That time I doubted a digital level on a freight elevator install

A few months back on a job in an old warehouse downtown, I used a digital level for checking rail alignment and I was sure it was off by a quarter inch. Turned out my old bubble level was the one that was actually out of whack after I dropped it off a ladder last year. Has anyone else made the switch to digital and found it more trouble than it's worth?

My old sketchbook system was a mess compared to how I do it now

I used to just scribble design ideas on whatever scrap paper was around, then lose half of them before I could even trace the patterns. About 8 months ago I started using a single A3 spiral bound book with numbered pages and a contents section, and now I can find any idea from last March in under a minute. Does anyone else here keep a strict catalog system for their sketches, or am I just being too organized about it?

Switched to Kirby Morgan band masks after 10 years of neck headaches

I ran a Kirby Morgan 37 for over a decade. Figured neck pain was just part of the job. Then I borrowed a band mask from a buddy during a 14-day pipeline job off Galveston. My neck felt normal by day 3. The difference is the weight distribution. Band mask sits on your head not your neck. Anyone else make the switch and notice a difference after a long dive?

Finally gave in and tried those self-watering planters after years of doubt

My neighbor in unit 204 swore by them for her balcony tomatoes in Phoenix, so I bought one for $28 last spring. After three months of not having to water daily in 105 degree heat, I had to admit she was right - my basil never looked better. Has anyone else been stubborn about a gardening product only to be proven wrong?

Rant: People who skip sanding between primer and paint

I see it all the time in this shop. Guys lay down primer, wait an hour, then shoot color right over it. Drives me nuts. Primer dries with a texture. Even if it looks smooth, it's got a grit to it that kills the final finish. I had a customer's Honda Civic hood come back with orange peel last month because someone skipped that step. Took me 3 hours to wet sand and recoat it. Nobody charges for that kind of rework. You just eat the cost and the time. Has anyone else had to fix a job because somebody skipped the sanding step?

Appreciation post: hitting 50 Yashica repairs in one year

I hit 50 Yashica camera repairs last month, which surprised me because I usually work on Nikons. Everyone online says avoid the Electro 35 series due to the pad of death issues. But after doing a bunch of them, I think they're actually easier to fix than people claim. Has anyone else found a specific model that's way more reliable than the forums suggest?

Went to a local bike co-op and they wouldn't let me use their Park Tool truing stand

I get that they've got rules, but I've been truing wheels at home for 2 years with a zip tie and a screwdriver. Their volunteer kept pushing me to use the budget stand they built from scrap wood and honestly my homemade setup worked better. Has anyone else had a co-op act like you need fancy tools to do simple repairs?

I quit buying pre-chopped veggies for 2 months and my grocery bill dropped by 35 bucks

My old cutter bar seized up on me during a job in Norfolk last month

I was working a small channel dredge near Norfolk harbor and about 3 hours in my cutter bar just locked up solid. The grease fitting was clogged and I hadn't checked it in like 2 weeks because I got lazy. Had to tow back to the dock and lost half a day pulling the whole thing apart. The shop guy told me I should be purging the old grease out every 40 hours minimum not just topping it off. Cost me $180 in labor and a new seal kit to get it running again. Now I keep a logbook and mark every grease point check on the hour meter. Has anyone else had a cutter bar seize from not flushing the old grease out enough?

Cheap rice cooker died mid-dinner last Tuesday

I was making black beans and rice on a $18 cooker from Walmart and it just stopped heating halfway through. Has anyone else had a budget appliance fail right when you needed it most?