Hey MechanicalKeyboards! I wanted to share a DIY keyboard guide I wrote in hopes it can help others in the hobby. I've been obsessed with mechanical keyboards for a couple years now, but still consider myself a beginner.
When I first started, I found there was so much to learn about all the components and how to put together your own board. While there are lots of great videos and sites covering specifics, I struggled to find one comprehensive reference that tied everything together.
The guide provides a comprehensive process for designing, building, modifying, and maintaining custom mechanical keyboards. It's designed to help beginners become confident builders. Feedback is welcomed. ✌️

Short-introduction to Mechanical Keyboards

Welcome to the wonderful world of mechanical keyboards! As an avid keyboard enthusiast, you likely appreciate the feel, sound, and customization that mechanical keyboards provide over traditional membrane keyboards.
Mechanical keyboards allow for a truly personalized typing experience - every aspect can be customized to your preferences, from the inner workings to the outward appearance. While it may seem daunting at first, constructing your dream keyboard is immensely rewarding. This guide aims to empower you with the key information and techniques to create a keyboard that is uniquely yours.

Your Journey into Mechanical Keyboards

Perhaps your journey began when your friend let you try out their mechanical keyboard. The solid click and precise tactile feedback felt amazing compared to squishy membrane keyboards. Or maybe you stumbled upon the mechanical keyboard community online and were drawn in by the creativity and passion.
Whatever the origin, you are now hooked on the idea of crafting your ideal typing tool. The options may seem endless, but this guide will provide structure to your exploration. Let's level up your knowledge and dive hands-on into the mechanical keyboard hobby!

Purpose of this Guide

This guide will lead you through every step - from key design principles to advanced modifications. Both beginners new to soldering and veterans seeking inspiration will find immense value.
We want to empower you to:

• Understand how each component impacts the keyboard experience
• Select parts optimal for your preferences
• Assemble keyboards with various layouts and functions
• Modify and tune your keyboard to perfection
• Join and contribute to the keyboard community
• Troubleshoot issues and maintain your keyboards

Follow along as we demystify this complex craft. Let's get creating!

Designing Your Keyboard

The design process lays the foundation for your ideal keyboard. Consider aspects like ergonomics, layout, and features while exploring creative options.

Key Design Principles

Several key factors influence how a keyboard looks and functions:
Size: Full-size (100%) provides a numpad while 60% is ultra-compact. Tenkeyless (80%) is popular for more room without a numpad.
Layout: QWERTY is standard but alternative layouts like Colemak provide ergonomic benefits.
Mounting Style: Case mount attaches the plate to the case while plate mount relies solely on the plate.
Hot Swappability: Boards with hot swap sockets allow switching switches without soldering.
Keep these principles in mind when planning your keyboard's physical form.

Overview of Layout Options

Beyond the standard 104-key layout, many options exist:
60%: Compact and portable while requiring function layers. No arrow keys or F row.
65%: Adds dedicated arrow keys to the 60% layout.
75%: Contains navigation cluster and F row but no numpad.
Tenkeyless (TKL): Lacks numpad but includes F row and arrows. Popular 80% layout.
Full Size: The classic 104 keys including numpad.
Splits/Ergonomic: Split keyboard halves for natural shoulder positioning.
Consider your use - portability, workflows, and ergonomics influence ideal layouts.

Essential Keyboard Components

These core components must be selected for any keyboard build:
Switches: Determine feel and sound. Popular choices: Cherry, Gateron, Kailh.
Keycaps: Influence typing experience and aesthetic. Material impacts sound.
Plate: Secures switches and affects rigidity/flex. Common materials: aluminum, brass, polycarbonate.
PCB: Provides electrical connections for switches/components. May have RGB lighting.
Case: Enclosure that combines the pieces. Material impacts sound/heft.
Stabilizers: Large keys use stabilizers to reduce wobble. Screw-in offer maximum stability.
Controller: PCB or separate module running firmware like QMK. Allows customization.
All these pieces work together to shape the final product.

Ergonomics and Comfort in Design

Ergonomics maximize typing comfort and minimize strain. Consider:
Split: Separated keyboard halves suit shoulder positioning.
Columnar Stagger: Keys aligned in vertical columns instead of staggered rows. Reduces ulnar deviation.
Tenting: Angles keyboard halves to match natural hand relaxation. Lifting wrists.
** palm rest:** Provides soft wrist support and angles hands properly.
Macro keys: Program frequently used key combos to convenient keys for less stretching.
An ergonomic keyboard enhances comfort, preventing issues like carpal tunnel.

Role of Wrist Rests and Accessories

Wrist rests provide ergonomic support but aren't required. Consider:

• Separate vs integrated rest
  
• Soft, firm, or inflatable material
  
• Matching aesthetic
  

Other accessories like cable management trays offer convenience. Just avoid going overboard with extras unless they provide real benefits for your workflow.

The Keyboard Core

Let's dive into the heart of a mechanical keyboard - the switches and stabilizers. Master these components first.

Dive into Switch Types

Switches provide the tactile feel and auditory feedback with each keypress. Core characteristics:
Operating Force: Amount of force (measured in grams) to depress the switch. Higher requires more effort.
Travel Distance: Total distance key travels when pressed fully. Usually 4mm.
Actuation Point: Distance traveled for the switch to actuate/register. Often 2mm.
Tactile Feedback: Crisp bump felt at actuation signaling registration.
Audible Feedback: Click sound when the switch actuates. Not all switches have this.
Linear vs Tactile vs Clicky
Linear have smooth depression, tactile have a bump at actuation, and clicky add an audible click.
Popular switch types:

• Cherry MX Reds: Light, linear, smooth. Good for gaming/rapid typing.
  
• Cherry MX Browns: Light tactile bump. Slightly heavier Reds. Versatile switch.
  
• Cherry MX Blues: Loud, clicky feedback. Satisfying for typing but noisy.
  
• Topre: Electrostatic capacitive switch with soft tactile bump. Unique feel.
  

The interactive experience of testing switches is recommended. Get a switch tester first.

Exploring Hot Swappable Builds

Hot swap keyboards allow installing switches without soldering. Benefits:

• Test different switches easily
• Replace broken switches
• Modify quickly compared to soldering

Consider hot swap for first builds to experiment. Downsides include potential switch instability.

Art of Switch Lubrication

Lubricating switch parts can enhance feel. Common lube types:

• Krytox GPL 205g0: Silicone oil, thick. Reduces friction smoothly.
  
• Tribosys 3203: Krytox blend, medium. Stable viscosity for switches.
  
• Krytox GPL 105: Thin oil. Good for lubricating switch springs.
  

Use proper thin lubes for tactile bump preservation. Avoid over-lubrication.

Importance of Key Balancing

Ensure balanced weighting across alpha keys for optimal typing feel. Methods:

• Match key weights with a gram scale
  
• Swap spring weights
  
• Use films to fine-tune travel
  

A uniform typing feel prevents jarring inconsistencies. Take time to balance keys.

Aesthetic and Framework

Now let's explore how case, plate, and keycaps define the keyboard's outward style and structure.

Choosing Case and Plate Materials

The case and plate form the keyboard's structural foundation. Materials impact sound, feel, and design:
Aluminum: Light yet durable. Provides a clean, modern look. Metallic sound.
Brass: Heavy, gold appearance. Develops patina over time. Produces a deep, reverberating sound.
Polycarbonate: Translucent layered appearance. Offers a muted, flex-tuned typing sound.
Acrylic: Affordable translucent option. Somewhat hollow sound unless modded.
Wood: Organic, decorative visual. Consider weight and finish - can be sealed for protection.
Mix and match materials for personalized aesthetics and acoustics.

Feel and Sound of Plate Materials

Beyond appearance, plates influence the tactile experience:
Aluminum: Rigid and firm typing response. Metallic, higher-pitched sound.
Brass: Dense for a soft typing touch. Warm tones from brass reverberation.
Polycarbonate: Flexible material softens typing response. Dampens sound.
FR4: Fiberglass weave. Firm base with slight bounce. Tunable sound via build.
Test plates to discover your ideal characteristics. Combine with complimentary case materials.

Selecting Keycaps for Experience and Look

Keycaps complete the keyboard's outward design. Factors:
Material: Common options - PBT plastic for textured thickness or ABS for smooth uniformity. Durability/texture varies.
Legends: Laser etched, doubleshot, dye sublimated. Durability and clarity differ.
Profile: Row sculpting. SA is tall and sculpted, while XDA is uniform with flat tops.
Colorways: Standard keyboard schemes to creative custom designs exist.
Compatibility: Layout support. Consider stabilizer keys and bottom row.
Mix and match for the perfect visual design that also enhances your typing experience.

Keycap Materials and Their Impact

Keycap material alters the auditory and tactile experience:
PBT: Thick, textured plastic. Naturally resistant to oils/shine. Deep, thocky sound.
ABS: Smooth, uniform plastic. Prone to shine over time. Higher pitch.
Polycarbonate: Translucent, flex-tuned feel. Softer sound absorption.
Resin: Thick like PBT. Some opacity/translucence options. Lower noise.
Try a keycap material sampler kit to determine your preference, considering sound and texture.

Assembling Your Keyboard

We've covered the critical planning and component selection. Now it's time to put it all together with soldering, modifications, and firmware.

Benefits of DIY Kits

DIY kits provide all the necessary parts pre-selected to assemble a functioning keyboard:

• Convenience: All pieces included and guaranteed compatible
  
• Cost savings: Bulk sourced components vs individually purchased
  
• Entry point: Great way for beginners to start
  
• Foundation to build: Customize further with switches, keycaps, mods
  
• Locator: Fan favorites curated by designers
  

Quality kits like KBDFans often offer exceptional value to kickstart your build.

Soldering Basics

Assembling most stock keyboards requires basic soldering:
Safety: Work in a ventilated area, use lead-free solder, wear eye protection.
Prep: Organize parts, clean surfaces, prepare tools - soldering iron, solder, flux, tweezers.
Technique: Heat joint with iron, flow in solder, allow to cool before movement.
Common Joints: Switches into PCB, controller to PCB,stabilizers to PCB, diodes.
With care, patience, and practice, soldering is an accessible skill for intricate keyboard builds.

Sound Tuning Techniques

Optional modifications can fine-tune acoustics:
Case foam: Sound dampening foam placed inside case reduces hollowness.
Plate foam: Thin porous foam between plate/PCB absorbs pinging.
Switch films: Small films around the switch housing reduce wobble/noise.
Lube: Lubricates moving parts for smoother, quieter operation.
Listen carefully as you test combinations to achieve your preferred sound profile.

Understanding LED Lighting

LED lighting creates visual effects and visibility:
Per-key: Individual LEDs under each switch for full customization.
Underglow: Single strip around the perimeter keys. Syncs across keyboard.
Backlit: Illumination shines up through switch housings. Partial lighting.
RGB: Multicolor range expands effects like reactive typing, gradients.
Controller: Required to control/program lighting effects.
Lighting balances aesthetics, visibility, and performance. Disable for maximum battery life.

Configuration and Maintenance

You've built an amazing keyboard - now let's keep it running smoothly for years on end.

Keyboard Firmware and Its Configuration

Firmware controls the keyboard's layout, functions, and lighting:
QMK and VIA: Powerful open source firmware. Highly customizable.
Flashing: Write firmware to the controller. QMK Toolbox app offers a simple interface.
Keymapping: Bind any key function to your desired placement. Extensive options.
Macros: Record and assign multi-key sequences to a single key.
RGB Controls: Adjust lighting effects, colors, and brightness.
Master your firmware for the ultimate personalized typing experience.

Customizing with Macro Programming

Macros improve workflow by reducing repetitive sequences to a single keypress. Tips:

• Record sequences accurately in your typical typing rhythm
  
• Use easily accessible keys for common macros
  
• Add a delay after a series of quick inputs
  
• Utilize layers for macros you use less frequently
  

With QMK, even long strings of inputs can smoothly play back from a dedicated key.

Essential Cleaning and Maintenance

Keep your keyboard running smoothly with proper care:

• Remove keycaps to clean internally every 3-6 months
  
• Use compressed air to dislodge dust buildup
  
• Q-tips with isopropyl alcohol clean tough debris
  
• Avoid moisture buildup under keycaps
  
• Lubricate stabilizer parts that become scratchy
  
• Check screws on case and PCB, tighten if loose
  

With regular inspection and cleaning, your beloved keyboard will last for years of pleasant typing.

The Keyboard Community

Beyond the keyboards themselves, the community enriches the hobby with knowledge sharing and new innovations.

Impact of the Keyboard Community

This enthusiastic community has fueled the custom mechanical keyboard renaissance:

• Passionate builders sharing knowledge in forums, Discord servers, and Reddit
  
• Innovations driven by custom firmware and DIY ethos
  
• Artisans collaborating on small-batch products unavailable elsewhere
  
• Group buys funding development of niche layouts and components
  
• Support channels troubleshooting issues, providing inspiration
  

DIY keyboards are as much about the people as the products. This community propels the culture forward.

Navigating Online Marketplaces

Specialized marketplaces provide access to community offerings:
mechmarket subreddit: Active user-to-user trades for keyboards, artisans, switches, and more.
Shopping Discord servers: Keycap and accessory group buys along with limited stock sales.
Ecommerce stores: Retailers like NovelKeys, CannonKeys, QwertyQop for new items.
Alibaba/Taobao: Wholesale component suppliers based in China with MOQ orders.
The broader community ecosystem enables unique parts not found elsewhere. Explore marketplaces beyond mainstream retailers.

The Mechanical Keyboard Lifestyle

Let's reflect on the passion that drives this hobby, the challenges faced, and the bright future ahead.

Challenges and Rewards of DIY Building

As with any hobby, building keyboards brings difficulties but greater rewards:
Knowledge barrier: Learning the intricacies of components takes serious effort. But knowledge brings confidence in experimentation.
Troubleshooting obstacles: Perfect builds are rare. Yet diagnosis skills improve with experience.
Costly trial and error: Budding enthusiasts drain funds sampling gear. But worth it to discover your preferences.
Imperfect products: DIY often shows flaws. Yet that handcrafted uniqueness makes it cherished.
The journey encountered along the way ultimately makes the final product more meaningful.

Future of DIY Keyboard Culture

Where will this community go in the years ahead?

• Mainstream accessibility yet retaining a niche community feel.
  
• Advancements in wireless connectivity, battery efficiency, enhanced RGB.
  
• Novel layouts and switch concepts exploring new typing experiences.
  
• Progress in programmability and customization potential.
  
• Components balancing supply and environmental considerations.
  
• Continued culture of sharing knowledge and innovations openly.
  

The future looks bright for mechanical keyboards. Much room for creativity and progress lies ahead!

Closing Thoughts

The sheer breadth of this hobby can feel overwhelming as a newcomer. Take it step by step. Savor the learning process. Connect with fellow enthusiasts. Find your unique niche within this playground of creativity.
You now have the foundation to craft your ideal mechanical keyboard tailored exactly how you envision it. Turn dreams into reality, keystroke by keystroke. Your endgame board awaits!

