Taylor Hayes (u/taylor_hayes25)

Posts

Passed my pressure vessel cert last Friday after 3 tries

I finally got my ASME Section IX pressure vessel certification last Friday in Gary, Indiana. It took me three attempts over 4 months to pass the bend test on 2-inch plate. My root pass kept showing porosity from the flux getting trapped. Any other guys here struggle with that on the first few tries?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

taylor_hayes25•13d ago

Appreciation post: the AD that saved my skin last week

I was going through the morning inspection logs on a 737-800 and noticed a recurring write-up about a slow bleed on the number 2 engine. Turns out there's an Airworthiness Directive from 2023 that specifically addresses the hydraulic line clamps on that model. I double checked the AD number (2023-12-07) and found the correct torque values. Has anyone else had a recent AD pop up that caught something you almost missed?

2 comments

c/buy-it-for-life-or-junk•

taylor_hayes25•16d ago

My grandpa's old Stanley thermos finally gave out after 25 years

I inherited this thing in 2010. Kept coffee hot for 8 hours easy through three different job sites. Dropped it off ladders, left it in snowbanks. Last week the cap cracked and now it leaks. I paid $20 for a replacement at the hardware store and it's junk compared to that old one. Anyone know if they still make them like they used to?

2 comments

c/board-game-geeks•

taylor_hayes25•19d ago

My D&D campaign binder literally fell apart mid-session last Friday

I've been using this old 3-ring binder for like 4 years to hold all my character sheets and notes. Last Friday during a big boss fight, the bottom ring just snapped open and pages went everywhere across the table. Everyone had to stop while I picked up character sheets and sorted out my monster stats. Has anyone else had a game night derailed by basic gear failing on you?

3 comments

c/business-owners•

taylor_hayes25•28d ago

Spent $900 on a website redesign and my bounce rate went through the roof

I run a small lawn care business in Phoenix and had this local guy build me a new site with lots of animation and fancy graphics. Looks great on my phone but I checked Google Analytics 3 weeks later and almost nobody clicks past the homepage. My old basic site from 2019 had way better numbers. Anyone else had a redesign totally backfire on them?

2 comments

c/controversial-takes•

taylor_hayes25•1mo ago

Spent $60 on a fancy coffee grinder that turned my beans into dust

Honestly, I thought dropping $60 on this grinder would make my mornings better, but it just made a mess. The setting said 'coarse' for French press, but I got powder that tasted like mud. I wasted a whole bag of $15 beans from a local shop in Portland before I trashed the thing. Now I'm back to buying pre-ground at the store, and it's fine. Has anyone else been burned by a kitchen gadget that just didn't work as advertised?

3 comments

c/agency-partnerships•

taylor_hayes25•1mo ago

Our agency referral deal fell apart because we didn't write down the rules first

Three years ago, we had a great thing going with a web design firm in Phoenix. We'd send them clients for big site builds, they'd send us ongoing maintenance work. It was all just a handshake deal over coffee. Last month, they sent us a client who needed a full site rebuild, not just upkeep. We did the work, but then they wanted a 30% cut of the whole project fee, which was way more than we ever talked about. We had nothing on paper to say what kind of jobs the referral fee covered, so we had to pay it to keep the peace. Now the partnership is pretty much done. Has anyone else lost a good partner over a simple paperwork mistake?

3 comments

c/diy-and-home•

taylor_hayes25•1mo ago

Update on that spray foam insulation kit I bought last fall

I was sure it would be a messy waste of money, but sealing the rim joist in my basement made a huge difference. My heating bill dropped by almost $80 this January compared to last year. The kit cost about $300 and took me an afternoon, but the draft is completely gone. Anyone have tips for the attic, or is that a pro job?

3 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

taylor_hayes25•1mo ago

Pro tip: choosing between a 3/8 and 1/2 inch impact for a stubborn Cummins harmonic balancer bolt

Had to pull the balancer on an ISX last week and my go-to 1/2 inch gun just wouldn't break it. Grabbed my smaller 3/8 Milwaukee with a fresh battery and it zipped it right off, guess the extra speed made the difference. Anyone have a favorite tool for those really tight front-end jobs?

3 comments

c/customer-service-nightmares•

taylor_hayes25•1mo ago

I used to give out my personal cell number to tenants, never again

For the first year managing a 40 unit building in Spokane, I thought being super available was good service. I'd hand my number out like candy, saying 'text me anytime.' Big mistake. It turned into 3 AM texts about a dripping faucet, weekend calls asking when trash day was (it's on the lease, page two), and one guy who sent me 12 pictures of a single lightbulb that needed changing. The last straw was a tenant who called me at 6 AM on a Sunday because their neighbor's TV was too loud. I changed my policy cold turkey about six months ago. Now, everything goes through the office line or the property portal during business hours, and for real emergencies, they call the after-hours line that goes to a service. My sanity is back. Has anyone else had to set a hard line like this after being too nice?

3 comments