Appreciation post: The $2 tube of super glue that saved my favorite lamp

I was about to trash it because the ceramic base cracked clean in two, but a guy at the hardware store told me to clamp it tight for a full 24 hours, not just a few. Has anyone else fixed something you thought was a lost cause with just glue and patience?

Found a whole box of vintage fishing lures at a sale in Spokane last month, but the price was nuts

I was at that estate sale off Division Street, the one in the green house. They had this old wooden box in the garage, full of these amazing old lures, some still in the original paper packs. I got excited, thought maybe I'd found a score for my dad. Then I saw the sticker. They wanted $400 for the whole box, no splitting it up. The guy running the sale said 'they're collector's items' but half of them were rusted or the paint was chipped. I tried to talk him down, offered $150 cash right then, but he wouldn't budge. It just kills me when they look up one item on eBay and price the whole lot like it's all mint. Ended up walking away empty handed. Has anyone else run into crazy priced lots that are clearly not all in good shape?

Can we talk about the change in how we handle composite repairs now?

I was going through some old work orders from about five years back and found a repair I did on a rudder skin. Back then, the manual basically said 'sand it, slap on some filler, and paint it.' We got it done in maybe two hours. Fast forward to last week, same kind of damage on a different plane. Now it's a whole production: precise moisture checks, temperature-controlled curing for 24 hours, and a full NDT inspection after. The job took two full days. I get why the rules are tighter, the FAA bulletins on delamination were pretty clear, but man, the pace of work has really slowed down. It feels like every step needs a signature and a second pair of eyes now. Has anyone else felt this shift from quick fixes to drawn-out procedures on composite stuff?

PSA: My switch from a basic crock to a 5-gallon glass carboy for sauerkraut

I used to just pack cabbage into a regular ceramic crock for years, but after a batch went moldy last fall, I changed my method. Now I use a 5-gallon glass carboy with an airlock, which I got from a brew shop in Portland. It keeps everything anaerobic and I haven't had a single failed ferment since. Anyone else make a specific gear change that solved a recurring problem?

I spent $40 on a rib rack for my smoker and it was a waste

I got a four-tier rib rack to fit more ribs on my 22 inch kettle. The idea was good, but the ribs on the bottom tier cooked way slower than the top ones. After two cooks, I had to rotate them constantly to get them even. The metal was thin and started to rust after a few months. I went back to just laying them flat on the grate. Has anyone found a rib rack that actually works well without messing with the cook?

Question about getting a clean smoke ring on a brisket

I had this thing happen last month where I just could not get a good smoke ring on my brisket, no matter what I tried. I was using my offset smoker, keeping the temp around 225, and I even bought a fancy new wood blend from a place in Kansas City. The flavor was fine, but the ring was barely there, just a thin pink line. I spent three whole cooks, about 45 hours total, messing with the fire, the wood chunks, and when I wrapped it. Turns out, my problem was the meat was too cold when it went on. I read something from a pitmaster who said if the surface is too chilled, the smoke gases don't stick right. I started letting my packer brisket sit out for about an hour before seasoning, and the very next one had a ring almost half an inch deep. Has anyone else run into this with a specific cut, like a point or a flat?

Looking back at my choice between manual and digital for site layouts

I mean, about six years ago I had to pick between sticking with my old drafting table and vellum or going full digital with a tablet. I chose the tablet, a Wacom Cintiq 16, and it was a rough start for the first three months. I missed the feel of paper and my lines felt shaky, but now I can't imagine going back. The speed for changes alone, like moving a whole wall section in seconds, is just crazy. Anyone else make that switch and have a hard time at first?

A 2008 Duramax with a ghost code that took three days to pin down

Got a truck in the shop that would lose power but only after a full hour of running. No stored codes, nothing. We swapped sensors, checked the fuel pressure (it was fine), and even looked at the wiring harness. The fix? A tiny crack in the plastic intake elbow after the intercooler that only opened up when the engine got really hot and the plastic flexed. It took us three full days of on-and-off testing to finally see it with a smoke machine. Anyone else run into an intake leak that only showed up under specific heat conditions?

Hot take: I thought legacy board games were just a gimmick to sell more copies

My group tried Pandemic Legacy Season 1 last month, and the way the game permanently changes based on our choices completely won me over. Anyone else have a game that changed their mind like that?

Just talked to a nomad in Chiang Mai who said he hasn't been 'home' in 4 years. Kinda messed me up.