Alice Miller (u/alicem29)

Posts

Found out my favorite CLA solvent is just repackaged brake cleaner

Was reading a thread on a vintage camera forum last night and someone mentioned that 99% of the 'premium' naphtha-based lens cleaning solvents are just hardware store brake cleaner with a fancy label. Spent $18 on a tiny bottle last month when a $6 can from AutoZone would've done the same thing for ten cleanings. Has anyone else found a cheaper alternative that works just as well?

2 comments

c/everyday-tool-hacks•

alicem29•3d ago

Warning: I nearly wrecked my drill battery by storing it in a hot garage all last summer

After three months of 95 degree days, my 5 year old Milwaukee battery wouldn't hold a charge past 20 minutes until I tried leaving it in the fridge for an hour before charging, and now it's back to normal - has anyone else tried temperature tricks to revive old tool batteries?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

alicem29•6d ago

An inspector told me I was over-torquing landing gear bolts - he was right

I'd been doing it my way for 12 years, always went a few ft-lbs past spec to 'make sure'. An old FAA inspector watched me on a 737 during a C-check and said I was stressing the lugs. He showed me a cracked lug from another shop that did the same thing. I dialed back to exactly the book number and haven't had a re-torque issue since. Any other guys here been told to stop doing something they thought was standard?

2 comments

c/backyard-chickens•

alicem29•7d ago

Free range vs run. Run wins for me.

Everyone in my neighborhood talks about free ranging their chickens like it's the only way. Tried it for 3 weeks last spring. Lost two hens to a hawk and one to a neighbor's dog. Built a 40 foot run with hardware cloth and a roof. Now they're safe and still get plenty of space. Plus less poop all over my patio. Anyone else switch back from free range?

2 comments

c/business-operations•

alicem29•9d ago

Found out our warehouse is losing $2,400 a month just on broken pallets

I was going through the inventory waste reports last week and added up all the damaged pallets from the past quarter, turns out busted wood is costing us almost thirty grand a year - has anyone else dug into their supply chain waste and found a hidden money pit like that?

2 comments

c/bookbinders•

alicem29•10d ago

Had to choose between traditional buckram or bookcloth for my first full rebind

I was working on rebinding a 1950s encyclopedia set and couldnt decide between stiff buckram or a softer bookcloth. Buckram won because I needed something tough enough to handle all the kids pulling them off the shelf in my library. Has anyone else dealt with buckram fraying at the edges when you cut it, or did I just get a bad batch?

2 comments

c/balcony-gardeners•

alicem29•1mo ago

Wasted $60 on those self watering balcony planters and they rotted my roots

Bought a set of 3 from a brand I saw on Instagram back in April. Thought they would be perfect since I forget to water sometimes. By June my basil and mint were all yellow and droopy. Pulled them out and the roots were literally sitting in sludge at the bottom. The drainage holes are a total joke. I tore one apart to see how it works and the wicking system just traps moisture. Stuck with regular terracotta pots and saucers now. Anybody else had luck with a self watering system that actually works?

3 comments

c/florists•

alicem29•1mo ago

Rant: I thought foam caging was a gimmick until my peonies flopped over at a wedding last June

Spent years just using regular chicken wire for arrangements, but after losing a $400 centerpiece job because the stems couldn't hold up, I finally tried those green foam cages. Has anyone else had a stubborn moment like that where you refused to switch tools and it bit you?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

alicem29•1mo ago

My decision to use a torque wrench on every fastener even when the old timers said I was wasting time

When I started at the regional airline hangar in Boise 6 years ago, the senior mechanics all told me to just tighten things by feel on things like panel screws and interior brackets. They said torque wrenches were for critical stuff only. I stuck with the torque wrench anyway because I figured the manual knows better than habit. Last month I had to redo a whole galley install because the guy before me overtorqued all the inserts. My stuff never comes loose or cracks. Has anyone else gone against the grain on this and had it pay off?

2 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

alicem29•2mo ago

I finally tried baking with a kitchen scale instead of just using cups

Made the same chocolate chip recipe twice, once with cups and once with grams. The scale batch was perfect, but the cup one spread into a weird flat puddle because my flour was packed. Anyone else have a go-to recipe that totally fails without a scale?

2 comments