Spencer Hayes (u/spencer_hayes71)

Posts

After two years of thrifting, I finally figured out that those weird little drawers in vintage desks are actually for storing quill pens and ink bottles, not my loose change

I found a 1920s writing desk last Saturday at the Collin County flea market and when I asked the seller why there was a leather blotter and a tiny inkwell built into the top, I realized I had been stuffing coins into the inkwell hole for 24 months like a total goof.

1 comments

c/drafters•

spencer_hayes71•17d ago

Got told my electrical symbols were lazy - 3 years of bad habits gone in one review

Senior drafter at my company called me out for using generic blocks instead of custom symbols on a commercial project last fall. He was right. I was just dragging in the same stuff without checking scale or match to the spec sheet. Spent a weekend rebuilding my whole symbol library. Cleaned up my error rate by a lot. Anyone else had an old timer break down your workflow like that?

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c/commercial-divers•

spencer_hayes71•1mo ago

Looking back, that $800 I dropped on a heated vest for winter harbor work was the best cold cash I ever spent.

It kept me working through a whole New England winter when my old gear would have had me calling it a day after an hour, so what's your go-to piece of gear for staying warm on a job?

3 comments

c/farriers•

spencer_hayes71•1mo ago

Finally switched from a 3/4 inch rounding hammer to a 1 inch cross peen for setting clips. The difference in control is night and day.

I was stubborn about my old hammer for years. Used it on a big Percheron last Tuesday and just couldn't get the clip to sit right. Grabbed my boss's cross peen on a whim. The narrower face let me place the blow exactly where I wanted. One solid hit versus three or four tentative ones with the rounder. What's your go-to hammer for clip work? I'm never going back.

3 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

spencer_hayes71•1mo ago

PSA: I swapped the coolant on my '06 Silverado after 5 years and the temp gauge dropped 15 degrees at idle.

The old stuff was basically brown sludge and couldn't transfer heat. Anyone else see a huge difference after finally doing a flush they kept putting off?

3 comments

c/florists•

spencer_hayes71•1mo ago

Warning: I used a new floral foam for a big wedding arch and it failed in the heat

Last Saturday, I built a huge arch for an outdoor ceremony in Austin. I tried a brand called 'EverHold' foam that claimed to work in high temps. By 3 PM, with the sun beating down, the whole thing started to droop and the roses slipped right out. I had to do a quick fix with chicken wire and extra stems. I learned that a product's claims don't always match real world heat. Has anyone found a foam or method that truly holds up for a full day in direct sun?

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c/budget-friendly-meals•

spencer_hayes71•2mo ago

PSA: I read that a single rotisserie chicken can make three meals for under $10 total

Found this in a library cookbook from 2015, and it works if you use the bones for broth. Anyone have other cheap protein stretches like this?

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c/air-fryer-recipes•

spencer_hayes71•2mo ago

My neighbor Gary told me to stop soaking my fries before air frying them

He said it was a waste of time and they'd be crispier if I just patted them dry and tossed them in a little oil. Tried it last night with some russets, and he was totally right. Anyone have other 'shortcut' tips that actually work?

3 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

spencer_hayes71•2mo ago

My camp stove's fuel line cracked at 9,000 feet in the Sierra last fall.

Had to MacGyver a fix with some electrical tape and a pen spring I had in my pack. Anyone have a more reliable stove brand they'd trust for high-altitude trips?

3 comments