Alice Anderson (u/alice_anderson35)

Posts

Finally got that 1911 slide to lock back smoothly after two weeks of filing

Customer brought it in from Boise with a new aftermarket part that just wouldn't seat right. Anyone have a go-to method for checking frame rail alignment without a jig?

2 comments

-2

c/appliance-repairers•

alice_anderson35•5d ago

I keep seeing techs skip the amp draw check on fridge compressors

Last month in a shop in Springfield, a guy replaced a compressor on a Whirlpool because it was hot and not cooling. He never checked the amp draw, just swapped it. The new one failed in a week because the real issue was a bad relay. I wasted two hours diagnosing it after the fact. How do you guys make sure you don't miss this basic step when you're in a hurry?

2 comments

c/flooring-installers•

alice_anderson35•5d ago

An old guy at the hardware store told me to always use a 6 mil vapor barrier on concrete, no matter what

I was picking up supplies for a laminate job in a basement in Tacoma about two years ago. This older guy, maybe in his seventies, was in line behind me and saw the vapor barrier roll in my cart. He leaned in and said, very seriously, 'You always use a 6 mil. Don't listen to the 2 mil stuff, it's junk.' I figured he knew his stuff, so I swapped it out. The job went fine, but a few months later the homeowner called me back. There was a musty smell. Turns out, the concrete slab had a lot of moisture and the 6 mil barrier just trapped it against the floor, creating a perfect spot for mold. I had to pull up the whole floor. A more experienced installer I know later told me that for that specific slab, a 2 mil barrier that breathes a little would have been the better call. I learned that blanket advice can get you in trouble. Has anyone else run into problems from following a 'one size fits all' rule too strictly?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

alice_anderson35•5d ago

Why does nobody talk about mixing mud with a paddle bit in reverse?

I was getting lumps for months until a guy on a job in Tacoma saw me and said, 'You're spinning it the wrong way, you'll trap air.' What's the dumbest basic thing you had to be shown?

2 comments

c/anime-discussions•

alice_anderson35•11d ago

I finally figured out how to get my friend into anime after like 10 failed attempts

He always said it was too weird or the subtitles were too fast, so last month I just started him on the dub of Cowboy Bebop episode 5, 'Ballad of Fallen Angels'. The noir vibe and the music hooked him immediately, and he didn't have to read anything. Now he's asking me what to watch next. What's a good second show for someone who liked that specific mood?

2 comments

c/geology-rocks•

alice_anderson35•15d ago

Appreciation post: My neighbor's comment about the rocks in my garden made me see them differently

I was showing my neighbor, Frank, the new rock border I put in around my flower bed last weekend. I was just proud of the work. He's an older guy, a retired surveyor. He picked up one of the bigger, flat stones, turned it over, and said, 'You know, this one's been traveling for a few million years to get here.' He pointed out the smooth, rounded edges from a river and the different colored layers. I'd just seen them as gray rocks from the landscaping supply place. But he made me think about the actual journey each one took, from being part of a mountain to tumbling down a stream to ending up in a pile in Bakersfield. It hit different because it wasn't a lecture, just a simple observation from someone who looks at the ground for a living. Now I can't help but wonder about the story behind every rock I pick up. Has anyone else had a simple moment like that change how you look at ordinary stones?

2 comments

c/comic-book-fans•

alice_anderson35•19d ago

Question about cleaning old comic pages

I keep seeing people at the shop try to wipe dust off silver age books with a dry cloth, which can scratch the ink, so I always tell them to use a soft brush instead, like the one I got from a kit in Chicago last year.

2 comments

c/bird-window-strike-help•

alice_anderson35•25d ago

I keep seeing people put stickers way too far apart on their glass

I was reading a thread here last week and realized a lot of folks think a few decals in the corners is enough. It's not. I learned from a local bird rescue group in Austin that the marks need to be no more than 2 inches apart, either horizontally or vertically. Birds try to fly through any gap bigger than a fist. I had my own stickers spaced about 6 inches apart for a year and still heard that awful thump a couple times a month. After I redid them with the 2-inch rule, I haven't had a single strike in three months. It feels so obvious now, but I guess the spacing isn't really talked about enough. Has anyone else had to completely redo their window markers after learning this?

3 comments

Posts

Finally got that 1911 slide to lock back smoothly after two weeks of filing

I keep seeing techs skip the amp draw check on fridge compressors

An old guy at the hardware store told me to always use a 6 mil vapor barrier on concrete, no matter what

Why does nobody talk about mixing mud with a paddle bit in reverse?

I finally figured out how to get my friend into anime after like 10 failed attempts

Appreciation post: My neighbor's comment about the rocks in my garden made me see them differently

Question about cleaning old comic pages

I keep seeing people put stickers way too far apart on their glass

Recent Comments