Tyler Murray (u/tylermurray)

Posts

TIL this morning at the shop that a guy I've worked with for 8 months didn't know you can fix small dents with a heat gun and compressed air

He was about to skim coat a half-inch ding on a Chevy door and I stopped him. Showed him the trick in 3 minutes. Has anyone else run into seasoned mechanics missing basic body repair methods?

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

tylermurray•8d ago

Old timer told me to run the cutter at 75% throttle and I thought he was crazy

Been operating on the Mississippi near Baton Rouge for about 8 months now. This guy Frank who has been dredging since the 80s kept telling me to slow the cutter head down to 75% and focus more on swing speed. I ignored him for weeks because I figured more RPMs means more material moved, right? Well after three days of burning through teeth and getting nowhere on a tough clay section, I finally tried his way. The cutter lasted twice as long and we actually cleared more yardage that shift. Felt stupid for not listening sooner. Has anyone else gotten advice that went against what you thought was standard practice?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

tylermurray•13d ago

That hiker in Yosemite told me to ditch my bear canister for a sack and I fought it for a month before realizing he was right

I was dead set on using this heavy plastic bear canister for a 5 day trip through Tuolumne Meadows last summer. Some guy at the campground said I should switch to an odor proof bag and hang it properly, but I thought he was crazy. After day 3 my back was killing me from the extra weight and I saw he had way more space in his pack. I finally tried the sack method on a shorter trip in Sequoia and it cut like 2 pounds off my load. Has anyone else had a lighter setup actually work better than the hard sided ones?

2 comments

c/bakers•

tylermurray•16d ago

Warning: That baker who kept handling cash then dough gave me a lesson I can't forget

Last month at a farmer's market in Austin, a guy grabbed a $20 bill with flour-covered hands, then went straight back to kneading his sourdough. I watched him do it three times in ten minutes, and I still think about that when I see people skipping glove changes between the register and the bench. Has anyone else had to tell a coworker to break this habit?

2 comments

c/arborists•

tylermurray•18d ago

Read some old pruning manuals from the 50s and realized how much we've changed

I was looking through some old books my mentor left me, and one from 1954 talked about topping trees like it was no big deal. Said it was standard practice for reducing wind damage. I mean, we know now that's basically tree murder. Kinda wild how much the science has shifted in just a few decades. Anyone else run across old tree care advice that makes you cringe?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

tylermurray•19d ago

Spent 2 years blending layers wrong in Procreate and a 12 year old at Starbucks showed me

I was at a coffee shop in Austin last month working on a commission piece. This kid leans over and goes 'why are you using multiply for everything?' I told him that's just how you blend shadows right? He showed me on his iPad that I should have been using overlay and color burn depending on the light source. I felt so dumb but also relieved. Has anyone else had a random stranger just walk up and fix their whole workflow?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

tylermurray•24d ago

What's worse for a portfolio: 10 polished pieces or 50 rough sketches?

I had a crazy good week last March where I cranked out 27 concept sketches in 5 days for a character design project. But then I spent the next 3 weeks only finishing 3 of them because I kept second-guessing the line work. My art teacher at Austin Community College said quantity beats quality every time, but a client told me they only care about the final polished stuff. Which side do you lean on for building your showcase?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

tylermurray•24d ago

Tried pre-filling screw dimples vs filling after hanging. Night and day difference.

Spent last week on a 1500 sq foot basement job in Maplewood. Always filled dimples after all the sheets were up. Buddy told me to pre-fill as I go per board. Saves so much time. No more hunting down missed dimples. Anyone else do it this way?

3 comments

c/ask-anything•

tylermurray•25d ago

Finally visited the Franklin Institute in Philly after years of driving past it

Went there with my nephew last Saturday and the giant heart exhibit caught me off guard. I figured it would be kid stuff but the way they explain circulation actually made me think about my own habits differently. Has anyone else had a random museum visit change how you look at something ordinary in your life?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

tylermurray•25d ago

I was sure a sectional sweeping rod was a gimmick until I used one on a 3-story flue in Denver

First time I saw one of those sectional rods at the supply house I rolled my eyes hard. Thought it was just another overpriced gadget. But last month I had a job at this old Victorian in Denver with a flue that had like four offsets. My regular rods were just not getting the bend right. Borrowed a sectional setup from a buddy and honestly? It cut the job time in half. I'm still not fully sold on spending that much though. Has anyone else had one break on them after heavy use?

2 comments