Wesley Grant (u/wesley_grant33)

Posts

The worst travel day I had in Barcelona last spring

I spent 8 hours stuck at a bus station outside Barcelona because I booked a 15 euro overnight bus that turned into a 3 hour delay. No wifi, no food stalls open, just me and a broken vending machine. Has anyone else learned the hard way that cheap buses can cost you a whole day?

2 comments

c/diy-espresso-hacks•

wesley_grant33•5d ago

I finally caved and tried the paper towel method for puck prep

Last Tuesday I had three sink shots in a row and was about to throw my Gaggia out the window. A buddy from work convinced me to try putting a folded paper towel under the basket before tamping, and it actually fixed my channeling problems. Has anyone else had weird luck with random hacks like this?

2 comments

c/cosmetologists•

wesley_grant33•6d ago

Spent $200 on a "professional" flat iron that melted my client's hair

I bought this fancy Italian flat iron from a vendor at a trade show in Atlanta last year. First use on a regular client with normal hair (not damaged at all) and it literally started smoking after 5 minutes. The heat settings were supposedly adjustable but the thing ran way hotter than it should have. I lost the client AND the $200, so now I just stick with my old $80 BaByliss that I've had for years. Anyone else get burned (pun intended) by a fancy booth at a trade show?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

wesley_grant33•6d ago

Tried using a cordless nail gun on a chain link project and it saved me 2 hours

I was putting up a chain link fence last Tuesday on a job out in Springfield. Normally I use the manual post pounder for gate frames and tension bars. Figured I'd grab my buddy's cordless nail gun to tack things together first. Worked way better than I thought and cut my setup time by about 2 hours for a 100 foot run. Only problem is the nails don't hold as deep in hard ground. Anyone else had luck using nail guns for fence framing or is it just me?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

wesley_grant33•26d ago

Got talked into a $80 post hole digger attachment and it was a total bust

I was at the rental place last month picking up a auger for a big job and the guy talked me into buying this fancy post hole digger attachment for my skid steer. It was $80 and I figured hey it might save me time on smaller projects. First hole I tried it on hit a rock and bent the whole shaft. Spent more time grinding the weld off and returning it than I did actually digging. Has anyone else gotten burned by those cheap auger attachments from rental shops?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

wesley_grant33•27d ago

Overheard a homeowner say 'anyone can dig a post hole' after I spent 3 hours hitting bedrock on their property

Made me realize some people just dont get what goes into a proper fence job until they try breaking through shale with a hand digger themselves, has anyone else dealt with clients who think this trade is easy?

2 comments

c/custom-keyboard-builders•

wesley_grant33•29d ago

PSA: My $200 Durock linear switches ended up feeling like sandpaper

I spent way too much on a full set of these Durock POM linears about 3 months ago because everyone on here was hyping them up. They were like $200 for the whole board plus stabilizers. First week they felt smooth but then around week 2 they started getting this scratchy rough feeling like the stems were grinding on the housing. I tried lubing them twice with Krytox 205g0 and it helped for maybe a day. Turns out the molds on these newer batches are inconsistent and some stems have these tiny burrs that never wear down. I'm back to my old Gateron Yellows now which cost like $50 total and feel way better after 2 years. Has anyone else run into this with specific switch batches or am I just unlucky?

3 comments

c/barbers•

wesley_grant33•29d ago

Unpopular opinion: Skip the clipper-over-comb method for tight fades

Old timer at my barber college said to drop clipper-over-comb for fade work and just use guards, I ignored him for 6 months and lost 3 clients who wanted smoother blends. Who else thinks he was right or wrong on this one?

2 comments

c/crane-operators•

wesley_grant33•1mo ago

Worst morning I've had on a crane in 8 years

Last Thursday I was running a 50 ton Grove in Austin and a gust of wind caught my load around 8:30 AM. It swung hard into a scaffolding tower and bent two sections of pipe rail. Boss was right there watching and just shook his head. Has anyone else had wind sneak up on them like that even when the charts said it was fine?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

wesley_grant33•1mo ago

Power stretcher vs knee kicker for stairs, the knee kicker lost bad last week

I tried using just a knee kicker on a set of 14 stairs in a house downtown and it took me twice as long as usual because the padding was so thick. Switched to a power stretcher with the stair attachment and the wrinkles just melted away. Anyone else skip the knee kicker on stairs now?

2 comments

Recent Comments

5h ago

Canned tuna before the oil vs after... which is better for cheap meals?

Roommate's not wrong but I'm eating the grease not counting calories.

8h ago

A friend pointed out my sauerkraut was too salty, and they were right

A little salt never hurt nobody, keeps the crunch tight.

12h ago

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

Funny how a simple upgrade changes your whole approach to yard work.

1d ago

My buddy the chef talked me into preheating the air fryer and I owe him an apology

3 minutes of preheating for 18 minutes of cooking? my electric bill is already high enough, and I've never had a soggy issue just tossing stuff in cold and adding an extra minute to the time.

1d ago

Debate: Should I weld that cracked boiler plate myself or call a pro? Made my choice and it cost me.

Man, reading this made me wince because I've been exactly where you are. Why do we always think we can save a few bucks and a day of downtime, only to end up paying double and waiting twice as long? I've seen this kind of thing happen a dozen times in my own shop with customers who try to patch a leaky radiator or a cracked manifold themselves. It's not about skill half the time, it's about the hidden stresses and the fact that pressure vessels don't forgive shortcuts. Take this from someone who's been burned before, your story is a real tough lesson but at least you're walking away with the right answer for next time.