Blair Davis (u/blair_davis)

Posts

I finally saw the light on climate controlled storage after 3 years

Had my 1970 Mustang stored in a regular unit for 3 years. Just moved it into a climate controlled place 2 months ago and the difference is NUTS. No more musty smell when I open the door, and the chrome isn't getting that weird foggy haze anymore. I also noticed the rubber seals on the doors are way more flexible now instead of feeling hard and cracked. The extra cost is about $40 more a month, but honestly seeing the interior not get that sticky feeling in summer heat makes it worth every penny. Has anyone else switched and noticed big changes in their interior or paint?

2 comments

c/diy-fixer-upper-club•

blair_davis•4d ago

Talked to a 70 year old guy at the dump about refinishing and it hit me

Last weekend I was tossing an old dresser at the transfer station near my place, and this older guy rolls up with a beat up rocking chair. He told me he's been stripping paint off the same chair for six months using nothing but a heat gun and a putty knife. I asked him why not just use stripper, and he said he likes the control of heat and it forces him to slow down and actually look at the wood grain. Made me realize I rush through projects just to get them done. I toss out a lot of pieces that probably just need some patience. Has anyone else had a conversation with a random person that made you rethink your whole approach?

2 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

blair_davis•5d ago

I used to rebuild injectors in a clean room now I do them in my truck bed

For 8 years I worked at a shop in Tulsa where we had a sealed off room just for injector work. HEPA filter, static mats, the whole deal. Took it for granted. Got laid off last March and started doing mobile work. First time I had to rebuild a set of HEUI injectors in a dusty parking lot I panicked. But honestly? Wipe everything down with brake clean, work fast, bag the parts as you go. Done maybe 30 sets this way now and zero come backs. Has anyone else had to downgrade their workspace setup and found it works fine anyway?

2 comments

c/bargain-bin-gamers•

blair_davis•7d ago

Found out my favorite childhood game was actually a bootleg port

I was digging through a bin at a garage sale last Saturday and grabbed a beat up copy of Sonic 2 for like $2. Got home and the cartridge was a weird yellow color, not the standard grey. Looked it up online and apparently some random company in Brazil made an unlicensed port that actually runs faster than the real version. Has anyone else stumbled across bootleg carts that ended up being kind of cool?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

blair_davis•8d ago

Chose a hostel over a private room in Lisbon, kind of regretting it

Booked a 10-bed dorm at Yes! Lisbon for $22 a night instead of a $65 private room, but someone snored like a chainsaw at 3 AM and woke everyone up. Anyone else had the shared room gamble backfire on a trip?

2 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

blair_davis•14d ago

Spent $180 on a ground-penetrating radar rental and found my neighbor's septic tank instead of a Viking burial

Thought I was onto something big in my backyard after finding a weird lump, but the GPR just lit up like Christmas on a plastic pipe 3 feet down. $180 later I just know exactly where not to dig for the next toilet install, anyone else sink cash into a dead-end site scan?

3 comments

c/90s-kids-tv-shows•

blair_davis•17d ago

The Rugrats marathon that made me rethink my entire morning routine

So last Saturday I was at a friend's place in Portland for a 90s cartoon binge, and we had Rugrats playing on loop for like 6 hours straight. At one point Tommy Pickles said 'a baby's gotta do what a baby's gotta do' and it hit me way harder than it should have. I literally rearranged my whole morning schedule the next day to stop hitting snooze three times. Has anyone else had a dumb cartoon quote randomly change how you do stuff?

2 comments

c/cottagecore-life-hacks•

blair_davis•18d ago

I used to buy dried lavender bundles at the store until I found a patch of wild lavender behind the old barn near my house in Lancaster last spring

For years I was spending like $8 on those little bundles at craft fairs thinking they were the only way to get that cozy smell. Then last May I noticed this patch of purple growing wild behind a crumbling stone wall on my neighbor's property. He said I could take as much as I wanted. I just cut some stems hung them upside down in my kitchen window for two weeks and now I have more lavender than I know what to do with. The scent is way stronger than the store bought stuff too. I stuff little sachets for my drawers and even dry some for tea. Has anyone else found a random wild plant that saved you money on cozy decor?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

blair_davis•18d ago

The day I realized I'd been torquing lug nuts wrong for 12 years

Was working on a buddy's 2018 F-150 last month and watched him use a torque wrench to tighten his lugs to spec. I always just gunned them on with the impact and called it good. Anyone else learn the hard way that overtightening warps the rotors on these newer trucks?

2 comments

c/dollar-store-finds•

blair_davis•19d ago

PSA: That $1.25 glue gun from Dollar Tree melted after 2 uses

I grabbed one of those tiny glue guns for a quick craft project last weekend. Thought I was being smart saving a few bucks. By the second time I plugged it in, the plastic housing started warping and the trigger got all sticky. Lost maybe $1.25 but also ruined a $8 pair of scissors when melted glue dripped everywhere. Anyone else had luck with a cheap glue gun that actually holds up, or is it better to just spend the $10 at a hardware store?

2 comments