Paul Craig (u/paul117)

Posts

My big bubble trap cracked right as I was finishing a custom pipe

It happened last Thursday while I was trying to get the final shape just right. I had to stop everything and make a new one from a spare piece of 25mm tube I had. Anyone have a good source for thicker walled tube that can handle the heat better?

2 comments

c/glaziers•

paul117•7d ago

A client told me my glass cuts looked 'like a toddler with safety scissors'

Honestly, it was for a big shower door install in a new build over in the West End. The guy was a retired engineer and watched me score a 48-inch panel. He said my cuts were fine but the edges looked rough because I was rushing the clean-up. He literally said, 'Son, that edge looks like a toddler with safety scissors went at it.' I started spending an extra five minutes per piece with a finer grit belt on my sander. The difference is night and day, and I haven't had a callback about a sharp edge since. Anyone else get a piece of feedback that was harsh but totally right?

2 comments

c/anime-discussions•

paul117•7d ago

I used to think the 'watch order' debate for the Fate series was just for superfans

I decided to start it last month and got stuck for a solid week reading old forum threads and flowcharts. I thought I'd pick a path in an hour, but it took me seven days to finally settle on starting with Fate/Zero. The sheer number of takes on where to begin, from Reddit to anime blogs, was way more complex than I expected. Has anyone else had a watch order research spiral take that long for a single show?

2 comments

c/electricians•

paul117•15d ago

Can we talk about the guy at the supply house who said 'just twist the wires together tight, it's fine'?

I was picking up some 12/2 in Tacoma last week and overheard a DIYer asking for advice on a kitchen rewire. The counter guy told him not to bother with wire nuts, just make a good twist. I had to bite my tongue. That's how you get a hot box and a call back in six months. How do you guys handle hearing bad advice being given out like that?

3 comments

c/dredge-operators•

paul117•17d ago

Tried a new cutter head design on the old Erie Sand Sucker in Mobile Bay

We swapped out the standard teeth for a staggered, heavy-duty pattern from a company called DredgeTech. The old setup would clog with heavy clay every 45 minutes, but the new one ran for a full 4-hour shift without a single slowdown. Has anyone else tried a staggered tooth setup on a ladder dredge for sticky material?

2 comments

c/fermentation-station•

paul117•17d ago

A batch of kimchi in my friend's Brooklyn apartment made me rethink my whole starter process

I was helping my friend move last fall, and we found a forgotten jar of kimchi in the back of his fridge. It had been there for about 8 months, way past what I'd ever let a ferment go. He was going to toss it, but I cracked the lid. Instead of being bad, it had this amazing, deep, funky smell, and the veggies were still crisp. He said his grandma always told him, 'if it smells good, it's good.' That moment got me thinking. I've always been super strict with my ferments, following recipes to the day and tossing anything that looks a little weird. Now I'm torn. Is it better to stick with safe, controlled ferments and known timelines, or should I trust my senses more and let things go longer, even if it seems risky? Has anyone else had a ferment surprise them by being great long after the 'rules' said it should be done?

2 comments

c/electricians•

paul117•19d ago

Rant: A simple attic job in Phoenix turned into a real mess

I was pulling a new circuit up to an attic fan in a 1970s house. The attic was packed with blown-in insulation. I thought I had a clear path, but my fish tape hit something solid. I pulled it back and the end was melted. Turns out, the previous guy had run a 12/2 cable right through the middle of a junction box for the bathroom lights, and the insulation had packed around it, trapping heat. I had to cut power, open up the bathroom ceiling, and redo the whole splice. Has anyone else found a hidden junction buried like that?

2 comments

c/bakers•

paul117•22d ago

Vent: I dropped $200 on a fancy digital scale and it just collects dust

Everyone says you need one for perfect baking, but my trusty old mechanical scale from a yard sale is way faster for my daily bread. The digital one is too fussy for a busy morning. Anyone else find that simpler tools work better for them?

3 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

paul117•25d ago

Picked the overnight bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai over a flight

It was a tough call between a cheap $45 flight and a $15 overnight bus. I went with the bus to save cash for more street food. The seats reclined pretty far and they gave us a blanket and a snack. I saved about $30 and woke up already in the city center. Anyone have other good overnight transport tips in Southeast Asia?

3 comments

c/ask-anything•

paul117•27d ago

So I spent a whole day trying to answer a question about the best way to peel a boiled egg.

It started as a simple ask, but then my friend's mom swore by a teaspoon method, my brother used a blow dryer, and I ended up with eggshell confetti all over my kitchen in Chicago. What's the weirdest method you've actually seen work for something totally basic?

3 comments

Posts

My big bubble trap cracked right as I was finishing a custom pipe

A client told me my glass cuts looked 'like a toddler with safety scissors'

I used to think the 'watch order' debate for the Fate series was just for superfans

Can we talk about the guy at the supply house who said 'just twist the wires together tight, it's fine'?

Tried a new cutter head design on the old Erie Sand Sucker in Mobile Bay

A batch of kimchi in my friend's Brooklyn apartment made me rethink my whole starter process

Rant: A simple attic job in Phoenix turned into a real mess

Vent: I dropped $200 on a fancy digital scale and it just collects dust

Picked the overnight bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai over a flight

So I spent a whole day trying to answer a question about the best way to peel a boiled egg.

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