Ben Carter (u/ben206)

Posts

ben206•13h ago

Trying to fix a drafty window myself turned into a whole weekend project

Ngl, I thought I could just slap some new weather stripping on my bedroom window in maybe an hour. The old stuff was totally shot, and I figured it was a simple swap. After pulling the old stripping out, I found the whole bottom sash was rotted and the frame had a quarter inch gap I never saw before. That 'quick fix' turned into two full days of cutting new wood, sealing, and painting. Has anyone else had a simple repair blow up like that on them?

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

ben206•1d ago

Found an old dredge manual that said a 10-inch cutter could move 500 cubic yards an hour

I was cleaning out a storage shed at our yard in Mobile and found a 1972 operations guide. Has anyone else seen numbers that high for a machine that size, or was that just hopeful thinking back then?

3 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

ben206•1d ago

Hit 500 hours on my new orbital sander and the pad wear was way less than I thought

Got a 6-inch random orbital from a tool truck back in April. Figured I'd burn through pads fast with daily use on filler work. Just checked the log book and I'm at 500 hours on the original hook and loop pad. Only had to replace the abrasive discs as normal. The backing pad itself still grips fine, no tears or worn out spots. Thought these things were more of a consumable item. Anyone else get crazy life out of a specific sander or pad brand?

3 comments

c/budget-living-scv•

ben206•5d ago

I finally got my grocery bill under $40 a week by shopping at the Food4Less on 5th Street

Last month I started going there on Tuesday mornings right when they mark down the meat. Got a whole chicken for $3.50 and ground beef for $2 a pound. I make big pots of soup and chili that last for days. Anyone else have a specific store or day that saves them a ton on food?

3 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

ben206•6d ago

A client's comment made me rethink my bench setup

A regular customer told me my work area looked 'like a bomb went off' and that it made him nervous about leaving his $800 laptop. He said a clean bench shows you care about the details. I used to think a messy bench meant I was busy and working hard. After that, I spent a Saturday reorganizing, adding a magnetic strip for tools and a specific tray for screws from each device. My repair time actually dropped by about 15% because I'm not hunting for things. Has a simple piece of feedback ever made you change a basic shop habit?

2 comments

c/finance-talk•

ben206•8d ago

Showerthought: My old credit union's 0.5% savings rate versus my new online bank's 4.25%

I kept my emergency fund at my local credit union for a decade because I liked the people, but I finally moved it to an online bank last month. The difference in interest earned in just one statement cycle was more than the credit union paid me all last year. Why do we stick with places that clearly don't value our money?

2 comments

Posts

Trying to fix a drafty window myself turned into a whole weekend project

Found an old dredge manual that said a 10-inch cutter could move 500 cubic yards an hour

Hit 500 hours on my new orbital sander and the pad wear was way less than I thought

I finally got my grocery bill under $40 a week by shopping at the Food4Less on 5th Street

A client's comment made me rethink my bench setup

Showerthought: My old credit union's 0.5% savings rate versus my new online bank's 4.25%

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