Andrew Hart (u/andrew646)

Posts

Hot take: those cheap router bits from the hardware store actually held up for me

Ngl, I always thought the big box store brand router bits were junk compared to the name brand stuff. But last month I grabbed a $15 set on clearance just to rough out some dados on a pine cabinet face frame. After 30 linear feet of cuts, they still cut clean with no burning. Has anyone else found a random bargain tool that surprised them?

2 comments

c/arborists•

andrew646•6d ago

Had a big maple come down wrong last spring and it changed how I rig loads

I was up in a 60-foot silver maple in a tight backyard in Oak Park. Had a cable choker on a heavy limb, thought I had the angles right. When I cut, the limb swung hard into the house gutter instead of dropping clear. Bent the gutter bad, homeowner was right there watching. I felt awful. That moment convinced me to finally take a proper rigging workshop. Always thought I could figure it out on the job, but one mistake showed me I was guessing too much. Has anyone else had a close call that pushed them to get more training?

2 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

andrew646•6d ago

Realized I was facing the wrong way when truing wheels for years

I used to always stand with my back to the wheel and look straight down at the rim. Last week a guy at the co-op told me to stand off to the side and sight down the rim instead. It took about 5 minutes for me to see how much I'd been missing. Has anyone else had a basic habit that someone just pointed out was wrong?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

andrew646•8d ago

Old timer told me to quench my tongs in salt water instead of plain

I was over at Bob's shop last Tuesday and he said soaking hot tongs in salt water keeps them from cracking as fast. I've been doing it for two weeks now and my tong tips haven't chipped at all, which usually happens after a few heavy sessions. Has anyone else tried this trick or is Bob just messing with me?

2 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

andrew646•8d ago

Update: That paint booth fan I installed last month is already causing issues

Three weeks ago I put in a new exhaust fan for our booth at the shop in Denver. Spent $400 on it thinking it was a solid upgrade. Last Friday I noticed the paint was drying with weird patterns on a Subaru hood. Turned out the fan is pulling too much air and messing with the airflow. I'm starting to think spending more on a variable speed unit would have been smarter. Has anyone else had this problem with oversize fans?

2 comments

-1

c/family-recipe-swap•

andrew646•10d ago

Warning: Hit 50 pounds of flour used this month baking bread

I started tracking my sourdough bakes in January just for fun, never thought I'd hit 50 pounds of flour by March. Seeing that number on the scale made me realize how much bread I actually go through with the kids and neighbors stopping by. Has anyone else accidentally hit a baking milestone that caught them off guard?

2 comments

c/backyard-birdwatchers•

andrew646•12d ago

Warning: that 'bird safe' window decal might be lying to you

I bought a pack of those UV reflective hawk silhouette decals from a brand called Avian Flight last Saturday, figuring $15 was cheap insurance for the finches slamming into my back window. Turns out a study I stumbled on from the American Bird Conservancy says most of those decals only cut collisions by like 10% unless they're spaced super close together. Has anyone else found a decal pattern that actually works, or am I just taping up post-it notes instead?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

andrew646•12d ago

Tried a $20 harbor freight electrode holder on a big job last week and honestly it held up

I been using the same old tweco holder for like 8 years and figured I'd grab a cheap backup from harbor freight just in case. Took it out on a job at a grain silo repair last Tuesday where I was running 5/32 rods in tight spots. That little plastic handle got hot way faster than I expected and the grip started getting soft by lunch. I mean it didn't fall apart but I could tell it wasn't gonna last more than a couple more jobs. Learned that sometimes you can get away with cheap stuff on light work but heavy duty field welding really needs the good gear. Anyone else had a budget tool surprise you in a bad way or did I just get a lemon?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

andrew646•15d ago

Heating with coal vs coke nearly ruined my anvil face

I switched from coal to coke about three months ago after reading it burns cleaner, but my anvil face started getting this weird pitting I'd never seen before. Turns out the coke I was using had way too much sulfur content and it was eating into the steel surface at welding temps. Has anyone else run into this problem with a specific supplier or found a way to test coke before you buy a whole load?

2 comments

c/bad-day-turnarounds•

andrew646•17d ago

The barista who called me out on my fake smile

Last Tuesday I was having the worst morning - car wouldn't start, spilled coffee on my shirt, the works. I dragged myself into a Starbucks on 5th Ave and ordered my usual black coffee, and this barista named Maria just looked at me and said 'You look like you're faking it today.' She didn't let me pay, gave me a free pastry, and told me to take 5 minutes and actually breathe before I went anywhere. I sat there for 10 minutes and honestly started crying a little, but in a good way. She didn't ask for my story or try to cheer me up with cliches, she just saw me and made space. Has anyone else had a stranger just see through your act and help out like that?

2 comments

Posts

Hot take: those cheap router bits from the hardware store actually held up for me

Had a big maple come down wrong last spring and it changed how I rig loads

Realized I was facing the wrong way when truing wheels for years

Old timer told me to quench my tongs in salt water instead of plain

Update: That paint booth fan I installed last month is already causing issues

Warning: Hit 50 pounds of flour used this month baking bread

Warning: that 'bird safe' window decal might be lying to you

Tried a $20 harbor freight electrode holder on a big job last week and honestly it held up

Heating with coal vs coke nearly ruined my anvil face

The barista who called me out on my fake smile

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