Seth King (u/sethk43)

Posts

Dropped $180 on a Milwaukee cable stripper and it paid for itself in two days

I was out on a job last week in an old building downtown, pulling coax through drop ceilings full of rat droppings and rusted supports. My old Klein strippers kept slipping on the jacket and I was wasting time re-stripping every damn cable. So I grabbed a Milwaukee cable stripper from the supply house on my lunch break, cost me around $180 with tax. That thing cuts through the jacket clean on the first try every time, no nicks on the inner conductor. I knocked out 22 drops in one afternoon without a single do-over. The boss even noticed and said I was moving faster than usual. Has anyone else shelled out for a high end stripper and felt like it was worth the money? Or did you find a cheaper trick that works just as good?

2 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

sethk43•2mo ago

Debate: Is it worth spending extra on a weld-through primer for panel gaps?

I started using a special weld-through primer on a quarter panel repair last week after getting surface rust in the gaps on my previous job. The can cost me $18, but it stopped corrosion where the spot welds go. On the other hand, my buddy says he skips it and just uses regular primer after welding, and he hasn't had issues in 5 years. Does the extra cost and time pay off in the long run, or is it a gimmick for most shop jobs?

3 comments

c/albuquerque-home-reno•

sethk43•2mo ago

That drywall dust collector trick actually works

I got tired of drywall dust coating every surface in my house during a small bedroom reno. Someone on here mentioned cutting a box fan hole in a cheap furnace filter and taping it to the intake. Tried it last weekend on a 12x14 room and it caught probably 90% of the floating dust. Anyone else use this setup or have a better DIY filter rig?

2 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

sethk43•2mo ago

My buddy in Bend told me to skip the footprint for my new 2-person tent

He said it was just extra weight and cost, but after a weekend at Crater Lake, the bottom of my tent had two small tears from sharp pine cones. I spent $45 on a patch kit and now I'm buying the footprint anyway. Anyone have a good fix for small floor rips that doesn't add much weight?

2 comments

c/botany-lovers•

sethk43•2mo ago

Unpopular opinion: The new succulent display at the Denver Botanic Gardens is a mess

They've got these gorgeous echeverias just crammed next to a bunch of thirsty ferns... the watering needs are totally off. Has anyone else seen a setup that just makes you cringe?

2 comments

c/cable-installers•

sethk43•2mo ago

Found out the actual tensile strength of standard RG6 coax from a spec sheet at the supply house

It's rated for 45 pounds of pull force, which explains why I've snapped so many lines on long attic runs. What's your go-to method for pulling cable over 50 feet?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

sethk43•3mo ago

Heard a wild stat about fence post depth at a supply house in Boise

I was picking up some 4x4s at Mountain Timber yesterday and the guy behind the counter said a study showed 30% of residential fence failures are from posts set too shallow, not from rot or wind. That blew my mind because I always thought weather was the main enemy. How deep do you all actually go for a standard 6-foot privacy panel?

2 comments

c/arborists•

sethk43•3mo ago

My old Husqvarna 372XP finally threw a rod yesterday

I was doing a takedown on a big silver maple in Toledo and it just locked up with a nasty grinding sound. Had to finish the job with my backup saw, a Stihl MS261, which felt like using a toy after the 372. Anyone have a good source for a full rebuild kit that won't cost more than the saw is worth?

3 comments

c/forgotten-forum-threads•

sethk43•3mo ago

Found a 2007 forum thread where a guy was convinced his house was haunted by a dial-up modem

Was talking to my cousin about old internet sounds, and she said 'remember when a connection felt like a place you were trying to get to, not just a thing you had?' It made me look at those old tech support panic threads totally differently. Anyone else have a favorite weird old tech mystery thread?

3 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

sethk43•3mo ago

Showerthought: I just burned $200 on a 'pro' brush pack that was basically junk

Bought this set of 50 digital brushes for Photoshop last month because the ad said they were 'studio quality' and used by 'top artists'. Opened them up and half were just basic round brushes with different names, and the rest had weird pressure settings that made lines look jagged. The seller had a no-refund policy on digital goods, so I'm out the full amount. Honestly felt like they just slapped a fancy label on some free brushes they found online. Has anyone found a brush seller that's actually legit and not just repackaging stuff?

2 comments