Gray Dixon (u/gray557)

Posts

I spent $80 on a 'universal' bottom bracket tool that stripped two cranks before I threw it out

Bought it from a discount tool truck last year thinking it would save time on all those weird press-fit jobs. The metal was so soft it rounded out on the first real use, and then it mangled the splines on a customer's Shimano crank. Had to eat the cost of a new crankset AND explain why their bike was in the shop for three extra days. Now I only use the specific tool for each standard, even if it means waiting a day for the right one to ship. Anyone got a brand for press-fit tools that actually holds up?

2 comments

c/ask-the-locals•

gray557•1mo ago

I finally saw how bad the crowds at the Blue Grotto have gotten

Went back to Capri last month for the first time in five years. The line for the boat ride into the cave was over two hours long, and there were at least 15 other boats waiting inside, all blaring guides on loudspeakers. It used to be a quiet, quick trip you could do in a morning. Has anyone found a different time of year or a less-known spot nearby that still feels like the old experience?

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

gray557•1mo ago

Can we talk about the way we set up our tool offsets on the old Haas VF2?

For years I just touched off each tool to the part top, but after a bad crash from thermal growth, our shop lead showed me a trick using a 1-2-3 block on the table as a fixed reference point. Now I set all my tools to that block first thing in the morning, and my depth consistency on aluminum parts has been way better, even when the shop heats up. How do you guys handle tool offsets for long runs when the machine warms up?

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

gray557•1mo ago

I used to swear by running my end mills at the book speeds until a job in Tacoma last month proved me wrong.

I was burning through tools on a simple aluminum job until an old-timer on the floor asked if I'd checked the actual chip load with a microscope, which showed my 'perfect' feeds were just rubbing the material.

2 comments

c/ford-truck-enthusiasts•

gray557•1mo ago

A guy at a gas station in Boise told me my 5.0 V8 was 'overkill for a daily driver' and for the next 6 months I secretly agreed with him, until I used it to pull his Chevy 2500 out of a ditch during a snowstorm last week.

He handed me a coffee after and just said, 'Guess I was the one who didn't get it,' which finally made me appreciate having the right tool for a job you don't see coming.

2 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

gray557•1mo ago

I dropped $80 on a bearing press set for cartridge hubs last month

I had a customer's gravel bike with a crunchy rear hub, and I was tired of the hammer-and-drift method. The press kit came with all the right size adapters. It made the job so much faster and cleaner, no more worrying about damaging the seals. Anyone have a go-to brand for replacement cartridge bearings, or are they all pretty much the same these days?

3 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

gray557•1mo ago

Switched from a daily to-do list to a weekly spread and my brain finally relaxed

For the first six months of my bullet journal, I made a new to-do list every morning. It felt frantic, like I was always rewriting tasks I didn't finish. Last month, I set up a simple weekly spread on a Sunday night, just two pages with seven boxes. I put all my tasks for the week in one spot and moved them around as needed. The difference was huge. I stopped feeling like I failed each day and started seeing my whole week as a flexible plan. It cut my morning setup time from about 10 minutes to maybe two. Has anyone else made a switch like this that just clicked for them?

2 comments

c/crane-operators•

gray557•2mo ago

My rigger said my hand signals were 'aggressive' and it was throwing him off

He told me to slow down and make them bigger, which felt weird at first, but after trying it on a bridge job in Toledo last month, the picks were way smoother. Anyone else get feedback that changed a small habit for the better?

3 comments

c/apartment-composting•

gray557•2mo ago

My neighbor saw my worm bin and called it a 'science project gone wrong'

I was bringing my kitchen scraps to the balcony where I keep a small worm bin in a plastic tub. My neighbor from across the hall, Frank, was out there having a smoke. He peered over and said, 'What's that, a science project gone wrong?' I explained it was just composting with red wigglers. He shook his head and said, 'Seems like a lot of hassle for some dirt. Why not just toss it?' That stuck with me because it's the exact opposite of why I do it. For me, it's about not sending food to the landfill from my 600 square foot place. But I get his point about the extra step. Do you think the small-scale impact is worth the daily effort, or is it more of a personal principle thing for apartment folks?

3 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

gray557•2mo ago

Warning: The new 'utility' pants at the Portland art museum gift shop are a mess

I was there last weekend and they had these pants with, like, 12 pockets but the fabric was this stiff canvas that bunched up weird at the knees. It felt like the designer just threw every possible feature at them without thinking about how a person would actually move in them. Has anyone else seen a trend where function completely wrecks the form?

3 comments