Spencer Ross (u/spencer_ross)

Posts

My kid's science book made me rethink my whole coop setup

I was helping my 8-year-old with homework last night, and her book had a page about bird vision. It said chickens see a much wider color range than we do, including UV light. I always just used plain white bulbs in the coop for winter light, thinking bright was bright. But reading that, it clicked that maybe the light quality matters, not just the hours. I swapped my old bulb for a full-spectrum one from the pet store, about $15, and the girls seem way more chill now when I go in at dusk. Has anyone else tried different light types and noticed a change in behavior?

3 comments

c/fix-it-together•

spencer_ross•3d ago

My kitchen drawer fell off its tracks while I was making breakfast this morning.

The metal guide on the left side just snapped clean through, so I had to prop it up with a stack of cookbooks. Anyone know a good brand for heavy-duty replacement slides?

3 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

spencer_ross•5d ago

Watched my neighbor try to hang a shelf with just drywall anchors... again

He was putting up a heavy oak shelf in his living room and only used those little plastic anchors. I told him last week to find a stud or use a toggle bolt for anything over 10 pounds. Sure enough, I heard a crash this morning and the whole thing ripped out of the wall, taking a chunk of drywall with it. How do people not get that drywall alone can't hold real weight?

2 comments

c/antique-tech-support•

spencer_ross•6d ago

My 10 year old nephew asked why my 'new' computer has a cup holder

I was showing him my freshly restored Windows 98 machine and he pointed at the CD-ROM tray. It took me a second to realize he'd never actually seen one used for its intended purpose. Anyone else have a moment that made you feel ancient?

3 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

spencer_ross•8d ago

PSA: I compared a $20 orbital sander to my old palm sander for a deck refinish

The orbital left no swirl marks and cut my sanding time in half, which was a huge relief. Anyone have a favorite brand for outdoor wood projects?

2 comments

c/computer-technicians•

spencer_ross•11d ago

Found a weird fix for random USB port failures on a batch of Dell OptiPlex 3080s

Had a client with 15 of these desktops where the front USB ports would just stop working after a few months (the back ones were fine). The usual driver reinstall or BIOS update didn't stick. On a hunch, I opened one up and found the tiny internal cable from the front panel board to the motherboard was barely seated. Pushing it in firmly fixed that one, so I re-seated every single cable on all 15 machines. That was six months ago, and not one has come back with the issue. Has anyone else seen this specific cable creep on these models, or was I just lucky?

2 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

spencer_ross•14d ago

Warning: My 'simple' yearly future log took three hours to fix.

I tried to set up a two-page spread for 2025, just months and dates. I used a ruler and a fine pen, but my lines were off by a tiny bit. I kept trying to fix it, erasing and redrawing, and it just got worse. I ended up having to use white-out tape on the whole grid and start over. I thought it would be a 15 minute job. Has anyone found a good way to lay out a clean grid without going insane?

2 comments

c/bricklayers•

spencer_ross•15d ago

Hit 500 bricks laid in a single day on a straight run last week

I was working on a long garden wall in Phoenix and the mix was just perfect, not too wet. I started at 6am and by 4pm I had laid exactly 502 bricks. I've never broken 450 before. It mattered because the schedule was tight and that pace let us finish the base course a full day early. Has anyone else hit a personal best like that on a simple, repetitive section?

2 comments

c/buying-a-home•

spencer_ross•16d ago

Appreciation post: My realtor in Austin pointed out a huge mistake people make with earnest money

I kept seeing buyers in my area write a check for 1% of the offer price as earnest money, thinking it was standard. My agent explained that in a hot market like ours, 1% can look weak compared to offers with 2% or even 3% down. She had us put down 2.5% on our offer, and the seller's agent specifically mentioned it showed serious intent. Has anyone else had their realtor suggest going above the 'standard' amount to strengthen an offer?

2 comments

c/cable-installers•

spencer_ross•21d ago

Heads up about those cheap coax strippers from the big box stores

I used to just grab whatever $8 stripper was on the rack, but after a job in Tempe last month where I had three bad crimps in a row from nicked center conductors, I switched to a Klein VDV512-822 and haven't had a single callback since. What's your go-to stripper for clean prep work?

2 comments

Posts

My kid's science book made me rethink my whole coop setup

My kitchen drawer fell off its tracks while I was making breakfast this morning.

Watched my neighbor try to hang a shelf with just drywall anchors... again

My 10 year old nephew asked why my 'new' computer has a cup holder

PSA: I compared a $20 orbital sander to my old palm sander for a deck refinish

Found a weird fix for random USB port failures on a batch of Dell OptiPlex 3080s

Warning: My 'simple' yearly future log took three hours to fix.

Hit 500 bricks laid in a single day on a straight run last week

Appreciation post: My realtor in Austin pointed out a huge mistake people make with earnest money

Heads up about those cheap coax strippers from the big box stores

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