Liam had always been a bit of a melt.
We had known him since the early days of secondary school, and this fact alone was the main thrust behind our friendship. His glasses were wonky, his jeans too long in the leg. The collars of his shirts were always askew. But he liked a joke, and enjoyed a pub trip. Spending a few hours with him was perfectly pleasant, as long as you kept him off one topic.
Haunted houses. The kind found at fairgrounds and theme parks. Liam loved the grinning skeletons and plastic spooks hanging from the rooftops. Adored the staged creaks and fiberglass tombstones. Worshiped at the neon glow of the signage.
Over the years he amassed a wide collection of books on the subject. Their history. Their design. Even full blueprints. He never stopped waffling on about the technical details. These one way conversations always ended with him insisting that one day he was going to build the best haunted house in the world.
This seemed like a feasible dream at school. But the years went by, and we joined Liam in wearing glasses, and had to dye our hair. And he still banged on about haunted houses. It was hard to talk about interest rates when one member of the group interrupts to explain how monsters glow in the dark. A few dropped him from their social life. I stuck to a drink every Christmas.
Then one day an invitation to his grand opening dropped through the letterbox, a cartoon ghost floating above a time and place.
Liam ignored all messages for more details. My wife laughed, but I had to find out what was at that location.
The field was over half an hour from the nearest town. The wheels of my tyres complained from the mud at the last five hundred meters. But Liam stood in front of a wooden shed, waving with full enthusiasm.
The building was not much taller than his six foot frame, and less than the length of my car. A paper sign on the wall told me to keep out. I kicked a stone, and patted Liam’s shoulders when he gave me a hug.
'I cracked it,' he whispered. 'Success is not about replication. Originality is the key. Take a peek.’
I popped in. Just to take a peek.
The smell was upsetting. Mackerel pate served with bleach. Although the far wall was a hand stretch away, I was not convinced my hand would reach. Brown stains dotted the packed dirt floor.
That was when I noticed the shape crawling across the ceiling. Something pale and veiny, a peeled grape mixed with a maggot, moving at the pace of a spider on its silk.
That was enough for me. But then the issue was the door handle had slipped away, and left my fingers touching the rough grain of a solid oak beam.

Does anyone have the g10 and micarta shaman clone ? how do the scales compare in texture/feel/look... do the weigh the same ??
i have the micarta one but i really wish i got the g10 instead. the micarta feels very light and extra cheap because i can see the fiberglass cross patterns on the scale. i might dye it black but yeah, how is it compared to g10?

This is for people who have been fighting the battle against Scabies and are losing.
It took me 5 years to find out what I am writing here, I kept getting infected after months of being clear of them.
First, unless you have gone to a doctor and had a skin scraping and a lab has determined you have scabies, think twice if your having scabies symptoms. What I am about to tell you there is very little information of in the medical field and in any documented cases, I found 3 or 4 in the whole world that were confirmed but I am sure it is only because of the difficulty in diagnosis. Doctors see your body, they don't go to your home with a hand held microscope and a lap top looking around your windows and areas you frequent to look for other blood sucking mites that cause the same symptoms as scabies.
I started getting pimple like bumps, they would swell and itch, I had all the symptoms of scabies, I would have a bite or sore that after 3 days a bunch of smaller ones would appear around it and itch. I can't confirm whether it was a mite laying eggs and them hatching out causing the smaller bites because I never saw a mite anywhere on my body , even using a digital microscope, but they were there and able to hide either by going into my skin pores or hair folicles. My advice buy a 20 dollar hand held digital microscope off ebay. It is a diagnostic tool you will need, it usb plugs into your laptop and has viewer software it works with. Take a bath, put salt in your hair with antibacterial dish soap to hold it on and stay in the tub for an hour or so laying your head on the end of the tub. After you drain the tub, look for any pepper looking black specks and view them with the microscope, you will find them somewhere in or on your tub if the bugs on you are not scabies.
The next thing that would happen with me, as I was getting more and more bites, is some were getting worse turning into sores, maybe from scratching them, but for sure because the mite caused bacteria that spread eventually into my blood stream. ( a systemic bacterial infection). No antibiotic ointments or anything will stop the infection, that is where the Bactrim DS, the DS stands for double strength fights the bacteria, I chose it because a doctor said it helped change the flora in scabies gut and contributes to their demise, it is an adjunct tool in the fight to end their lives.
The bacteria creates its' own symptoms, between the bacteria and the mites you get signs on your skin like vesicles, urticarial plaques, and diffuse erythema, with dermatographia. Read about them, I had them all, the last one if you scratch yourself , only sometimes lines will swell where you scratched, you can even write in your skin and the letters will raise up. They say it affects 2 to 5% of the population, I was one. It is caused by infections and histamine.
Scabies tunnel into your skin, some mites come out at night hiding in your bed or your clothes and in my case my hair, and they suck your blood. I think the mites I had could hide in my skin pores and hair folicles because they are nocturnal and I never saw them on me in the light.
The bacteria keeps the sore from healing which gives the mite a bloody pool to eat from.
The Benzyl Benzoate cream applied to your body from the neck down will cause some mites to seek refuge in your scalp or face depending on the species. The Bactrim fights the bacteria and I think makes any blood feeding mite less likely to gorge on your blood because it upsets their gut. That was my experience, Benzyl Benzoate significantly stopped any new sores, just had a very few tiny pimple like bites from my neck down, then when I started taking the bactrim, all the new bites stopped, but that is when I started hearing them in my ear doing something that caused an intermittant vibration. I immediatly poured alcohol in to kill it, not sure if it was a mite stuck in ear wax trying to get free, or a larva trying to hatch out of an egg, I just wanted to stop the vibration.
What I did works on all mite infestations, Bird mites will attack humans in rare cases ( mine) , they enhabit your body and live in your scalp with no signs of them except for the bites.
Read about Bird mites, the same symptoms as scabies but there are cases where they infest humans and live in their hair, they are very hard to kill on your head.
After applying the Benzyl Benzoate over several days, they all moved to my head, even if I applied the Benzyl Benzoate to my scalp, somehow they evaded it, maybe by going in my skin.
I started taking salt baths to try and help stop the itching, Knowing they were still on me on my head getting in my ear, I thought I would massage salt into my scalp hoping to kill them. I used Palmolive antibacterial dish soap after applying the salt as something to make it stick to my head better and I poured a lot of salt in my scalp leaving it on and laying my head back in the tub soaking.
At this point I still thought I had scabies and they went above my neck. leaving the salt in about an hour, as I was sitting in the bath with the salt in my hair over 5 or 6 huge whelps Bites came up on my neck, the salt forced them out of my scalp and they attacked me and bit the hell out of me and on my upper back.
The next day I went to take another salt bath, I went to rinse the tub before filling it and saw some tiny specks about the size of a grain of sand, they looked black in my white tub.
They looked suspicious so I got my digital microscope to see what it was, I was grossed out, they were tiny mites with 8 legs and a pincher type mouth with 2 long front legs very spider like. Since nothing got them out of my scalp but salt, I taped a plastic shopping bag around my hair line with the open end up, applied salt and Palmolive antibacterial dish soap to hold it in place adding plenty of salt and massaging it in. Then I twisted the top of the bag closed and tight to my head, wrapped my head in a towel then applied Benzyl Benzoate to the rest of my body, in 5 hours I took a shower and I am not free of them, all were killed, they had nowhere to escape to. Then I took my bed apart vacummed everything and sprayed it with permethrin. I put paper plates under each leg of my bed and put Diatomaceous earth in each plate, Then I sprayed my room, Elector PSP is the best thing it kills eggs and mites in one spray, otherwise you have to spray 3 times over three weeks as the eggs hatch because nothing else kills the eggs.
Anyway cure is Benzyl Benzoate topically, while during the same time your applying the Benzyl Benzoate, taking 800mg Sulfamethoxazole/160mgTrimethoprim tablets every 12 hrs for 10 to 14 days. And wrapping your scalp in salt for 5 hrs while the benzyl benzoate is on the rest of you.
The Sulfamethoxazole & Trimethoprim are antibiotics also known as Bactrim, now you would not think of using it to kill insects infecting your body, but believe me, this stuff works like a miracle. I was fighting a horrible case I could not end no matter what I tried and in less than 24 hours I could tell it was working and within 48 all my sores went dormant meaning no more feeling of something alive inside my body and in all my sores the swelling was gone and they were drying up, the redness was slower to go away, with my body now only having to repair the damage they did. Be sure even though the mites on you should all be dead after theead salt and Benzyl Benzoate application at the same time, take the full regiment of Bactrim at the least 10 to 14 days days of the Bactrim because the dead bugs, their eggs, their reminants as they molt and their feces will still be under your skin. I would do 14 days if your sores are not all healed with no signs of them in 10 days. The last thing you want is a bacteria or scabies not all being killed off and coming back resistant to the bactrim. This after over 6 months of suffering has given me my life back. Just make sure while taking it you clean your house well and spray it and your bed and furniture so you don't get reinfected
Bactrim is a sulfa drug ,some people could be allergic to, so when I first started my dose I broke the tablet in half at the score line and took 1/2 a tablet and waited about an hour, I had no side effects so I took the other half and after that took one tablet every 12 hours with an 8 ounce glass of water, or as much as you can. It is important to a lot of water with it and to take it 1 hr before a meal or 2 hours after.
​
Trying to understand them
I am going to try and explain what is going on in a simple way.
Look at your outer skin, (skin pores and hair folicles), like a sponge with holes.. Then imagine a blood barrier under that sponge that seperates it from a blood flow layer.
There are 3 stratas.
1 The sponge layer

1. the barrier between the sponge and blood layer
   
2. the blood flowing flesh layer
   

Now Imagine scabies in their different stages of life being on your body. I will refer to the females when describing the adult stage because they are the ones that cause the Disease. There are 4 stages
4 Life Stages of Scabies
Stage 1. The egg
Stage 2. The larva ( just hatched egg)
Stage 3. A pre adult scabie with 6 legs that goes into a molting phase to grow to an 8 leg adult scabie by shedding it's skin
Stage 4. An 8 leg Adult scabie capable of breeding and laying eggs.
​
Which layer does each stage of scabies live in?
The Adult females laying eggs and their eggs live in the blood flowing flesh, adult females can tunnel to lay eggs, or stay in one place laying eggs. They are too deep for most all topicals, that is why you need something like Ivermectin, or Bactrim to kill them deep in your skin if the Ivermectin is not working. I tried spinosad topically and moxidectrin orally, neither of them killed them off.
The larva and 6 leg nymphs live in the sponge layer usually in one spot till they mature, but at some point prior to being an adult they need nourishment so they are able cross into the blood barier to keep hydrated and nourished as they mature. Being able to go deeper in the skin makes them harder for the Benzyl Benzoate to get to them to kill them.
Attmepts at killing them in each layer

1. Scabicides kill them in the sponge layer ( skin pores and hair folicles), (only if they have not become resistant to the scabicide your using.). Permethrin is suppose to kill the eggs too but I never got prescribed enough for the multiple applications needed to penetrate that deep to kill them.
2. Ivermectin kills them in the Blood flowing flesh layer, ( only if they have not become resistant to it).

The reason they are so hard to kill is their evasiveness causing their resistance to anything they are able to build resistance to, this is why you topically treat your body with a scabicide at the same time you are taking an oral scabicide.
Once they mature enough past the nymph stage to be able to dig past the barier to cross from the sponge layer to the blood flowing flesh layer. When you apply most any scabicide to your sponge (skin layer), some scabies will evade it by digging in to the blood flowing flesh layer where most all single application scabicide applications do not soak far enough, What happens, if they survive the permethrin, their next generation will become more resistant to it. Then with each subsequent generation it snow balls with each generation becoming more resistant till it has no effect on them at all.
The key to killing them has to be attacking both layers at the same time and all of your body including your head, with something they can not build resistance to otherwise they just go to the layer or area you are not treating.
​
They instruct you to apply any scabicide starting from the neck working down. That is a recepie for failure if your mites are Dermanyssus gallinae.
Although scabies may prefer inhabiting below your neck, most blood sucking mites will go where you are not applying the scabicide,Above the neck
​
The scabicide is Benzyl Benzoate cream the FDA does not approve a mixture commercially made for humans to be sold in the USA,, Austrailia does, but they are not allowed to ship it here. Although it was discovered in the 1940s and has been used in europe for treating Scabies for decades. I think maybe a reason they don't approve it in the USA is most peope are not careful enough or responsible enough to use, being careful with it.
It is present in the balsam of Peru and in some flowers, it is a plants defense from bugs.
The 2 hazards using it is, First and most importantly keeping it away from your eyes, It will sting and can't be wiped or rinsed off because although while applying it on completely dry skin it will not sting, getting the skin wet or even sweating while it is on you, before it nuteralizes after 24, hours it will sting you especially on your face, washing it off getting it wet is not an option before 24 hrs , always wait 24 hours after the last application before washing it off.
Also you have to keep it away from some plastics paints and dyes and plastics because it will etch them making them come, this mostly goes for enamels like on a fiberglass tub and plastic like on a computer mouse pad or computer case or TV remote control. Since you want it on 100% of your body for the whole treatment period you need to put plastic food server gloves on to protect anything you might touch. I compare it to Jalepeno pepper juice the way it stings, but only when you wet it on you, it stings like a burn but does not burn your skin, but get it near your eyes and it is a nightmare, there are some fumes getting it too close to your eyes that will irritate them, and rubbing your eyes is an easy mistake. I did that and there was nothing I could do but keep my eye closed, I tried putting milk on a paper towel and wiping it but the moisture just made my eye lid sting, I had to pat my eye dry keeping it closed tightly and wait till I could open it again, it took a good while like an hour or so.
I wore cheap food server gloves the whole time during the treatment because you must treat your hands and use a tooth brush to apply it under your toe and finger nails leaving it on the full 24 hrs. The gloves help remind you not to.touch your eyes,
How I apply it to be safe , first your skin needs to be clean and free of any lotion and oils, and your skin must be completely dry, not just towel dry or it will sting applying it.
I put it in a bowel and dip my fingers in to apply it starting at my neck then massaging it up my neck into my hair line all around my scalp and around and on my ears,on my cheeks sparingly and on my forehead and nose so it does not dun or drip near my eyes
You can hand apply it all over the rest of your body, but if your in a hurry and can keep from getting it on other things, use a spray bottle to apply it below your neck, just make sure your away from anything painted or made of rubber or plastic as you spray it from your neck down with your eyes closed, then massage it in well.
I gently squeeze the trigger while holding my eyes closed, then I stop and massage it in.
This makes it safe, because any other way it can drip down around your eyes if you put it on too wet. Take my word for it, it is a nightmare if that happens,
For killing scabies in the blood layer and the Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteria
If Ivermectin does not kill the ones in the blood layer as you treat you skin with Benzyl Benzoate and orally take the Ivermectin at the same time, what works was replacing the Ivermectin with the 800mg Sulfamethoxazole & 160mg Trimethoprim , AKA Bactrim. Taken 1 tablet every 12 hours for 10 to 14 days. It also fights the bacterial infection.
I had some sores where there were bites or mites I had killed off with Tea tree oil patches, they remained red and were not healing, I realized the bacterial infection was from the inside in my blood stream because topical triple antibiotic ointment was not healing them. I expected the Bactrin to kill the bacteria which it slowly did, but before my 3rd dose of Bactrim I could tell it was having more of a faster effect on killing the scabies. It works because as the antibiotic kills the bacteria it also changes the flora in the Scabies Gut and they die. So the secret to getting rid of scabies are two things.

