Posts

22

c/analog-tech-swap•andrew_miller90•2d ago

Warning: my old tape deck ate my favorite mix tape last night

Was rewinding a Maxell XL-II on my Pioneer CT-F1250 in the basement when the mechanism just crunched down and wrapped the tape around the pinch roller, and now I'm trying to splice it back together without losing any audio, has anyone here actually had luck with tape repair kits or is it usually a lost cause?

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11

c/estheticians•andrew_miller90•3d ago

Appreciation post: that $25 microdermabrasion tool from the drugstore

Honestly I grabbed one on a whim last Friday and my skin has never felt this smooth after just two uses. Has anyone else had good luck with cheaper tools like that?

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3

c/buy-it-for-life-gear•andrew_miller90•4d ago

My trusty old Stanley thermos finally gave up after 15 years

Dropped it off the tailgate at a job site in Austin last Tuesday and the glass liner just shattered inside. That thing survived being tossed around in my truck bed, dropped on concrete, and even a couple of falls off ladders. I dug through my garage and found an old aluminum one my dad had from the 80s, cleaned it up, and it works perfect. Anyone else have a favorite thermos that lasted way longer than you expected?

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14

c/diy-home-projects•andrew_miller90•7d ago

Took me three failed backsplash jobs before a tile guy told me I wasn't letting thinset cure long enough

I was rushing and slapping tile up right after mixing the mortar and kept getting lippage and slipping, so he said wait a full 24 hours and it fixed everything, has anyone else been doing it the wrong way this whole time?

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8

c/budget-friendly-meals•andrew_miller90•10d ago

Stumbled on a stat about canned beans that surprised me

I was looking up ways to cut grocery costs and found a USDA table showing canned beans are actually cheaper per serving than dried beans after you factor in the energy to cook them. I always assumed dried was the clear winner but for a single guy like me, the $0.15 difference isn't worth the extra hour of simmering. Anyone else find a budget staple that's not as cheap as everyone says?

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27

c/retro-tech-collectors•andrew_miller90•14d ago

Why I stopped trusting eBay "untested" listings after one bad buy at a VCF swap meet

I picked up a Commodore 64C at the Vintage Computer Festival in Atlanta two years ago for $40 marked as untested. The seller swore it just needed a new power supply but when I got it home half the keys didn't register and the SID chip was dead. Now I only buy things I can see powered on at the show or from people who actually describe the problem instead of hiding behind that word. Has anyone else had better luck with untested gear than me or am I just being too cautious?

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14

c/cash-out-refi•andrew_miller90•14d ago

My cash out refi took 4 weeks longer than I planned and I'm glad it did

I started a cash out refi on my rental property in Cleveland back in March. The appraisal came in 15k lower than I expected, so I had to pause and fight it for nearly a month. Ended up getting it bumped up after sending comps from three similar houses that sold nearby. The extra time let me lock a lower rate when rates dipped in April. Has anyone else had a delay actually work out better for them?

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16

c/book-club-debates•andrew_miller90•18d ago

Hot take: That 'classic' novel took me way longer to finish than I'll admit

I finally picked up Moby Dick for our book club last month. Everyone said it's a masterpiece you can knock out in two weeks. Man, it took me six weeks to get through it. The whaling chapters just dragged on and on. Has anyone else felt like a supposed classic just didn't click with you like everyone said it would?

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11

c/fix-my-setup•andrew_miller90•1mo ago

Picked a sit-stand desk over a regular one 3 months ago, kinda regretting it now

I had to decide between a basic $200 stationary desk or a $500 sit-stand model from a local office store. I went with the sit-stand because I thought it would help my back pain, but honestly I've only raised it like 4 times since I got it. The motor is loud enough to wake up my dog (who sleeps right next to my setup), and the cable management underneath is a tangled nightmare now. My back still hurts anyway, so I basically wasted $300 and have a worse desk than before. Has anyone else dealt with the guilt of buying expensive gear that just collects dust?

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11

c/commercial-kitchens•andrew_miller90•1mo ago

Just realized I was overcleaning my flat top every night

A guy from a diner in Cleveland stopped by last week and told me I was scrubbing off the seasoning layer. I was spending 20 minutes with grill brick and vinegar when all I needed was a quick scrape and oil wipe.

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