Article: Set the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit (90 degrees Celsius) and let it completely warm up. Make sure that the racks inside the oven are rearranged as needed so that the leather piece can fit inside without brushing against the racks or the sides of the oven. This method should work well with most types of leather, but vegetable tanned leather is still the easiest to work with. Also note that it tends to be a good method to use if you are trying to stiffen leather than has already been formed and does not need any additional shaping. When the oven is hot enough, place the leather inside and bake it for about 30 minutes. The leather needs to be notably hot to the touch when you take it out of the oven. The heat itself plays an important part in the stiffening process. Essentially, it liquifies some of the molecules in the leather, causing them to break down and become more flexible. When those molecules solidify again, they do so in a structure that is even harder than the leather's original chemical structure. If you allow the leather to get too hot, however, it can become too brittle by the end of the process. Place a block of beeswax into a double boiler and heat it until it completely liquifies. Do this step as the leather bakes so that the leather and the wax will be hot enough to proceed at the same time. Beeswax is the wax of choice, but you can use melted candles or nearly any other type of wax, as well. To melt the wax: Heat 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) of water in the bottom part of a double boiler placed on the stove over medium-high heat. Place the wax inside the top part of the double boiler. As the wax begins to melt, stir it with a disposable spoon or chopstick. Continue until the melts completely. Take the leather out of the oven and place it on a few sheets of newspaper. Load a large paintbrush with melted wax and brush the wax onto the hot leather using even strokes. The leather should soak up the hot wax. If it does not do so, the leather is not yet hot enough and should be returned to the oven. Continue brushing the wax onto the leather until the leather cools and no longer absorbs the wax. After your initial coat of wax, place the leather back into the oven and heat it for another 20 minutes or so. Remove it from the oven and brush the surface with an additional coating of melted wax. You should repeat this process until the leather no longer absorbs any more wax, even when hot. One way to tell that the leather can no longer absorb wax is to look at the coloring. The wax will alter the color of the leather slightly. If the entire surface of the leather is an even color, it has likely absorbed as much wax as possible throughout the entire piece. Let the leather cool and dry completely. When done, it should be extremely hard and nearly impossible to bend.
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Preheat an oven. Dry bake the leather. Melt a little wax. Paint the wax onto the leather. Reheat and repaint the leather as needed. Cool completely.
Article: One way to let a person down easy is to lead into the rejection by telling them something positive. That way, they hear something good about themselves before they realize you're saying you don't want a second date. For example, you could say, "You're fun to be around," or "You have a great sense of humor." When you do offer a reason for rejecting the person, keep it focused on you or the feelings between the two of you. That way, you're not actually rejecting the person. Rather, you're saying that you two just aren't a good mix together. For example, you could say, "I don't think we had much chemistry," or "My feelings for you are purely platonic." Once you've said you don't want another date, you can move on to wishing the person well in some form. You'll be starting on a high note, moving to a more negative note (rejection), and then ending on a high note. For instance, you could say, "I wish you the best," "I hope you find someone that makes you happy." " Even if you've been on a date with someone, you don't have to offer a reason why you don't want to go on a second date. The key is to be polite and to the point. You don't want to draw it out if you're saying no this way. If someone asks you on a second date, you can simply say, "No, but I appreciate you asking me." One way to help you figure out what to say is think about what you'd want to hear. For instance, most people would rather be told outright than just ignored for the next few days or weeks. You don't want to lead the person on, so you need to make sure you say "no" in some form; however, you don't need to be mean about it. Don't attack the person, but rather, bring up what you did like about them. Avoid saying things like "maybe" or "I don't think so" or anything that suggests you might change your mind or could be persuaded to go out with them again. Remember the compliment sandwich: Start with a positive, tell them you're not interested, then end on a positive note. Something like: "You're a great person, but I don't feel a romantic connection with you. I know you'll be really happy with the right person."
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Say something positive first. Try not to make it about them. Wish the person well. Just say "no. Think about how you'd want to hear things. Be kind but firm.
Article: The measurement for a glove is based on the distance from the crook, or crease, of your elbow to your middle finger. Bend your elbow slightly. Place the end of a soft measuring tape where the crease in your elbow begins. Then measure along the underside of your forearm, stopping at the base of your middle finger. Hockey gloves are sized according to whole inches. Once you have your measurement, you'll have to round to the nearest inch. So if your measurement has less than 0.5 inches (1.3cm) over a whole inch, round down. If it has more than 0.5 inches (1.3cm) over a whole inch, round up. That measurement in inches is your glove size. For example, if your measurement is 11.75in (29.8cm), round up to 12in (30cm). If your measurement is 11.25in (28.6cm), you would round down to 11in (28cm).
Question: What is a summary of what this article is about?
Bend your arm at the elbow. Measure from the bend in your elbow to the base of your middle finger. Round to the nearest inch to find your size.