Emma Fisher (u/emmafisher)

Posts

Shoutout to the older couple at the open house in Glenora

I was checking out a place on 102 Ave last weekend, convinced a full gut job was the only way to go. A couple who'd lived there for forty years told me they raised three kids in that 'outdated' layout and loved it. They said the neighborhood and the big yard mattered way more than an open concept. It made me realize I've been too focused on trendy renos instead of what actually makes a house a home. Anyone else find themselves rethinking what's important in a property?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

emmafisher•2d ago

Why does nobody talk about taping in a humid garage?

Last week in my Milwaukee shop, the paper tape kept bubbling overnight because I didn't run a dehumidifier. What's your go-to method for dealing with high moisture during a hang?

2 comments

c/blacksmiths•

emmafisher•2d ago

Had to choose between a new anvil or a new forge blower last month

My old hand crank blower was dying and my anvil face was pretty beat up. I had $700 saved and could only fix one problem. I went with the new blower, thinking a steady fire was more important right now. Well, forging a leaf on a dented anvil last week was like trying to stamp metal on a golf ball. The leaf looked like abstract art. Has anyone else had to pick between two big tools and ended up making weird art by accident?

2 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

emmafisher•7d ago

My Traeger's auger jammed solid during a 14-hour brisket cook last Saturday.

I had to decide between taking the whole thing apart in the dark or just wrapping the meat and finishing it in the oven, so what's your go-to move when the pit fails mid-cook?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

emmafisher•11d ago

Remember when we used to fight with those old clay flue liners?

Had a job on a 1920s house in Springfield where the liner was crumbling and the brush kept getting stuck. Out of frustration, I tried a trick an old timer told me about: wrapping the brush head with a strip of old carpet, nap side out. It grabbed the loose bits without catching and got us through the clean. Anyone still use a version of that trick today?

3 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

emmafisher•12d ago

Unpopular opinion: I used to think you had to sand down to bare wood for every repair

I was fixing a 1920s oak dresser from a shop in Boise and the client didn't want a full strip, just a spot fix on a deep scratch. Out of pure laziness, I tried using a tiny brush and Mohawk's Ultra Classic toner, building it up in layers right over the old finish after a light scuff. It blended perfectly and saved me like three hours of sanding. Anyone have other good tricks for hiding damage without a full redo?

2 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

emmafisher•15d ago

I finally tried to air fry a whole frozen pizza and it went so wrong

I saw a video saying you could cook a frozen pizza in the air fryer in 8 minutes. I bought a big 12-inch pepperoni one for $8. It did not fit. I had to fold it in half like a weird calzone, and all the cheese and sauce just melted out onto the basket. Took me 30 minutes to scrub the burnt mess off. Has anyone managed to make this work without creating a disaster zone?

2 comments

c/balcony-veggie-gardens•

emmafisher•16d ago

I was wrong about using big pots for everything on my balcony

I always thought bigger pots meant better growth, so I planted my cherry tomatoes in a huge 15-gallon container. My friend in Chicago said to try a smaller, 5-gallon fabric pot for my herbs instead, and the basil and thyme grew way faster and looked healthier. Now I match the pot size to the plant's roots, not just go big. What's your rule for picking pot sizes?

2 comments

c/cast-iron-care•

emmafisher•17d ago

Tried the potato skin and salt scrub thing my grandma mentioned

I cut up a russet potato, covered the pan in coarse salt, and went to town. After ten minutes of scrubbing, the salt just made a huge mess and the potato turned to mush. It did not get the baked on cheese off my 10 inch skillet at all. I ended up just using my normal chain mail scrubber with hot water. Has anyone else had a family trick totally flop on them?

2 comments

-1

c/auto-body-repairers•

emmafisher•20d ago

Tried a new clear coat blend on a 2015 Civic's quarter panel and it actually worked

I mixed a bit of the factory base coat into the final clear coat layer, something my old boss in Dayton always called a 'hack'. The color match on that silver metallic is nearly perfect now, no hard line at all. Has anyone else tried this trick on newer factory paints?

2 comments

Posts

Shoutout to the older couple at the open house in Glenora

Why does nobody talk about taping in a humid garage?

Had to choose between a new anvil or a new forge blower last month

My Traeger's auger jammed solid during a 14-hour brisket cook last Saturday.

Remember when we used to fight with those old clay flue liners?

Unpopular opinion: I used to think you had to sand down to bare wood for every repair

I finally tried to air fry a whole frozen pizza and it went so wrong

I was wrong about using big pots for everything on my balcony

Tried the potato skin and salt scrub thing my grandma mentioned

Tried a new clear coat blend on a 2015 Civic's quarter panel and it actually worked

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