Dakota Barnes (u/dakotab13)

Posts

-1

Tried rewatching a show from 15 years ago and it did not hold up at all

I loved The Wire back in college. Got through the whole series twice. Last week I started it again and couldn't get past episode 3. The pacing felt so slow and the phone tech looked like a joke. Maybe I just have a shorter attention span now. Has anyone else gone back to an old favorite and been let down?

2 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

dakotab13•3d ago

Spent 8 months putting my future log in the wrong spot

I always stuck my future log at the very front of the notebook, right after the index. Figured that's where future stuff goes. Then last week I flipped past about 40 blank pages trying to find a note from March and realized my monthly spreads were burying everything. If I put the future log at the back of the book instead, I'd hit my current month way faster. Has anyone else found a better layout for where to tuck the future log?

2 comments

c/alberta-contractors•

dakotab13•3d ago

Had a week where every drywall patch I did cracked overnight

Last spring I had 7 straight days where I'd tape and mud a patch job, come back the next morning, and there'd be a hairline crack right down the middle. Turned out the humidity in that basement was way off and I wasn't letting the compound dry slow enough. Anybody else run into weird curing issues with certain weather?

2 comments

c/flooring-installers•

dakotab13•5d ago

I used to hate scribing for baseboards until an old-timer showed me his trick

Guy named Jerry on a job site in Nashville watched me fighting a gap for 20 minutes and just said 'cut it long and flex it, you're overthinking this.' Tried it on the next run and it took me 2 minutes instead of 20. Anybody else got a shortcut they swore by until someone proved them wrong?

2 comments

c/farriers•

dakotab13•6d ago

Warning: Overheard a guy at the feed store talking about hoof cracks getting way worse in dry summer months

I was picking up some baling twine and heard a farrier with 30 years in the trade say he sees a 40% spike in quarter cracks every July and August because people aren't adjusting their shoeing schedule for dry ground. He told another shoer that he switches to full pads and more frequent trims around June 1st to stay ahead of it. I usually just go with the flow and trim when the horses need it, but that conversation got me thinking. I lost a good client last year because a hoof crack got bad after I didn't suggest anything for the heat. Anyone else change up their approach when summer hits, or just roll with the same routine no matter what?

2 comments

c/ai-innovations•

dakotab13•8d ago

Had to choose between a $30 AI writing tool and doing it myself for a client blog post in Milwaukee

I picked the AI tool to save time, but it spat out such generic fluff about local coffee shops that I ended up rewriting the whole thing anyway, so has anyone found a prompt that actually gets local details right?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

dakotab13•10d ago

Tried my grandpa's old wrought iron trick on a gate hinge and it cracked clean in two

I was fixing up a gate for a farmer outside of Denton last week and thought I'd try the method my grandpa swore by for bending wrought iron - heat it cherry red and quench in cold water. Instead of getting a nice curve, the whole piece snapped right at the bend point with a loud ping. Has anyone else had old methods totally backfire on modern steel or is it just me?

2 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

dakotab13•11d ago

Debate: Should we strip antique pieces down to bare wood or preserve the old patina?

I was at a client's house last Tuesday in Richmond, VA sanding a 1920s oak buffet when I hit a stain that turned into a gummy mess, so I had to switch from chemical stripper to a card scraper mid-job, and now I'm wondering if we ruin the history of these pieces by taking them too far back - what side do you fall on?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

dakotab13•12d ago

Traded knee pads for a Crain stretcher and saved my back

For the first 5 years I did carpet I used a standard knee kicker for everything. Even on big rooms I'd be down on my knees crawling across the floor. Last summer I finally bought a Crain 616 power stretcher after my buddy in Phoenix told me I was killing my joints. Total game changer. I can do a 20x15 room in about 30 minutes less time now. My knees don't ache at the end of the day and the stretch is way more even across the whole room. The only downside is hauling the thing up stairs but I'll take that over knee pain any day. Anyone else switch from hand tools to power equipment and notice a big difference?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

dakotab13•14d ago

Warning: That big hardware store countertop laminate is NOT the same

I needed to re-laminate a kitchen island I built for a customer in Portland last month. Grabbed a sheet from the big orange store because it was convenient and half the price of my usual supplier. Cut it, glued it, pressed it, and three days later the edges started lifting along the backsplash. Called my supplier and he told me their stuff has way less adhesive backing than the pro grade sheets. So now I drive the extra 20 minutes to the proper place every time. Anybody else get burned by that cheap laminate?

2 comments

Posts

Tried rewatching a show from 15 years ago and it did not hold up at all

Spent 8 months putting my future log in the wrong spot

Had a week where every drywall patch I did cracked overnight

I used to hate scribing for baseboards until an old-timer showed me his trick

Warning: Overheard a guy at the feed store talking about hoof cracks getting way worse in dry summer months

Had to choose between a $30 AI writing tool and doing it myself for a client blog post in Milwaukee

Tried my grandpa's old wrought iron trick on a gate hinge and it cracked clean in two

Debate: Should we strip antique pieces down to bare wood or preserve the old patina?

Traded knee pads for a Crain stretcher and saved my back

Warning: That big hardware store countertop laminate is NOT the same

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