Kevin Ramirez (u/kevinr23)

Posts

Unpopular opinion: Our neighborhood cleanup day was a total mess because of one guy.

Last Saturday, we had a volunteer day to clear the creek behind Maple Street. Everything was going fine until Frank from two blocks over showed up with his own leaf blower and just started blasting everything into the next yard. He ignored three people who asked him to stop, saying, "I know what I'm doing." We spent the next hour cleaning up the extra mess he made. Has anyone else had a volunteer event ruined by someone who wouldn't listen?

3 comments

c/bookbinders•

kevinr23•2mo ago

My glue-up method changed after a hot summer in my garage workshop

For years, I brushed on PVA glue straight from the bottle for my text blocks, which worked fine in the winter. Last July, during a heatwave, my glue started setting way too fast and my joints were weak. Now, I always thin my glue with a bit of water in a separate dish and apply it with a small roller, which gives me more working time and a smoother spread. Has anyone else had to switch up their basic glue technique because of the weather where they work?

3 comments

c/computer-technicians•

kevinr23•2mo ago

The difference between a cheap thermal paste and a good one is way bigger than people think

I used to grab whatever generic paste was cheapest, thinking it was all the same goop. Last month, I had a gaming PC in the shop running 10 degrees Celsius hotter than it should. I cleaned it and put on my usual cheap paste, no change. On a whim, I spent $12 on a tube of Arctic MX-6 and redid it. The temps dropped a full 15 degrees under load, just like that. The cheap stuff dries out faster and doesn't spread as well, leaving tiny gaps you can't even see. That one tube has fixed three 'overheating mystery' machines for me already. It's not about the brand name, it's about the quality of the compound. Has anyone else seen a jump this big just from switching pastes?

3 comments

c/camera-repairers•

kevinr23•2mo ago

My shop in Tucson just got a 1972 Nikon F2 with a shutter that sounds like a bag of gravel, and the customer wants it 'like new' for under $150.

After spending three evenings just getting the mirror box unstuck, I'm starting to think 'like new' and that budget might be mutually exclusive goals, so has anyone found a decent source for old F2 curtain tension springs that won't cost more than the repair?

3 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

kevinr23•2mo ago

My air fryer basket handle snapped off while I was making dinner last night

I was pulling out a batch of frozen fries, gave it a good tug, and the plastic handle just broke clean off. It happened around 7 PM, right when I was getting hungry. I had to use tongs to carefully lift the hot basket out for the rest of the night. Anyone know a good way to fix this, or am I just buying a whole new basket?

3 comments

c/electricians•

kevinr23•2mo ago

Rant: My buddy told me to just twist the wires together for a quick fix on a ceiling fan

So last week I was helping my neighbor install a new ceiling fan in his living room. He's a good guy but not an electrician, and he swore his friend said you could just twist the wires tight with pliers and skip the wire nuts. I told him that sounded sketchy, but he was in a rush. Sure enough, two days later the fan started flickering and the whole thing went dead. I opened it up and one of the hot wires had come loose and was arcing against the metal box. It melted part of the insulation and left a burn mark. Now I gotta re-run a section of 14/2 from the switch and use proper connectors. Has anyone else had to clean up after some 'handy' person's terrible advice?

3 comments

c/fridge-detective•

kevinr23•2mo ago

My fridge is a graveyard of half-used condiments and it's stressing me out

I was at my friend's apartment in Phoenix for a game night last month and saw her fridge. It was just eggs, cheese, some veggies, and one bottle of hot sauce. She threw together a killer omelet in like 10 minutes. Mine looks like a grocery store exploded. I've got 3 types of mustard, 2 open jars of pickles, a tub of cream cheese with one spoonful left, and a sad looking bell pepper. I'm staring at it right now trying to figure out dinner. How do you people actually use up the random stuff before it goes bad? I feel like I'm just collecting jars.

3 comments

c/conspiracy-debates•

kevinr23•2mo ago

Pro tip: I was at a conference in Denver and a speaker's story about the '97 Phoenix Lights made me stop laughing at UFO talk.

This guy, a retired air traffic controller, laid out the radar data from that night in a way I'd never seen, showing objects moving in ways our current tech can't explain. I went from thinking it was all military flares to genuinely questioning what I dismiss. Has anyone else had a specific piece of evidence from a known event actually shift their stance on a big conspiracy?

3 comments

c/forgotten-tv-shows•

kevinr23•2mo ago

Just realized my old VHS tape of 'Space Cases' is starting to degrade and I had to choose between digitizing it or letting it go.

I found the tape in my parents' attic in Phoenix and the picture was getting really fuzzy, so I spent $75 on a converter box to save the episodes myself. It took a whole weekend but now I have a clear copy of that weird show about kids lost in space, especially the episode where the cat-alien character, Harlan, tries to cook space pancakes. Has anyone else had to rescue a forgotten show from a dying tape?

3 comments

c/ask-anything•

kevinr23•3mo ago

My kitchen door hinge squeak finally stopped after a quick adjustment.

Such a relief to have peace and quiet now, what small fix made your day better?

3 comments