right on the side of my chin. With the help of a friend I cleaned and bandaged the cut, and the bleeding stopped within a few hours so I did not require stitches.

This was about 3 days ago; since then the cut appears to be healing. I wasn't really concerned about it at all until last night. I was rinsing my mouth out with water and noticed that water was dribbling down my chin. Upon closer examination, it appears that the gash cut clear through my chin (into the mouth itself) and the water was leaking from my mouth out though the cut onto my chin.

My question is, is there any "harm" in this or anything to be worried about, aside from keeping an eye on it since it's a deep cut? I mean, obviously it's not good to have a hole in my cheek, but it is not infected and appears to be healing. Is there any reason to treat this any differently than a deep cut? Will the body naturally heal over the hole if I just leave it be and don't continuously blow water out through it to freak out my friends?