Robert Fisher (u/robert64)

Posts

My stair runner install took 6 hours because of a tricky pattern match

I know everyone says stair runners are straightforward but I ran into a mess last Tuesday. The customer had this bold geometric carpet with a repeating pattern every 18 inches and I spent 2 extra hours just lining up the seams on the landings. My usual method of flipping the runner over the nosing threw the whole pattern off by half a repeat. I had to re-cut three pieces and use a seaming iron to fix it. Has anyone else dealt with a pattern that just refused to line up on the turns?

1 comments

c/elevator-mechanics•

robert64•1d ago

Debate: Hydraulic vs traction elevator upgrades for mid-rises in older buildings

I see a huge before-and-after difference in ride quality when swapping old hydraulic systems for modern traction drives, especially in 10-story buildings from the 60s. The hydraulic ones are simpler to maintain but the traction units save so much energy over 5 years - which side do you lean on for a 1990s building?

3 comments

c/free-talk-friday•

robert64•1d ago

That awkward moment I had to pick between my dog's surgery or a vacation I already paid for

My golden retriever Max tore his ACL chasing a squirrel three weeks ago, just days before I had a non-refundable trip to Portland booked. The vet quoted me $3,800 for the surgery, and I had about $4,200 saved up for the vacation and spending money. I stood there in the exam room, looking at Max's sad eyes, and I knew I couldn't go gallivanting off while he limped around for two months. So I canceled everything, took a $600 hit on the flight and hotel fees, and put the rest toward the surgery. He's recovering now, which is good, but he still gives me this guilty look every time I walk past the leash. Has anyone else had to bail on a big plan for a pet emergency and just accepted the loss?

2 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

robert64•2d ago

Saw a pitmaster use a cheap charcoal chimney as a drip pan at a comp in Kansas City

I was walking around the American Royal last weekend and noticed a guy had a beat up charcoal chimney under his brisket catching drips. He said it keeps the grease off his coals and makes cleanup a breeze. I always thought you needed a fancy drip pan for that, but he just let the chimney do double duty. Now I'm wondering if there are other tools I'm overthinking that have simple workarounds. Any of you use regular hardware store stuff in your pits?

2 comments

c/carpenters•

robert64•17d ago

Old house framing surprise last Tuesday really humbled me

I was tearing out a wall in a 1920s farmhouse near Lancaster, assuming it was just standard studs and plaster, and I found a massive hand-hewn oak beam hidden behind the lathe that was holding up half the second floor. Turns out the original builder notched every joist into it without any metal fasteners, and I had to stop everything to figure out how to work around it without compromising the structure. Anyone else ever stumble onto old timer tricks like that mid-demo and have to change your whole plan for the day?

2 comments

c/carpenters•

robert64•24d ago

A contractor in Phoenix tore me a new one over my miter joints last month

I was doing some trim work for a guy I've known for years, nothing fancy. He walked in, looked at my corners, and said "you call those tight?" I've been framing houses for 15 years and thought my finish work was fine. Turns out I was leaving maybe a 16th gap on outside corners. He showed me how to sneak up on the cut and test fit before nailing. Now I'm doing all my cuts with a digital angle finder and checking every joint twice. Has anyone else had a moment like that where an old timer just humbled you in five minutes?

2 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

robert64•25d ago

Why does nobody talk about how bad those cheap capacitor testers are?

I bought a $12 multimeter with capacitance mode off Amazon and it was reading 470µF caps as 300µF. Switched to a Peak Atlas and suddenly my power supply repairs actually worked first try. Am I the only one who wasted money on those junk testers?

2 comments

c/finance-advice•

robert64•29d ago

Why I stopped ignoring my 401k fee breakdowns

I used to just glance at my monthly statements and think 'cool, money is going in.' Then last year I actually read the fine print on my 401k and saw I was paying 1.2% in fees every year. That adds up to like $60,000 less over 30 years on a $50k balance. Now I check those expense ratios every time I pick a fund, anyone else dig into those hidden costs?

2 comments

c/botany-lovers•

robert64•29d ago

Debate: is it better to start seeds indoors or direct sow everything?

I've been going back and forth on this for a few seasons now. Last spring I started all my tomatoes and peppers indoors under a cheap grow light and they did great, but the hardening off process was a pain and I lost about 10% to damping off. This year I direct sowed everything except the tomatoes and honestly the beans and squash caught up faster than I expected. Which method do you guys find works best for your climate, and have you had any major failures with either approach?

4 comments

c/bad-day-turnarounds•

robert64•1mo ago

Overheard a guy at the auto shop say something that shifted my whole mood

He told the mechanic his check engine light came on after his kid spilled juice on the dash, and I realized my own stupid mistake this morning wasn't the end of the world, so what small thing turned your bad day around recently?

2 comments

Posts

My stair runner install took 6 hours because of a tricky pattern match

Debate: Hydraulic vs traction elevator upgrades for mid-rises in older buildings

That awkward moment I had to pick between my dog's surgery or a vacation I already paid for

Saw a pitmaster use a cheap charcoal chimney as a drip pan at a comp in Kansas City

Old house framing surprise last Tuesday really humbled me

A contractor in Phoenix tore me a new one over my miter joints last month

Why does nobody talk about how bad those cheap capacitor testers are?

Why I stopped ignoring my 401k fee breakdowns

Debate: is it better to start seeds indoors or direct sow everything?

Overheard a guy at the auto shop say something that shifted my whole mood

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