The debate on swapping out timing chains vs just the tensioner at 150k miles

I did my buddy's 2012 Ford Focus timing chain at 152,000 miles last month. He wanted me to just swap the tensioner and save $300 on the full kit. I told him no way, the chain had stretched a quarter inch already. But then my other mechanic friend says he's done just tensioners on three Escapes past 180k and they ran fine. I'm in the middle here because on one hand the full job takes forever but on the other hand you don't want it skipping teeth. What do you guys usually do when a customer comes in with high mileage - full chain and guides or just the tensioner?

Surprised how a 100-hour injector service changed idle quality

Has anyone else seen a set of injectors that looked fine but turned out to be the whole problem?

An older barber told me my clipper fade was 'too busy' and it stung at first

About three months ago, a guy who has been cutting hair for 20 years watched me do a fade and said my lines were all over the place. He said I was chasing shadows and making it complicated instead of smooth. So I stepped back and started doing only three guard lines max per fade, taking my time with each blend. Now I spend an extra 5 minutes on the transition from the 1 to the 2 guard and it looks way cleaner. Anyone else get feedback that made you totally change your fade technique?

Rant: Found out my brand new water heater was installed without a pressure relief valve

I was reading the city of Calgary's building permit stats for 2023 and realized 12% of new home renovations failed inspection for missing basic safety stuff like that, which blew my mind since I just paid $2,800 for mine last month... has anyone else dealt with shoddy contractor work like this?

Hit up a buddy's battlestation in Austin last weekend and noticed something odd about his desk setup

He's got this massive 49 inch ultrawide monitor but his chair is an old wooden dining chair with no padding. Two months ago he dropped $1,200 on the screen but won't spend $200 on a decent chair. On one hand I get it, the monitor looks amazing for games. But on the other hand his back is going to be wrecked in six months. Which side do you fall on, do you put your money into the screen or the chair first?

Just realized my drill battery hack for panel boxes might be controversial here

I found that using a right-angle adapter on a 12v impact instead of a full hammer drill saved me 2 hours on a 6-panel install in Austin last week because I could fit into tight stud bays, but I'm wondering if the torque trade-off causes more stripped screws long term - anyone else tried this shortcut and seen issues?

Picked up a weird trick at a garage sale in Ohio for cable management

My first homemade smoke machine nearly set off the fire alarm at a friend's Halloween party

I built a simple smoke machine using a soldering iron and a glycerin mix, and tested it in my garage first. At the party, I cranked the heat too high and the thing started smoking real bad, like burning plastic bad. I had to unplug it and wave a towel at the detector for a few minutes while everyone stared. Turns out my wick was too dry and the coil got way hotter than I planned. Anyone else had a close call with their first build and figured out a better wick material?

Was skeptical about rotary cleaning heads for years, now I'm a believer

I used to think those spinning rotary heads were just a gimmick to sell more tools. But last spring I took on a job in a 1920s house in Richmond with heavy creosote buildup that my standard brushes just couldn't touch. A buddy let me borrow his Sooteater rod and head setup, and it cut my cleaning time in half on that one chimney. Has anyone else had a similar experience where they changed their mind on a tool after giving it a fair shot?

Brushes changed my whole workflow last month

I used to rely on default hard round brushes for everything, even shading. Switched to Kyle's textured brush pack on a whim and my portraits look way less plastic now. Anyone else find a brush set that just clicked with their style?