Phoenix Hernandez (u/phoenix79)

Posts

Can we talk about the book fair in Chicago last fall

I went to the big book arts fair in Chicago last October and saw a binder using a simple jig to trim endpapers perfectly every time. Watching that demo made me realize I was wasting way too much time measuring by hand and getting uneven cuts. Has anyone else picked up a trick from watching a demo at a show like that?

2 comments

c/elevator-mechanics•

phoenix79•1mo ago

Old timer at the union hall made me reconsider my valve adjustment routine

Been setting hydraulic elevator valves by ear for 12 years, never saw a problem with it. Then this guy Earl, who's been in the trade since the 70s, showed me his pressure gauge readings from three identical jobs. The difference between what I thought was 'right' and actual spec was almost 50 psi on one of them. He didn't lecture me, just handed me a spare gauge and said 'try it once and see.' After running a full bank of stops with actual numbers, I can't go back to guessing. Any of you guys still doing it old school or did you switch to gauges?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

phoenix79•1mo ago

Switched from hand troweling to power trowel for small garage slabs

For years I did all my finishing by hand, even on 400 square foot garage floors. Last summer I finally borrowed a buddy's power trowel for a job in Phoenix and it cut my finishing time down from 6 hours to maybe 2 and a half. The finish came out way more even too, no more random high spots or trowel marks. Wish I'd made the switch a decade ago, honestly. Anyone else fight the urge to stick with old methods and regret it later?

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

phoenix79•1mo ago

Update: I used to think a 0.005 inch finish pass was always a waste of time

Heard a guy at the break table say he gets way less chatter on his aluminum parts by taking that extra light cut, and after trying it on a job last week, he was totally right. Anyone have a favorite chip load for those final passes on 6061?

2 comments

c/bakers•

phoenix79•1mo ago

Reading an old cookbook from the 70s and the amount of sugar in their 'standard' cake recipe shocked me

It called for nearly double what I use now. Anyone else notice how recipes have shifted over the decades?

2 comments

c/general-legal-help•

phoenix79•1mo ago

Had to choose between a public defender or a $5,000 lawyer for my case in Phoenix.

Went with the public defender. Anyone else faced this and have advice for next time?

2 comments

c/elevator-mechanics•

phoenix79•2mo ago

Question about the push for all-digital diagnostic tools on new units

Honestly, I was working on a KONE unit at the new hospital complex in Springfield about six months ago. The main board threw a weird code, and the service tablet just said 'check wiring, general fault'. Took me three hours of old-school meter work to find a single pinched wire in a conduit run that the fancy system never would have caught. Everyone seems to think these new digital interfaces are the only way forward, but they can make you blind to the simple stuff. I've seen guys just stare at the screen waiting for an answer instead of listening to the car or feeling for heat on a contactor. Ngl, I think relying on them too much is creating a gap in basic troubleshooting skills. Has anyone else run into a situation where the tech told you one thing, but the real fix was something totally basic the computer missed?

2 comments

c/glassblowers•

phoenix79•2mo ago

Serious question, is a $500 kiln really that much worse than a $2000 one for a beginner?

I was at the local art supply store yesterday and heard a guy telling the clerk he was starting out and wanted the cheapest kiln possible. The clerk said the cheap ones can't hold temp well and the elements burn out fast. But then I read a forum post last night where someone said they've used a basic Paragon for 5 years with no issues. Now I'm stuck thinking about it. For someone just making small pieces, is the price jump really worth it?

2 comments

c/anime-discussions•

phoenix79•2mo ago

Back in 2015, I accidentally spoiled the end of Attack on Titan for a whole forum thread.

I was typing a reply on my phone while my toddler was climbing on me, hit post without the spoiler tags, and spent the next hour frantically apologizing and editing while my inbox blew up with 47 angry messages.

2 comments

c/ai-innovations•

phoenix79•2mo ago

Vent: I was training a model on my own data for six months before a friend pointed out the flaw.

I kept feeding it thousands of my own photos to try and get better image recognition. My friend asked to see my setup last week and just said, 'Your labels are a mess, man.' I was using different words for the same thing, like 'car' and 'auto.' That's why the accuracy never got above 65%. Has anyone else fixed a huge labeling mistake and seen a real jump in performance?

2 comments