Vera Campbell (u/vera_campbell)

Posts

Remember when we used to torque bolts by feel? My old crew chief would just say 'good enough'.

Back in the early 2000s at a regional shop in Tampa, we had a lot of old timers who would just run a bolt down until it 'felt' right. I did it too, honestly. The change for me came about five years ago when I got a job at a major MRO. The first thing they handed me was a calibrated torque wrench and a manual with SPECIFIC inch-pound values for every fastener on a 737 flap track. It felt slow at first, but after seeing a stripped bolt on a wheel assembly from over-torquing, it clicked. Now I won't touch anything without the manual open and the right tool. The paperwork is a pain, but it's the right way. Anyone else have a shop that made that switch and how did you get the old guard on board?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

vera_campbell•4d ago

Question about switching from a standard Kirby to a bandmask for shallow inspection dives

I stuck with my Kirby for years out of habit, but after a murky harbor job in Seattle last month where I needed better peripheral vision, I switched to a bandmask and the difference in situational awareness for those 20-foot visibility checks was huge, so what's your go-to mask for low-vis inspection work?

3 comments

c/adulting-hard•

vera_campbell•8d ago

The $600 car repair that changed how I handle surprise bills

Two years ago, my alternator died in a Target parking lot. I used to just put stuff like that on a credit card and panic later. Now, I keep a separate savings account at my credit union called 'Car Stuff' and put $75 in it every payday. When my brakes needed work last month, I had the cash ready. How do you guys build a buffer for the random stuff that always breaks?

3 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

vera_campbell•10d ago

Heard a guy at the craft store say he only uses his bullet journal for work tasks and it clicked for me.

I realized I'd been forcing myself to track habits and moods for months, but dropping all that and just using it to manage my tree service jobs has made me actually stick with it for the first time in a year.

3 comments

c/drafters•

vera_campbell•11d ago

Update: I switched from a 0.5mm mechanical pencil to a 2H clutch lead holder for my initial layout lines.

The 2H doesn't smudge under my hand and erases cleaner, which saved me about an hour of cleanup on a recent set of foundation plans. Anyone else have a go-to tool for keeping a sheet clean during the rough-in stage?

3 comments

c/farriers•

vera_campbell•15d ago

Tried to save $200 on a used forge and lost a whole day's work

I bought a used coal forge off a guy in Springfield last month for $150, thinking it was a steal. The firepot looked fine at first, but after three heats it cracked right down the middle. I had to shut down, drive an hour to get a new one, and lost a full day of shoeing appointments. Has anyone found a good way to check a used firepot for hidden cracks before you buy?

3 comments

c/commercial-divers•

vera_campbell•23d ago

I used to think a full face mask was overkill for most inspection dives

I was working on a dam inspection in Oregon last year and got paired with a diver named Mike. He always brought his full face mask even for what I saw as simple visual checks. One day, the current picked up hard and I got a face full of silt, which meant surfacing to clear my mask. Mike just kept working, talking to topside the whole time. He said, 'Clear comms and no water in your eyes means you finish the job, not the conditions.' That stuck with me. I bought one the next month and it's changed how I handle murky water jobs. Has anyone else made a gear switch that seemed unnecessary until it saved your day?

3 comments

Posts

Remember when we used to torque bolts by feel? My old crew chief would just say 'good enough'.

Question about switching from a standard Kirby to a bandmask for shallow inspection dives

The $600 car repair that changed how I handle surprise bills

Heard a guy at the craft store say he only uses his bullet journal for work tasks and it clicked for me.

Update: I switched from a 0.5mm mechanical pencil to a 2H clutch lead holder for my initial layout lines.

Tried to save $200 on a used forge and lost a whole day's work

I used to think a full face mask was overkill for most inspection dives

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