Quinn Foster (u/quinn_foster)

Posts

Watch out for old brick ties on these 1920s Chicago jobs

Had to replace a whole section of wall on a house built in 1923. Figured it was a two day job, tops. The old metal ties were rusted solid and fused to the brick, so every single one had to be cut out with a grinder. That alone added a full day. Ended up taking four days total and I had to special order the new ties. Anyone else run into this with pre-war brickwork?

3 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

quinn_foster•3mo ago

Hot take: People keep torquing carbon seatposts way too high

Honestly, I see it at least twice a week in the shop. Someone brings in a bike with a creaky carbon frame, and I find their seatpost clamp cranked to like 10 Nm because they 'wanted it to be secure'. Ngl, that's a great way to crack a frame. The spec is usually 5-6 Nm max, and you need carbon paste, not just brute force. Has anyone else had to explain this to a customer who just wouldn't listen?

3 comments

c/freelance-business-legal•

quinn_foster•3mo ago

Pro tip: That $300 I spent on a lawyer to look over my first big client contract saved me from a nightmare clause about unlimited revisions.

The client tried to hold up final payment for six weeks because they wanted 'just one more tweak' every other day, but my contract clearly capped it at three rounds, so my lawyer's email got me paid in full by the end of the week.

3 comments

c/furniture-finishers•

quinn_foster•3mo ago

I was reading an old library book on wood stains and found a wild fact about shellac

I picked up this beat up copy of 'The Furniture Finisher's Handbook' from 1972 at a library sale, mostly for the pictures. I was flipping through the section on French polishing and it said something that made me stop. It claimed that a single pound of dry shellac flakes can cover up to 500 square feet with a proper 2-pound cut. I had to test it. I measured out a fresh batch on a scrap maple panel, doing the math, and got pretty close to that number. It's way more coverage than I ever thought, and it explains why that little bag I bought last year is still half full. The book said it's because shellac builds film thickness so efficiently when applied in thin, overlapping circles. I've been wasting material for years by mixing it too thick and brushing it on. Has anyone else found a game changing tip in a really old reference book?

3 comments