Posts

6

c/camping-gear-reviews•rileyl98•7h ago

Used to just use my regular sleeping bag for everything - finally got a proper quilt system last fall

For years I was just using this old Coleman bag I got at a garage sale for like $15. It was heavy, bulky, and I'd wake up freezing if the temp dropped below 50. Last October I finally bought a 20 degree quilt from a smaller company and paired it with a foam pad. The weight difference is insane - my pack went from 8 pounds for sleep gear to around 3. Has anyone else made the switch and noticed a big comfort difference in shoulder season trips?

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10

c/alarm-system-installers•rileyl98•3d ago

Hardwired vs wireless on a huge house in Portsmouth last month

I went with hardwired on a 6,000 sq ft home. Ran 2,000 feet of 22/4. Took three days but zero interference issues. Anyone else still running wire for big houses?

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21

c/diy-workbench-hacks•rileyl98•4d ago

Realized I was using my bench vise totally wrong after 8 years

I was at a friend's house last Saturday helping him build a new workbench and he asked why I mounted my vise on the right side of my bench. I told him that's just how I always did it and he gave me this weird look. He showed me how he keeps his on the left so he can still use his tape measure and pencil in his right hand without reaching across the vise. I felt like an idiot because I've been fighting with that awkward reach for years and never thought to switch it. He also pointed out that my vise jaws were both flat on top with no texture, so small round things kept slipping out. He showed me he glued a strip of old bicycle inner tube to one jaw and it holds pipes better than anything I've tried. Has anyone else moved their vise to a different spot and realized how much easier things get?

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6

c/drafters•rileyl98•9d ago

Took me 3 years to realize I was drafting with my ruler upside down

Was at a job site last week and the senior drafter looked over my shoulder and asked why I was measuring from the wrong edge of the scale. I've been adding 1/16 every time because I thought the tick marks started at zero. Nobody ever corrected me. Has anyone else had that embarrassing moment where you find out you've been doing something basic totally wrong the whole time?

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1

c/homesteading-and-diy•rileyl98•14d ago

Unpopular opinion: That expensive soil test kit is a waste if you just talk to your local extension office

I spent $45 on a digital soil pH meter from Amazon and got different readings every time I stuck it in the ground. Called my county extension office in Lane County and they did a full test for $12 with actual recommendations. Why are we all buying fancy gadgets before checking what's literally free or cheap from the people who know the local dirt?

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20

c/cabinetmakers•rileyl98•16d ago

Rant: That Monday morning where my panel saw decided to eat a $200 sheet of walnut

Blew a 40-amp fuse and the blade caught a hidden knot, turning a perfect veneered panel into splinters before 8am. Has anyone else had a machine just nuke an expensive piece of material for no good reason?

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20

c/cabinetmakers•rileyl98•1mo ago

Warning: don't trust pre-assembled drawer boxes from that big lumber yard

Picked up 8 pre-assembled drawer boxes from the HD on Federal last week for a kitchen job. Got them in the shop and the dovetails were loose on 3 of them with gaps you could fit a nickel in. Called the lumber yard and they said they've been getting complaints for about 2 months now from the same batch. Anyone else getting crap plywood boxes from out-of-state suppliers lately?

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13

c/cnc-operators•rileyl98•1mo ago

Old timer told me to run my end mills slower and I argued for weeks before trying it

I was running some 4140 steel at 3500 RPM on our Okuma at the shop in Dayton and this guy who's been there since the 80s said I was burning through tools. He said drop to 2200 RPM and bump the feed up 15%. I ignored him for three weeks until I blew through $80 in end mills in one afternoon. Finally tried his way and my tool life more than doubled. Anybody else have a stubborn moment like that?

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13

c/climate-action•rileyl98•1mo ago

Got roasted for my 'fashionable' reusable bag collection

My friend pointed out I was buying a new reusable tote every month just for the design, which totally misses the point. Switched to using old cloth bags from the back of my closet instead, saved about $60 last quarter. Anyone else accidentally turn eco-friendly habits into a shopping habit?

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12

c/creative-writing-prompts•rileyl98•1mo ago

The shift from print novels to fanfiction caught me off guard

I teach a writing workshop at a local library in Portland, and over the last five years, I noticed more students under 25 cite AO3 as their main inspiration instead of classic books. They learn pacing and dialogue from serialized online stories, not from Hemingway or Austen. Has anyone else seen this change in what fuels young writers, and do you think it helps or hurts their craft?

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