Jesse Thompson (u/jesse988)

Posts

Three hours wasted on a dying silver maple

I spent last Friday trying to cable a silver maple that had a heavy lean over a garage, and it took me over three hours just to get the hardware set because the wood was so soft the bolts kept stripping. Turns out the tree was way more rotten inside than I could see from the bark, and I ended up having to drill fresh holes three times before one held. Has anyone else run into a tree that looked solid but turned out to be mush once you started working on it?

2 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

jesse988•16d ago

Overheard a guy at an outfitter say he uses gaiters on every hike under 5 miles

I was in REI last Saturday picking up fuel canisters, and this older guy was telling the clerk he wears gaiters even on short day hikes. Said he got a pebble stuck in his boot once on a 3 mile loop and it took him 2 years to fully trust hiking again without them. I laughed but then thought about the time I walked 4 miles with a blister from a tiny rock. Has anyone else gone full gaiters just to avoid that one annoying thing?

2 comments

c/fix-it-dont-toss-it•

jesse988•21d ago

I think everyone is too quick to replace cracked ceramic mugs

Last month I dropped my favorite coffee mug and got a hairline crack, but instead of tossing it I used a food-safe epoxy to seal it from the inside and it's been holding up fine for 3 weeks now. Has anyone else tried fixing cracked ceramics instead of trashing them?

2 comments

c/fermenting-foods-at-home•

jesse988•23d ago

Had to pick between a glass jar and a crock for my first sauerkraut batch

I finally decided to try making sauerkraut at home last week (been putting it off for ages). Couldn't decide between using a standard mason jar or spending the money on a proper fermentation crock. I went with the jar since it was free and I already had it. Used about 2 pounds of green cabbage from the local farmer's market with 3 tablespoons of salt. Packed it down tight with a small saucer and a water bag for weight. It actually bubbled up nicely after 4 days and tasted way better than the store stuff. But the brine kept seeping out around the edges (annoying cleanup). Anyone else start with a jar and regret not just getting a crock from the get-go?

2 comments

c/career-advice•

jesse988•24d ago

Tried volunteering for a lateral transfer and it totally backfired

I put in for a move to a different department at my company in Phoenix, thinking it'd show initiative and get me out of a rut. Instead, my boss pulled me aside and said I looked disloyal, and now I'm stuck with the worst project schedules. Has anyone else dealt with that kind of reaction from management?

2 comments

c/book-club-debates•

jesse988•26d ago

I thought our club's rule about reading the book twice was a total waste of time

Our group in Seattle has this rule where you read the book once, discuss it, then read it again before the final debate. I thought it was pointless busywork for the first 6 months I was a member. Then we did it with 'The Remains of the Day' and I caught so many subtle hints about the butler's past on the second pass that I completely missed. My whole argument about his character changed because I noticed a repeated phrase about light in three different chapters. Now I'm a believer. Has your club ever tried a method like this that sounded silly but actually worked?

2 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

jesse988•28d ago

Bought a cheap paint sprayer from Harbor Freight for my deck and it clogged every 20 minutes.

I spent $45 on it and a whole weekend trying to finish a job that should have taken an afternoon. Ended up having to strip half the deck and roll it by hand, which cost me another $60 in wasted paint and thinner. Anyone have a sprayer under $150 that can handle solid stain without turning into a paperweight?

2 comments

c/barbers•

jesse988•28d ago

Had a clipper jam right in the middle of a skin fade yesterday

I was at my station in the shop, about halfway through a tight fade on a regular. My main Wahl clippers just stopped dead, motor humming but blades stuck. I had to think fast, so I grabbed my backup Andis and finished the fade while the client waited. After he left, I took the Wahl apart and found a tiny piece of hair and fuzz packed deep in the blade drive. Cleaned it out with some clipper oil and a brush, and it ran fine again. Anyone have a good routine for cleaning your clippers to stop this from happening?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

jesse988•1mo ago

Overheard a homeowner in the hardware store say 'mud is mud' when picking joint compound

I was grabbing a bucket of Plus 3 at the local supply house yesterday and heard a guy tell his buddy all mud is the same so he just buys the cheapest. He was holding a bucket of the lightweight stuff for a basement ceiling job. Made me think about how many times I've had to fix a bad finish because someone used the wrong product for the job. What's the most common mistake you see homeowners make when they try to DIY drywall?

2 comments

c/glaziers•

jesse988•1mo ago

I cut 500 linear feet of quarter-inch plate in one day and my hands still remember it

That was last Tuesday on a big storefront job downtown. We had to replace all the glass in a coffee shop that got vandalized. The order came in, and I just started cutting. I didn't even realize I'd hit that number until I was cleaning up and counted the offcuts. My arms were sore for two days straight. It matters because it showed me I can push through a huge volume when the pressure is on, but it also taught me a hard lesson about pacing. I was using my old Fletcher cutter, and by the end, my grip was shot. I should have taken more short breaks to stretch. Has anyone else hit a crazy number like that and found a good way to keep your hands from cramping up on long cutting runs?

2 comments