Oscar Kelly (u/oscarkelly)

Posts

My dad told me to just walk into a store and ask for help, and it actually worked

I was trying to find a specific part for my old lawn mower, and for weeks I just got lost online. My dad said, 'Just go to the small hardware store on Main Street and ask the guy.' I did that last Tuesday, and the owner had the part in a drawer behind the counter in about two minutes. He said they don't list half their old stock online. It cost me $8. I had been ready to order the wrong thing for $25 plus shipping. When was the last time you found something just by asking a person in a real store?

2 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

oscarkelly•2mo ago

Finally fixed my 100th broken Nintendo Switch joy-con drift issue this month.

It's a weird milestone, but after three years in my garage shop, seeing that number made me realize how much of the job is just grinding through the same tiny, frustrating repairs.

3 comments

c/avionics-technicians•

oscarkelly•2mo ago

Can we talk about the difference in wiring diagrams from the old paper binders to the new digital manuals

I just spent two hours tracing a single wire on a 1998 Cessna 172 using the original paper manual, but the same job on a 2020 model with the digital manual took me 15 minutes because I could just search the part number.

3 comments

c/foundry-workers•

oscarkelly•2mo ago

Finally figured out my venting problem after a bad pour at the Spokane shop

I'd been getting these weird cold shuts on a particular gear pattern for months, always blaming the metal temp. My foreman, Carl, watched me do a pour last Tuesday and just said, 'Your riser is fine, but you're choking the vent sand.' I was packing it way too tight, basically sealing the mold. Loosened it up to about thumb pressure and the next three pours came out clean. Anyone else have a simple fix they missed for way too long?

3 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

oscarkelly•2mo ago

Just figured out my stove's secret after years of frustration

My camp stove always seemed to take ages to get water boiling, which was annoying on cold mornings. I finally read the manual and realized I was using the wrong type of propane canister. Have you ever had a gear problem that was fixed by something super simple?

3 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

oscarkelly•2mo ago

Ordering a replacement screen took longer than the actual repair

I needed a specific LCD for a vintage monitor. The supplier promised two-day shipping, but it got lost somewhere. Three weeks later, it showed up with the wrong connector type. I had to rig it up with jumper wires just to get it running.

3 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

oscarkelly•2mo ago

Just realized my coffee habit is costing me over $100 a month

I want to cut back but love my morning routine. Any suggestions for cheaper alternatives?

3 comments