1. Bactrim which is 800mg Sulfamethoxazole & 160mg Trimethoprim
2. Benzyl benzoate

Before finding out about bactrim I was making patches to tape over the scabies to smother or kill them using either tea tree oil or Benzyl Benzoate, although it worked sometimes, other times it seemed like the mites would manage to burrow their way away from it depending on how deep in my skin they were. Using the Benzyl Benzoate and bactrim stopped me from needing tea tree after a week because the tea tree oil was damaging my skin and I was not sure if it was bacteria or a mite making a feeling of movement under my skin.
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There is a chart below showing applying it 7 days apart, I did not find this to work in my case
I applied it several times in a day for 48 hours then washed it off. The day and overnight after I washed it off there were eggs on me that hatched out and started new pimple looking sores. Once they dug in, they were harder to kill.
I did not want to give the newly hatched that chance to make nests so since the eggs hatch out in 3 to 7 days after they are laid. In my experience the Sulfamethoxazole & Trimethoprim kills the any that are feeding off you or makes them stop feeding almost completely.
https://www.healthline.com/health/how-long-can-scabies-live-in-a-mattress#:~:text=Permethrin%20spray%20is%20a%20liquid,room%20for%20about%2030%20minutes.
Applying BB every night after a shower worked till I needed to do it no more because the sores were healing and the Bactrim stopped the biting completely. I put all my bedding including my pillow in the dryer on High heat for 20 min.
Use a hypoallergenic mattress and pillow covers, or spraying the bed with bed bug spray or malathion or permethrin spray that morning so it is on the matress all day till you go to bed.. because the mites will want to leave your body and get in your bedding at night, also keep floor vacuumed well and keep vacuume outside or in the garage or empty and change the bag.
The best advice I can give is take 800mgSulfamethoxazole & 160mg Tri Benzyl Benzoate applications while also applying Benzyl Benzoate topically. Keep plenty of Benzyl Benzoate on hand to make a steady supply of the 25% Benzyl Benzoate cream, and apply it after every shower without washing it off in between showers,
Keeping it on you all the time helps weaken any new hatchlings from nesting and digging in, you can use it as much as you need to suite your needs of killing them and getting better.
The time it will take before they are all dead be determined by when the last egg hatches and the larva dies along with the last egg laying female which Bactrim seems to do and treating the scalp if your mites are not scabies by wrapping it in salt while also having Benzyl Benzoate on the rest of your body except your face unless you have bites there, just put vasoline around your eyes and do not get the Benzyl benzoate near your eyes or in your eyes, it will burn and theres no way to wash it off, trying to use water to wash it off makes it burn even worse.
If the Benzyl Benzoate lotion feels oily on and it's not comfortable putting clothes on right away, I wait a little while for it to soak in my skin and might apply some diatomacepus earth to my skin, it is like a drying powder and will help dry them out and make it a little more comfortable to put clothes on. It can make your skin dry, if so, when you bathe use baby oil in the water you soak in. You dont want to breath the dust it is like silica. Some people shy away from it because it is not healthy getting it in your lungs.
Benadryl is good to help you sleep and help stop the itch,triple antibiotic lotion is good for treating the sores that are healing, Calamine lotion is also good to stop itching and to dry out healing sores. Antiseptic
Mites can produce an enzyme that blocks your immune system from attacking them so any damage they do to your skin heals slowly because it also blocks your immune system from killing the bacteria that comes with them, that is why antibiotics are very important to end this disease.
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The 7 day period they recommend to apply Benzyl Benzoate is based on the time they figure all the eggs will have hatched after the last egg laying female and the rest of the scabies are dead from the first treatment of the Benzyl Benzoate. Aplying it again 7 days kills the rest that should have all hatched out by then, before they can mature into breeding adults as the Benzyl Benzoate does not kill their eggs. These instructions might work for scabies but it does not work on other mites.
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You may want to make a plan of treatments that works for your results you need by experimentation, I told you what worked for me. All I can say is the more layers you can apply in a day and the more days you can leave it on without washing it off while cleaning your enviornment the quicker they will flee it..
Before washing it off make sure it has been on your face at least 24 hours after your last application off or it will sting. You might try patting your face with a wet wash rag in small spots to wet it , to see if it stings, if it does, leave it on your face longer to nuteralize. When washing it off your scalp Tilt your head back to rinse it, you don't want to rinse it off your scalp and have it flow over your face. Also always keep your eyes closed and head tilted back rinsing away from your face when washing it off your head.
The crusted looking infection on my hand started as sores and a bad infection. I had to wrap my hand with kitchen plastic wrap with Tea Tree oil soaked paper on paper towels. It was the only thing that penetrated the leather like skin and the large area of many scabies it also drew out the infection Staphylococcus aureus or beta-hemolytic streptococci. makes a yellow crust. , it burned like hell for a day basically burning my leather looking skin making it look like a coating of yellow bacteria scab, that later dried and peeled off leaving new skin under it. I had a couple of spots I had to cover again with tea tree oil patches but my hand cleared all up within a month. At that time I did not know about Bactrim or Benzyl benzoate, I think I could have prevented all that suffering if I had this knowledge then.
Here is a chart for BB treatments for scabies , Notice they were smart enough to tell you to fight both layers at the same time, using Ivermectin with the Benzyl Benzoate.
I think waiting 6 days between treatments allows any hatched larva to dig in deeper making them harder to kill, and you do not want a larva living to adulthood or you aren't breaking the breeding cycle.
https://www.greendept.com/maximpulse/permethrin/download/timeline_scabies_treatment_2022_8x11.pdf
Ivermectin on the Chart is to kill the females laying eggs deep under your skin in the blood layer that the Benzyl Benzoate has a harder time absorbing down to. But if like me your mites are resistent to Ivermectin, use the Bactrim, and also patches saturated with either 100% benzyl benzoate or tea tree oil patches over them if nothing else is working.
If you want ivermectin locally, go to Atwoods or Amazon they have it for horses in a paste, It is dispensed by your weight and the dosage ends up being 2 micrograms per Killogram weight, the same as prescribed for humans for scabies, or there is a place called fastandsafestore, if you type it in your address bar, it takes you to mybudgetpetstore. They sell it in 3 or 5 mg tabs around 22 bucks for 50ct 3 mg made in India or 5mg100ct made in China, that price includes delivery, they are very reliable but it takes around 2 weeks to get to you..They sell it is for Dogs but bottled for humans. I prefer the Ivermectin horse paste because it is made in the USA and I don't have to wait 2 weeks for delivery. I won't use it anymore because the scabies I have had lately were immune to Ivermectin. I just took some In the beginning of my fight before finding Bactrim, hoping it might help.
Did you know the same damn drugs we pay more for than people in other countries like Mexico , are also sold in the US cheaper, but here they are package and sold as only for animals, I got the antibiotic labeled for fish Keflex that worked in previous infections then later the (Bactrim), or 800mg Sulfamethoxazole & 160mgTrimethoprim tablets bottled for fish , and for dogs or horses Ivermectin,
Antibiotics prescribed to people are not also created to be animal specific , but as long as it is sold only for animals, it is not illegal for them to sell most of them without a prescription in the USA. This pisses me off because it is our law makers making laws to try and trick us to buy drugs at the highest cost in the world while still allowing the drug companies to profit off selling the exact same drug for animal use by labeling it as, not for humans. It is a scare tactic lie. In my first infestations of scabies I used the 500MG fish Keflex for my secondary bacterial infection, the dosage was 500mg a day for 2 weeks.
The dosage and expiration date is all that is important as well as finishing the dosage in a period it is normally prescribed for. not just stopping when you think your better.. That goes for any antibiotics to prevent bacteria from surviving and building resistance to it, The Bactrim DS I got from walmartpetrx was dated 11/27 and I bought it 4/23, it was for fish but exactly what they sell for humans.
The FDA is realizing people are catching onto their scam (lie) so they are starting to put more restrictions on these drugs by forcing animal owners to get prescriptions from a Vet.. All in the name of Corporate greed and corrupt politicians at the expense of poor peoples health, people who can't afford health care. New laws are coming March 2023 forcing animal owners to get prescriptions for more drugs.
Since BB or Benzyl Benzoate is used for many other purposes and is not made in a 25% solution for treating human scabies sold in the USA, you can get the ingredients and easily make your own or use the same mixture they sell for humans in Europe bottled and sold only for horses in the USA called Killitch sold on Amazon, it is more expensive than making it yourself, or you can buy it ready made off the link I provided. I made mine off ingredients I bought off ebay.
Benzyl Benzoate cream has 3 ingredients costing around 30 bucks to make 32 ounces which is way more than you might need. I like to have it around in case for later if I get another exposure to them in my yard.
It is suppose to be good for 2 years not mixed yet. It can go bad over shorter time mixed, that is why they say use steril water. Distilled works. Keep refrigerated if storing it long, it can go bad and will smell bad if it does
. Benzyl Benzoate to cure scabies (Benzemul) (greendept.com)
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The things you add to the Benzyl Benzoate other than water are
Oleic acid, helps your skin heal and is very mild like olive oil , which also has a lot of Oleic acid in it,
The trithanolamine reduces the surface tension of the oil and water to mix together, it also absorbs better into your skin and it stabelizes the ph.
The Benzyl Benzoate I got was packaged by Plant Guru.
The antibiotics were fishflex brand, I ordered it off of Walmartpetrx.com. 30 Tablets were just under 37 dollars. Their Sulfamethoxazole & Trimethoprim, 30 tablets was under 38 bucks delivered. I chose to take the full course of the bottle for a total of 15 days to be sure any bacteria was killed off. Day 8 of the Bactrim DS and all my sores except one are almost completely healed., just a little redness is left, so much improvement I went to a dermatologist and showed her my before pictures and what I looked like now and she said I was doing great and just gave me some steriod lotion for what was left of the sores.
An hour or so before washing your BB treatment off, you can apply olive oil all over, it helps smother scabies after the Benzyl Benzoate burns them if they are not dead.
Here is a website you want to check out , they sell a mixture you can dilute ready to go.
https://www.greendept.com/maximpulse/permethrin/bb.html
Here's the 25%BB recepie for the home made cream to make 12 oz,
for a weaker 12.5% BB lotion just ad 1.5oz Benzyl Benzoate
This is to make 12 ounces (1.5 cups):
3 ounces benzyl benzoate,
1/3 teaspoon triethanolamine
1 and 1/2 teaspoons oleic acid
9 ounces purified water
Mix the Triethanolamine with the Oleic Acid, add the Benzyl Benzoate, and mix.
Transfer the mixture to a suitable container of about 1 cup capacity, add about 2 ounces of Purified Water, and shake the mixture thoroughly.
Finally add the remaining Purified Water, and again shake thoroughly.
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Right after the treatments before you shower, so you don't get reinfected after you wash it off make sure everything you exposed your mites to is disinfected, sheets and bedding clean, I Bought a hypoallergenic mattress cover and pillow case covers to make it easier to keep clean of mites.. the other days not right after treatments instead of washing things, I just put my bedding in the dryer for 20 minutes on the highest heat setting, because mites die if they are in 122 degrees fahrenheit for at least 10 minutes. I also did that with any clothing that was clean that mites might be on.
Vacuum your floors and try to limit your exposure to anything or place that you might have contaminated unless you disinfect it with bleach, alcohol, Permethrin or use malathion if you have lab diagnosed case of scabies that are resistant to Permethrin., disinfecting includes, Car, shoes clothes, brushes, keys, furniture, computer keyboards light switches , fridge and doorhandles, your toilet and flush handle and any place you might have left one. The other mites will be on window sills or areas of the house they can sneak in, you will only see ones on their backs because any that can will hide during daylight. They will also be where you frequent, tables desks and beds and the floor.
I used diatomaceous earth, it is like flour but to scabies it is like shards of glass it cuts them and helps dry them out, it is messy just like flour but I sprinkled it on things I could wash or vacuume, and on my mattress before applying sheets and sometimes put it on my skin, Home Depot has it cheapest, might have to order it from their website. I sprinkled it on my floor where I sat and on my chair before I sprayed my house with Elector PSP which professionals use in chicken houses to kill blood sucking mites, it has spinosad in it which a doctor will also prescribe for scabies in a 10% lotion.
I have tried everything , 2 cups Borax in a tub applying salt to your scalp helps kill them, if they are still on you, you will see tiny black specks in your tub after draining it, Use bleach to clean it, some can still be alive.
I found the only dermatologist in my state that was listed for treating scabies. I contacted them about my problem with scabies, and they told me they were not accepting new patients. They might as well banish you to an island to suffer and die. It's like it is your problem and people don't care, this is a serious disease if not stopped, it can cause kidney damage and Rumatic heart fever which damages your heart valve.. scarry.The question is, when you think they have returned, did you just get them again from where you got them in the first time, or were they always hiding on you and you did not know it till they started breeding.
I have gone long periods like 6 or 8 months without having any signs of these bugs on me, reoccourances were always in the spring or fall when blood sucking mites go in your house if you have them outdoors.
I never got any bug bites from my property for 8 years living there, then I temporarily moved to another state for 5 years and got them there sitting on a straw bail, I think they were straw mites , I got rid of them and was free of them for years living in that state, then when I returned to my property in a different state several years later, I got them again, but not right when I got back, but 2 years later while cutting trees in a wooded area on my property. I was never around people to get scabies. But my my neighbors pond right next to my property Geese started flocking there and I think that is why I am getting them now. The geese left and the bugs look for another host any mamal to suck blood from..
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They say people getting scabies the first time may not know they have them for 2 weeks, but people who allready had them before will know within 4 days. It is because they change your immune system. The Bactrim can kill good bacteria in your gut so eat probiotics like yogurt to help restore it.
Also I noticed days I ate less it seemed the Bactrim was stronger in my system. it makes you not want to eat, so if you feel like there is too much of it in your system eat something and drink plenty of water while your taking it. If you feel like you are regressing and the infection is gaining ground take the bactrim sooner and you will feel it kick in.
I was taking it every 12 hrs, one day it felt it was not working around hr 9 or 10 so I took one and felt the difference. Be in touch with how you feel, you can tell if there is too much or too little in your system.
Sorry this is mixing scabies with other blood eating mites, but basically the treatments here kill them all. It is just knowing if it is scabies, or other blood sucking mites that determine what you have to do to kill them, but Benzyl Benzoate 25% cream, Bactrim DS as prescribed and salt kills all of them when done right. Then all you have to do is make sure they are dead anywhere else so they do not re infect you.
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I have been watching some YouTube videos and doing some basic research on how to do it. It seems easy enough. I know nothing about resins, resin tint, and the characteristics of fiberglass/resin when doing something like this. I’ve been surfing my whole life and always hired people to work on my surfboards rather than doing it myself.
Most of what I need advice on is the early stages of the fin making process. Like resin type, proper way to tint/dye the resin, resin:catalyst mix ratios, and cure time.
Climate wise I am in Hawaii so we are usually sitting in the 80F temp. range. Usually hot and sunny all day etc.
So, the videos I’ve been watching say to use laminating resin but I’ve read in other places that laminating resin won’t cure enough to sand. So what should I use?
I am layering about 40 sheets of 6oz glass while coating each layer with a thin coat of dyed resin in an attempt to eliminate air bubbles.
I am relatively well versed with tools and all that. I have the sanders, saws, dremels, brushes, etc. I just have never worked with fiberglass and resins. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you guys!

