Sage Patel (u/sage52)

Posts

sage52•1d ago

Serious question, does anyone actually use a power hammer for forge welding?

I've been forging for 8 years and always hand-hammered my welds, but last month I borrowed a 25lb power hammer from a buddy in Denver and the welds came out cleaner in half the time... couldn't get the heat to stay even with the machine though, ended up with cold shuts on two billets. Has anyone else had trouble switching from hand to power for welding, or is it just me?

2 comments

c/diy-console-fixes•

sage52•1d ago

Finally got that stuck disc out of my PS4 without breaking anything

Had a disc jammed in my launch PS4 for like 6 months after the auto eject glitch kicked in. Tried the manual screw method from a YouTube video I found and it actually popped out clean after I used a thin plastic shim (cut from a gift card) to guide it. Anyone else had luck with a specific technique for these auto eject issues?

2 comments

c/apartment-composting•

sage52•3d ago

Took me 4 months to figure out why my compost bin smelled like rotten eggs

I started composting in my studio apartment back in January and by March the bin was just nasty every time I opened it. I thought I was doing everything right with layering greens and browns but it still came out stinky and wet. Finally talked to a neighbor who has been doing this for years and she asked if I was drilling enough holes in the lid. I only had 6 tiny holes and apparently you need like 20 plus some on the sides for airflow. Added a bunch more holes two weeks ago and the smell is basically gone now. Has anyone else dealt with weird airflow issues in a small space?

2 comments

c/edmonton-real-estate•

sage52•6d ago

Am I the only one who thinks new builds are way overpriced for what you get?

I looked at a new townhouse in Summerside last month. The builder wanted $450k for 1,200 square feet with builder grade everything. I asked the sales guy about the landscaping and he said it's an extra $8k for sod and a fence if you want it. Meanwhile my buddy bought a 1960s bungalow in Mill Woods for $350k last year and put $30k into renos. He's got a double lot and a real garage. Does anyone else feel like the newer stuff is just not built to last?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

sage52•6d ago

Almost lost a finger at Sky Harbor last month...

Was doing a quick turnaround on a 737 in Phoenix when a latch spring shot out and hit my safety glasses - if I hadn't been wearing them, it would have taken my eye out. Has anyone else had a close call with those cargo door springs on the older Boeings?

2 comments

c/film-photo-newbies•

sage52•6d ago

Hot take: should new film shooters start with black and white, not color?

I was at a camera shop in Portland last week and overheard this guy telling a beginner they should shoot B&W for their first 10 rolls because it teaches you about light and composition. But then the beginner said they wanted to learn color because that's what they see. I get both sides. B&W is cheaper to develop and you don't have to worry about white balance. But color gets you excited to keep shooting. I started on a $30 Kodak Gold pack and messed up a bunch. What do you all think - which one makes more sense for someone just starting out?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

sage52•24d ago

Found Out the Hard Way My Torch Tip Was Clogged After 3 Hours of Fighting a Bead

Was running a 1/4 inch fillet on some pressure vessel work and my flame kept sputtering no matter how much I played with the gas mix. Took a wire brush to the tip and it ran perfect after that has anyone else had a tip issue that made them chase their tail like that

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

sage52•25d ago

Spent 6 months loading vises wrong on my Bridgeport

I was always rushing to get parts in and out, jamming the stock against the back jaw by eye. Then a senior operator walked by and showed me the '1-2-3 block trick' to push everything flush in under 3 seconds. Makes me wonder what other old-school shortcuts are out there that nobody tells you.

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

sage52•26d ago

Old timer told me to let the cutter head spin free before dropping it

Guy named Pete from a job up in Tacoma told me last week to let the cutter head spin free for 15 seconds before I drop it into the cut. I always just jammed it in right away. Tried it on a silty patch of riverbed yesterday and the suction picked up way cleaner with less bogging. Anyone else heard this trick or got other startup rituals that actually work?

2 comments

c/chefs•

sage52•28d ago

Hit 200 covers by myself last Saturday and I still dont know how I pulled it off

I work at this busy spot downtown and our second line cook called out sick. So the chef looked at me and said 'you got this' and just walked away. I ended up doing 200 covers solo on a 6 burner range with one fryer. Ticket times were all over the place but somehow nothing got sent back. My arms still hurt two days later. Has anyone else been thrown into the weeds like that and survived?

2 comments

Recent Comments

12h ago

I used to overtighten every single service panel screw until a house fire call changed my mind

Used to call torque specs "suggestions" but that bus bar story changed my whole view on it.

1d ago

Had a guy in Miami ask me to hide his cable behind a wall that wasn't there yet

Oh wait, do you mean like the plastic trunking stuff you see in offices? I always wondered if that holds up okay against weather and stuff.

2d ago

Seam roller broke mid-install on a 2,000 sq ft job yesterday

Bet you the plastic failed at the molded stress point where the handle meets the roller head, right? How long did you have that roller before it gave up on you

3d ago

Had to choose between a Wacom tablet and an iPad for sketching on the go in Seattle last month

Double down on that muscle memory thing because it's REAL weird how your hand just FORGETS how to draw when you switch. I had a whole week where my lines were just noodles on the iPad because my brain was still expecting the Cintiq's surface drag. Procreate is sick for quick ideas though, so I just started treating the iPad like a completely different tool instead of a portable Cintiq. Now I use way looser strokes on the iPad and save the tight stuff for the Cintiq, which actually made both of them better somehow.

3d ago

Got caught in a sudden downpour during a pour for a patio in Portland...

Oh man, that reminds me of trying to grill burgers in a thunderstorm once...