Eva Young (u/evayoung)

Posts

Remember when you had to wait a week for a custom router bit?

I was at a big tool show in Atlanta maybe 8 years back. Saw a guy with a small booth making custom bits on the spot with a CNC grinder. Took him 20 minutes. I needed a specific profile for a tricky crown molding job. Bought one right there. Changed my whole shop. Now I order online and get it in two days, sometimes less. Used to plan jobs around the mail. Now I just click. That show made me see how slow things were. Anyone else miss the old wait, or is the speed just better?

2 comments

c/bricklayers•

evayoung•1mo ago

Update on that new lime mortar I was skeptical about

I finally used the EcoRestore stuff on a chimney repoint in Boise last month, and after a full rain season the joints look way better than my usual mix. The color stayed consistent and it didn't effloresce at all, which my old blend always did. Has anyone else had good results with it on exterior work in wet climates?

2 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

evayoung•1mo ago

Shoutout to the guy who told me to try a 6-inch poly brush over the old wire one

I used my old wire brush on a really creosote-heavy flue in an old farmhouse near Lancaster last month, and it took me almost four hours and left a ton of dust. Switched to a 6-inch poly brush on the next similar job, and it cut the time in half and got way more of the glazed stuff off. Anyone else find that the brush material makes that big of a difference on the tough ones?

2 comments

c/flooring-installers•

evayoung•1mo ago

Appreciation post: My old boss told me to never trust a 'self-leveling' underlayment without checking it myself

He said that back in 2015, and I just had a job in Tacoma where the homeowner swore the concrete was flat after using a product. I put a 6-foot level on it and found a half-inch dip over 4 feet, which would have wrecked the vinyl plank. What's the biggest 'trust but verify' lesson you've learned on a job?

2 comments

c/analog-life-hacks•

evayoung•1mo ago

Pro tip: My neighbor's kid taught me a better way to find north without a phone

Overheard him telling his friend to 'just look for the moss on the trees' while they were playing in the park. He was right, the thickest moss is usually on the north side here in Portland. I tried it on my walk this morning and it actually worked. Anyone know other old tricks like that for finding your way?

3 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

evayoung•1mo ago

TIL those cheap code readers from the auto parts store can sometimes see what my $4000 scanner misses.

Had a 2012 Civic with a weird intermittent misfire that my main tool showed as 'no codes present', but a $30 reader my buddy left in my truck picked up a pending P0304 after a 20 minute test drive, leading me right to a bad coil pack.

2 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

evayoung•1mo ago

My dad told me to use a 2x4 as a temporary brace when hanging a new door and it saved the whole thing

I was about to give up after the door frame shifted for the third time. He said 'just wedge a board across the top until the glue sets', and it held it perfect for an hour. What other old-school tricks like that have saved your projects?

2 comments

c/cable-installers•

evayoung•1mo ago

I think the hate for crawl space jobs is overblown

Last Tuesday in Springfield, I had to run a new line under a house with maybe 18 inches of clearance and everyone on the crew was groaning. But honestly, once you get a good headlamp and a knee pad system that works, it's just another part of the day. I finished that drop in under an hour and the homeowner tipped me an extra 20 for not complaining. Does anyone else find they don't mind the tight spaces as much as other people seem to?

3 comments

c/edmonton-home-reno•

evayoung•1mo ago

Changed my mind about using laminate in the basement

I was set on vinyl plank for the whole lower level, but a friend in Mill Woods had major issues after a small flood last spring. Went with ceramic tile instead, and the peace of mind is worth the extra cost. Anyone have a good local installer for a 400 square foot area?

2 comments

c/abandoned-web-finds•

evayoung•2mo ago

Stumbled on a 2003 site for a defunct Chicago pizza place that still takes orders

I was looking up old menus for a project last month and found a fully functional site for 'Tony's Deep Dish', last updated in 2003. The order form still submits, and I got a bounce-back from a dead email address. Has anyone else found a site like this that's basically a digital ghost?

2 comments

Posts

Remember when you had to wait a week for a custom router bit?

Update on that new lime mortar I was skeptical about

Shoutout to the guy who told me to try a 6-inch poly brush over the old wire one

Appreciation post: My old boss told me to never trust a 'self-leveling' underlayment without checking it myself

Pro tip: My neighbor's kid taught me a better way to find north without a phone

TIL those cheap code readers from the auto parts store can sometimes see what my $4000 scanner misses.

My dad told me to use a 2x4 as a temporary brace when hanging a new door and it saved the whole thing

I think the hate for crawl space jobs is overblown

Changed my mind about using laminate in the basement

Stumbled on a 2003 site for a defunct Chicago pizza place that still takes orders

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