My daughter dyed part of her hair blue a couple months ago. Now there is some light blue staining on the fiberglass tub. So far Bar Keeper's Friend isn't removing it. Any other ideas?

THE RASCAL
More than iron pickaxes please. If they had a way to drop diamond or netherite that would be cooler. Or could they have different types of Rascals that drop different items that are rarer items. A netherite rascal (red). A diamond rascal (Bright blue) . Iron (Normal/Cyan)
Orrrrrr..... Add a new type of ore that only the rascal can drop. Cascal, Brellcia, Heliame, Opal, Fiberglass for some ideas of names. A new ore that the rascal had been mining for centuries and has now awarded you for playing a simple game.
Or a music disk it plays with a boombox in its bag while it works. For more hardcore players... Make it tag instead. The rascal can run, giving blindness for a second and tapping it with an empty hand allows you to get the ideas above. This would be good for people to practise manhunts etc. Many have suggested trying to recreate the copper golem in some way and its functions but this may not be possible.
What do you get if you kill one? Is it a bundle? Something MOJANG promised to add then decided not to. Or why would someone play tag if they could just steal the pickaxe by killing it? It could be somewhat like a villager that drops nothing but then the only way to gain anything is to play hide and seek or tag. What sound will it make? Will it make music like I described previously? Maybe that is how you find it? Or will it be like a villager or a whole new mob entirely?
These things would be great however I doubt them being added.
THE TUFF GOLEM
Nothing much to say about the tuff golem... It grabs things. Can you take it back? It is the new allay that can't fly. It's almost useless. At least the allay follows you. If the Tuff Golems followed and dropped items that would be cool. I heard something about them putting things into frames...
What if there was Minecraft Fan Art that people created so that the Tuff Golem became an artist. When a Tuff Golem puts something in an item frame, a paintbrush appears that then allows the Tuff Golem to create some art piece on the wall about that object. In creative mode, if a spawn egg is given to a Tuff Golem to then put a picture of that mob on the wall.
Will we be able to befriend them like the allay? Or do we need to keep them captive in our houses? Are they animals with leads like the iron golem?
THE SNIFFER
My personal favourite. How many new plants will we see with this update? I am honestly going to say there is nothing I would change in The Sniffer. Only that please may we ride them. Tame them with ancient plants and then give them the trust that we can get on their backs. Can they swim? They are born in enclosed chests underwater and we must collect them from the depths after all so I assume no. It would be cool to ride them on land and under water as some sort of rideable turtle. Speaking of turtles... Is The Sniffer slow? I mean hopefully not if we all plan on riding it but it would be nice if it were faster than a boat on water so there is more of a reason to find an egg. The chest with the egg could hold something more too.
PLANTS (SNIFFER)
There are many plants everyone wants, especially more underwater. The corals and kelp are semi-boring. A nicer ocean would be nice. More colour. The above ground flowers really don’t have a purpose anymore. Yes, dyes, next. The only reason to collect dye is to colour the collar of your dog. As I mentioned earlier, the Sniffer could swim. But can it swim down? Introducing the Bubble seed (Name in progress). Found only in chests, this small, unfamiliar seed creates a bubble around you after growing it mature and making bubble soup. Feeding soup to Sniffer will create a bubble on its back to ride.
I put serious dedication into this piece of writing and am very happy to give you these ideas even if you never use them. Please like this and share so MOJANG can see this.
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(These are all my original ideas (DiAmethystYT or Diamond_Games))

I had to MC the event and do all the Q&A for the car so I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked. I have posted all of them to an album here: https://imgur.com/a/SqoSTMM. My big Hasselblad camera was acting up, so these are just shot with an old Canon 5D Mark II. These are all unedited and straight from the camera except for the first one I pushed the exposure down just a half stop or so. Other than that, what you see is what you get as I wanted accurate pictures of this car. I'm sure you'll see a ton of edits from our event by searching GT90 on IG… we had probably 50 people there with cameras. I think you will be seeing a lot of this car in the coming days/weeks. Also, apologies. This is long but I’m trying to brain dump everything so if it sounds rambly or is full of typos, I can fix that later.
Some of you may have seen my previous post where I was some what apprehensive about meeting my hero car. If you haven't seen that thread, it's here.
So the car... the car was incredible. I got a little lump in my throat when the door opened on the enclosed trailer, which was immediately followed up by, "hey, Leif, grab the back and slow it down coming off the ramp." Holy shit, I'm touching it. The car is stunning. It's not pristine, I want to get that out of the way, but for what it is, it's perfect.
Let's start off with what is wrong: -There's a pretty big chip on the driver's door in the fiberglass leading to the front fender -There are a few chips on the front bumper (I call them chips, they are not paint chips, it's like damaged fiberglass... easily fixed if someone wanted to). -The interior floor did not hold up well from a color standpoint. It looked dirty, but a lot of it was just dye that had faded. -The front headlights had cobwebs in them and a little deceased spider we named Erica. There's no way to free Erica. -The exhaust was misaligned just a smidge... I'm a sucker for symmetry and honestly, this could have been this way from Day 1. -The car runs and starts but it is not a pretty process. A prayer was said to the car gods. It does take it a few attempts as it's using a V8 starter on a V12 so there are a lot of extra internals to move. The turbos leak oil and the whole car really takes about 20 minutes, according to the owner in order to "really run right." We did start the car and after 3 attempts at turning over, it did fire up and sounded really wild. Would put it up there with a cross between a V10 Lambo and a JDM turbo car. The engine probably needs to be torn down and gone over to really get running perfectly but it is completely drivable in its original, current state. -The driver's side class roof sits about a 1/8" higher than it should but it has been recently replaced (story will be posted below).
A few things I noticed: -The rear tires are insane. I have 335's on my car and these dwarfed them. The backs were 355/30/18 and the fronts were 275/35/18. The car does have a second set of tires given to the owner by Ford but the car has only seen 20-25 miles of driving since the owner took possession of it 8 years ago. -The back tail lights are just lenses. You can see the red cast through the light to the rear tires in one of the pictures. -The front emblem floats with the use of a black metal bar that extends into the car. I have a picture of it in the album but I know a few people had asked about it in the previous thread. -The paint is in REALLY good shape except for a few fiberglass chips/flaws here and there. Great paint, couple of rough areas of fiberglass. -The car has some panel gaps in the glass that I think would be nuts on the road. It's definitely not leakproof and there are a few areas (door to the windshield) that you could probably slide a few credit cards through. The light above the rear engine glass has a spot on either side you might have been able to fit a hot wheels car through to the interior. This is pretty common in concept cars I've been told. -The car's electrical system is engaged with the opening of a fuel door on the driver's side. Once the car’s electrical system is powered on, you can push the yellow triangle on the door to open it. The door is light and swings quite easily open. -The battery and ECU are located behind the front driver's seat. The ECU had a port on it for a dongle connection... it looked like an large USB type port, maybe 2" in width, maybe 24 pins total. The ECU had "KAK 1995 Ford GT90 DA" written in pink marker on it. -The car runs on 110 Octane and has a 20 gallon tank.
A few stories:
I MC’d the event and did some Q&A with the Hajek family. I got to spend a few hours with them and asked a ton of questions.
The car is stored in a museum by the Hajek family for the last 8 years. They've had a relationship with Ford for decades and hold several speed records at Bonneville. The car was sold to them after years of inquiries as Mr Hajek had actually been shown the car from Ford execs in what he literally described as a Pole Barn. The condition of the sale is that it must be sent anywhere Ford specifies. If it needs to go to Goodwood, it’s going to Goodwood.
Speaking of Goodwood, the car was sent there last year for display and the people that took care of shipping it couldn’t figure out how to get into the car and broke the driver’s side window trying to gain entry. The glass molds had to be fabricated by the original glass shop in Michigan to the tune of 12,000 a piece. He bought several.
One of the fuel pumps went out and Ford stated it’s a common part. They literally went to Napa Auto Parts and bought a fuel pump for a Crown Vic that was an exact match. I guess when making a concept car you grab what you have and what you know.
Right before COVID, the car was to be driven by Matt Damon on an episode of Jay Leno’s garage. The episode was cancelled when the pandemic hit.
I might have some answers to any of your questions so I’ll try to reply below.
You can probably see more of the car as we get more pictures through our [https://www.instagram.com/carsandcoverica/?hl=en](Instagram). Give us a follow if this is the kind of stuff you like… we are just car guys that turned talking about cars at the water cooler at our office into a charity event.

Note: Something different from this sub's usual fare, this was originally posted in UnresolvedMysteries by a now deleted user, and true to form is still inconclusive (honestly, I'm not sure we'll ever get a completely satisfying solution). I'll lay out the original mystery as posted, plus later posts with potential answers. This is a long one, but as far as I can tell hasn't been posted here before!

Which mystery industry is the largest buyer of glitter? - 4 years ago

It appears that there's a lot of glitter being purchased by someone who would prefer to keep the public in the dark about glitter's presence in their products. From today's NYT all about glitter:
When I asked Ms. Dyer if she could tell me which industry served as Glitterex’s biggest market, her answer was instant: “No, I absolutely know that I can’t.”
I was taken aback. “But you know what it is?”
“Oh, God, yes,” she said, and laughed. “And you would never guess it. Let’s just leave it at that.” I asked if she could tell me why she couldn’t tell me. “Because they don’t want anyone to know that it’s glitter.”
“If I looked at it, I wouldn’t know it was glitter?”
“No, not really.”
“Would I be able to see the glitter?”
“Oh, you’d be able to see something. But it’s — yeah, I can’t.”
I asked if she would tell me off the record. She would not. I asked if she would tell me off the record after this piece was published. She would not. I told her I couldn’t die without knowing. She guided me to the automotive grade pigments.
Glitter is a lot of places where it's obvious. Nail polish, stripper's clubs, football helmets, etc. Where might it be that is less obvious and can afford to buy a ton of it? Guesses I heard since reading the article are

• toothpaste
• money

Guesses I've brainstormed on my own with nothing to go on:

• the military (Deep pockets, buys lots of vehicles and paint and lights and god knows what)
• construction materials (concrete sidewalks often glitter)
• the funeral industry (not sure what, but that industry is full of cheap tricks they want to keep secret and I wouldn't put glitter past them)
• cheap jewelry (would explain the cheapness)

What do you think?
A few of the top comments
From raydoctor

Microtaggants.
Multilayered 'microglitter' added to all commercial explosives.
Simple to batch trace, on site, AFTER the detonation, using only a microscope.
Use dynamite for illegal purposes, and leave evidence as clear as a fingerprint.
Law enforcement probably doesn't want this fact circulating.

Taggants
From Mark48torpedo

I'm pretty sure it's actually stealth coatings (i.e. paint) for stealth fighters like the F-22 and F-35, which are now being produced in relatively large quantities for the US military. Here's the reasoning:
Radar absorbent materials, such as those used on stealth aircraft, typically consist of a mixture of finely ground metals (i.e. glitter!) and polymer. To absorb radio waves without reflecting it, you need something that is fairly conductive and will interact strongly with radio waves (i.e. metals), but it can't be TOO conductive (e.g. solid metal plates) because they'll simply reflect the radio waves without absorbing it. Finely ground metals mixed with polymer are exactly what you want.
Stealth fighters, namely the F-35, are currently being produced in fairly large quantities in the USA, and require large quantities of radar absorbent coatings. These coatings will be quite thick and contain a large fraction of metal, which will consume huge amounts of glitter compared to most applications, which use only a tiny amount of glitter. For example, in the article they state that "The minimum order size Glitterex will accept is ten pounds, enough to supply sparkle to half a million bottles of nail polish by Mr. Shetty’s estimation."
Finally... after the reporter asked the question, the woman guided the reporter along to the automotive grade pigments. Unlike most types of glitter, automotive grade pigments are simply small flakes of metal such as aluminum, and do not contain any plastic. This is EXACTLY what the type of material they would want to use in radar absorbent coatings.

From yazzledore

Here's an article that all but confirms it's Crest toothpaste: https://www.dentalbuzz.com/2014/03/04/crest-imbeds-plastic-in-our-gums/
The article says people got mad about the specific plastic they were using around the time this was published (2014) and they were looking for a suitable alternative. Wonder when those huge glitter orders started coming in?
The math seems to add up too, though can only get rough estimates. I took the number of units sold of Colgate (80.7 mil) and the ratio of their sales to Crest in 2018 (256/177) as well as the amount of toothpaste per tube (170 g) to estimate that crest makes 4.4*107 lbs of toothpaste per year. Assuming .01% of toothpaste is glitter (look at it, this seems like a low estimate) they're buying ~4.4 thousand lbs of glitter per year. Didn't see a number in the article for the volume of biggest sales, but since their minimum is 10lbs this seems reasonable for the highest amount perhaps, given that I think the estimate of how much of toothpaste is glitter was low (could go up to .1%, and then they're buying over 40,000 lbs). I do believe that was just US sales too, so still could be much higher (couldn't find numbers for international sales).

