My old pressure canner started leaking steam right as I was finishing a batch of pickles

It happened last Tuesday when I had about 15 minutes left on the timer. I just turned off the heat and let it cool down slowly instead of trying to force the seal. Anyone know a good way to test the gasket before I try again?

Update: The old machine shop in Toledo had a drafting table from the 40s still in use.

The lead guy said they keep it because the flat, stable surface is perfect for checking large prints. Anyone else still use vintage gear for specific tasks?

Can we talk about the public library's 'tool library' setup in Milwaukee?

I went to check out a tile saw for a small bathroom job last week, and they had every tool organized on pegboards with clear outlines and a simple sign-out sheet. It made me realize how much money I wasted buying single-use tools early on. Does your town have something like this, or is it just a big city thing?

My grocery bill in Atlanta dropped by $30 last month when I started making my own veggie broth.

I was throwing out onion skins and carrot ends for years, but now I keep a bag in the freezer and simmer them with water for an hour. What other kitchen scraps do you guys save to avoid waste?

Noticed a lot of folks skipping the torque screwdriver on aluminum connections

Honestly, I keep seeing guys just crank down on aluminum lugs with a regular driver. Ngl, that's a fire waiting to happen. I know a guy in Tampa who had a feeder melt down after six months because the connection loosened from not being torqued right. The spec sheet for those lugs always has a number, like 50 in-lbs. I bought a cheap torque driver for thirty bucks and it's saved me so many callbacks. How do you all handle aluminum work to keep it safe?

Showerthought: I just read that Myron Mixon once cooked a whole hog in under four hours

Found it in an old interview from a 2010 Memphis in May competition. He used a specific high-heat method on a Jambo pit, which is way faster than the usual low and slow. Has anyone else tried a similar fast-cook method for large cuts?

TIL a lot of new farriers are trimming the frog way too short.

I was at a clinic in Boise last weekend and saw three different horses with frogs trimmed almost flush to the sole. The owner of the second horse told me his new farrier said it 'looked cleaner.' That's wrong. The frog needs contact with the ground for shock absorption and blood flow in the hoof. How do you guys explain its job to clients who want it cut back?

I finally hit 1000 bricks laid in a single day and it changed how I see the job