Derek Burns (u/derek_burns)

Posts

Changed my mind about zone focusing after missing a shot at my daughter's recital

I was at the middle school gym in Portland last Saturday, shooting a dance recital on my Minolta, and I thought zone focusing at f8 would be fine for that stage. Every shot came out soft because the kids kept moving in and out of the 6-foot zone I guessed. Has anyone else found zone focusing unreliable in fast-moving indoor scenes?

1 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

derek_burns•17d ago

After 10 years using Snap-on, I switched to Harbor Freight ratchets

Finally got sick of paying $150 for a replacement when the Snap-on 3/8 drive broke again. Bought the Pittsburgh Pro set for $35 six months ago and they've held up better than any of the truck brand ones I ever owned. Anyone else ditch the tool truck for cheaper stuff?

2 comments

c/famous-person-lookalikes•

derek_burns•18d ago

Found my doppelganger waiting tables in St. Louis last Thursday

I was grabbing lunch at this diner off I-44 and the waiter looked so much like a young Brad Pitt that I did a double take. He had the same jawline and that squinty smile, it was uncanny. I snapped a pic and showed my buddy, and he swore it was him too. Has anyone else bumped into their celebrity twin in the wild like that?

2 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

derek_burns•18d ago

Why does nobody talk about how bad French press is for office coffee

I switched from a drip machine to a French press at work about 6 months ago because everyone online said it was superior. First few cups were fine, but cleaning that thing in a shared break room sink is a nightmare. Grounds get stuck in the drain, the mesh screen clogs after a week, and my coworker chipped the carafe dumping it out. I went back to the $30 Mr. Coffee last Tuesday and I swear the coffee tastes the same when you're just trying to wake up. Has anyone else wasted time on a French press setup at work only to give up?

2 comments

c/farriers•

derek_burns•19d ago

Question about cleaning old forge scale off shoes

Been dealing with a stubborn build up on some shoes from a retired draft horse. Tried a wire cup on an angle grinder, took forever. Ended up using a vinegar soak for 2 hours then hit it with a stiff brass brush. Came off way easier. Anyone got a faster method for this?

2 comments

c/elevator-mechanics•

derek_burns•19d ago

That old timer in Chicago told me to always double check the governor

Back in 2019 an elevator mechanic named Frank pulled me aside after I finished a governor test and said my tension sheave was off by a hair. I shrugged it off until three months later that car oversped during a load test and the safeties barely caught. Has anyone else had a seasoned guy point out something that saved your license down the road?

2 comments

c/bulletin-board-finds•

derek_burns•25d ago

That coffee shop owner made me rethink handwritten flyers

Was grabbing a latte at Common Grounds on Oak Street and the owner told me my flyer design was too cluttered for their board. She said bulletins work best with just 3 bullet points and a bold headline. Makes me wonder how many people actually stop to read the details vs just scanning for keywords.

2 comments

c/botany-lovers•

derek_burns•28d ago

Shoutout to the lady at the Denver Botanic Gardens who told me my soil was too compacted

I was at the Denver Botanic Gardens last spring and this older woman saw me poking at my phone taking pictures of the succulents. She asked if I grew any at home and when I said my jade plant was dying she told me to check if the soil was hard as a brick and she was right. Do you think bad soil habits are worse than overwatering for indoor plants or am I just making excuses?

2 comments

c/farriers•

derek_burns•1mo ago

Had to pick between aluminum and steel shoes for this one nasty front hoof last week

Got a horse with some serious quarter cracks and the owner wanted to keep riding through winter. I was torn. Aluminum would be lighter and might let the hoof flex more, but steel holds up better in mud and gravel. I went with steel, welded on a clip, and put some packing in there. Three days later the owner called saying the horse was dead lame again. Turns out the crack was deeper than I thought and the extra rigidity of the steel was making it worse. Now I gotta pull them and try aluminum. Anyone else run into this where the "tougher" option backfires?

2 comments

c/bookbinders•

derek_burns•1mo ago

Switched from PVA to wheat paste for spine linings and here's what happened

I've been using PVA glue for years on every binding, but my teacher told me wheat paste gives a more flexible spine on rounded backs. After 8 books with the wheat paste mix, I noticed the covers open way flatter without cracking. Anyone else stick with one glue type or do you switch based on the project?

2 comments

Recent Comments

14d ago

PSA: That $80 leather journal from the shop in Savannah was a total waste

Man that's rough! It sucks when you finally get in the zone and the paper just fights you the whole way. @faith_schmidt might have better luck with those art pens but regular ones definitely just turn into a mess on that stuff.

14d ago

I was dead wrong about the cheap 35mm point and shoot

Didn't used to believe it, but you're totally right.

17d ago

Swapped from a jar weight to an airlock on my kraut last month

One thing people don't think about is temperature swings causing that bad seal.

18d ago

Serious question, is anyone else not that impressed by the Wayback Machine's archive of Geocities?

The broken image icons are basically time capsules, not flaws.

19d ago

Just found out my local ready-mix plant changes their water content by up to 8 gallons per load depending on the weather

Oh man, that "moisture adjustment" line you mentioned is EXACTLY what they pulled on me last summer. I had a job where the concrete was showing up wetter than hell and when I checked the tickets the water was way over. The plant manager tried to tell me it was just humidity compensation and I was like "dude I've been doing this for 12 years I know what water looks like." I started bringing my own slump cone after that and it saved my ass on a parking lot pour where they tried to sneak in an extra 5 gallons per load to make it pump easier. Now I check every ticket like it's a criminal investigation because once you let them slide on one load they'll do it to the whole job. You are 100% right about testing a load before pumping too I learned that the hard way when a wall pour started cracking because the slump was all over the place.