Simon Reed (u/simonreed)

Posts

I tried that new thermal paste from Arctic versus the old generic stuff and wow

Had a client's gaming rig overheating in my shop in Austin, so I swapped out the cheap paste for MX-6. The CPU temps dropped by 15 degrees Celsius under load, just from that one change. It's crazy how much a quality compound matters for those high-end builds. Anyone else have a go-to paste they swear by for tough thermal cases?

2 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

simonreed•4d ago

My buddy in Ohio told me I was wasting money on my 'emergency fund' and it totally threw me off.

We were at a cookout last Saturday and he said I should stop putting $50 a month into savings and just use a credit card for emergencies like he does. I mean, I get the logic but the whole point of a budget for me is to avoid that debt spiral. Has anyone else had a friend try to talk them out of a savings plan that actually works for them?

2 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

simonreed•26d ago

Had a customer bring in a vintage Peugeot with a seized seatpost that had been soaking in penetrating oil for three days.

I tried everything from a bench vise to a cheater bar, but it was a $12 bottle of ammonia from the hardware store that finally broke the corrosion. Just poured it down the tube, waited an hour, and it twisted out with almost no force. What's the weirdest chemical trick that's saved your butt on a stuck part?

2 comments

c/bricklayers•

simonreed•26d ago

Vent: A chimney job in St. Louis made me change how I mix my mortar for good

I was repointing an old brick chimney last fall, and after two days of work, a big rainstorm rolled through. The next morning, I saw my fresh mortar joints had washed out and sagged... it was a total mess. The old guy who owned the house told me his granddad always added a half bag of lime to every six bags of mix for jobs like that, and I've done it ever since. Has anyone else found a simple mix change that saved a project from the weather?

2 comments

c/bakers•

simonreed•26d ago

A chat with my neighbor made me see my sourdough starter differently

I was walking my dog last Tuesday and ran into my neighbor, Mrs. Ellis, who's in her 80s. She saw my flour-dusted apron and asked if I was still 'messing with that sourdough.' I told her I was fighting a sluggish starter that wouldn't rise right. She just laughed and said, 'Honey, you're feeding it like a prize pet. It's just flour and water. It doesn't need a schedule, it needs you to pay attention to it.' That simple line hit me hard because I realized I'd been blindly following a rigid feeding chart I found online for months, stressing over exact grams and hours. I went home, tossed the chart, and just looked at the starter. It was bubbly but thin, so I used a bit less water that next feed. Two days later, it was the most active it's been since I began. I was so focused on the rules I forgot to just watch and react. Has anyone else had a moment where they stopped following a recipe so strictly and just listened to the dough?

2 comments

c/font-pairing-ideas•

simonreed•28d ago

Can we talk about pairing a script font with a monospace for a menu design?

I was working on a menu for a new cafe in Portland and wanted something that felt both fancy and modern. I had this beautiful script font called 'Bella' for the dish names, and on a total whim, I paired it with 'Courier New' for the prices and descriptions. I know, it sounds crazy, right? Everyone says scripts need a simple sans serif. But I tried it anyway, and the client loved it. They said the mix of the flowing script with the rigid, typewriter-style monospace made the menu feel unique and grounded at the same time. I was sure it would look like a mess, but it actually worked. It taught me that sometimes the 'wrong' pairing can be the right one if the vibe fits. Has anyone else had a pairing that broke the rules but somehow clicked?

2 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

simonreed•1mo ago

My wife asked me why I never build anything for our own house

We were talking about the new shelves I just finished for a client, and she just said, 'You make beautiful things for other people all day. When do we get something?' It hit me that I've been in the shop for 15 years and our kitchen still has the builder-grade cabinets I hate. I guess I'm always too tired after a day of work to start another project at home. How do you guys find the energy to work on your own stuff?

3 comments

c/design-workflow-hacks•

simonreed•1mo ago

At a client's office in Austin, I saw their whole team using a single Figma file for everything.

They had wireframes, final designs, and dev notes all in one place, which seemed messy but they swore it saved them hours. I've always kept things separate to stay organized, but their speed was hard to ignore. Do you think one master file is a good hack or just asking for trouble?

3 comments

c/estheticians•

simonreed•1mo ago

The rush for instant glow is a BIG problem in our field

I had a client come in after using a harsh at-home peel from a social media trend. Her skin was red and raw for over a month. This NEEDS to stop because it damages trust in our work. We have to push back against these quick fixes. Proper care takes time, and that's a fact.

3 comments

Posts

I tried that new thermal paste from Arctic versus the old generic stuff and wow

My buddy in Ohio told me I was wasting money on my 'emergency fund' and it totally threw me off.

Had a customer bring in a vintage Peugeot with a seized seatpost that had been soaking in penetrating oil for three days.

Vent: A chimney job in St. Louis made me change how I mix my mortar for good

A chat with my neighbor made me see my sourdough starter differently

Can we talk about pairing a script font with a monospace for a menu design?

My wife asked me why I never build anything for our own house

At a client's office in Austin, I saw their whole team using a single Figma file for everything.

The rush for instant glow is a BIG problem in our field

Recent Comments