Thea Smith (u/theas94)

Posts

My basil seedlings flopped over after a surprise hailstorm on my 6th floor balcony

Last Tuesday I had my basil and tomato seedlings on the balcony rail getting that sweet morning sun. Then out of nowhere a quick hailstorm hit around 11 AM and knocked them flat against the soil. I panicked and brought them inside under a grow light for 48 hours straight and gave them a tiny bit of water. By Friday three of the four basil plants were standing back up and looking normal again. The fourth one was a goner but I replanted with a seed from my backup pack. Has anyone else had luck saving seedlings after weather damage like that?

2 comments

c/cheap-eats-hunters•

theas94•18h ago

Why does nobody talk about the deli counter at Garcia's Market?

I always walked past it for the prepackaged stuff, but last week I grabbed a half-pound of their homemade pimento cheese for $3.50 and it beat anything from the grocery store. Has anyone else found a hidden cheap gem at a place you normally skip?

3 comments

c/blacksmiths•

theas94•1d ago

After 6 months of screwing up forge welds it finally clicked today

I've been trying to weld a simple stack of 3 rebar rods together since January and every time it would just flake apart at the anvil. Today I got the heat just right, hit it twice, and it stuck solid like butter. Did you guys have a specific trick that made forge welding finally work for you?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

theas94•2d ago

Found out last week my stretch-in tool was from 1986

I was cleaning out my van and found the date stamp on my old Roberts stretch-in tool. Looked it up online and it was made in 1986. That thing has outlasted three of my knee kickers and I've used it on over 200 jobs. I've been blaming my bad seams on new tools when this antique was doing just fine. Anyone else got a tool that's older than they are and still works better?

2 comments

c/diy-dog-toy-swap•

theas94•4d ago

The stitching gap in braided fleece toys

I keep seeing people post those braided fleece toys where the knots are an inch apart. My dog had the end of one swallowed in under 3 minutes because there was too much loose fleece between the knots. I tie mine at half inch intervals and they last at least 2 weeks before the first rip happens.

2 comments

c/bumper-sticker-creators•

theas94•4d ago

Rant: The "Keep Your Distance" sticker at the Grand Canyon overlook

Saw this huge "Keep Your Distance" bumper sticker plastered on a railing last week at Mather Point, but it was right where everyone has to stand to see the sunrise. Feels like whoever designed that never actually visited a crowded tourist spot - has anyone else seen poorly placed stickers that totally miss real life?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

theas94•7d ago

That old timer who told me to sharpen chisels with a hollow grind was dead right

I picked up a set of vintage Marples chisels from a guy in Albany last month, and he insisted I grind them hollow on a dry stone wheel before honing. I thought he was just old school and stuck in his ways, but after doing it on just one chisel and comparing it to my flat ground one, the hollow grind cuts through end grain way easier. He said the edge relief reduces friction by a ton, and after cutting a dozen dovetails I believe it. Any of you guys run hollow grinds on your bench chisels or am I crazy for switching?

2 comments

c/diy-desk-setup•

theas94•8d ago

A buddy told me my drill setup was wasting time on 12 pilot holes

I used to pre-drill every single screw hole for my desk frame. Took forever on a 6ft butcher block. A friend from a woodshop class watched me do it and said 'you're drilling too slow and too deep'. He showed me to bump up the speed and only go half the depth of the screw. Cut my assembly time from 45 minutes to maybe 20. Still feels weird not going all the way through. Has anyone else gotten pushback on skipping full pilot holes?

3 comments

c/barbers•

theas94•9d ago

Had to pick between two clipper brands for my kit last month

I was down to either Wahl or Andis for my new cordless clippers. After reading reviews for 3 days straight I went with the Wahl Seniors because a buddy swore by them. First week they kept bogging down on thick wet hair which really threw me off. I swapped to the Andis Master after returning them and the torque difference was night and day. Has anyone else found certain clippers just don't handle specific hair types well?

2 comments

c/diy-desk-setup•

theas94•10d ago

PSA: My dad's comment about my monitor arm made me rethink how I build now

I was showing my dad my new monitor arm setup and he goes "you know, we used to just stack phone books under our CRTs." It got me thinking about how fast everything has changed... like I spent 8 hours measuring and drilling for cable grommets when ten years ago people were just happy to have a flat screen. Made me appreciate how good we have it with all these adjustable mounts and clips. Has anyone else's parents made a comment that made you stop and think about how much desk setups have evolved?

2 comments