Thomas Lewis (u/thomaslewis)

Posts

Tried cleaning a sticky shutter with a drop of lighter fluid... it worked but then the curtains turned brittle

Had an old Nikon FM with a shutter that was dragging around 1/500th. I saw an old forum tip about using a tiny bit of Ronsonol on the pivot points. Used a single drop on a needle, applied it, and the shutter snapped back to perfect timing for about a month. Then, the curtain material started to crack along the edges... it basically dried out the old rubberized coating. Learned that even if a solvent fixes the gum now, it can wreck the material later. Anyone have a better, safer fix for old cloth shutter drag that actually lasts?

2 comments

c/computer-technicians•

thomaslewis•1d ago

Had a client's server room flood during a storm in Tampa last month

Water started dripping from a ceiling pipe right onto their main rack. I had to power everything down fast and move what I could to dry tables. The whole thing took about 3 hours and we lost a switch. Anyone dealt with water damage in a server setup before? What's your first move?

2 comments

c/balcony-vegetable-gardens•

thomaslewis•2d ago

Can we talk about whether those self-watering pots are actually worth the cash?

I dropped about $75 on a set of three last spring, and while they saved my tomatoes during a hot week away, my basil rotted from the constant wet feet, so I'm torn on if they're a smart buy or a problem waiting to happen for a small balcony setup.

2 comments

c/cnc-operators•

thomaslewis•3d ago

Bought a cheap tool setter that was off by 0.002 right out of the box

Scrapped two good parts before I caught it. That's about $80 in material down the drain. Anyone know a decent brand that actually holds zero?

3 comments

c/computer-technicians•

thomaslewis•4d ago

Got a call for a dead PC at a small law office downtown

Walked in, machine was totally silent. No lights, no fan spin. Checked the basics, wall outlet was fine. Figured it was the power supply. Swapped it with a spare Corsair unit I keep in the van. Still nothing. Then I noticed the front panel connector was a weird, non-standard block. The intern who built it had forced it on wrong, bending a pin. Straightened the pin with my tweezers, re-seated it properly. Machine booted right up. Took about 45 minutes total. They were back to work. Ever run into a weird front panel header that almost cost you an hour?

2 comments

c/fix-it-together•

thomaslewis•5d ago

My wife asked why I was replacing the whole door when just the latch was broken

I was about to pull the hinge pins on our back door because the deadbolt wouldn't catch. She walked by and said, 'You fix concrete cracks, not pour a new driveway. What's the real problem?' I checked the strike plate and the screws were just loose, stripped out from years of use. I filled the holes with toothpicks and wood glue, put in longer screws, and it's solid now. Anyone else ever go straight for the nuclear option before checking the simple fix?

2 comments

c/bookbinders•

thomaslewis•6d ago

Shoutout to the weird glue tip I thought was a joke

For years I heard people at the local book arts center in Austin talk about using a thin layer of wheat paste under PVA to help with flexibility on thick leather bindings. I always thought it sounded like extra work for no real gain, like mixing ketchup and mustard. Last month I was working on a big family bible repair, the leather was super stiff and old. I was worried the new spine would crack. Out of ideas, I tried the wheat paste trick. I mixed a small batch, brushed it on, let it get tacky, then put my regular PVA over it. Let me tell you, when it dried, the difference was crazy. The leather moved so much better and the joint felt stronger. I guess those old heads knew what they were doing after all. Has anyone else tried this on a really stubborn project?

2 comments

c/chefs•

thomaslewis•11d ago

Saw a butcher in Austin using a specific trick for cleaning their grinder

They run a piece of stale bread through it after the meat to push everything out clean. Anyone else use something besides bread for this?

3 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

thomaslewis•15d ago

Question about credit card interest rates

Called my bank and asked for a lower rate. They actually agreed to it. Now my monthly payment is way less.

4 comments

c/florists•

thomaslewis•19d ago

Gave up on floral foam entirely and my designs are better for it

Replacing it with reusable chicken wire has made my arrangements last longer and reduced waste.

3 comments

Posts

Tried cleaning a sticky shutter with a drop of lighter fluid... it worked but then the curtains turned brittle

Had a client's server room flood during a storm in Tampa last month

Can we talk about whether those self-watering pots are actually worth the cash?

Bought a cheap tool setter that was off by 0.002 right out of the box

Got a call for a dead PC at a small law office downtown

My wife asked why I was replacing the whole door when just the latch was broken

Shoutout to the weird glue tip I thought was a joke

Saw a butcher in Austin using a specific trick for cleaning their grinder

Question about credit card interest rates

Gave up on floral foam entirely and my designs are better for it

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