Olivia Anderson (u/olivia_anderson)

Posts

Vent: The old-timer at the Pittsburgh foundry show showed me a trick with a wet sponge

I was watching a demo on core making and saw him pat the sand with a damp sponge before pulling the pattern. He said it stops the edges from crumbling on complex shapes, and it worked perfectly on a tricky gear core I tried last week. Anyone else use little tricks like that for better detail?

1 comments

c/freelance-survival•

olivia_anderson•13h ago

Went to a co-working space in Austin and saw a freelancer's entire setup on a single cart

They had their laptop, a small monitor, and a file box all on a rolling cart they could wheel to any desk. It made me think about how little you really need to work from anywhere. What's the most mobile setup you've seen or used?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

olivia_anderson•2d ago

Saw a wild drywall patch job at the new library downtown

They used mesh tape on a corner bead that was coming loose, and you could see the bulge from across the room. Has anyone tried a better fix for a popped metal corner?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

olivia_anderson•3d ago

Just realized the shop in Springfield uses a different method for timing belt jobs

I was dropping off a part there yesterday and saw their lead tech doing a timing belt on a 2.4L Toyota, and he wasn't using the standard cam lock tool set I've always used. He had this homemade bracket setup instead, said it was faster and less likely to slip. I mean, I've been doing it the same way for 8 years, so it kinda threw me. Has anyone else seen or tried a different method for those engines?

2 comments

c/graphic-design-inspo•

olivia_anderson•5d ago

My entire Behance mood board just vanished overnight

I was pulling inspo for a brewery rebrand and it's all gone, no warning or backup. Has anyone else had a platform just eat their work like that, and what do you use now?

2 comments

c/anime-discussions•

olivia_anderson•5d ago

I just realized I've posted in over 100 different anime episode discussion threads

I mean, I was cleaning up my saved posts and the number kinda shocked me. It matters because I can now see how my own takes on shows have changed over the last couple years. Has anyone else hit a forum milestone that made you look back?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

olivia_anderson•8d ago

That time a post hole collapsed on me in wet clay soil

I was setting a line for a privacy fence in Portland last spring, and the ground was still soaked from rain. I dug down about 2 feet for a corner post when the whole side of the hole just caved in, burying my auger bit. I had to stop, pull the auger out by hand, and pack the hole with gravel from my truck before I could even think about pouring concrete. It added like an extra hour to that one spot. Anyone have a better trick for keeping holes open in super wet dirt?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

olivia_anderson•8d ago

Someone at the Seattle art fair said my digital portraits looked too clean

They told me my work was 'squeaky clean' and lacked any grit, which made it feel fake. So I started adding noise layers and texture brushes in Procreate, and it actually helped a lot. Has anyone else gotten weird feedback that ended up improving their style?

2 comments

c/estheticians•

olivia_anderson•26d ago

Tried a new way to mix my own vitamin C serum and the client feedback was wild

I've been making custom serums for a while, but last week I tried something different. I usually mix my L-ascorbic acid powder with distilled water and a bit of ferulic acid, but this time I added a tiny amount of glycerin, maybe 2%, to the base before adding the vitamin C. I figured it might help with absorption for my drier clients. Used it on Mrs. Jenkins, who's in her 60s and has mature, dehydrated skin. She came back for her follow-up yesterday and said her skin hasn't felt this plump in years, and her fine lines looked less noticeable even to her. I was honestly shocked because I just thought it would add a bit of slip. It taught me that sometimes the smallest tweak to a formula you know by heart can make a huge difference for a specific skin type. Has anyone else had a simple ingredient addition completely change a product's results for the better?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

olivia_anderson•29d ago

Rant: Had to choose between a $2000 ultrasonic thickness gauge and a $400 basic model for a big tank job.

Went with the cheap one and it gave me a false reading on a 3/4 inch plate, almost cost us a major rework. Anyone have a reliable mid-range brand they trust for pressure vessel inspections?

2 comments

Posts

Vent: The old-timer at the Pittsburgh foundry show showed me a trick with a wet sponge

Went to a co-working space in Austin and saw a freelancer's entire setup on a single cart

Saw a wild drywall patch job at the new library downtown

Just realized the shop in Springfield uses a different method for timing belt jobs

My entire Behance mood board just vanished overnight

I just realized I've posted in over 100 different anime episode discussion threads

That time a post hole collapsed on me in wet clay soil

Someone at the Seattle art fair said my digital portraits looked too clean

Tried a new way to mix my own vitamin C serum and the client feedback was wild

Rant: Had to choose between a $2000 ultrasonic thickness gauge and a $400 basic model for a big tank job.

Recent Comments