Felix Ellis (u/ellis.felix)

Posts

Had to pick between a miter saw and a hand saw for a last minute crown molding job

The client wanted a fancy dining room done in one afternoon, but my miter saw was in the shop for a blade replacement. I grabbed my old hand saw and a miter box, thinking I could muscle through it. Let's just say my arms were noodles by the third cut and the angles were, um, creative. Anyone ever pull off a crown molding job with just hand tools, or was I crazy to even try?

2 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

ellis.felix•5d ago

Vent: Tried a new clear coat on a classic Mustang and it went cloudy overnight

I used a 2K urethane clear from a brand I won't name, sprayed it in my booth at 70 degrees like always. Woke up and the whole hood had a milky haze that wouldn't buff out. Learned the hard way their hardener reacts badly to any moisture in the air, even with a dryer. Has anyone else in a humid area like Savannah found a clear that doesn't do this?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

ellis.felix•8d ago

Set a post in concrete that was 2 degrees off and now the whole run is crooked

My level battery died in the middle of a 40-foot cedar fence job in Spokane last month, so I eyeballed one post. Anyone have a good trick for fixing a lean without pulling the whole thing?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

ellis.felix•11d ago

Watch out for the new permit system at Glacier National Park

I planned a trip to Glacier for early July and didn't know about the new vehicle reservation rule for Going-to-the-Sun Road. I drove all the way there from Spokane only to be turned away at the gate because I didn't have the $2 ticket booked online ahead of time. It cost me a full day of hiking and about $80 in gas for nothing. Has anyone else gotten caught by this new rule? What's the best way to make sure you get a spot?

2 comments

c/farriers•

ellis.felix•14d ago

A client's simple comment made me rethink my whole approach to hoof packing

I was working on a big draft horse in Bozeman last fall, packing his feet with my usual clay mix. The owner, a quiet older woman, watched for a bit and then said, 'You know, he always seems to walk tender for a day after you pack them that tight.' I'd never really thought about it, I just packed them firm like I was taught. But she was right, I was probably overdoing it. The next week, I tried a much lighter pack, just enough to fill the sole without pressure. The difference was clear. The horse moved off way better right away. Now I use about half the material I used to, and I check in with owners about how the horse feels after. Has anyone else had a client point out something obvious that you were just missing?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

ellis.felix•14d ago

My weird win with a 24-hour bus ticket in Berlin

Back in 2018, I bought a 24-hour public transport pass for about 7 euros, thinking I'd just use it for a day of sightseeing. I ended up taking a late train to the airport the next morning, about an hour after it technically expired, and no one checked my ticket the whole ride. I learned that while you shouldn't plan on it, the timing of ticket checks can sometimes work in your favor for very early or late trips. Has anyone else had a close call like that with a transit pass?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

ellis.felix•15d ago

Update: My old foreman in Detroit always said 'a clean weld is a happy weld' and I finally get it after fixing a leak on a 30-year-old boiler.

I was patching a seam on a 1940s Clayton unit yesterday and realized his advice wasn't just about looks, it was about spotting inclusions before they become problems, so what's the one piece of old-timer advice that actually clicked for you guys years later?

2 comments

c/glassblowers•

ellis.felix•16d ago

Heard a guy at the Tacoma studio say 'color is just decoration' and it really got under my skin.

He was talking to a new student about a simple vase, saying the form was the only real skill and adding color was just a trick. I think that's a lazy way to look at it, because getting a clean color pull or a good reaction from frit takes real control. Do you think some people look down on color work as less important?

2 comments

c/coding-for-beginners•

ellis.felix•17d ago

TIL a simple trick to make your code way easier to read

I was watching a coding tutorial on YouTube yesterday and the guy kept saying 'name your variables what they are'. He showed his old code where he had stuff like 'x' and 'temp' and then rewrote it with names like 'user_input' and 'is_valid'. It sounds so obvious now, but I was still using single letters for everything. My own project from last night is suddenly a mess to look at. What's one small change that made your code cleaner when you were starting?

2 comments

Posts

Had to pick between a miter saw and a hand saw for a last minute crown molding job

Vent: Tried a new clear coat on a classic Mustang and it went cloudy overnight

Set a post in concrete that was 2 degrees off and now the whole run is crooked

Watch out for the new permit system at Glacier National Park

A client's simple comment made me rethink my whole approach to hoof packing

My weird win with a 24-hour bus ticket in Berlin

Update: My old foreman in Detroit always said 'a clean weld is a happy weld' and I finally get it after fixing a leak on a 30-year-old boiler.

Heard a guy at the Tacoma studio say 'color is just decoration' and it really got under my skin.

TIL a simple trick to make your code way easier to read

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