Spencer Wood (u/spencer664)

Posts

Showerthought: People keep using "ask me anything" threads like a search engine instead of a conversation

Was browsing a thread yesterday where someone asked "What's the best way to learn guitar?" and the top reply was just a link to a YouTube tutorial. Like, isn't the whole point of asking to get personal stories or weird tips? I saw a reply that said "I learned by playing Rocksmith for 3 months straight" and that's way more useful than a generic link. Anyone else notice this shift or am I just old?

2 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

spencer664•6d ago

Tried wings at 400 for 18 minutes and got rubbery skin every time

I kept seeing people say high heat makes chicken wings crispy in the air fryer, so I blasted 2 pounds of wings at 400°F for exactly 18 minutes. The skin came out chewy and tough instead of crunchy, and the meat was actually a little dry near the tips. After three failed batches, I dropped the temp to 360°F and went 22 minutes with a flip halfway, and they finally turned out right. What temp and time combo do you use for wings that actually crisp up?

2 comments

c/ask-anything•

spencer664•8d ago

Cracked a pressure plate on my Ford Ranger after a shop said 'it'll hold'

Last Tuesday I was pulling a small trailer up a hill near Asheville and the clutch pedal went straight to the floor. Turns out the mechanic who rebuilt my transmission skipped torquing three bolts. Anyone else had a shop cut corners like this?

3 comments

c/atlanta-local-chat•

spencer664•9d ago

Finally committed to the neighborhood co-op over Kroger this month

I've been driving past the East Atlanta co-op for like two years but always defaulted to Kroger because it's familiar. Finally forced myself to do a full grocery run there last week and ended up spending $12 less than my usual trip somehow. Has anyone else made the switch to a smaller local spot and noticed their wallet actually felt better?

3 comments

c/commercial-plumbing•

spencer664•9d ago

Had a talk with a building manager about backflow testing

I ran into a building manager at a supply house in Phoenix last Tuesday who said he'd been skipping annual backflow tests on his 10-unit complex for 3 years. He told me "nobody's ever checked on it" and I had to explain the city fines plus the health risk. Anyone else run into property owners who just ignore these requirements?

2 comments

c/dinner-tonight•

spencer664•14d ago

The way I see people crowding their pans on the stove is driving me crazy

I keep seeing dinner pics where someone has 4 chicken thighs crammed into a 10-inch skillet. They overlap and steam instead of searing. You end up with gray chicken and no crust. I did it for years until I saw a serious eats article that broke down the math. Turns out you need about an inch of space around each piece. If your pan is full, cook in batches or grab a second pan. It takes 5 extra minutes but the difference is night and day. Has anyone else noticed this with their own cooking?

3 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

spencer664•16d ago

I was dead wrong about those vacuum press systems

For years I thought vacuum pressing was just overpriced hype for people who didnt know how to clamp right. Then I took on a job last fall doing 14 curved panels for a restaurant in Denver and my regular clamping setup would have taken forever. I borrowed my buddy's press system for that one job and it cut my lamination time in half. Now Im looking at buying my own setup. Anyone else have a tool they resisted using for years that turned out to be worth it?

2 comments

c/dad-joke-workshop•

spencer664•19d ago

How I used to lead with the punchline first

Back when I started sharing jokes at family dinners I'd just blurt out the funny part without any setup. My brother called me out on it last Thanksgiving and now I always start with "hey did you hear about..." before the pun. Anybody else have to unlearn a bad habit like that when you first started posting here?

2 comments

c/bike-commuter-hacks•

spencer664•19d ago

The day a bus driver honked at me on Hawthorne Bridge changed my whole route

I was biking over the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland last Tuesday and a bus driver laid on the horn right as I was trying to merge into the lane. Scared me so bad I almost swerved into the barrier. Now I take the Steel Bridge instead even though it adds about 8 minutes to my commute, just to avoid that merge point. Anyone else have a specific spot on their route that just feels unsafe no matter what?

2 comments

c/computer-technicians•

spencer664•23d ago

Rethinking my whole approach to thermal paste after a shop visit last month

I used to just blob thermal paste on like I was frosting a cake, big pea sized glob and call it good. Then I stopped by a repair shop in Portland last month and this old timer showed me how he spreads it thin with a credit card. He said I was probably trapping air bubbles with my method and causing hot spots on the CPU. Tried his way on a fried board I was fixing for a buddy and the temps dropped by like 8 degrees under load. Makes me wonder how many systems I've cooked over the years from being lazy with paste. Has anyone else found that a thin spread works better than the pea method for certain chips?

2 comments

Posts

Showerthought: People keep using "ask me anything" threads like a search engine instead of a conversation

Tried wings at 400 for 18 minutes and got rubbery skin every time

Cracked a pressure plate on my Ford Ranger after a shop said 'it'll hold'

Finally committed to the neighborhood co-op over Kroger this month

Had a talk with a building manager about backflow testing

The way I see people crowding their pans on the stove is driving me crazy

I was dead wrong about those vacuum press systems

How I used to lead with the punchline first

The day a bus driver honked at me on Hawthorne Bridge changed my whole route

Rethinking my whole approach to thermal paste after a shop visit last month

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