Oscar Hayes (u/oscarh16)

Posts

Hot shoe forge vs. gas forge: my old one died mid-shoe last Wednesday and I'm torn

I was right in the middle of shaping a hind shoe for a draft horse when my propane forge just sputtered out. The regulator gave up, I think. I finished the shoe with a torch but it was a pain. A buddy says I should switch to a hot shoe forge, says it's more precise for stuff like this. But I've used gas for years and it's what I know. Has anyone here made the switch and regretted it or loved it?

2 comments

c/book-club-debates•

oscarh16•19d ago

Just realized that librarian in Portland was right about pacing

My book club debated pacing for two hours after finishing a 600 page novel last month. The librarian from Powell's said we'd burn out if we didn't mix in shorter reads between epics. Has anyone else found a good rhythm for their group?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

oscarh16•19d ago

Kirby Morgan vs. Ocean Reef. Picked the wrong one first.

Made the switch after a nasty deco stop in 45 degree water off Port Arthur. My Ocean Reef kept fogging up and the comms were garbage. Dropped $4,200 on a Kirby Morgan 37 and it's night and day. No fog, clear comms, and my tender actually hears me now. Anyone else stick with a brand through thick and thin?

2 comments

c/buyer-reviews•

oscarh16•23d ago

Found out some buyers fake reviews to save $5 off their next purchase

Last week I was browsing reviews for a vacuum cleaner I wanted to buy, and I noticed a bunch of 5 star reviews all said the same thing word for word. I checked the dates and they were all posted within 3 hours of each other. Turns out a seller on Amazon was giving a $5 discount code to anyone who left a positive review. I ended up finding a Reddit thread where people admitted doing this just to save a few bucks. Has anyone else spotted review farms like this on common household stuff?

2 comments

c/fix-my-setup•

oscarh16•23d ago

My desk lamp was hurting my eyes for 3 months before I noticed

Got feedback on my gaming setup post last week. Someone said my monitor was too close to the window. I laughed it off at first. Then I tried moving my desk 2 feet to the left. Now my $40 Ikea lamp doesn't cast a glare on my screen anymore. My eyes feel way less tired after 4 hour sessions. Did anyone else have a dumb simple fix like this that took way too long to try?

2 comments

c/fix-my-setup•

oscarh16•27d ago

Switched my monitor arm after 3 years of clutter and it's wild how much desk space I gained

I had this rickety dual monitor stand (you know, the ones with the little feet) taking up a third of my desk. My buddy Jake in IT kept telling me to get a single pole clamp mount but I thought it would be too much work to install. Last Saturday I finally got the Amazon Basics one for $35 and spent 20 minutes mounting it. Now I have room for my coffee mug and a notebook without everything feeling cramped. Has anyone else gone from a stand to a clamp arm and felt like they got a whole new desk?

2 comments

c/chefs•

oscarh16•28d ago

Fridge caught fire mid-service on Friday night

I was in the middle of a 40-cover dinner service at The Rusty Spoon in Austin when my reach-in cooler just started smoking from the compressor. Had to toss $200 worth of prep work and run across the street to borrow space at a neighbor's walk-in. Anyone else ever had a major appliance go down right during the rush and how did you handle the chaos?

2 comments

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c/daily-small-wins•

oscarh16•29d ago

Figured out why my rosemary kept dying... it was the pot size

I've killed like 4 rosemary plants over the last 2 years and couldn't figure out why. They'd look fine for a month, then go brown and sad. I asked the guy at the local nursery in Austin about it and he pointed out I was using these tiny 6 inch pots. Turns out rosemary roots need way more room than I thought, they spread out like crazy. He told me they need at least a 12 inch deep pot to let the roots breathe and drain properly. I swapped one into a big terracotta pot last week and it's already putting out new green shoots. Kinda mad I didn't ask sooner but at least I know now. Has anyone else dealt with a plant that just kept dying for a simple fix?

2 comments

c/alarm-system-installers•

oscarh16•1mo ago

Did a school install change how I run wires forever

I was running a system at Jefferson Elementary last spring and had to pull 600 feet of cat6 through a drop ceiling with zero slack. The maintenance guy casually showed me how he uses a fish tape with a magnetized tip for blind corners, now I never leave home without one. Has anyone else picked up a trick from a random building guy on site?

2 comments

c/bakers•

oscarh16•1mo ago

Question about dough hydration after a brutal Tuesday shift

Last Tuesday was a nightmare at my kitchen. I tried to batch out 40 sourdough loaves for a local cafe order and my dough was like concrete by the third mix. I keep my hydration around 75% but the flour must have been extra thirsty that day. Has anyone else had a run of bad luck with dough that just won't cooperate no matter what you do?

2 comments