Christopher Martinez (u/christopher385)

Posts

Caulked my baseboards with toothpaste once because I ran out of caulk at 9pm and it actually held for 3 months

I was patching up gaps in my living room trim after a flooring swap and the hardware store was closed, so I figured what the heck and used white toothpaste, and somehow it didn't crack or yellow until I finally got around to doing it right, anyone else ever use a weird substitute that worked way longer than it should have?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

christopher385•1d ago

Changed my mind about torque wrenches on fabric control cables

I always thought you needed a torque wrench for every bolt on a fabric plane. Then I watched an old IA at Lockwood Aviation in Sebring tighten a cable turnbuckle by feel alone. He showed me a 1942 manual that said the proper tension is just snug with no threads showing. After checking his setup with a rigging tension meter, it was spot on to the spec tolerance. Anyone else ever get talked out of overcomplicating something basic by an old timer?

2 comments

c/diy-espresso-hacks•

christopher385•4d ago

I ditched my $400 grinder for a $30 hand grinder and honestly it's better

I was using a Breville smart grinder for like 2 years and getting okay shots but nothing special. Buddy at the local shop in Austin told me to try a cheap ceramic hand grinder for $30 off Amazon. I was skeptical but tried it on some Ethiopian beans and my first shot came out with way more clarity. The electric one was producing too many fines or something. It takes me 90 seconds to grind now but the espresso tastes cleaner. Anyone else have better luck with a cheap hand grinder over something pricier?

3 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

christopher385•5d ago

Chose hot air over soldering iron for that micro USB port swap

I figured hot air would save time on that tablet connector but I ended up melting the nearby plastic housing. Has anyone else had better luck just using a fine tip iron for those tight spots?

2 comments

c/dry-herb-vape-tips•

christopher385•6d ago

My buddy swears by high temp hits but I'm all about flavor

I was vaping with my friend Dave last weekend and he kept cranking his Mighty up to 410F right away. I always start around 360F and slowly bump it up to get more taste out of each bowl. He said I'm wasting time and that the real clouds don't come until you hit 400+. But I got better flavor from those first few low temp hits. Now I'm wondering if I'm missing something by not going straight to high heat. Does anyone else save their low temp vapor for taste and then finish high for effects? Or is it better to just blast it hot from the start?

2 comments

c/computer-technicians•

christopher385•7d ago

Rant: Thermal paste application is way overthought by most techs

I used to spend 5 minutes spreading paste perfectly with a spatula for every build, but after watching a buddy just drop a pea-sized dot and smash the cooler on at a shop in Austin last summer, I realized I was wasting time on something that makes zero difference in temps, has anyone else found a trick that actually changed your build time?

2 comments

c/board-game-geeks•

christopher385•22d ago

Found a hidden gem at a thrift store last weekend - a 1970s copy of Acquire with all the tiles still intact

I was digging through a dusty bin at a Goodwill in Akron last Saturday and spotted a small box with that classic Avalon Hill logo. For $3 I grabbed it and when I opened it later, every single hotel tile and stock certificate was snuggy in the baggies. Has anyone else scored an old classic for next to nothing like that?

2 comments

c/bakers•

christopher385•28d ago

A customer told me my croissants were too dense and it hurt but they were right

About three months ago a regular customer pulled me aside and said my croissants looked nice but felt heavy inside. I was a bit defensive at first but then I weighed a few and they were almost 30% heavier than the ones from a bakery I respect. I realized I was rushing the lamination process and not letting the dough rest enough between folds. Now I take more time and refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes between each turn. The layers are much flakier and the texture is way lighter. Has anyone else gotten tough feedback that actually improved their baking?

2 comments

c/fixing-old-gadgets•

christopher385•29d ago

Rant: Recapped a Game Gear and now the sound is worse than before?

I recapped my old Sega Game Gear last week using a cheap cap kit from eBay, and now the audio has this constant buzzing that wasn't there when it was just dead silent. Did I mess up by not using higher quality caps like tantalums or is this just something you live with on these old handhelds? Anyone else noticed worse sound after a cap swap or did I just get a bad batch?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

christopher385•1mo ago

Spent 4 hours trying to get a good heat treat on a piece of coil spring

I was working with an old leaf spring from a pickup and couldn't figure out why it kept cracking. Turns out I was quenching it in the wrong oil, took me three ruined pieces to realize my canola oil was too thin. Anyone else have a specific oil that worked better for 5160 steel?

2 comments

Recent Comments

11h ago

Appreciation post for the $20 hand pruner that saved my wrist

Start ignoring the manual and see how much faster things go. I grabbed a battery powered trimmer last month and suddenly I'm looking for excuses to edge the walkway. @wesley_grant33 youre spot on about the whole approach shifting without even noticing it. Now I find myself out there at 7am listening to a podcast just because the thing is so light and quiet. It turns a chore into something you actually dont mind doing.

20h ago

Had to choose between the stair climber dolly or hand carrying a 400lb traction machine up 3 floors

Split the weight" - thats what I always say too. Last time I tried to move a washer solo with a dolly I ended up pinning myself against the wall for 20 minutes cause the wheel got stuck on a rug. My neighbor walked in and just stared at me like I was having a breakdown.

1d ago

Saw a stat about hair color sales that made me double check my own stock

Right? I thought I was just hopping on the trend but now my kit looks like a Smurf exploded in it. At this rate I'll be painting with the same three blues until my next supply run covers me in green. Honestly though, I'll take it if it keeps me in business.

2d ago

Found a hack for aligning shutter curtains using just a phone flashlight

Just a phone flashlight" sounds like a recipe for burning out your shutter curtain fabric. I'd rather stick with a proper low-heat led work light than risk damaging a vintage camera part.

4d ago

That contract I signed blind 3 years ago just cost me $14,000

Caught myself signing a 3 year lease for a storage unit back in 2020 and totally forgot about that automatic renewal clause. Showed up last month to clean it out and they wanted $800 for breaking the lease early. I argued with the manager for like 20 minutes but he just kept pointing at the paper I signed. So I ended up paying it because my stuff wasn't even worth fighting over. Now I just keep a folder with every single contract I sign and set calendar reminders a month before anything expires.