THEORIES FROM OTHER POSTS

I think I figured out the mystery glitter industry, guys. by u/Throwaway99999999923 3 years ago
This is a theory relating to this post.
I think it’s the cookware industry. Specifically, non-stick pan coatings.
Look closely and and you’ll see all the pan coatings sparkle. White ceramic pans, black pans, gray pans... they all have little sparklies mixed in.
It makes the coatings look like metal and/or diamonds/sapphires/rock and other hard substances.
Edit: was shopping for a new pan and one brand hinted that theirs was made with diamonds. I thought to myself “there’s no way all those shiny flecks on this $20 pan are diamonds!” Then I remembered this post and looked closely at all the pans in the aisle.
Edit2: took some pics. The white-coating sparkles aren’t showing up well for my camera but the black ones can be seen pretty decently.
black non-stick pan (pardon the scratches!)
white ceramic non-stick
(RESOLVED) Who buys glitter? By a deleted account 3 years ago
It's boat paint. Thanks to the public radio podcast Endless Thread for getting interested and sicking an entire production team on the question. What they found isn't exactly a smoking glitter gun, but it's a well-informed surmise backed up with evidence that Glitterex wouldn't deny when given the chance.
While I'm slightly disappointed it's not McNuggets or super secret Space Force tech, I'm still thrilled to know the answer, however mundane. I hope there are other business mysteries out there that this sub can take a look it. It's good for the public to have a better understanding of how industries operate, and it gives us all a break from grisly murders.
Thanks to everyone who commented and helped make the thread popular. It was great fun.
https://www.wbur.org/endlessthread/2019/11/08/the-great-glitter-mystery
The industry that buys the most glitter (theory)By whoopingwillow 3 years ago
About a month ago an article was posted from the New York Times talking about glitter. In the article the companies are very secretive about who they sell to, and there is an odd exchange about the largest buyer of glitter.

( I've cut the exchange from the article above for brevitiy)

I think it is the food & beverage industry. In the NYT article the CEO, Mr. Shetty says "Confidentiality is a top-down requirement from clients." Go to Glitterex's site and you won't find a single mention of food or edible glitter. End of the line I guess? Hell no. There is another major glitter company, one that is alluded to in the NYT article, one that is even more secretive than Glitterex. That company is Meadowbrook.
Go to Meadowbrook's site and look through their types of glitter and listed applications. They list 9 major applications for glitter. Cosmetic, adhesive, fashion, greeting card, floral, fiberglass, craft, printing, and aerosol. Under Color Cards they list the different types of glitter. Polyester, Cosmetic, Biodegradable, Crystalina, Alpha, Micronic Jewels, Polyester Pearls, Electric Jewels, and Plastic. Odd that they sell biodegradable glitter but they don't list food or drink as an application...
Now go to the page for biodegradable glitter. Interestingly, this is the only Color Card page of the 9 that specifically lists the names and phone numbers for sales inquiries. It even has East and West coast representatives listed. So if you were a food & beverage company you wouldn't have to fill in the order card on the site, you could call or email the sales managers which strikes me as a more discrete option.
Another point, Revlon Inc is cited as one of the corporations Glitterex sells to when the CEO mentions their clients include some of the largest multinational corporations in the world. Revlon is number 795 on the Fortune 500. They don't even rank in the actual 500 of the Fortune 500! However there are 4 beverage companies, 5 food consumer product companies, 7 food production companies, and 20 food & drug store companies on the Fortune 500.
One final point is their location. Businesses like being close to the businesses that buy their products. It makes much more financial sense to buy your products from a company that is located nearby since it reduces shipping costs. New Jersey lists 7 Key Industries on their website, one of those is the Food industry. Pinnacle Foods, Unilever, Nestle, and 128 firms that specialize in flavor, fragrance, and ingredient manufacturing all have major operations in New Jersey. To quote NJ's site "10 of the top 10 flavor and fragrance companies worldwide have a presence in New Jersey. The concentration of jobs and wages in the flavor and fragrance industry in New Jersey is 3 times the national average."
So to summarize:

1. We know the buying industry doesn't want any public connection to glitter
2. Glitterex & Meadowbrook, the two largest producers of glitter, don't list Food & Beverage as an application of glitter on their site, despite that being a publicly known application. (FDA Article mentioning use of edible and non-edible glitters)
3. Biodegradable glitter is the only type of glitter that offers the buyer a direct contact, implying either a need for discretion or that biodegradable glitter sales are such high volume that they warrant a human touch.
4. The two top producers of glitter are located in New Jersey, which is a hub for food production and specifically for flavor, fragrance, and ingredient manufacturing.

tldr; your food looks shiny because it has shiny glitter on it. I wonder how many times I've eaten glitter and assumed it was a spice?
EDIT: I totally agree with the people posting that cosmetics, toothpaste, and car paints have glitter shame. I just think it's the food connection that they really want to hide. I don't think the companies would be so secretive about glitter in cosmetics and car paints since they're supposed to be shiny and glittery. (Shout out to u/buttrito for pointing out there are $1200 lotions that claim to contain "diamond nanoparticles." I am sure that consumers would lose their minds if they found out their diamond nanoparticles are glitter. (Assuming you haven't already lost your mind while buying lotion for $1200...)
Edit2: Whoa, this blew up way more than I ever expected! Thanks everyone! I love reading the discussions that are popping up in the thread. I do want to clarify a point, I don't think food companies are covertly making entire cakes out of graffiti. I don't think a major producer would break the laws and FDA regulations that flagrantly. I imagine they use the glitter for legal reasons, like to draw out the color of certain foods, or to enhance the sparkle of a drink. Possibly as a medium to apply flavors or fragrances as well. Glitter is disturbingly hard to remove after all! I think it's the fear of bad PR that causes the secrecy. Some people have pointed out biodegradable != edible, and that's a damn good point. Another good point is that it'd show up in ingredient lists, the best defense to that I can think of would be that it falls under "artificial flavors" if it's being used in association with flavor application, but that's stretching to say the least.
Why I disagree with the current theories surrounding the glitter mystery, and an alternative perspective. By partylikeits420 2 years ago
Long post warning.
Firstly, you have to listen to the (admittedly vague) clues given by Glitterex.

You wouldn't know it's glitter if you looked at it.
They don't want anyone to know that it's glitter.
The colour sold the most, by far, is silver.
“Would I be able to see the glitter?” “Oh, you’d be able to see something. But it’s — yeah, I can’t.”

Ok so secondly, the current theories.
Boat paint. It's evident from a mile away that it contains glitter. I had one of my first cars sprayed with a similar paint. It was literally called glitter flake paint, it's no secret that it contained glitter, and this was over a decade ago.
Toothpaste/cosmetics/food. Again it's obvious that the products are glittery. Also, in the UK at least, the manufacturers would be compelled to disclose the ingredients (especially in food) so it wouldn't be a mystery for long.
Explosive taggants, which seems to be the favourite. Explosive taggants have to use something so who would hiding the fact that this something is glitter benefit? Even in a ridiculous hypothetical situation where someone would want to remove the taggant to protect themselves, it's not as if glitter is any different to shredded baking foil. Any idea to this theory can be applied to baking foil, therefore the secrecy argument doesn't hold water. There's no need to protect one method at all costs when another method is equally effective.
Something else I don't buy is that Glitterex are maintaining secrecy so their competitors don't realise, allowing them to capitalise on, effectively, a monopolistic economy.
While their competitors may not know, their buyer certainly does. Businesses exist to profit. Competition decreases costs of supply, therefore increasing profit for the mystery buyer. If this was the case then the buyer would go to Glitterex's competitors themselves for supply quotations, ergo, mystery solved.
What I think..
I want to offer an alternative perspective.
To paraphrase a comment I've made before on this sub:
I'm not sure why but I always remember a story told to me by my grandfather when I was younger. I could bring it back up in conversation for more details if required.
He was the financial director of a major steel manufacturer. They had a varied product portfolio but their specialist product was chicken wire of all thicknesses. Basically what is used to make shopping trollies/fencing/concrete reinforcing etc.
Naturally the orders placed by these industries were huge, but none were their largest buyer. The largest buyer used the steel in such a way that you would never know it was chicken wire.
The shoe manufacturing industry. The wire was cut into slices which were then shaped into eyelets for laces.
Aside from the secrecy aspect, a lot of parallels seem apparent to me. You wouldn't know the product, it doesn't look like you'd imagine it to.
Because of this it made me think about the manufacturing process of glitter. I would assume it being made in large sheets before being shredded. My guess is that this mystery buyer is buying the glitter before the shredding process. Huge quantities, wouldn't know if we saw it, we'd see something but it wouldn't appear glittery (I'd guess sheets of glitter reflect light differently to shredded glitter), silver being the primary selling colour.
MY theory is that it's being sold in sheets and used for its reflective properties(especially because silver is the largest seller). Possibly used in telescopes, cameras etc.
The only real theory I have in regard to the secrecy aspect is that it's insisted upon by the buyer. Glitterex, or any sensible business for that matter, would do anything to appease their most profitable customer. I believe that the buyer demands secrecy because the use of glitter (sheets) would appear extremely low tech in an extremely high tech industry, so are happy to pay a slight premium for supply.
Think of it like this...

"hey everyone, this is our brand new, technologically ground-breaking camera. Its light refraction creates the clearest images on the market today"
"that's amazing how did you do that???"
"actually mate it's just glitter"
"Hmmmmm"

Hope I've offered a different perspective and even if I'm wildly wrong it would be interesting to hear peoples thoughts.
Edit to include a link
www.nytimes.com/2018/12/21/style/glitter-factory.amp.html
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18742142
Edit to hopefully debunk a couple more common theories.
Road marking paint. The reflective qualities seen in this product actually come from glass particles, similar to the silver stripes on hi vis construction clothing.
Concrete. I work in the construction industry and can comprehensively tell you it won't be this. If I order a wagon full of ready mix concrete or the lads mix a small batch by hand the final product looks exactly the same. The ingredients are cement, grit sand/mixed ballast and water. If the glitter was added to one of the ingredients you'd see it before mixing, but you don't. Also, the reason rougher grade sand is used for concrete is because it allows the mix to "grip" together more effectively. Smooth plastic particles would only weaken the final product.
The Glitter Mystery Again By aimless_renegade 10 months ago
(This post keeps getting rejected, so I'm on an older account now. Third time's a charm, hopefully?)
First of all, I don't want to say that I've "solved" it. The Endless Thread podcast claimed they did as well, but I don't buy their explanation for a second. I don't have confirmation that this is the answer, but I have found an awful lot of compelling evidence for this being the answer. Not only that, but this is the answer that best fits all the major clues given in the original article.
(I've cut out a summary of the original article for brevity)
So, we've got some major hints here that narrow things down quite a bit. They are:

1. It isn't something you'd necessarily think was glitter, or had glitter in it.
2. It's something people might be upset to learn contained glitter.

