Ben White (u/the_ben)

Posts

Spent 4 hours arguing about One Piece filler arcs and got nowhere

Ngl I tried to explain why the G-8 filler arc is actually worth watching to someone who skips all filler, and they just kept saying 'but it's not canon' for 45 minutes straight. Has anyone actually gotten through to a filler-hater without losing your mind?

0 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

the_ben•22h ago

Spent 8 hours fighting a warped cabinet door today

Customer brought in a maple door that was twisted about 3/16 of an inch. I tried clamping it flat with the face down on the bench, then added heat from a heat gun, but it just sprung back after cooling. Took me trying a steam iron and wet towel method from a YouTube channel before it finally flattened out enough to hang right. Anybody got a go-to trick for those stubborn twist cases that actually works every time?

2 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

the_ben•1d ago

Just found a trick for drying out a wet tent in 20 minutes

Last weekend in the Smokies my tent got soaked through and I was dreading packing it up. I hung it over a campfire (low heat, kept it moving) and it was bone dry before we broke camp. Has anyone else tried this or is that a bad idea long term?

2 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

the_ben•3d ago

Heads up about the bike co-op on Elm Street - saw something sketchy with their bottom bracket press

I stopped by the community bike co-op on Elm Street last weekend to drop off some old parts, and I noticed they're using a cheap threaded press on carbon frames. A guy there told me he's already seen two frames crack from the uneven pressure. They're doing good work but that tool is gonna cost someone a frame swap soon. Has anyone else seen this at other co-ops or shops?

2 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

the_ben•4d ago

Old timer told me to skip the primer on a bumper repair... big mistake

I had a guy at the shop, been doing this 30 years, tell me primer was just a waste on plastic bumpers. Said the paint would bite in fine. So I tried it on a 2015 Civic bumper last month, and the paint started peeling off in sheets after three days. Has anyone else gotten burned following that old school shortcut?

2 comments

c/drafters•

the_ben•5d ago

Overheard a senior drafter talking about line weights yesterday and it clicked

I was sitting in the break room at my firm here in Portland and this guy with 30 years experience was telling a new guy about how he sets up his line weights. He said he always starts with the thinnest line for dimension lines and works up from there, never the other way around. In my experience I always just picked random thicknesses and hoped for the best. Turns out this guy uses a ratio system like 0.18mm for dimensions, 0.35mm for object lines, and 0.70mm for cutting planes. I tried it on a set of floor plans I was finishing up and it made the whole drawing feel way more balanced. Has anyone else stumbled on a system like that or do you just eyeball it?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

the_ben•9d ago

Finally picked a hostel over a cheap hotel in Lisbon and it was the right call

I was planning a 5 day trip to Lisbon last month and had to decide between a private room in a hostel for $30 a night or a budget hotel for $50. I went with the hostel because I figured I could save $100 total. Honestly, the shared kitchen saved me a ton on food since I made breakfast and packed lunch every day. Plus the front desk guy told me about a free walking tour that hit all the main spots without paying for a guide. The only downside was noise at night from people coming in late, but earplugs fixed that. Ngl, I ended up spending way less and met some cool travelers from Australia who showed me a cheap ferry to the beach. Has anyone else had good luck picking hostels over hotels in a city like this?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

the_ben•9d ago

Dropped $400 on a laser level that barely works on sunny days

I bought a Bosch GLL 3-80CG thinking it'd save me time laying out footings for a patio in Phoenix. That thing is completely useless outside when the sun's out, the green beam just vanishes. Anyone tried a different brand that actually holds up in direct sunlight?

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

the_ben•9d ago

Overheard a foreman in Louisiana say his crew only runs buckets at half throttle for fine grading

Tried it on a marina job last week and it smoothed out the bottom way better than full throttle ever did, has anyone else messed around with running way slower for finishing work?

2 comments

c/coding-for-beginners•

the_ben•11d ago

Had a junior dev call me out on my variable names and it stung

I was pair programming with a new guy named Marcus last week and he literally asked me what 'x2temp' meant. I've been using garbage variable names for 6 years and never thought twice about it. He pulled up this article about self-documenting code and showed me how my sloppy naming was making my functions harder to debug. Now I spend an extra 10 minutes per script naming things properly and honestly my code makes way more sense. Has anyone else had a newbie teach them something fundamental that made you feel both embarrassed and grateful?

2 comments