Drew Patel (u/drew_patel57)

Posts

Found a trick for fading tricky cowlicks near the crown

I work out of a shop in Providence and I have this one regular who has two strong cowlicks right at the crown. For months I was fighting with them, trying to blend the fade around them and it always looked bumpy. I saw a video from a barber in Chicago who suggested using a smaller clipper blade and going in the opposite direction of the cowlick swirl. I tried it on my guy last Saturday and it smoothed out the fade completely. No more weird ridges or patches. Has anyone else tried switching blade direction for cowlicks or do you have another method that works better?

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

drew_patel57•3d ago

Old timer on the Mississippi showed me how to read a cutterhead wear pattern in five seconds flat.

He pointed at the uneven scoring on the teeth and said that's how you know your swing is off by 15 degrees, and I've been checking it every morning shift since last Tuesday.

2 comments

c/family-recipe-swap•

drew_patel57•7d ago

Finally got my grandma's biscuit recipe right after 6 tries

I kept ending up with hockey pucks until I swapped out self-rising flour for all-purpose and added buttermilk, and now they actually puff up like hers did. Anyone else have a secret ingredient that totally changed their baking game?

2 comments

c/deals-and-steals•

drew_patel57•10d ago

Hot take: 2-day shipping codes are great, but 4-week price match chase is way more worth it

I found a grill at Home Depot for $380 back in May. Saw it drop to $310 three weeks later on their site. Called customer service, they said they don't price match after 30 days. So I printed the old receipt, bought the same grill at the low price, and returned it with the old receipt. Whole thing took me about 45 minutes on the phone and in store. But the savings was $70, which is way more than any coupon code I've found lately. Is that too shady or is this just how you get real deals now?

2 comments

c/diy-workbench-hacks•

drew_patel57•13d ago

Heard a guy at Ace Hardware say workbench tops need to be 3/4 inch plywood or they'll sag...

My whole bench is built from 1/2 inch ply with a center support and it's held up fine for 2 years now, has anyone else found that thicker tops are way overkill for home use?

2 comments

c/offbeat-repair-stories•

drew_patel57•14d ago

Old timer at the hardware store told me to use a potato for a stripped screw

I had this brass screw on a hinge that was totally stripped out and spinning in place. Some retired contractor named Gary at Ace Hardware said to jam a raw potato on the screw and back it out. I honestly thought he was messing with me but I tried it and it worked on the first try, the starch gave it just enough grip. Has anyone else had that weird trick actually work for them or did I just get lucky with a shallow screw?

3 comments

c/family-recipe-swap•

drew_patel57•15d ago

Spent 4 hours trying to fix my grandma's pie crust recipe

I've been making her apple pie for years but the crust always came out tough and dry. Turns out I was overworking the dough by mixing it too long before chilling it. Has anyone else spent way too much time chasing a simple fix in the kitchen?

2 comments

c/everyday-life-hacks•

drew_patel57•1mo ago

Appreciation post: The ice cube trick for watering hanging plants

Last Sunday I was watering my wife's ferns on the front porch (you know, the ones that drip everywhere if you use a regular watering can). I dropped 3 ice cubes in each pot instead of pouring water, and it melted slowly without making a mess or overflowing the saucer. My Aunt Carol showed me this a couple months ago from her place in Phoenix, and honestly it's saved me from cleaning concrete stains off the walkway every time. Anyone else use this method or have another tip for keeping hanging baskets tidy?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

drew_patel57•1mo ago

That big job in Denver changed my mind about power stretchers

I used to think power stretchers were a waste of money for residential work. But last month I had a 1,200 square foot living room in a new build out near Golden. The homeowner wanted a tight stretch on a heavy commercial carpet, and my manual knee kicker just wasn't cutting it. I ended up renting a power stretcher for 50 bucks and it saved me probably 3 hours of work. The seams were way cleaner too, no ripples at all. Has anyone else had a job where they finally gave in and tried something they always avoided?

2 comments

c/forgotten-tv-shows•

drew_patel57•1mo ago

Appreciation post: The weird fact I found about Space: 1999's moon base

I was digging around on a fan site last weekend and found out the moon base set for Space: 1999 was actually the biggest indoor set ever built in Europe at the time. It was 200 feet long and cost like 2 million dollars just to build for the first season. That blew my mind because the show only ran for 48 episodes total and most people forgot it existed by the 80s. I always thought the corridors looked huge but I had no clue they were that massive and expensive. Anyone else remember that show or find random stats like this about forgotten sci-fi?

3 comments