"Nifty. I wouldn't expect hobbyists to have that kind of cash to throw around but perhaps I unfairly malign them."

"It's probably something of a prerequisite for acquiring expensive hobbies in the first place? But some small aircraft aren't much more expensive than a decent car."

"Neat, good for people who can't grow their own."

"I suppose it is!" 

In the afternoon, the team opts to test mass vs volume while they finish working out the next steps. They produce a bundle of medium-density material that's about as large as she can manage. Then, using different materials, they make a bundle that is smaller but heavier and one that is larger but lighter. 

If they tie it up snugly enough that it all counts as one thing she can stop 1500 kilos. It turns out to be a mass (or weight, they can't tell the difference here) limit at least within the volume range they try.

They're guessing that it's mass, mostly because it'd seem weird even by magic standards for a thing that can ignore a hydraulic press to care about much weaker forces imposed by gravity. It's only a guess, though, magic is weird sometimes.

After some consultation, the team decides the next batch of experiments should involve assembly rather than machining. They're working on a couple of go-kart-sized engines, heavy enough to be difficult to move by hand but simple enough to be cheaply repaired or replaced. The idea is for Isabella to hold the frame in place while they attach various parts to it. If all goes well, they'd only need to pause the assembly a few times to put supports beneath it and let Isabella release and re-stop the whole thing. For the interns' benefit, Monica keeps up a running commentary on which parts are being installed, where they came from, and what they do.

Aside from a few checks at otherwise difficult angles and magnifications, Nora doesn't have as much to do in this phase. She contents herself with imaging and scanning a bunch of different materials and surface features when there's a lull in the action. 

Isabella does not technically have a lot to "do" either, since the power is quite passive once engaged.

They knock out the first one in record time, resulting in a round of high-fives. While they're readying the next frame, Monica asks, "Want to get a bit more hands-on?" She hefts the handheld power drill, which they've been using with bolt attachments to fasten parts to the frame.

(Isabella will have seen team members kneeling or putting one hand on the assembly to steady themselves while using the drill; it's an option.) 

"Uh, at all worried the dyspraxia will kick in inconveniently, it mostly just does my balance but I don't normally try to handle power tools just in case."

"I want to, but my outfit doesn't really play well with fast spinny things and it'd take a while to get it right again if I changed. Maybe after I've worked out the right alterations." 

"Fair enough!" 

A bit later, Nora pulls over a stool and sits down next to Isabella with a sheaf of pages. "The scans are working out great, want to see a few favorites?"

"Sure!"

Nora hands over a dozen printouts, a mix of mosaic-like metals and fabrics and a few other materials. 

"Do you use this to get microstructures that look nice on your outfit?"

"Only a little bit so far. There's not much prior work on micro-aesthetics, and it takes a long time to get something the magic likes by trial and error. I did it for the hem of my sash, though." 

"What's that look like?"

Nora produces another scroll. On it is a complex pattern of something like layers of tessellated golden spiderwebs. 

"Whoaaaa."

"Mind you, this took me weeks to get right, and I had some help with the math and patterning. I'm excited to work with an expert about it, I bet they have way more ideas." 

"It'd probably also be really hard to put back if you spill something or rip it."

"Yep. I have sketches of the pattern, but it's not easy. Oooh, I should scan some pictures of these, too." 

"Yeah! You can publish your own Visual Dictionary of Microscopic Fashion."

"Oooh, I am so going to do that once I've done more designs, and I plan to do a lot of outfit-optimizing. Even if it weren't fascinating in its own right, I want as much range as I can get."

"It'll make a good coffee table book."