These are really important clues, because they sort of narrow down all the major guesses. Automotive or boat paints? They obviously have glitter in them, and no one would care if they did. Cosmetics and beauty? I'm a 35-year-old woman and I know that the makeup community already knows and doesn't care about this - they'd rather see synthetic glitter anyway, considering the issues around mining mica. Aerospace? They might use it, but not in quantities that would even come CLOSE to matching the volume of consumer products sold every day. Same for the military. Plus, I'm an Army veteran and while I certainly haven't seen everything that's going on in the Department of Defense, but if we used the most glitter in the US I certainly would have seen some. I never even saw it as something available to order.
The only thing that truly fits here is something you'd commonly use or buy, and most likely something you put in or on your body. On your body is pretty much out, because we know Glitterex supplies cosmetic pigments. It's mentioned in the original article that they sell to Revlon, and I also found a Facebook post from the local radio station whose "fun fact" for the day was that Glitterex sells to cosmetic companies. I can't post this here due to the rule against Facebook links, but a search for "Cranford Radio Glitterex" will pull it up if you want to see for yourself. Cosmetics are pretty much ruled out as far as I'm concerned.
However, I think cosmetics are DEFINITELY related to the real "biggest client". And, as we unravel the mystery, it will be very important that Glitterex is open about their production of cosmetic pigments, so keep that in mind.
That leaves us with something you put into your body. I began to investigate the wide world of food, cosmetic, and drug dyes.
Food, Cosmetic, and Drug Dyes
There are actually a few different types of food dyes. In fact, not all of them can really be called "dye". In the world of FD&C coloring, the term "dye" only refers to a water-soluble chemical that transfers color. On the other hand, a "lake" is a colorant that is made of a suspension of pigment, usually in some type of oil. Lakes are very interesting substances, as they're made of dyes that are attached to some kind of substrate, often aluminum oxide.
Remember the article's difficult-to-understand explanation of how Glitterex makes their glitter? Here it is:
“This polyester film” he began, picking up a strip of clear material, about five inches wide, “people might know as mylar. It’s the same polymer as used in a water bottle, so F.D.A.-approved. If you cut this you’d get a clear glitter.” The bulk of Glitterex glitter is made from plastic, though some varieties come from other sources, like aluminum. Clear glitter looks like tiny pieces of a dead jellyfish. “Then,” he said, “we go into the next iteration of a substrate, where the clear film is metalized.” He picked up a shining silver strip of material. “Potato chips bags start with the same polyester film; it’s metalized with aluminum.” Metalization, he explained, is the process by which aluminum is deposited on both sides of the film. This made sense in theory, but how could aluminum go from being not on the film to being on the film without at least some Scotch tape? “They evaporate aluminum and deposit it on it,” said Mr. Shetty. This made sense in theory, but how could aluminum be evaporated? “It’s a very, very thin layer. They put it in a vacuum chamber, then evaporate the aluminum,” said Mr. Shetty. “With heat,” his son added. “What are they evaporating out of it?” I asked. “Aluminum,” said Mr. Shetty.
On the FDA's website, they explain how lakes for food and drug use are made:
>Color additives are classified as straight colors, lakes, and mixtures. Straight colors are color additives that have not been mixed or chemically reacted with any other substance (for example, FD&C Blue No. 1 or Blue 1). Lakes are formed by chemically reacting straight colors with precipitants and substrata (for example, Blue 1 Lake). Lakes for food use must be made from certified batches of straight colors. (One exception is carmine, which is a lake made from cochineal extract.) Lakes for food use are made with aluminum cation as the precipitant and aluminum hydroxide as the substratum. Mixtures are color additives formed by mixing one color additive with one or more other color additives or non-colored diluents, without a chemical reaction (for example, food inks used to mark confectionery).
Now, I know enough about chemistry to understand that they're talking about different types of aluminum here. But there are enough things in common with the ingredients and the process to assume that Glitterex absolutely has at least the capability to manufacture FD&C colorants, particularly lakes.
But who are they making them for, and why is it such a secret?
Synthetic Food Colorants
My next step was finding out what major consumer products contain these dyes. At first, this seemed insanely overwhelming. After all, nearly every item on the grocery store shelves contains some type of dye.
I began investigating major coloring and flavor companies for more information. I am a disabled vet, but prior to becoming disabled I was studying for my masters degree in forensic accounting, so I got pretty good at hunting down weird documents on the internet. Most of what I found indicated that food manufacturers are really moving away from synthetic dyes, like the kind that Glitterex would be producing. Glitterex received a PPP loan during the Coronavirus pandemic and was classified as a synthetic dye and pigment manufacturer. Demand for synthetic pigments in food is very low, with companies overwhelmingly switching to "natural colors".
Furthermore, despite how ubiquitous dyes like Red 40 Lake are, they don't fit both of the important clues given. You wouldn't want to know that Red 40 Lake contains glitter, so that fits. But you can't look at a consumer product that contains it and see "something". It could be a specialty pigment, but what specialty food dye would order such quantities as to be the company's largest client? With cosmetics ruled out and food looking increasingly unlikely, I needed more clues, so I began poking around some industry websites.
Clues About The Company
With this information about FD&C dyes in mind, I began to look for financial information on Glitterex. They aren't a public company, but there are websites that aggregate information on nonpublic companies for research purposes. Not all of the data is 100% reliable, but it can give you a nice overview as to what the company is all about and what they do.
And this is where I found some extremely interesting information.
One website aggregated a very fascinating list of Glitterex's competitors, which they prefaced with the quote: A competitive analysis shows these companies are in the same general field as Glitterex, even though they may not compete head-to-head.
What are these companies in the "same general field" as Glitterex? You've probably heard of a lot of them. They include Cardium Therapeutics, Dupont, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Dow Chemical, Proctor and Gamble, Abbott Laboratories, and Bayer.
There's also a list of "local competitors" - companies that are also headquartered in New Jersey who are apparently in the "same general field" as Glitterex. These companies are Merck, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Zoetis (phamaceutical company), Evonik (a paint company), and Formosa Plastics.
That's an awful lot of major pharmaceutical companies.
In fact, Glitterex is listed as biotech company on several industry-specific sites if you look around a bit. They don't advertise it, but they definitely seem to have some major ties to the pharmaceutical world.
The next clue was found in a 2017 report about polyurethane safety in cosmetic products. On pages 10 and 11, we have this exchange:
DR. EISENMANN: I don't know if you caught the other one, that poly -- the ingredient with the most uses, Polyeurethane-11, it's only used as coating on glitter. DR. HILL: Right. DR. EISENMANN: That's it. I've got that confirmed by the supplier of the ingredient and the manufacturers of the glitter. DR. MARKS: That has the most uses? DR. EISENMANN: Yes. DR. MARKS: Polyurethane 11? DR. EISENMANN: Yes. And that it's only used -- DR. MARKS: How many? DR. HILL: As a costing [coating?] on -- DR. EISENMANN: -- as a coating on glitter. DR. HILL: -- glitter that's there in -- DR. MARKS: How many uses? I didn't have that? I didn't -- if it has the most uses, it must have more than 30 because so for I have a Polyurethane 14 with 33 uses. DR. EISENMANN: I mean, it's all different uses of glitter, but, yes.
And, in the endnotes of the report, it's confirmed that the manufacturer of this polyurethane-11 is, in fact, Glitterex. They also call it WSR coating. This was the key to figuring out what exactly was going on here.
Remember how important it is that Glitterex manufactures this cosmetic glitter, how they openly say that they supply lots of it? It makes sense, because they do manufacture a lot of it. It is their largest product. But it's not cosmetic companies who are their biggest client.
Cosmetic colorings and coatings are used in one other, major, way. Check out the bottom of this page belonging to a similar manufacturer of pigments for the two big uses of these colorants.
Polyurethane and Colorings in Medicine
If you Google WSR coating, you'll find a lot of paints and industrial items that use it. You'll also find plenty of information on the use of WSR coating in pharmacology. Like, a LOT. It's used to color-code medications, discourage abuse, and control the rate of the medication's release.
Most of these coatings are made and sold by Dupont and Dow Chemical - both listed as Glitterex's top competitors. Both companies say that they have the capability to produce pigmented and shimmering versions of this coating. Merck (another listed competitor) even offers a pearlized coating for tablets and capsules. If you needed a shimmer pigment for such a coating, why wouldn't you want to purchase from a company that's familiar with the materials you'll be using in the coating? If they had experience in making WSR coatings, you might just contract them to create certain capsules or coatings for your medication.
Glitterex said that this client is their biggest, which made everyone latch onto big things like space travel and boat paint. But medicine production is a far bigger industry than any of those. Millions and millions of pills of every kind are produced every day in America. It's bigger than the cosmetic and personal care industry, which uses the exact same pigments and binders - and Glitterex is open about supplying these. Maybe a little too open. In fact, I found a 2002 blurb from an industry journal, NutraCos, that openly states the company sells pigments mainly to cosmetic manufacturers. In the chemical world, it seems like that's what Glitterex is known for making.
Glitterex, again, is very open about the majority of its glitter being used for cosmetic applications - and in a way it's true. They do manufacture mainly cosmetic glitter - but it seems that many of the same pigments, coatings, and plastic binders used in cosmetics are also the ones used in medicines. It's also located in New Jersey, where a huge number of pharmaceutical companies also operate.
So what is Glitterex's biggest client?
It's the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
Can I confirm this for sure? No, I can't. I don't know for absolute sure that this is the answer, but I do know it's the one that best fits what we know. Circling back to the original mystery and the two big hints we had, this one fits.
First, they don't want you to know it's glitter. Of course this fits. Nobody wants to hear that they're ingesting something inorganic, especially these days. But if you pay attention to the timing of the original article and interview, it's even more obvious. You may remember that in 2018 the "most hated man in America" was Martin "Pharma Bro" Shrkeli. The pharmaceutical industry was facing an absolutely massive level of distrust from the American public. If any industry wouldn't want you to know they were using glitter, it'd be them.
Second, you would be able to see something, but not to tell that it's glitter. And indeed, every single tablet in my medicine cabinet is coated in a shiny film. Some of them are a lot shinier than I realized when I looked more closely. EDIT: Removed the reference to Vyvanse. See note in update.
Glitterex is definitely not the top manufacturer of pharmaceutical coatings - that's Dow and Dupont for sure. But the pharmaceutical industry is so large and so lucrative that it makes perfect sense that their largest client would be a pharmaceutical manufacturer. With the size of the pharma industry being what it is, it would follow that they probably order these coatings from a lot of different suppliers. Even if Glitterex is far from their top supplier, they could still very easily be Glitterex's top client.
I still don't know if Glitterex is making a specialty coating for a certain medication or company, or if they're simply another supplier of general pharmaceutical coatings. I also am not sure if they manufacture pharmaceutical pigments FOR coatings or if they produce the coating itself.
However, I am pretty confident that the mystery industry who doesn't want us to know they're using glitter is the pharmaceutical industry.
Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts as well!
UPDATE: Since this post is still receiving a lot of traffic, I did want to let folks know that I received some messages from people in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry confirming they do use Glitterex products. I was informed that it is also used as an abrasive to sanitize equipment used in manufacturing medicines.
Re: the Vyvanse reference: a LOT of people got REALLY hung up on me mentioning my Vyvanse was shiny. To clarify: I didn’t mean Vyvanse was sparkly, I meant it was glossy. Which it is - you can Google photos and see that yes, it is very glossy.
I did not find, or even attempt to find, specific medications that might utilize Glitterex products. I used Vyvanse merely as an example of the glossy coating that appears on most capsules of medicines. Could it perhaps, in some medications, be made with the clear glitter mentioned in the article? Maybe. It was quite literally just an example I threw out there. Since I got SO many comments from people informing me Vyvanse doesn’t have glitter in it so my entire theory is wrong, I have removed that reference. It seemed like it was just confusing people.
Lastly, to the commenter who claimed this example was “adding to the stigma of ADHD meds”: that was a very unfair comment.
​
**Remember, I'm not any of the original posters.** Which theory do you think is most plausible?

[The Combat Exorcist Part 8]
​
At the end of the white corridor, Bethany knocked on the door labeled "Health Office" on a brown metallic plate slightly bent inward. Jack thought he could see the imprint of a knuckle above the braille.
"Enter!" came a haughty voice. The accent gave the "r" a trill that prolonged the order for at least two full seconds.
Tucking the destroyed animometer under one arm like a basketball, Bethany turned the silver doorknob and pushed the heavy fiberglass door. The faux wood was rough and cracked in many places. Jack's fingers rippled over the leftover impact points as he opened the door wider. The two walked up to the empty reception desk.
The room inside had the sharp smell of disinfectant, supplemented with the flowery fragrance of baby powder and soap, but there was a scent hidden among them that reminded Jack of gun powder. Despite the cascade of cool air flowing into the room from five vents, the room was warm. The white walls and the flimsy wooden cabinets were peeling from what Jack guessed was a good scrubbing, but it hadn't hidden the soot stains and craters.
Jack studied a crack in the ceiling when Bethany called out to the woman typing on his keyboard in the back.
"Dr. Hill, how are you? I think I smell some frustration in the air," she grinned. She tugged her standard-issue gym shirt at the warm temperature in the room, allowing the air to circulate on her skin.
The doctor was a tall woman with toasty red hair that darkened at the ends from some leftover dye job. The black tips gave the impression her hair was singed. She had light eyebrows that looked more like scorch marks than shapely arches.
The ticking muscle at Dr. Hill's nose smoothed as she looked up. "Oh, you know, I've been dealing with some parents." She rolled her tired shoulders under her gray lab coat. "They're a pair that has been harassing me to pay for their child's medical bills for third-degree burns."
"Did you cause it?" asked Bethany leaning over the counter and taking a lemon drop in the jar.
"No! Of course not," answered Dr. Hill indignantly, wheeling her stool back. She tugged her lab coat over her shoulders. Her wild auburn hair was tamed into a ponytail.
One of Bethany's thick brows tugged upward in doubt.
Seeing the skepticism, Dr. Hill sighed, "Not really. The idiot student was hiding in here with the lights off and thought it would be a wonderful idea to scare me. Unfortunately, he was standing next to a stock of rubbing alcohol."
"Is that why there's a new dent in your wall? I thought the one next to the clock was new. Actually, was the clock replaced?" Bethany nodded to the biggest crater in the room. To the side of it was a digital clock instead of an analog clock that was peppered throughout the rest of campus.
"That's the one." Dr. Hill rubbed her temples and approached the front desk. Her identification badge jangled as she walked. "But enough of this. What's the reason for your visit today?"
Bethany patted Jack on the back. "I'm here for this guy. He just learned his mana type today... Well, miasma type, actually. And we need some sigils."
While the doctor studied Jack, Bethany reached into the jar of wooden tongue depressors and used it to scratch the skin between her box braids.
Dr. Hill's head popped up to look at Bethany again. "What type?"
"Obelic." Bethany set the hollow ball that used to be an animometer on the counter. The soot-stained neoplastic held a resemblance to a balloon. It teetered unstably on the wood veneer.
Dr. Hill took the neoplastic ball and whistled. She turned the container in her hand, studying the aftermath of Jack's miasma from various angles. "Corrosive? That's tough. He's going to need at least a pack of a hundred." Turning to him, she asked, "When are you planning on getting a tattoo?"
"I actually can't. There's not enough known about miasma, so there are no safe skin sigils that could be inked onto me yet," said Jack, shrugging his hair out of his eyes to see the doctor. There was no use hiding his eyes if she was informed about his miasma use.
"And you're not possessed?" She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes in observation. One of her red curls fell over her forehead.
"No, this is my own body. Blackwood knows my situation," he said simply. He forced his muscles to relax so the doctor wouldn't mistake his irritation for guilt.
Dr. Hill glanced at Bethany to confirm Jack's claim before saying, "I'll take your word for it."
She switched her focus back to Jack and said, "I think the priority here is to ask the demonology professor to hurry up with their miasma research because this will be expensive. We can provide a max of twenty-five sigils per student per month, but that's not going to address your health issue. Because it absolutely is an issue. Your raw miasma will disintegrate your bones and eat away at your muscles." Dr. Hill put out a hand for Jack to shake.
"Don't use any miasma right now," she said as she closed her eyes.
Starting with his arm, Jack's body flushed with warmth as Dr. Hill's mana sank into his skin and into the muscles. Jack's brows twitched as he worked to keep himself from pushing the foreign mana out. It prodded his bones, giving the sensation that the marrow was boiling.
"There's some scarring on your bones, but as far as I can tell, no early indications of osteoporosis. You're lucky. There aren't any deteriorating muscles either. Your tendons appear normal for your age, which is surprising. Typically, untreated obelic mana usage at your age would cause enough damage for you to be bed-ridden for life." Her brows knitted together, erasing the already vague arch and becoming more like a blot above her eyes. Dr. Hill pinched her lips and was lost in thought before asking, "How do you use your miasma?"
"What do you mean?" asked Jack, frowning. He pushed off of the counter, prepared for any demonstration required.
Beside him, Bethany spoke up. "I think it was fortunate that he didn't know how to properly boost. From what I can tell, he's been wrapping his miasma around him outside of his skin and very little around his muscles."
Dr. Hill blinked. "That's indeed fortunate. That may have saved your bones. Things like osteoporosis aren't reversible." She nodded, making her auburn coils bounce.
"That's good to hear. I've also worn miasma inhibitors intermittently since middle school," said Jack, his shoulders relaxing as the doctor pulled away from him. His eyelids fluttered over his white, opalescent eyes as he readjusted his focus. "Will I be fine if I don't use miasma when I don't have a sigil?"
The doctor bit her lip, scratching at a mole on her neck. She wiggled her smeared eyebrows as she thought. "That's difficult to tell. Humans generate mana, so cutting off mana is easy. But our bodies aren't equipped to produce miasma. My question is where your miasma supply is coming from."
Jack scratched his mousy brown head and asked, "You don't think I make my own?"
"No, it's like asking a tiger to grow functional scales. There are a few impossibilities," explained Dr. Hill, staring blankly at a poster behind Bethany with the possession scale. A diagram of a boy that looked remarkably like Jack was depicted. Next to the picture were two lists of symptoms: one for ghost possessions and another for demon possessions.
"What if there was experimentation?"
"I thought as much. What is the military doing to kids nowadays?" Dr. Hill shook her head. Jack didn't correct her that it was demons. She continued, "Have you ever had any trouble wielding miasma?"
"No."
Dr. Hill nodded, tapping a finger at her chin. She said thoughtfully, "It's still unlikely. Your human organs wouldn't be able to support such a draining task. To be frank, you'd have died long ago if that were the case. The proteins needed to support the creation of miasma is called alimin. Your cells can't convert alimin into energy. Even if you ate demon meat and your body got a dose of it, your cells wouldn't know what to do with it, and it'd be thrown away."
"Then how am I using miasma?" What if Jack couldn't use any magic? He couldn't generate mana; that was tested by Blackwood thoroughly enough in his middle school years. Without miasma, he wouldn't be able to fight. His hopes of going back to his childhood home would become impossible. The house was deep in demon-controlled territory, but he wouldn't be able to investigate his parents' death if he couldn't fight, hide, or defend himself.
"Honestly, it sounds more like you're subconsciously absorbing miasma from the air and storing it somewhere in your body. That's more likely. That's why we should get you checked with the research group. Professor Clock would be able to see whether you've got corrosive miasma just floating around in your body, waiting to be used." Reaching under the desk, Dr. Hill pulled out a box and took out a stack of sigils.
"Here's a hundred sigils for now. These will last you two months. After this, I can only give you twenty-five per month, so don't forget to get some. Use these at all times. Do you know how they work?"
"Lick and stick?"
"Exactly," smiled Dr. Hill. She lifted the neoplastic ball again. "This isn't in the normal range of magic, so I'd suggest going to Professor Clock soon."
She blinked at the face Jack made. Both corners of his lips were pulled back, and his chin threatened to receed into his neck. A hint of a smile tugged at Dr. Hill's lips, and she asked, "What? Why do you look like a constipated pomeranian?"
"Professor Clock wants to do tests on me, and I highly doubt they were the kind that keeps my health intact." Jack was also sick of tests. Blackwood conducted enough of them to last a lifetime. If there were any oracles for his life, they would be neither a heroic nor nefarious prophecy. They'd probably tell him he'd die undergoing one of his tests.
"Well, you know, it's prudent to go into any situation as prepared as when you go into combat. I'm not a huge fan of Professor Clock myself, but he doesn't bother me because he knows I'll hide his phone if he does. If he takes involuntary samples, just turn off his phone. You don't need a password for to do that. He's married to his game apps, but he's downloaded so many cheat apps that it glitched his phone. He can't turn off his phone or else all his play data gets erased, " A shadow crossed her face, casting her eyes in shadow. An evil grin stretched across her cheeks.
Bethany, who was taking a drink from her water bottle, snorted into the opening.
Dr. Hill patted Jack on the shoulder and said, "Use the knowledge wisely and only when you think you're in danger. If you decide to go down that path, beware of retaliation." She lifted a piece of paper that flared brightly and puffed into ash.
Returning the grin, Jack pocketed the banded sigil stickers and thanked the doctor. Bethany filched a nutrition patch from the box and led the way out of the room.
​
[The Combat Exorcist Part 10]

Bought a house a year ago and discovered the pool has a leak. The water level is below the skimmer and I haven’t turned the pump on since Saturday. It’s a fiberglass pool with no visible cracks.
I’m waiting for my dye to be delivered but how screwed I’m I now that I know it’s not the skimmer?

