Finally stopped using paper shims for squaring frames

For 3 years I stacked feeler gauges to square my weldments before cutting, always chasing tenths. Switched to a magnetic adjustable angle finder from Travers last month, dialed in a 90 degree frame in under 2 minutes on my first try. Anyone else make the jump from feeler gauges to digital squares for setup work?

That time a guy at a Pilot truck stop in Ohio argued with me about oil filters for 20 minutes

I was changing oil on a Freightliner at a Pilot in Ohio last fall and this old driver walks up, says he's been turning wrenches since '72, and tells me my brand of filter is garbage because it doesn't have the right bypass pressure. He pulled a crushed filter out of his cab and showed me a dent he claimed proved his point, but the thing was from a totally different engine. Has anyone else had a random stranger at a truck stop try to school you on something basic like that?

Saw a crew in Austin setting posts without checking for a main line first

They were about to dig a post hole right where the gas line runs to the street, and I had to stop them. The homeowner's utility locate sheet was sitting on their truck dash, completely ignored. How many of you actually verify the marks in the ground before your auger touches dirt?

Had a big limb swing back on me while felling a pine in Boise last spring, almost took out a fence.

Appreciation post: A veteran operator in Mobile told me I was running my cutterhead too fast

He saw me working a sandbar last spring and said, 'Kid, you're chewing through teeth and fuel for no extra mud.' I was running at 22 RPM thinking more speed meant more cut. I dropped it to 18 and watched my production actually go up while my wear parts lasted almost twice as long. It was a simple fix that changed my whole approach. Anyone else have a piece of advice that seemed wrong but saved you money?

Just dropped $300 on a graded copy of a key issue and I'm not sure it was worth it

I bought a CGC 9.8 of Amazing Spider-Man #300, thinking it was a solid investment for my collection. Honestly, it just sits in a box now and I never even look at it, which feels kinda dumb. Do you guys actually enjoy owning slabs, or is it just about the potential resale value?

My slow cooker died halfway through a big batch of beans

I was making a huge pot of pinto beans to last the week, like I always do on Sunday. The thing just shut off after about two hours, right when I was out getting bread. Came back to a cold pot of hard beans. Had to finish them on the stove, which used way more gas. Anyone know a good brand for a cheap, basic slow cooker that won't quit on you?

I used to think the moon landing was fake because of the flag waving, but a friend showed me something that made me feel dumb

For years I was sure the flag moving in the video was proof there was wind, so no space. I argued about it online all the time. Then my buddy, who's a welder, had me over to his garage last month. He had a piece of thin metal sheet, like the flag material, and he just tapped it. It kept wobbling for a solid minute after he stopped, with no air moving at all. He said in a vacuum with no air to slow it down, a little movement goes a long way. That one simple demo in his garage in Daytona totally flipped my view. Now I feel like I was just repeating stuff I heard without really thinking. Has anyone else had a simple moment like that change a big belief for them?