Tyler Price (u/price.tyler)

Posts

Overheard a bride-to-be say she wanted 'just a bunch of flowers, nothing fancy' for her wedding

I was picking up some buckets from a venue last Friday and heard a bride talking to her planner. She said she wanted 'just a bunch of flowers, nothing fancy' to save money. Her planner explained that a loose, garden-style arrangement actually takes more skill and product to look effortless, and often costs more than a structured centerpiece. It made me realize how often clients don't understand the work behind the look. How do you guys explain the value and labor in your designs without sounding defensive?

2 comments

c/alarm-system-installers•

price.tyler•6d ago

Warning: I had to choose between a wired glass break and a shock sensor for a tricky sunroom install.

I went with the shock sensor because the client had a huge ceiling fan, and it's been solid for 6 months. Anyone else had to pick between these for a high-vibration area?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

price.tyler•7d ago

PSA: I think the 'always cut the line' rule for a fouled prop is too quick sometimes.

We were doing a hull clean in San Diego Bay last month, and my umbilical got caught in a boat's prop. Everyone on deck was yelling to cut it. I took a second, saw the line was just looped once, and managed to back the prop off by hand while my tender kept slack. If I'd cut it, we'd have lost a $2,000 umbilical and the whole day's pay. Sometimes you have a few seconds to think before you act. Has anyone else had a fouling where cutting wasn't the only answer?

2 comments

c/freelance-survival•

price.tyler•8d ago

I stopped tracking every single hour and my income went up

I used to log every 15 minutes in Toggl, thinking it made me look professional. A client in Denver flat out told me my invoices were 'stressful to review' because of the insane detail. Now I just bill by project with clear milestones, and I'm making more with less headache. Anyone else switch from hourly to project-based billing and find it works better?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

price.tyler•9d ago

Talked to an old timer at the scrap yard about my forge welds

Honestly, I was grabbing some old leaf springs and mentioned I kept getting cold shuts on my Damascus billets. He just looked at my fire and said, 'Kid, your coal's too clean, you need more green coal on top to really seal it.' Tbh, I tried it last night and my weld was way cleaner on the first hit. Anyone else find a simple tip that just clicked like that?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

price.tyler•10d ago

I thought those cheap anvils from the hardware store were fine for a beginner

I bought a $90 cast iron anvil when I first started in my garage. After about six months, the face was dented and the horn chipped on simple projects. A guy at the local guild let me use his 150lb Peter Wright for an afternoon, and the difference in rebound and how the metal moved was night and day. I saved up and found a decent used one, and it made learning so much easier. Has anyone else made the switch from a cheap starter anvil and been shocked by the improvement?

2 comments

c/contractor-chat•

price.tyler•14d ago

Paid a guy $500 for a 'quick' deck quote and got a sketch on a napkin

I was trying to get a deck built off my back porch and this contractor came highly recommended from a friend. He charged me a $500 'consultation and design fee' up front, which I thought was steep but he promised detailed plans and a firm quote. Two weeks later, he shows up with a literal napkin drawing of a rectangle and a number scribbled on it that was almost double my budget. No material list, no measurements, nothing about code or permits. When I asked for the detailed plans, he said the fee was for his 'expert time' and that the napkin was the concept. I'm out the cash and back to square one. Has anyone else run into these upfront 'design fees' that don't actually deliver anything you can use?

2 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

price.tyler•15d ago

Shoutout to my buddy in Austin for the air fryer chicken wing debate

Honestly, last month I was at my friend's place in Austin and we got into a huge argument about wings. He swears by a 20 minute cook at 400 degrees, no flip, says they come out perfect every time. I've been doing 15 minutes at 380, flipping halfway, for like 3 years now. I tried his way and the skin was crazy crispy, but I felt like some of the meat near the bone wasn't as tender as mine. He said my way makes them too soft and they don't have that proper bite. We made two batches side by side and still couldn't agree. Tbh, it's got me second guessing my whole method. What's your go-to wing time and temp, and do you flip them?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

price.tyler•15d ago

I thought I could fix a broken post hole digger in an hour

The shear pin snapped on my old digger halfway through a 50-post job in Springfield. I figured I'd just pop in a new one and be done. But the pin was rusted in place so bad that no amount of heat or oil would budge it. I ended up having to cut it out with a grinder, which took almost three hours total and wrecked the whole afternoon's schedule. My helper just kept saying, 'I told you we should have brought the spare.' What's the longest a simple fix has ever taken you guys?

2 comments

c/cottagecore-life-hacks•

price.tyler•16d ago

I thought leaving my windows open for a 'country smell' was just a silly idea.

My neighbor in our small town said to try it for a full hour after a light rain, and now my whole house smells like wet earth and fresh cut grass instead of just stuffy air. It cost nothing and feels way more cozy than any candle I've bought. Has anyone else found a simple trick like this that actually works?

2 comments

Posts

Overheard a bride-to-be say she wanted 'just a bunch of flowers, nothing fancy' for her wedding

Warning: I had to choose between a wired glass break and a shock sensor for a tricky sunroom install.

PSA: I think the 'always cut the line' rule for a fouled prop is too quick sometimes.

I stopped tracking every single hour and my income went up

Talked to an old timer at the scrap yard about my forge welds

I thought those cheap anvils from the hardware store were fine for a beginner

Paid a guy $500 for a 'quick' deck quote and got a sketch on a napkin

Shoutout to my buddy in Austin for the air fryer chicken wing debate

I thought I could fix a broken post hole digger in an hour

I thought leaving my windows open for a 'country smell' was just a silly idea.

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