1. What does the magnetic particle inspection process consist of?

Magnetizing a part, apply ferromagnetic particles to surface area to be inspected. Any discontinuity will cause particles to form a recognizable pattern on the surface.

1. What NDT ( Non-Destructive Testing) method(s) could be used for detecting surface cracks in aluminum fittings?

Eddy current, Dye Penetrant, Radiography, Ultrasonic, Visual

1. What occurs during the preparation stages when penetrant inspection liquid is applied to then removed from a cracked part?

Penetrating liquid enters crack and remains there to make it visible once developer is applied.

1. What is the procedure for performing penetrant inspection?

Clean surface, apply penetrant, remove it with emulsifier or cleaner, dry the part, apply developer, inspect & interpret results.

1. How may an AN standard steel bolt be identified?

Code markings on the bolt head**

1. What do the markings on the heads of solid shank rivets indicate?

Material of which they are made and their strength.

1. How can the recommended torque for bolts or nuts be determined, if torque values are NOT called out in the maintenance procedures?

AC 43.13-1B Standard Torque Table.
8.What does the grip length of a bolt correspond to?
Thickness of material being fastened with the bolt.

1. What can you do to prevent heat treated aluminum alloy rivets from becoming hard after the quench process?

You can store the rivets in a refrigerator at a temp below 32 Fahrenheit, They will last several days this way.

1. Where can you NOT use self-locking nuts?

At joints that subject the nut or bolt to rotation.
11.What is the difference between a gen. purpose bolt & close tolerance bolt?
Close tolerance bolts are machined more accurately than Gen. purpose.

1. What type of cable is commonly used in primary control systems?

7x19 Extra flexible stainless steel

1. How is work hardening completed?

Cold working the metal

1. What width would a welding bead have & what should be the penetrating depth of a butt weld?

Bead width should be 3 to 5 times the thickness of the base metal, and 100% penetration for the butt weld.

1. What are the undesirable characteristics of a cold weld?

Improper penetration, rough & irregular cold laps that don't feather into the base metal.

1. Penetrating requirements for fillet weld?

25-50% thickness of base metal.

1. What precision measuring instruments are used to measure outside dimensions?

Vernier Calipers & Outside Micrometers

1. Why should a micrometer be periodically re-calibrated?

If dropped its accuracy could be affected.

1. Why is alloy steel that is responsive to heat treatment usually less suitable for welding?

Tendency to become brittle and lose ductility in the area that was welded.

1. Main difference between thermoplastics and thermosetting resins?

Thermoplastics can melt, thermoresins do not soften.

1. What could you use thermoplastic & thermosetting resins for in modern aircraft?

Plexiglass for windshields, and passenger windows, and thermosetting is usually used as the matrix material in composite structures.

1. Name a material that is commonly used as the reinforcing component of structural composite laminates?

Kevlar (aramid), Fiberglass, carbon fiber, graphite

1. One substance commonly used as the matrix material in structural composite laminates?

Polyester resin or epoxy resin
24.; Give an advantage of using prepreg materials over non-prepreg when constructing or repairing composite components?
The matrix has the correct proportions of resin and hardener

1. Which NDT method can be performed without removing the surface coatings such as primer, paint, and anodized films, and is also effective in detecting surface and subsurface corrosion?

Eddy Current Inspection

1. Which steel alloy is noted for its toughness & is most commonly used for aircraft tubular structures like frame members, engine mounts, landing gear parts and other structural parts?

Chrome Molybdenum Steel

1. Which case hardening process is accomplished on steel alloys after heat treating in order to produce wear resistant surfaces on engine parts like the crankshaft?

Nitriding

1. What portable hardness tester is commonly used for testing aluminum alloys, copper, brass, or other soft materials?

Barcol Tester

1. In what class of threaded fit are aircraft bolts commonly manufactured? Class 3 medium fit
   
2. Name at least 3 properties of metal.
   

Hardness, Toughness, Ductility, Elasticity, Malleability, brittleness, fusibility, conductivity

1. What term is used to identify a group of metals that have Iron as their principal constituent? -Ferrous
   
2. In aluminum alloy 2xxxx through 8xxxx series, i.e 2024-T3, what does the first digit indicate?
   

Primary alloying element

1. Name 2 types of hardness testers used on steel & other alloys such as aluminum?

Rockwell, Brinnell, Barcol

1. What is the term used that applies to a combination of materials such as fiber, whisker, or particle surrounded and held in place by a resin forming a structure?

Composite Structure

1. What is another, commonly known name for an aramid material?

Kevlar

1. Name 4 advantages of composites.

High Strength to weight ratio, Fiber to Fiber transfer of stress allowed by chemical bonding, modulus of 3.5 to 5 times that of steel or aluminum, longer life than metals, higher corrosion resistance, tensile strength 4 to 6 times that of steel or aluminum.

1. 2 general types of self-locking nuts.

All metal, & Fiber lock

1. What are 2 basic types of washers?

Plain, Lock, special

1. What hardware is used as a threaded bushing to repair threads?

Helicoils

1. When referring to a standard torque chart, how can a 1/4-28 sized bolt be defined?

the bolt is 1/4" diameter bolt with 28 threads per inch (threadcount).
41.A solid rivet's diameter is measured in what fractional increments?
1/32nd"

1. A solid rivet's length is measured in?

1/16th"
43.The diameter of AN standard steel bolts, i.e AN3-5, is measured in what fractional increments? -1/16th"

1. The length of AN standard steel bolts i.e AN3-5, is measured in what fractional increment?

1/8th"

Why should firefighters use fire helmets? What are the features of a fire helmet? What is a fire hat? A fire helmet is a head and neck protection that firefighters use to protect their head during operations. Firefighters are exposed to many hazards during rescue and firefighting operations. For example, there is a possibility of a gas explosion during a fire, and there may even be other explosive substances in the area where the fire occurred, including dyes, thinners or gasoline, alcohol, or any other explosive or flammable liquid. To be. The explosion of any material that may be in the fire area will pose a great danger to firefighters. Therefore, using a suitable helmet to prevent head and neck injuries is one of the necessities of firefighting operations. The need to use a fire helmet One of the most sensitive parts of the body is the head, neck, face and its components. For the protection and safety of firefighters, the use of a suitable helmet was essential. The firefighter who enters the operation may be hit by various parts of the body, including the head and neck, due to the fall of a part of the fire, or objects may be thrown violently towards the face and eyes due to the explosion. Therefore, a suitable helmet must be able to protect the firefighter against fire, explosion, impact, smoke, various rays, etc. Will the firefighter’s helmet expire? If you are thinking of buying a new Firefighter helmet, it is better to think about whether they last as long as other parts. The life cycle of each part depends on various factors, including product quality and good production. Firefighters’ helmets are no exception. How long is a firefighter helmet good for? The life of a fire helmet is 10 years from the date of manufacture. They should be expelled until they reach this age, even if they are still in good condition. This requirement is part of NFPA standards. How to choose the right firefighter helmet? Here are some things to look for when purchasing a fire helmet: One of the most important features of a quality helmet is the type of cushion that covers the face. Firefighters have to protect their heads daily from the enormous pressure of operations by using quality helmets and comfortable cushions. You want a helmet that has enough cushion to protect your entire head, but it should not be too tight to restrict breathing.
Firefighters need a suitable helmet to protect their head from possible impact. Here are some examples:
The first thing to consider is whether the fire helmet is a full-size helmet or a half-size helmet. The full-size helmet is made to fit the entire head, while the half-size helmet is used only above your head. Choose the right helmet When choosing a helmet, there are several basic characteristics to consider: weight, material, style and balance. Each of these features is reviewed below. Weight of fire hat Your fire helmet should provide a level of comfort for you. Expertise in design is a key element in the light weight of a helmet. Weight alone does not vary between firefighter manufacturers. In fact, there is often only one to two ounces of weight difference. Fire helmet material Fire helmets are made of thermoplastic or fiberglass materials, which have been shown to protect against fire in extreme heat conditions. The fiberglass helmet is made of a mixture of thermostatic resins and fiberglass. Thermostatic resin is an adhesive that is needed to hold the glass fibers in the composite helmet shell. Thermostatic resins are a family of plastics that do not melt, but are chemically degraded at high temperatures. Thermostatic resins themselves have relatively little strength. The strength of a thermometer composite material is primarily glass fibers or other materials that are bonded together by a resin.
Fiberglass helmets have traditionally shown their best resistance to chemicals. Fiberglass helmets today provide good protection even in high temperature environments. However, over time and with repeated exposure to extreme temperatures, the thermal resin that holds the glass fibers together in the fiberglass helmet can be damaged each time it is exposed to fire. Exposure to high temperatures can accelerate the destruction of fiberglass helmets. Fire hat style There are many types of fire extinguishers on the market today The traditional helmet, which was first welcomed hundreds of years ago, is designed with ribs protruding from the dome, created by connecting eight triangular sections. It has a long edge on the back of the hat that makes water drip from it. This helmet allows you to protect your face, eyes and neck with front guards. Jet-style helmets have become more popular in the international arena. This style is more like a motorcycle helmet, wraps around the head without a stretched edge, and provides communication and breathing apparatus.
Balance fire hat Do you know that you can create a light feeling in your hat without really lifting weights? It’s all about balance. A well-balanced fire helmet reduces the heavy feeling that many firefighters complain about while wearing a helmet. Some manufacturers give firefighters a specific helmet so they can adjust their helmet to move higher, lower, or in the middle of their head. With a simple adjustment, the balance of the hat can be maintained on the head.
Result It is essential for firefighters to wear a proper helmet. Firefighters working in firefighting operations are exposed to many hazards such as building collapse, head and face fire, head and neck fractures, so they need a head protector to be able to protect their head and neck well. Protect. In this article, we wanted to give you information about these types of hats, we hope they are useful for you.
We will be happy if you have any information to share with us.

I had finally finished the tiller for the bamboo/Ipe bow I was working on. I finished it out and was really happy with the results. I had a minor hinge but I hit me weight and draw and was able to shoot several dozen arrows playing around. I was happy with it and I went ahead to begin sealing it with oil over night. Another coat the next morning. But when I went to string it approximately 48 hours after having shot it before, it strung very unevenly! It was at a 7.25" Brace hight and was now +7.5" but was I would guess 9-10" on one side and 4" on the other. As I went to unstring it quickly, trying not to add any more pressure than necessary to the weaker limb I heard a small pop.
I don't see any cracks but I have weakened one limb and added a section of fiberglass laminate from a takedown limb that failed to the outer 8" where it was hinging before, and seemed to have been worse.
How is it possible that a bow I shot and was fine was seeming ready to tear itself apart two days later? (no changes were made other than leather dye on the bamboo and a BLO mix over everything, even final sanding on everything except the riser was finished before shooting it the first time).

Okay, I live in an apartment and have a typical tub/shower. I have tile for the walls in the shower area, then typical cheap tub. I'm not sure what it's made of - so sorry about that!
I've been dying my hair for years without issues, but recently I decided to go all pink. In order to maintain the brightness, I decided to try Viral Extreme Hot Pink Color Wash (https://www.amazon.com/Viral-Extreme-Pink-Color-Wash/dp/B01J6IO124). The problem is that it dyes the tub (and grout for that matter) pink very fast - before I can rinse it off fast.
I looked online and people recommended Magic Eraser and Barkeepers. I've tried both and it got it off somewhat but not fully. I think my partner's dandruff shampoo/conditioner is doing more to get rid of it if I'm honest.
I'm looking for a better way to get it up fully - any tips on how to get hair dye off what is probably fiberglass?
And while I'm here... how do you get your grout to not be moldy??

