Derek Dixon (u/derek_dixon78)

Posts

Broke my favorite chain whip last Tuesday and honestly it was kind of my fault

I was trying to get a stuck lockring off a fixed gear hub (a Phil Wood, if you're curious) and I got impatient. Instead of grabbing a breaker bar like a sane person, I just kept leaning harder on the chain whip until the handle snapped right off at the weld. I know everyone says to use the proper tool for the job, but I figured with 15 years of experience I could muscle it. Turns out I was wrong (obviously). I ended up having to drill the lockring out, which took like 2 hours and ruined a perfectly good hub shell. Has anyone else ever had a tool fail in a dumb way like that?

0 comments

c/diy-espresso-hacks•

derek_dixon78•1d ago

Old barista's comment about my grinder clicked yesterday

He said I was wasting money on expensive beans if my grind was inconsistent. He watched me pull a shot and pointed out the fines. Has anyone tried that cheap paper towel trick to catch static cling on grounds?

2 comments

-3

c/digital-nomad-life•

derek_dixon78•3d ago

Talked to a guy in a Chiang Mai cafe who called coworking spaces 'glorified libraries'

He said he makes more money sitting on a park bench with a hotspot than I do paying $200 a month for a desk, and honestly it made me question if I'm just paying for the illusion of productivity.

2 comments

c/banking-and-payments-community•

derek_dixon78•5d ago

Why does nobody talk about how long wire transfers can actually sit in limbo

So I was sending $2,800 to a contractor in Austin last week for a kitchen renovation. Thought it would take like 24 hours tops. Turns out my bank's system flagged it as 'unusual activity' and it sat there for 3 full business days before anyone even looked at it. I found this out by accident when I called customer service after day 2 and some guy named Phil told me they have a whole department just for reviewing transfers over $2,500. I had no idea there was a specific dollar threshold that triggers automatic holds across most major banks. Has anyone else hit that $2,500 wall and had to wait way longer than expected?

2 comments

c/ask-the-locals•

derek_dixon78•5d ago

Hot take: That chat with the old timer at the feed store changed my whole approach to soil testing

Was picking up chicken feed last Tuesday and this guy in his 70s saw me grabbing a cheap pH kit. He told me I was wasting my time, that you gotta test for organic matter first not just pH. Said he learned it from his dad who farmed here in the 40s. Made me realize I've been treating symptoms not the root cause for like 3 years. Anyone else had some random stranger totally flip your gardening game around?

2 comments

c/digital-nomad-life•

derek_dixon78•24d ago

Rant: Realized I've been paying $47 a month for coworking I barely use

Found out from my bank statements last week that I've spent over $800 this year on a desk I only sit at maybe twice a week. Has anyone else caught themselves wasting cash on memberships they don't actually need?

2 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

derek_dixon78•24d ago

Just realized my blend door actuator was the problem after 3 hours of chasing wiring

I spent all Saturday afternoon tearing apart a 2014 F-150 dash because the AC only blew cold on the passenger side. Had my multimeter out, checked every ground and power wire twice, drove myself nuts. Turns out the blend door actuator gear was stripped internally even though the motor still hummed. $35 part from the local auto parts store and 20 minutes to swap it in fixed everything. Now I'm wondering how often you guys just swap the actuator first before diving into electrical diagnosis. Has anyone else been burned by that on these newer Fords?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

derek_dixon78•28d ago

Overheard a barista brag about 18-second espresso shots and I'm not buying it

Was at a shop in Portland last Saturday and this guy behind the counter was telling a customer that his shots pull in 18 seconds flat for peak flavor. I've been pulling espresso at home for about 5 years now and every bean I've tried tastes best between 25 and 30 seconds with my setup. He said anything slower just over-extracts but that doesn't match my experience at all with dark roasts. I tried grinding finer to hit his 18 second window and ended up with a sour mess that burned my tongue. Am I missing something or is this just a trend that ignores how different beans behave? Has anyone else run into baristas pushing crazy fast shot times?

2 comments

c/backyard-birding-tips•

derek_dixon78•1mo ago

Last week a blue jay took out my phone by knocking a coffee cup off the railing

I was trying to get a photo of a downy woodpecker and the jay dive-bombed my mug, which hit my phone screen and cracked it. Anybody else have birds cause accidental property damage in their yard?

2 comments

c/electricians•

derek_dixon78•1mo ago

Can we talk about people using anti-oxidant compound on aluminum wire connections like it's optional

I was helping a buddy rough in a basement last month out in the suburbs, and he just stripped some #10 aluminum and started jamming it into a breaker without any Noalox or anything. I told him he's gotta use it, and he said 'oh I've never bothered and it's been fine.' Then I showed him one of his old, like 8 year old outlets from his own house that had aluminum wire, the terminal screw was all crusty with that white powder corrosion. He just stared at it for a bit and said 'okay you got me.' It's not just a suggestion, it's literally how you stop the connection from frying. How many of you have seen a service call where the aluminum wire was the reason the neutral went open?

2 comments

Recent Comments

5h ago

Finally caved and bought a short box for my overflow singles

I picked up a couple of those plastic magazine holders from Target last year, and honestly they work better than I expected. @wyatt771 is right about keeping stacks upright, that's the main thing. I tried stacking comics flat for a while and they just slid around everywhere, especially the thinner issues. The plastic holders are cheap too, around five bucks each, so it's not a huge investment. I write the series name on the spine with a Sharpie and it holds up fine. Way better than having a pile on the floor that turns into a mess every time you grab one.

1d ago

The old timer who told me to pre-drill every hole in oak was right. I didn't listen.

Have you ever tried wax on your screws before driving them into dense wood like that?

1d ago

PSA: That vintage rusty skillet I found at a flea market turned out to be my best pan

Seventy years of seasoning beats any factory preseasoned pan, hands down.

1d ago

My city's waste report said 40% of landfill trash is food scraps

That rotisserie chicken thing keeps coming up. Makes me wonder if people just don't see food waste as real "trash" that has consequences. @rosew37, would you say laziness is the main reason, or is it more about people not being shown what happens after the lid closes?

1d ago

Wasted $70 on those silicone air fryer liners before I figured it out

Same here, total waste of money. Nothing crisps up right.