Abby King (u/abby_king22)

Posts

Stubborn shutter curtain on a Pentax 67 finally got me to switch methods

For years, I'd just use a cotton swab with a tiny bit of lighter fluid to clean old grease off the silk ribbons. It worked, but it was slow and I'd always worry about fraying. About six months ago, a repairer in Seattle mentioned using a synthetic chamois cloth dampened with pure isopropyl. I tried it on a sticky 67 last week, and the cloth lifted the gunk without leaving any fibers behind. It cut the cleaning time in half. Has anyone else found a better material for this specific job?

2 comments

c/apartment-composting•

abby_king22•4d ago

My friend's balcony in Chicago changed how I see composting

I saw her worm bin and thought it was just a gross box of dirt. Then she showed me how the worms ate a whole head of lettuce in two days, no smell at all. Anyone in a studio have a good spot for a worm farm that isn't the closet?

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

abby_king22•9d ago

My old shop's 'good enough' coolant mix finally ate through a pump seal last Friday

We always just topped off the tank with whatever generic stuff was on sale, never really tracked the concentration. Boss said it didn't matter. Came in Friday morning to a puddle and a seized pump on the old VMC. The repair guy said the pH was way off and it had turned corrosive. Cost us a full day of production and a $400 pump rebuild. I'm mixing a fresh batch with a refractometer from now on, no more guessing. What's everyone else using to keep their coolant from going bad?

2 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

abby_king22•11d ago

My old way of checking for blockages was a total comedy of errors

Back when I started, my method for checking a flue was basically just shining a flashlight up there and squinting. I'd get soot in my eye half the time and miss things. The real turning point was a job in Bellingham about three years ago. I was sure a chimney was clear, but the homeowner called back two days later saying their living room was filling with smoke. I rushed over, and after a real check with a proper camera, found a huge bird's nest about eight feet up that I'd completely missed. I felt like a total fool. Now I won't even think about calling a job done without running my inspection camera the whole length. It cost a bit, but it saves so much trouble and embarrassment. Has anyone else had a 'how did I miss that' moment that made you change your routine for good?

3 comments

c/garden-seed-exchange•

abby_king22•11d ago

My $25 heat mat for seed starting was a total game changer

I was struggling with slow germination for my peppers and tomatoes here in Michigan. I got a basic seedling heat mat online, and my seeds popped up in half the time this spring. What's the best way you've found to keep seedlings warm without spending a lot?

2 comments

c/butchers•

abby_king22•15d ago

Watch out for that 'professional' knife sharpening service in the mall

I dropped off my main boning knife at the 'Edge Masters' kiosk in the Westgate Mall last month, paid $25, and got it back with a messed up bevel. The edge looked shiny but it couldn't hold through half a hog before going completely dull. I ended up having to re-profile the whole thing myself, which wasted about two hours of my time. Has anyone found a local sharpener they actually trust, or are we all just better off doing it ourselves?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

abby_king22•19d ago

Watched a guy at the local lumberyard try to plane some warped walnut without checking the grain direction first.

He was using a benchtop planer on a 6-foot board that had a pretty clear curve to the grain, and it just tore out a huge chunk about a foot in. It matters because that's a lot of money in material just gone, and it's a basic step I see skipped a lot. Do you all have a quick trick for spotting tricky grain before you start milling?

3 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

abby_king22•19d ago

I used to think air fryer chicken wings were just okay

My brother-in-law in Boise told me he always puts a little cornstarch in his rub, like a tablespoon for two pounds of wings. I tried it last night and wow, the skin got so much crispier than my usual way. It was a total game changer for texture. Anyone have other little tricks like that for getting things extra crispy?

2 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

abby_king22•27d ago

I used to think a multimeter was all you needed for a fridge compressor

Now I always check the run capacitor first with a dedicated tester after wasting a whole afternoon on a Whirlpool last month. What's your go-to first step for a compressor that won't start?

3 comments

c/blacksmiths•

abby_king22•28d ago

A guy at the Montana forge meet said my tongs were 'too pretty to use'

Honestly, it was last fall at the big hammer-in near Bozeman. I was showing off a pair of scrolling tongs I'd spent maybe 15 hours on, with a fancy twist and a mirror polish. This older smith, looked like he'd been at it 50 years, picked them up, turned them over, and just said 'Son, these are too pretty to use. Real tools get beat up.' He handed me his own tongs, which were all black and had the reins welded back on twice. It stuck with me. Do you think a tool can be too nice, or is that just part of respecting the craft?

3 comments

Posts

Stubborn shutter curtain on a Pentax 67 finally got me to switch methods

My friend's balcony in Chicago changed how I see composting

My old shop's 'good enough' coolant mix finally ate through a pump seal last Friday

My old way of checking for blockages was a total comedy of errors

My $25 heat mat for seed starting was a total game changer

Watch out for that 'professional' knife sharpening service in the mall

Watched a guy at the local lumberyard try to plane some warped walnut without checking the grain direction first.

I used to think air fryer chicken wings were just okay

I used to think a multimeter was all you needed for a fridge compressor

A guy at the Montana forge meet said my tongs were 'too pretty to use'

Recent Comments