Olivia Craig (u/the_olivia)

Posts

Overheard a shop owner in Dayton say he'd rather hire a good manual machinist than a 'button pusher'

He was talking to another guy at a supply house, saying the manual guys just understand metal better from the start. It got me thinking about how we train new people on our VMCs. Do you think starting on manual machines first is still a must for building good habits?

2 comments

c/heavy-equipment-operators•

the_olivia•29d ago

My old foreman swore by the 'feel' of a backhoe bucket, but I'm all about the grade control screen now.

He'd have me eyeball everything, saying the seat of your pants was the best tech. After a job in Tacoma last year where we had to redo 200 feet of trench, I got a system with a 2D display. Do you think the old hands are right, or is sticking with the screen the only way to stay accurate these days?

3 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

the_olivia•29d ago

Realized my 'clean' grinder was ruining every cup

A barista friend in Austin pointed out the stale grounds caked inside my burrs after 6 months, which explained the bitter, flat taste. Anyone else have a good schedule for a deep clean?

2 comments

c/graphic-design-inspo•

the_olivia•1mo ago

Finally nailed a color palette by just using a photo from my window

Was stuck on a branding project for a local cafe for a week, then just sampled the morning sky and brick wall outside. Anyone have a go-to method when you're color-blocked?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

the_olivia•1mo ago

Unpopular opinion: Painting brick chimneys ruins the draft

I've seen more folks painting their exterior brick chimneys. Looks nice at first. But it traps moisture in the brick. Causes spalling and draft issues later. Had to fix one last week that was a total mess.

3 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

the_olivia•1mo ago

A cloudy finish showed me why humidity matters.

Now I always check the forecast before starting.

3 comments

Posts

Overheard a shop owner in Dayton say he'd rather hire a good manual machinist than a 'button pusher'

My old foreman swore by the 'feel' of a backhoe bucket, but I'm all about the grade control screen now.

Realized my 'clean' grinder was ruining every cup

Finally nailed a color palette by just using a photo from my window

Unpopular opinion: Painting brick chimneys ruins the draft

A cloudy finish showed me why humidity matters.

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