I don't know who to tell or who would even believe me. I know how this all sounds, but it's true. I guess I will just start at the beginning. I was driving home from a day trip up north to see snow. You see, I live in Phoenix, a city laid in a desert valley, the snow was in the mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona, just a three hour drive away. I met some family and friends up there and they had all decided to stay the night and leave in the afternoon of the following day. I wanted to get back sooner to see this girl K.C. I was talking to. My brother Barry and our friend Tracy were trying really hard to convince me to just stay the night.
Barry, "you can sleep on the pull out in our room! We can all hang out at the hotel bar by the fire and have some drinks and roll out caravan style tomorrow."
Tracy, "yeah, you said you didn't have to work till Monday afternoon anyways, right?"
Looking back now I should have listened to them. Instead, I said a little white lie that I needed to help a girl from work move in the morning, so I need to head home and get some sleep. They halfway bought it. I think they understood there was a girl involved and let it be... with a wink and a nod... and Barry saying "Brown chicken brown cow"
So I headed down at 6. I would be back in town by 9- just in time for her shift to be over with at the grocery store where we met, and maybe back to my place for the proverbial "Netflix and chill." My brother, as usual, had seen right through me.
I was about an hour and 10 minutes into the drive when I finally made it out of the snow. The night air was cool and crisp, and to a desert rat like myself it was great. I rolled the windows in the back half way down and cracked the front. I started replaying the events of the day over in my mind. We had built a lumpy and dirty snowman, and laughed at how bad us city guys were at this and how easy it seemed on TV. I went over the fib about "moving " the girl from work and smiled and chuckled to myself about all the playful harassment that was sure to follow when they all got back home.
"How did it go?" "When do we get to meet her?" Stuff like that.
Now, I'm not going to lie here, I was excited and nervous. I mean, I really like K.C. and I think she likes me too- judging by the text messages we had been sending all day. I was driving a good 20/25 over the speed limit posted when my phone's text alert went off and I glanced at it. It was from K.C.
"I hope you're not too tired to hang out tonight, maybe we could just watch a movie at your apartment. ;)"
A giant grin stretched across my face. Then a golden blur ran right in front of my car and I stomped on the brakes a second before I felt the impact. The brake pads screamed and the tires smoked. The gold and brown flash rolled over the top of the car with the sound of metal thunder. I came to a complete stop on the highway a good 15 feet away. The smell of burnt rubber hung heavy in the air. My heart pounding in my throat, I pulled my car off to the side and pushed the orange double triangle button. The creepy clicking sound filled my ears as the red hazard lights blinked in time. I got out to look at the damage to the front of my car. I had passed a "watch for deer " sign a few miles back and had heard that they were big and heavy and sometimes killed people who hit them by crashing through the windshield and goring the driver with their antlers. So I was surprised to see just a cracked fiberglass bumper and a pretty good sized dent on the hood that I could most likely just pound back out. I walked towards the rear of the vehicle where the kicked up dust and smoke from the tires still in the air mixed with the flashing hazard lights creating a pulsating red fog.
I didn't see any deer down on the road and was kind of relived. Maybe it just rolled over my car, shook off the inconvenience of being hit and ran off into the woods. But then I heard a whimper. I jogged towards the sound very cautiously, not wanting to confront a very pissed off deer. About 20 feet or so from the car, a little off the road, I saw a small heap. I thought to myself that it must have just been a baby deer and that's why the damage wasn't so bad. I ran towards the deer and as I got closer I saw that it was not a small deer, but a golden retriever. "A dog... oh shit it has a collar on." I had hit someone's dog. Someone's pet. Somebody's family member. I squatted down beside the dog and pet his head. I said "I'm so sorry boy. " The metallic mechanical clicking sound echoed in my ears along with the red flashing lights. My heart was breaking for this poor dog. The guilt I felt and all the red flashing and the click, click, click, clicking lead to a maddening moment - it was just too much, it was overwhelming. The world was spinning and I had to just breathe and get my head right for a second. I snapped back to the moment and pulled out my cell phone to... I don't really know ... call for help? Look up an emergency animal hospital? I couldn't tell you what I was going to do. I tried to use my phone screen as the light before making any calls to survey the severity of the dog's injuries.
It was dark and the only light was the obsessive red blinking and click clicking- I needed to see better. I held the phone a few inches away from the golden fur and looked for any blood. I saw none. But as I watched, the dog appeared to be shrinking, or more like shriveling, like a timelapse film of a wilting rose. The skin was pulling tight against its bones. His eyes bulged and then were sucked into the skull one by one with a wet popping noise. The dogs lips were stretched so that its yellow and white teeth were in a permanent snarl. All of a sudden its body moved. It startled me and I dropped my phone. I tried to recompose myself but ended up throwing off my balance and from my squatting position fell back on my ass. The dog continued to move, rolling towards me. The dog was now flipped over with the right side on top. In the red click clicking flashes of light I saw two black tendrils reaching up and over the pile of fur that was the dog. Then two more tentacles moved towards me. I scrambled backwards on my elbows, using my palms to push me away from what ever the fuck that thing was. Two more tentacles emerged from behind the carcass, six in all connected to a hub like spokes on a wheel. It walked like the possessed hand on that one movie- Evil Dead. The tentacles as the fingers and the hub as the palm of the hand. I scrambled back until I hit the rougher black top of the highway, skinning my elbows in the process. I flipped around, planted my foot and ran towards the car.
I had heard that if you run from a predator, that makes you its prey and it will chase. I knew it was coming after me, so as I got into my car I looked in the rear view mirror. In the red flash of clicking light I saw that thing climb on to the back of my car. I stomped on the gas and the engine roared and to my horror, the car went nowhere. It was still in park. I popped it in drive and it jumped forward as I pounded down the accelerator. I had lost sight of the thing. My heart stopped as I realized my back windows were still down. I stabbed two fingers on the up buttons and watched in the review mirror with unblinking eyes for what seemed like an eternity as they crept closed. The rushing sound of air coming in was quieter but not silenced. I had left the front windows cracked. I felt for the up buttons as a tendril or a tentacle found the gap and tried to force its way in the drivers side. It got just the tip in at first and as any high school girl who's played that game can tell you, that was just the start. It pushed and slid the window down 2, maybe 2 and a half inches before I found the up button and the window motor started fighting back with a whine. I had to keep the motor engaged or the thing would force the window back down further. My right hand on the steering wheel, my right foot welded to the throttle, my head and neck stretched to the right so the 5 inches of the thing could not touch me.
I now had an up-close look at. It looked furry, like a wire brush, but it moved and lashed around like a snake. It reminded me of fake Christmas tree limbs- like a giant living pipe cleaner. I could see the other limbs in all the other windows, pressing against the glass. The hub where they were connected must have been on the roof of the car and I'm guessing that's where the mouth was. It made a horrible screeching sounds along the top of the car. I thought to myself that I need to call for help and I remembered that I had dropped my fucking cellphone. I took winding mountain turns way too fast. I thought that if I could get a cop to chase me he could help me. The saying, "you never find one when you need one" rang true.
I did not dare to remove my hand from the wheel to turn off the hazards click, clicking and flashing dash lights. The arms squirmed and pounded on the glass cage that I was in. The one limb in the car with me whipped around like a runaway firehouse and struck me on the forehead. It felt like a hundred hot needles had slashed across my face. An overwhelming scent of pine flooded my nostrils. I jerked my head away and the car swerved, the back end loosing traction and fishtailing. By the grace of God I was able to regain control. I looked at my reflection in the review mirror. Blood was running down the left side of my face .
I don't know if the arm some how knew that it had hit me, like it tasted the blood or smelled it. It could have simply felt the difference between my soft flesh and the hard steel of the car. But It knew, because another arm came into the gap, and then another. They weren't able to get inside the car as far as the first one did. The window's electronic motor was now emitting a low growl. I looked over and saw that the new legs in the window were bent down like fingers. I thought about how they looked like the Grinch's fingers from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I then realized that they were pushing down as the sound of the window mechanism got louder and the glass slipped down another quarter inch. You know that odd smell, the one when you overwork your blender making margaritas and it dyes? It started to fill my nostrils and burn my throat. It wasn't going to be much longer until that fucking thing was inside with me.
I ran though my options in my head. The "Drive like I'm scared out of my mind and hope that a cop pulls me over and kills whatever the fuck this thing is" was plan A. I knew I did not want to drive all the way home with it or to K.C.'s, and to be honest, I didn't think I had that long anyway. I sure as shit did not want to be sucked dry. I thought about driving to the police station, but I didn't know were one was and with out my phone or Google I couldn't even look it up. Pathetic is how that made me feel. Driving off of the mountain and killing myself and hopefully the monster crossed my mind, but I had raced so fast that I was already out of the mountains and entering the valley. Flat black desert lied on either side of me.
The amber lights of Phoenix ahead of me were growing closer but not fast enough. The car rattled along the 2 lane highway as it turned into a 4 lane freeway. The needle like brush of the tentacles had ripped the headliner of my car and pieces of fabric flapped in the wind. Orange insulating foam started flaking off until it was bare metal. I got into the exit lane for the Deer Valley Airport. The horrible screeching sound on the roof of the car conjured up a memory.
When my friend Daniel and I were 14, he talked his girlfriend, Kim, into letting him drive the new car she had just gotten for her sweet 16. She took us to the outskirts of the airport, gave Daniel the keys and said, "drive it like you stole it." So of course Daniel started showing off until he lost control and went head on into the chain-link fence surrounding the airport. Now that we were on airport property, we did not want to get caught by the authorities, so the only way to get back on the street was go back though that chain-link fence. The fence did not burst open and break apart like it does in the cool action movies. The car actually went underneath it, unearthing the bottom of the chain-link fence as it slid over the entire top of the car with a horrible, scraping, screeching sound .
I turned down that same side road with the new, heavier chain-link fence before me. I gave the accelerator everything I had left, throwing the needle on the speedometer all the way to the right. The window shattered and one of the groping tendrils made painful contact with my chest, just as the chain link fence scraped over the top of the car. To my surprise, the airport had added a little dirt berm behind the fence. When I hit that mound of dirt, the car went air born, turning and landing on its roof.
I hit my head on the bare metal of my car and was knocked out cold.
I woke up in the hospital the next day. I smiled to see K.C. and my brother Barry by my side talking it up like old friends. I had a concussion, two sprained fingers on my left hand and some "odd" puncture wounds along my forehead and chest. The doctor said it was a miracle that I survived because I wasn't wearing my seatbelt.
He said, "it's like something was holding you down in your seat."
My blood work didn't show any signs of drugs in my system, so when they offered the "do you think you may have fallen asleep while driving?" I bit. Like I said in the beginning, I know how this sounds and I don't know that anyone would believe me.
3 days later, I was released from the hospital. K.C. had stayed all night with me. My brother Barry picked us up, and asked if I wanted to go see my totaled car in the wrecking yard. I said yes and we headed out. We got out of the car, and stepped on to the dirt lot. Stacks of twisted metal looming over us and casting much appreciated shade from the brutal Arizona sun. Barry asked the guy in the shed that served as the office for help finding my car. He asked for the license plate from the incident report. I gave him the flimsy pink copy of the report and he typed into his computer.
"Oh yeah, I remember this one, flipped over out at the airport right?" He looked up and noticed my bandages and hospital ID bracelet still on my wrist. "You're lucky to be alive, good thing you had your seatbelt on or you might not be here."
I just smiled awkwardly.
"It should be Lot 3 row 5."
He stopped for a second to think. "I don't think that ones been stacked yet. Might be in the compactor now. If you hurry you might see it." Barry was the first to see the car, I was limping along with K.C. beside me.
"Holy shit! Did you drive straight through the fucking forest!"
My car was right side up, windows shattered, roof caved in. It was covered in what looked like red rust and pine needles. But I know that those were not pine needles. The walls of the crusher came down and smashed my car into a stackable block.
I looked down and in the dirt I saw spiral line tracks, like some guy got tweaked out of his mind in one of those Japanese Sand Gardens and raked the hell out of it. I followed the twisted pattern out of the junk yard and out into the desert. My brother and K.C. followed behind me asking if I was alright.
I lost the trail in the rocks of a dry riverbed. K.C. Put her hand on my shoulder and said "let's go home."
We did, and she never left. Almost a year later I still wonder if that thing is out there. Or did it crawl off to die somewhere. I don't want K.C. to think I'm crazy. So I keep it buried in the back of my mind, but every once in awhile I get a random whiff of pine in the hot barren desert air.

Age - 30's
Sex - Female
Race - Caucasian
Duration of complaint - 3 months
Location (Geographic and on body) - USA, all over my body
Any existing relevant medical issues -
I have a number of autoimmune, neurological and endocrine disorders. I can be more specific if necessary.
Current medications -
Armour Thyroid for Hashimotos
Premarin for Menopause due to hysterectomy from cancer when I was younger
Gabapentin/Atenolol/Sumatriptan for migraines
Xyrem and CPAP for Narcolepsy w/cataplexy/sleep paralysis and apnea
Generic Zyrtec for tons of allergies
Inhaler for occasional asthma
A gluten-free diet for Celiacs (diagnosed w/ antibody test and biopsy)
Several vitamins/supplements like D3, B Complex and Zinc/Potassium/Selenium/Magnesium all in safe doses and with my docs approval
Link to an album of my hives because I don't know how to embed it here.
I'm really hoping someone has some ideas because I'm desperate. Three months ago I suddenly started itching badly over most of my body. There were no signs of rash or discoloration and no other symptoms. If I scratched where I itched, I would suddenly develop hives and wheals/welts where I scratched even if I did so very gently. The hives and welts disappear within a few minutes if I stop scratching. Over the course of three months it would come and go, generally lasting several days or even weeks, disappearing for a day or a week and then suddenly coming back for no apparent reason. It progressed to cover my whole body, the last area to go was my face. The hives are now getting as big as a quarter sometimes and the itching is so intense it verges on stinging like I rolled through fiberglass or stinging nettles. It keeps me awake and makes it really hard to concentrate on anything.
At first I thought it must be an allergy. I'm very sensitive to dyes, perfumes, chemical cleaners, glues etc as well as things like pets, grass and pollen, but I take a daily antihistamine and usually allergies for me manifest as sinus issues, asthma or a localized red rash. At the time the hives and itching started, I was exposed to several allergens for extended periods (cats, perfume, cigarette smoke etc) while out shopping for the holidays. I was also under a lot of stress and out in the sun more than usual (I have solar urticaria so I do occasionally get hives from that). I just thought I'd been too exposed and too stressed and if I showered and rested for a few days it would clear up but instead it got worse and worse even though I was very careful to stay away from all allergens and to not get stressed.
After a couple of weeks I was miserable and tried to find the cause but I'm not using any new products, taking any new medications or exposed to any new materials. I proceeded to double wash all my clothes, clean the whole house very well (it's always spotless anyway), drink more water and avoid junky artificial foods/drinks just in case. After a month I contacted my friend who's a nurse and they recommended taking Benadryl every 8 hours. I hate Benadryl but I was out of options. It seemed to help at first and after a few days the itching and hives disappeared. A week later it came back so I went back to the Benadryl. It went away again, this time for two weeks and then it came back with a vengeance. I started the Benadryl again and this time it barely made a difference and the itching and hives spread to my face. Also, my lips started to itch more and more and I started to get genuinely scared.
I normally have an Epipen and an Inhaler for my known allergies (I've had extensive testing so I know what I'm allergic to and what to do in an emergency). But both are expired because I lost my health insurance months ago and only just got it back (very limited and I lose it again at the end of the month). I would have gone to the doc sooner, especially when the hives got bad and my nurse friend said to go to the doc for steroids, but again, I haven't had insurance for months and I'm broke as hell. I tried cortisone creams, Benadryl in addition to the generic Zyrtec, ice packs and heat packs, washing my clothes just in water, checking all my food and meds for possible contamination etc. I can't find a source. It just comes and goes at random. Stress seems to make it worse as do pressure changes and temperature changes. So for instance, when I put on my clothes in the morning or take them off at night, the clothes brushing my skin sets it off. Physical activity also sets it off big time. And it's everywhere, from the soles of my feet to the skin between my fingers and the top of my head.
I broke down and made a doctors appointment but the soonest they could see me is the end of the month and in the meantime I'm going crazy. Any ideas on how I can get some relief until I can see my doc? I've attached pictures that show my forearm with large hives and the back of my calf after I lightly scratched and it broke out in welts and small hives. Please help!