Can we talk about using a thermal camera versus a clamp meter for finding compressor shorts?

I had a Kenmore fridge that kept tripping the breaker, and my old clamp meter said the draw was normal. Borrowed a Flir thermal camera from a buddy and spotted a hot spot on the compressor windings in under a minute. Anyone else had a case where the thermal imaging saved a ton of diagnostic time?

I was searching for a specific type of antique hinge for weeks before I stumbled on the answer

I was trying to restore an old cabinet door and needed a 2-inch brass butt hinge with a specific pin style. I kept digging through endless, weirdly specific Google searches and getting nowhere. Then, while waiting at the hardware store, I just started flipping through a massive, dusty physical catalog they keep under the counter. Found the exact hinge listed on page 47, with a part number my online searches never picked up. It cost $8.50. I've been relying on search engines for niche stuff like this for YEARS, and it never occurred to me that the info just isn't all digitized. Has anyone else found a solution by literally looking in a book or a paper catalog recently?

I thought LED masks were a total gimmick until a client brought in her own and her rosacea cleared up in 3 weeks

A guy at the hardware store told me to use a zip tie to fix my fridge door

I was in the aisle looking at new door seals, and this older man saw me and said, 'Kid, save your money, just loop a small zip tie around the hinge pin to take up the slack.' I tried it when I got home and the door closes tight now, no more cold air leak. Has anyone else had a stranger give you a weirdly perfect fix for something?

Shoutout to the guy at the library who asked me how to find a book on building a deck

This was at the main branch in Springfield about three months ago. He was totally lost, just staring at the computer catalog. I showed him how to use the subject search instead of just the title, and his whole face lit up. He said, 'I've been coming here for years and never knew you could do that.' How many people never ask for help and just leave empty handed?

Bought a $40 laser level for setting my first course and it was a total game changer.

I was always just using string lines and a level, but this thing got the whole foundation line perfect in half the time. Anyone have a favorite brand for these that holds up on site?

Vent: I shot a roll of film at my niece's birthday party and the whole thing came out blank

I mean, I was so bummed. Turns out, I found out from a guy at the camera shop that the film leader on some older cameras doesn't always catch right. He said it's super common with my specific model, a Pentax K1000, if you don't push the film tip far enough past the mark. I lost all those cake and party pictures. Has anyone else had this happen with a K1000, and how do you make sure it catches every time?

Vent: A customer's chain was skipping on a brand new 12-speed cassette

Turns out the derailleur hanger was bent just 2mm out of line from a shipping drop. After I put it on the alignment gauge and fixed it, the shifting was perfect. Has anyone else seen this happen straight out of the box on a new bike?

PSA: The Denver airport murals are not about the New World Order

I keep seeing posts that claim the murals predict a one world government. Actually looked into it. The artist said they're about peace and the environment. Found an interview from 1995 where he explained the symbolism. So why do people keep pushing the NWO angle? Anyone have a source that actually proves otherwise?

Had a real mess with a new creosote remover last week

Tried this new chemical spray on a standard brick flue over in the West End. The label said it would turn the glazed creosote to powder in 24 hours. Well, 48 hours later, I went back up and it had turned into this sticky, tar-like goop that was ten times worse to scrape. My standard wire brush just gummed up completely. I ended up having to use a carbide scraper by hand for three hours to get it all off the clay liner. The customer wasn't happy about the extra time, and I ate the cost. Has anyone else had a chemical treatment backfire like that? What do you use for heavy glazed buildup instead?