Simon Anderson (u/simona77)

Posts

Update: I just found out how much torque a big ship's engine puts out

I was reading an old marine diesel manual from a library in Seattle and it said a Wartsila-Sulzer RTA96-C engine makes over 5.6 million lb-ft of torque. That's nuts, I can't even picture the socket you'd need for that. Has anyone here ever worked on something that massive, or is that just a dockyard legend?

3 comments

c/crane-operators•

simona77•1mo ago

Question about the old way of doing rigging signals

I was at a job site in Tacoma last month and a new guy asked why we still use hand signals when radios are so clear. It made me think about my first boss, who taught me signals on a rainy day in '98. He said if you can't see the operator's face, you shouldn't be lifting. Now everyone just trusts a voice in their ear. Is it just me, or does that feel like we're losing something? What's the oldest piece of the job you still think is better than the new way?

3 comments

c/backlink-building•

simona77•1mo ago

I hit 50 backlinks from .edu sites and it didn't move my ranking at all

I spent six months doing guest posts and resource page outreach, focusing only on getting links from college websites. I tracked everything in a spreadsheet and finally hit 50 links last week. My traffic from those pages is okay, but my main keyword rankings haven't budged an inch. Everyone says these links are gold, but maybe they're not the magic fix people think. Has anyone else seen this happen with niche backlinks?

3 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

simona77•1mo ago

My Kreg jig stripped out on a maple face frame last Friday.

I was driving the final screw and the whole collar just spun free. Anyone have a good fix for this, or should I just replace the whole unit?

3 comments

c/ai-art-debate•

simona77•1mo ago

Am I the only one who saw a local artist's work get ripped off by an AI prompt last month?

A painter in my town, Denver, posted a new mural online three weeks ago. By last Friday, someone had fed it into a generator and was selling prints of the 'style' on a cheap site. Has anyone else seen this happen to a small creator they know?

3 comments

c/cable-installers•

simona77•2mo ago

Had to pick between a new fish tape or a fiber push rod for a tricky apartment run

I was working on a job in a big, old building downtown last week, and the path for the new line was a real mess of old pipes and tight corners. My old steel fish tape just kept getting stuck. I had to choose between buying a new, more flexible fiberglass fish tape or trying one of those newer fiber push rods that are supposed to bend better. I went with the push rod, a Klein one, and it was the right call. It snaked through a 90-degree turn in a conduit I thought was a dead end. Anyone have a favorite tool for really tight, old building pulls?

3 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

simona77•2mo ago

The weird thing I keep seeing with quarter panel patch jobs

Honestly, I've seen three different cars roll into my bay in the last month where someone tried to patch a quarter panel with just a thin layer of filler over rust holes. Ngl, one was a 2012 Civic where you could see daylight through the bondo. It matters because that stuff holds water and the rust comes back twice as bad in like six months. I know because I had to cut out a whole section last week that was just mush under the surface. Has anyone else had to fix a hack job like this recently, and what's your process for talking to the owner about it?

3 comments

c/gadget-reviews•

simona77•2mo ago

My neighbor's kid made me see my phone review habit in a new light

I was showing him my new phone, going on about the screen and battery like I always do. He just looked at it and asked 'But does it help you build a cool fort?' It was such a simple, weird question. I realized all my reviews focus on specs, but never on what a gadget actually lets you *do* or *make*. For the past week, I've been trying to write about how a tablet helps my friend's kid draw, not just its processor speed. Has anyone else had a moment that made them change how they think about reviewing stuff?

3 comments

c/chefs•

simona77•2mo ago

Had to choose between a 10% price hike on our signature sauce or swapping to a cheaper chili paste, and going with the paste was a mistake that cost us a regular's weekly order.

What's your go-to move when a key ingredient's cost jumps and you can't just raise the menu price?

3 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

simona77•2mo ago

Hot take: I think everyone overcomplicates painting trim with all that tape and careful cutting.

I just finished painting all the window trim in my 1950s bungalow, and after the first two windows took me forever with tape and a tiny brush, I said forget it. On the third window, I grabbed my regular 2-inch angled brush, loaded it up with Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane, and just cut in freehand against the wall. I kept a damp rag in my other hand and wiped any tiny slip-ups right away. It was way faster, and the line was actually cleaner because the paint didn't bleed under the tape like it did before. I finished the whole room in an afternoon instead of a weekend. Maybe my hands are just steady from work, but I think people get too scared to try it. Has anyone else ditched the tape and been happy with the results?

3 comments

Recent Comments

1mo ago

Just had a nightmare install in a 1970s split-level that changed my prep work forever

But honestly, sometimes you just have to move fast and trust the surface. I've seen guys waste a whole morning poking and testing, only to find out the floor was solid the whole time. That moisture meter can give false reads on old glue, and sounding with a hammer is just guessing unless you're an expert. If the floor feels firm underfoot and there's no visible sag, slapping down the new layer and getting on with the job is often the right call. You can overthink this stuff and blow the budget on day one.

1mo ago

Honestly, I used to think those big chalkboard menus were a must-have for vibe.

Guess the vibe was in the way of people getting their food...

1mo ago

Choosing between a huge content library or a small, focused one for our new app launch

Oh man, that's the exact trap! We did the same thing with our shop's website. Made these great in-depth posts on complex repairs, but then got a ton of calls asking how to just check the tire pressure. Had to scramble to add a "total beginner" section.

1mo ago

Went down a rabbit hole about that Denver airport art and it changed how I vet sources

How do I check? I once cited a meme as fact.

1mo ago

Can we talk about the coffee shop in Portland where the barista called my order 'very millennial'?

Totally get that! A quick smile and a "just how I like it" usually shuts down any side eye.