Kevin Wells (u/kevin_wells46)

Posts

Rant: Paid $14 for a tube of sunscreen at Myrtle Beach last July

I was down in Myrtle Beach last July and forgot my sunscreen at the hotel. Walked into a corner shop near the boardwalk and saw a tiny tube for $14. I knew it was a ripoff but I had no choice. Later I found out the drugstore two blocks away had the same brand for $6.50. Now I always pack two bottles no matter what. Anybody else get burned by tourist trap prices like that?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

kevin_wells46•2d ago

Had to pick between a $400 Snap-On ratchet set or a $90 Craftsman set when I started out at a shop in Tulsa.

I went with the Craftsman and three years later I've replaced two of them under warranty while the other guy's Snap-On still works like new, so was it really the better choice long term?

2 comments

c/butchers•

kevin_wells46•2d ago

Tried dry aging vs wet aging a ribeye primal side by side

Got a full primal from a local ranch last month and cut it in half. Dry aged one side for 28 days in my mini fridge setup, wet aged the other sealed in its bag. The dry aged one had way more beefy flavor and that nice funky smell. Wet aged was tender but tasted kinda flat. Won't bother with wet aging again for steaks. Any of you guys dry age at home? What's your go to time frame?

2 comments

c/book-club-debates•

kevin_wells46•3d ago

Hot take: The way we voted on our last book pick was totally rigged

I overheard my friend Sarah say she googled each book's reading level before voting and only picked the easiest one. That got me thinking about how our book club does votes. We use a simple majority system but people vote based on all kinds of weird reasons like page count or cover color. Last month we had 12 people and 6 books nominated. The winner got 4 votes but 3 of those were from people who admitted they just wanted a quick read. It felt kind of hollow when we started discussing it and half the group hated it. Has anyone else dealt with people gaming the vote or picking books for the wrong reasons? How do you handle nominations in your club?

2 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

kevin_wells46•17d ago

That $400 offset smoker I bought off Facebook Marketplace was a total bust

Spent $400 on what looked like a decent offset smoker from some guy's driveway, but the firebox was rusted through after two cooks. Has anyone else gotten burned buying used smokers online without bringing a magnet to check for thin spots?

2 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

kevin_wells46•18d ago

Pro tip: Stop sanding dry filler with 80 grit right away

I spent 2 years sanding down fresh filler with 80 grit until a guy at a shop in Phoenix asked why my paper was clogging every 15 seconds. He told me to use 36 grit first and it cut my time in half. Anyone else learn basic stuff way later than they should have?

2 comments

c/fix-it-yourself•

kevin_wells46•25d ago

Took me 3 tries to realize I was over-tightening my drill chuck

I kept stripping screws on a deck rebuild in my backyard. After ruining 12 screws I finally paid attention to the clutch setting. My buddy laughed and said 'you been running it wide open the whole time?' Now I dial it back to 5 or 6 for softwood and haven't snapped a single one since. Anybody else figure this out later than they'd like to admit?

2 comments

c/bookbinders•

kevin_wells46•27d ago

Switched to wheat paste for cloth covers and the difference is night and day

Used to use standard PVA glue for bookcloth on a repair job for a 1920s novel last month. The edges kept curling up and the cloth felt stiff as a board. Tried a batch of wheat paste on a similar spine repair this week, and the fabric laid down flat like butter. Anyone else find wheat paste works better for older, delicate books or am I just finally getting the hang of it?

2 comments

c/buyer-reviews•

kevin_wells46•1mo ago

Unpopular opinion: Yelp reviews are mostly useless for finding good food

I ate at a 4.5 star taco spot in Austin last month based on glowing Yelp reviews and the meat was dry and the salsa tasted like canned tomatoes. Turns out half those reviews were from people who got a free taco for posting. Why do we still trust these review sites when they're so easily gamed?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

kevin_wells46•1mo ago

My "budget" hostel door lock broke and I was trapped in the bathroom for an hour in Prague

Last month in Prague, I saved $12 a night by staying in a place where the bathroom door handle snapped off while I was inside. Had to yell through the wall for a random German guy to slide a butter knife under the door to pop the latch. Has anyone else had a cheap accommodation failure that almost ruined their trip?

2 comments