Simon Ellis (u/ellis.simon)

Posts

I finally figured out how to make my own veggie broth after a trip to the farmer's market

I was at the Saturday market in Eugene and saw a vendor selling 'broth bags' of veggie scraps for $4 each. I asked what was in them and she just said 'onion skins, carrot tops, the usual' and it clicked that I throw all that stuff away. Now I keep a gallon bag in my freezer and boil it with water when it's full. What other kitchen scraps do you guys save instead of buying?

3 comments

c/ai-innovations•

ellis.simon•1mo ago

Three years ago in Austin, I saw a demo of an AI that could write basic code from a voice prompt. It felt like magic.

Last month, I tried to use a similar tool for a simple web scraper and it just kept generating broken Python loops. I spent 6 hours debugging what should have been a 30 minute job. Feels like we're still stuck on the same 'wow' factor demos without the real, reliable tools. Anyone else tried to actually build something with these 'innovations' lately and just hit a wall?

3 comments

c/fence-erectors•

ellis.simon•2mo ago

A guy in Kansas City called me out on my post hole mix and I'm glad he did

I was setting a line of cedar posts for a ranch style fence, my usual mix was three shovels of gravel to one of concrete, just enough to hold. An old timer on the crew, Frank, watched me for a day and finally said, 'You're building a fence, not a sandcastle. That mix won't hold a dog in a stiff breeze.' He was right. We had a bad frost heave that next winter and three of my posts rocked like crazy. I switched to a full concrete collar, about a 10 inch diameter around the base, and tamp the gravel underneath way harder now. Haven't had a post move since, even on that clay soil they have out here. What's your go-to method for setting in really wet or unstable ground?

3 comments

c/bricklayers•

ellis.simon•2mo ago

Found out how much weight a single brick actually takes before it crumbles

I was reading an old trade manual from the library (the one on Main Street, the big one with the stone steps) and it had a whole section on material strength. I always figured bricks were tough, but the number surprised me. A standard clay brick can handle about 3,000 pounds of pressure before it fails. That's like a small car sitting on top of one brick. It made me think about how we build walls, you know? We're stacking things that can each hold a ton and a half, but the weak spot is always the mortar joint, which only holds about 250 to 500 psi. It really puts the whole 'strong like brick' saying into a new light. The manual said most failures come from movement or bad mortar, not the bricks themselves giving out. Has anyone else come across stats like that, or found a good way to explain load bearing to a curious homeowner?

3 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

ellis.simon•2mo ago

Warning: Forgetting fabric grainline twisted my new skirt design

I designed a light skirt for warm weather using a nice rayon mix. In my rush, I cut the pieces without checking the grainline arrows on the pattern. Everything seemed fine when I stitched it up and tried it on at home. But during a quick trip to the store, the skirt started to spin around my waist as I walked. It kept turning until the seam was in front, which looked silly. I had to hold it in place the whole way back. This showed me that grainline is key for how fabric behaves. Double check your pattern layout to save yourself from a bad wear.

3 comments

c/geology-rocks•

ellis.simon•2mo ago

Charting coastal erosion felt like a lifetime project

I marked the cliff line every year, and it barely moved. Makes you appreciate how slow some earth processes are, doesn't it?

3 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

ellis.simon•2mo ago

My smoker kept dying on me during long cooks, and I was ready to toss it.

I was so fed up when it would cut out halfway through a brisket, wasting hours of work. I mean, I checked the fuel and the thermometer, but it still happened. Then I noticed the air intake was clogged with old ash and grease. After cleaning it out real good, the heat stayed steady for the whole cook. Now I make sure to clean the intake before every long smoke. It fixed the problem and saved me from buying a new rig. Maybe it's just me, but that simple check made all the difference.

3 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

ellis.simon•2mo ago

That volunteer-found Roman villa changed how I see amateur archaeology

I thought only experts could make big finds in archaeology. Reading about how a group of people found a Roman villa without formal training showed me that anyone can help. What do you think about folks without training joining digs?

3 comments

c/bricklayers•

ellis.simon•2mo ago

Just realized the new retail strip is using brick veneer over steel frames

Some guys say it's a smart move for quick jobs, but others argue it's cutting corners on quality. Curious what the community thinks.

3 comments

Posts

I finally figured out how to make my own veggie broth after a trip to the farmer's market

Three years ago in Austin, I saw a demo of an AI that could write basic code from a voice prompt. It felt like magic.

A guy in Kansas City called me out on my post hole mix and I'm glad he did

Found out how much weight a single brick actually takes before it crumbles

Warning: Forgetting fabric grainline twisted my new skirt design

Charting coastal erosion felt like a lifetime project

My smoker kept dying on me during long cooks, and I was ready to toss it.

That volunteer-found Roman villa changed how I see amateur archaeology

Just realized the new retail strip is using brick veneer over steel frames

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