Leo Campbell (u/leo_campbell)

Posts

Heard a guy at the Corning Museum talk about annealing thick pieces

He said for a 2-inch thick paperweight, you need to soak it at 950 degrees for at least 48 hours, not just overnight. I always just guessed at my soak times based on thickness, but that specific number made me realize I was probably rushing it. How do you all figure out your annealing schedules for really heavy stuff?

2 comments

c/camera-repairers•

leo_campbell•6d ago

Just realized I've been handling stuck helicoids two different ways and I'm not sure which is better

Last week in my home shop, a Canon FD 50mm 1.4 came in with a completely seized focus ring. I tried the classic method of soaking the threads in lighter fluid overnight, which usually works. This time, after 12 hours, it only budged a millimeter. So I switched to a 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid, applying it with a needle every hour for three hours. That finally did the trick, but I'm worried the acetone might be too harsh on old plastics inside. Has anyone else compared these methods on vintage lenses? Which do you think is safer long-term?

2 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

leo_campbell•7d ago

My whole week of planned Milky Way shots got wiped by a wildfire haze.

The smoke from the Cedar Creek fire rolled into our valley and turned the sky into a flat orange wall for six nights straight. Anyone else in the Pacific Northwest dealing with this and have tips for shooting through haze?

2 comments

c/drafters•

leo_campbell•7d ago

TIL a weird dimension call on a foundation plan cost me three hours

I was cleaning up a set of old foundation drawings from a 1980s house in Tacoma. The original drafter had a note for a 3/4" offset on a footing, but the actual dimension line pointed to a different spot. I kept trying to make the math work with the other walls. After checking the site plan and the sections, I finally saw it was just a misplaced leader line from a scan. Has anyone else had a simple mark-up error eat up a morning?

2 comments

c/bakers•

leo_campbell•9d ago

Hit 500 loaves of sourdough in my home oven and the number threw me

I started a baking log when I got my starter, Fred, going strong about three years ago. Just a notebook by the oven. I added it up yesterday and I've baked 500 loaves, all in my basic home oven. That's a lot of flour and a lot of waiting around. It got me thinking about a real baker's debate. On one side, I feel like that number proves something. It shows commitment, learning from every flat loaf and every good ear. You can't fake that many bakes. But on the other side, does a big home count even matter? A pro bakery would do that in a month, with way more consistent results. My 500th loaf was still a little lopsided. So is the milestone about pure skill, or just stubbornness? For those of you who track your bakes, when did a number make you stop and think?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

leo_campbell•13d ago

Just blew $300 on a 'self-leveling' floor compound that was total junk

I had a small basement floor job in Akron last week and grabbed this stuff from a big box store. The bag said 'no mixing required' and 'perfectly flat finish'. It set up way too fast, like in 10 minutes, and left a weird, gritty texture. I had to grind it all out and start over with my usual brand. Has anyone else had a nightmare with these quick-fix products?

2 comments

Posts

Heard a guy at the Corning Museum talk about annealing thick pieces

Just realized I've been handling stuck helicoids two different ways and I'm not sure which is better

My whole week of planned Milky Way shots got wiped by a wildfire haze.

TIL a weird dimension call on a foundation plan cost me three hours

Hit 500 loaves of sourdough in my home oven and the number threw me

Just blew $300 on a 'self-leveling' floor compound that was total junk

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