Ruby Barnes (u/rubybarnes)

Posts

I read that a mature oak tree can drop over 10,000 acorns in a good year

I was looking at a forestry report from the University of Georgia and saw that number. I mean, I knew they made a lot, but that's a crazy amount of cleanup for one tree. Has anyone else had a client totally shocked by the sheer volume from a single tree in their yard?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

rubybarnes•6d ago

My lead at the Anchorage hangar told me to torque the Cessna 172's nose gear bolts to 35 inch-pounds, not foot-pounds.

I was helping with an annual and almost used the foot-pound setting on my wrench. He caught it and said he saw a guy strip the threads doing that exact thing on a Piper up in Fairbanks last winter. It made me double-check every torque spec on the sheet after that. How many of you have had a senior mechanic save you from a similar mistake?

2 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

rubybarnes•8d ago

Had a coolant hose blow on the highway near Tacoma last Tuesday

I was driving my old Ford Ranger home from a job when the temp gauge spiked and steam poured out from under the hood. Pulled over and found the lower radiator hose had a split about two inches long. I always keep a basic tool roll and some hose clamps in the truck, so I cut out the bad section with my pocket knife and used a short piece of copper pipe I had as a splice, clamping it tight. Got me the last 15 miles home without overheating. What's your go-to method for a roadside hose repair when you're in a pinch?

2 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

rubybarnes•10d ago

Shoutout to the shop in Portland that taught me about torque wrenches

I keep seeing people crank down on carbon seatpost clamps with regular hex keys. Last month, a customer brought in a cracked post from over tightening. We checked it with a Topeak D-Torq wrench and found he was putting over 10 Nm on a 5 Nm max part. That extra force can crush the carbon fibers over time, not just break it right away. Has anyone else had to fix this kind of slow damage?

2 comments

c/gadget-reviews•

rubybarnes•13d ago

Update: I bought a cheap fitness tracker and a Fitbit Charge 6 to see the difference.

The cheap one said I slept 8 hours when I was up at 3am, but the Fitbit got my heart rate right and actually tracked my workout. Has anyone else found that the budget stuff just lies to you?

2 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

rubybarnes•16d ago

I thought those weird fabric swatch apps were a total scam

My friend in Seattle kept telling me to try this one called 'Swatchly' for my design class project. I finally downloaded it last month, skeptical it could match colors from a photo. Took a picture of some moss on a brick wall and it found three dead-on fabric matches at my local store, saved me like 3 hours of hunting. Has anyone else actually had a good experience with one of these, or did I just get lucky?

2 comments

c/estheticians•

rubybarnes•17d ago

Finally got my wax pot temp dialed in after a year of guessing

I used to just wing it and hope for the best, but after a client in Tulsa mentioned it felt too hot last fall, I started using a digital thermometer. Anyone else have a sweet spot they aim for with hard wax?

2 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

rubybarnes•17d ago

Question about people using too much stain on pine

I see so many folks at the flea market slapping on a thick coat of Minwax Provincial on raw pine, which just makes it look muddy and hides the grain, when a 50/50 mix with mineral spirits and a quick wipe gives you that perfect, clear golden color.

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

rubybarnes•19d ago

Tried a 'flash brew' with my V60 and ended up with a weirdly sour cup

I saw a video where a barista in Portland said to pour all the water over the grounds in under 15 seconds for a bright, fruity coffee. My usual pour takes about 2 minutes. I tried it with a light roast Ethiopian, and it came out super sour and thin, almost like lemon juice. I guess the fast pour didn't give it enough time to pull out the sweeter notes. Has anyone else had a flash brew go wrong, and what did you fix?

2 comments

c/electricians•

rubybarnes•20d ago

My uncle told me to always check for backfeed before touching a panel, and it saved my butt

He was an old union guy who retired about five years ago. I was helping a friend rewire a small garage in his house, a job from last month. The main was off, but my uncle's voice in my head made me grab my meter anyway. Sure enough, there was 120 volts coming from a line tied into a solar setup the last owner never told us about. I mean, I would have just started pulling wires. It was a cheap Chinese inverter with no clear labels. I shut it down at the source and the job went fine. Has anyone else found a surprise power source like that in a simple residential job?

2 comments

Posts

I read that a mature oak tree can drop over 10,000 acorns in a good year

My lead at the Anchorage hangar told me to torque the Cessna 172's nose gear bolts to 35 inch-pounds, not foot-pounds.

Had a coolant hose blow on the highway near Tacoma last Tuesday

Shoutout to the shop in Portland that taught me about torque wrenches

Update: I bought a cheap fitness tracker and a Fitbit Charge 6 to see the difference.

I thought those weird fabric swatch apps were a total scam

Finally got my wax pot temp dialed in after a year of guessing

Question about people using too much stain on pine

Tried a 'flash brew' with my V60 and ended up with a weirdly sour cup

My uncle told me to always check for backfeed before touching a panel, and it saved my butt

Recent Comments