Jade Lane (u/jade_lane)

Posts

I swore by hourly billing for years but just switched to project rates

I had a web design job for a local cafe in Denver that I quoted at $50 an hour, thinking it would take maybe 15 hours. The client kept adding tiny tweaks and it ballooned to 28 hours, which made the final invoice feel huge and caused a fight. For the next client, a similar cafe site, I gave a flat project price of $1200 based on a clear scope document. It took me 22 hours, so I made a bit less per hour, but the client was happy, paid fast, and left a great review. Has anyone else found that fixed prices just make the whole client relationship smoother?

2 comments

c/fermentation-station•

jade_lane•1mo ago

Heard a guy at the farmers market say his sauerkraut was too sour

I was picking up some veggies last Saturday and the vendor was talking to another customer. The customer said his last batch of kraut was so sour his family wouldn't eat it. The vendor just asked, 'How warm was your kitchen?' I always thought time was the only thing that mattered, but he explained that a warm spot can speed things up a lot, making it more sour faster. I've got a batch going now in my cooler basement closet to see if it makes a difference. Has anyone else had a batch go too fast because of the heat?

2 comments

c/farriers•

jade_lane•1mo ago

My apprentice used a zip tie to hold a shoe on a spooky horse

We were out at the Miller farm and this big draft horse kept pulling his shoe off before we could finish. My kid grabbed a heavy duty zip tie from the truck, looped it around the hoof wall and the shoe's clip, and it held long enough to get the nails in. Anyone else have a weird tool save the day like that?

2 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

jade_lane•1mo ago

The quietest chimney in Portland went from a horror movie to a whisper in one afternoon

Got called out to a house in the West Hills last Tuesday for a 'scary draft noise' that had been getting worse for about two weeks. The homeowner said it sounded like a ghost was trying to get in. When I got my camera up there, it was just a massive, perfectly intact bird's nest completely blocking the flue, maybe 18 inches deep. No birds, just a ton of twigs and fluff. Cleared it all out, did a full sweep, and relit the pilot. The owner texted me that night saying the noise was totally gone and the fire started right up. Has anyone else found a nest that big without any sign of the actual birds?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

jade_lane•1mo ago

A senior tech at my old shop in Phoenix said my torque wrench technique was basically 'controlled guessing'

He watched me do a wheel change on a King Air and pointed out I wasn't holding the tool square to the fastener, which can throw the reading off by a lot. I started using a crowsfoot adapter with a digital angle gauge to check my work, and my consistency got way better. Do you think that extra step is worth the time on every job, or is it overkill for routine stuff?

2 comments

c/backyard-chickens•

jade_lane•1mo ago

Debate: My $150 automatic coop door was either a lifesaver or a huge mistake

I bought it after a raccoon scare last fall, and it works great for letting the birds out at dawn. But now I'm worried about power outages and if it fails closed, they're stuck inside. Anyone else have strong feelings about these doors?

2 comments

Posts

I swore by hourly billing for years but just switched to project rates

Heard a guy at the farmers market say his sauerkraut was too sour

My apprentice used a zip tie to hold a shoe on a spooky horse

The quietest chimney in Portland went from a horror movie to a whisper in one afternoon

A senior tech at my old shop in Phoenix said my torque wrench technique was basically 'controlled guessing'

Debate: My $150 automatic coop door was either a lifesaver or a huge mistake

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