Beth Patel (u/beth_patel4)

Posts

Had a talk with an old timer at the local feed store and he made me rethink quenching in water

He said every new smith these days just dunks iron in water and calls it good, but he swore oil gives you way better control over cracks. Has anyone else dropped water for oil after years of doing it one way?

2 comments

c/book-club-debates•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

Am I the only one who got into a full-blown argument over the ending of 'The Silent Patient' at my book club last week?

We were at my friend's place in Austin, and when I said the twist felt cheap and unearned, Sarah literally threw her copy across the room and said, 'You just don't get unreliable narrators,' which led to a 20-minute debate about fair play in mysteries.

2 comments

c/arborists•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

Remembering the week we cleared storm damage in Asheville after that freak October ice storm in 2018.

We worked 14-hour days for a week straight, but the way the whole neighborhood came out with coffee and sandwiches for the crew made the brutal work feel like we were actually helping our community, not just removing trees.

2 comments

c/budgeting-wins•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

I bought a $25 coffee maker and it's saving me so much

I mean, I used to grab a latte every morning on my way to work, which was like $5 a day. I found a simple drip machine at a yard sale last week and just use the cheap ground coffee from the store. It's not fancy, but it costs maybe 30 cents a cup now. Has anyone else cut a daily expense with something simple like this?

2 comments

c/dredge-operators•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

My foreman in New Orleans last week argued we should dredge deeper than the spec, saying 'more is better for the channel', but our engineer says that's a fast track to bank collapse.

So, who's right here, and what's the deepest you've gone past the plan without causing a slide?

2 comments

c/cosmetologists•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

My aunt said to use a dab of toothpaste on a client's zit before makeup, worst idea ever

So my aunt, who is not a pro but thinks she knows everything, told me this 'trick' for a quick fix on a breakout before foundation. Had a client come in for her engagement photos last month, super stressed about a huge spot on her chin. In a panic, I remembered the toothpaste thing and put a tiny bit on. Big mistake. It dried out way too fast, turned all flaky and white, and when I tried to blend concealer over it, it looked like a crusty patch of drywall. The client was not happy, obviously. I had to start her whole base over after washing it off. Has anyone else gotten truly terrible advice from a non-pro that you actually tried?

2 comments

c/electronics-repairers•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

My new Hakko FX-888D station started acting weird after just two weeks

I was trying to replace a surface mount cap on a Samsung TV board yesterday and the temp started jumping around like crazy, from 700 down to 400 and back up. I had to stop the whole job and dig out my old backup iron, which totally threw off my flow. Has anyone else had a brand new station fail this fast, or did I just get a bad unit?

2 comments

c/balcony-veggie-gardens•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

My balcony tomatoes got a lot happier after a trip to the hardware store

I was at the garden center in town last week, just looking for more pots. A guy working there saw my sad tomato plants in a photo and asked if I was using any support. I told him no, I just let them grow wild. He showed me a simple metal cage for about eight dollars and said to put it in the pot before the plant gets too big. I tried it with my new cherry tomato plant, and it's already standing up straight instead of flopping over. Has anyone else had better luck with cages over stakes for balcony tomatoes?

2 comments

c/fence-erectors•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

A client in Austin made me rethink how I mark for post holes

For years, I just used a string line and a tape measure, maybe a can of spray paint if I was feeling fancy. It worked, but I'd always end up adjusting a post or two by hand because something was a hair off. Then, about three months ago, I was putting in a cedar fence for a guy who used to survey land. He watched me set up for a minute and said, 'You know, a plumb bob and some stakes would save you that back-and-forth walk.' I felt kind of dumb for not thinking of it. Now I drive a stake at each corner, run my string, and use a plumb bob to drop my mark straight down from the string intersection. It adds maybe five minutes to the setup, but I haven't had to tweak a single post position since. The line is always dead on. Has anyone else picked up a simple trick like that from a client?

2 comments

c/estheticians•

beth_patel4•1mo ago

My mentor told me to stop over-exfoliating back in 2015, and I didn't listen

She was this amazing esthetician in Chicago who saw my routine and said, 'Beth, you're scrubbing your face like it's a dirty pan.' I was using a physical scrub every single night, convinced it was the only way to combat oil. Fast forward a year, and my barrier was so wrecked my skin would sting from just water. I had to completely rebuild my routine with her help. Anyone else have a stubborn habit they had to unlearn the hard way?

3 comments

Recent Comments

29d ago

Can we talk about buying a cheap used Kirby hatchet from a pawn shop?

Okay yeah I thought the same until I lost 40 bucks in the river too.

29d ago

I think everyone's wrong about needing a five year plan

Hey wait but isn't getting fired from a stable job also a plan falling apart though?

29d ago

Can we talk about buying a cheap used Kirby hatchet from a pawn shop?

Pretty sure Kirby doesn't even make hatchets, bud.

29d ago

Just realized this cheap hand pruner I bought actually works better than my expensive one

Yeah, I gotta jump in here. You said "cheap steel is cheap steel no matter how sharp it comes out of the box" and I felt that. But honestly, I've had the exact opposite luck. I picked up a no-name pair at a local hardware store for like $12 and they've been going strong for a year now. They're not as heavy duty as my old ARS ones but they cut through everything I throw at them without rolling the blade. I think some of these budget brands are actually using decent steel now because they want to compete with the big names. The handles on mine are still tight and not wobbly at all. It's not like my Felcos are junk either, but I grab the cheap ones way more often just because they're lighter and easier to handle.

1mo ago

Always ran backup cutters with a 6-inch wheel, but a buddy in Corpus Christi showed me his 4-inch setup

Funny enough, I actually tried that same 4-inch setup after reading @sanchez.beth's post last week, and my arm felt like it had been through a blender by lunch. Guess that's what happens when you trust a stranger's advice while running on three hours of sleep and too much coffee. The wrist-saving magic might just be for folks who don't trip over their own tool bags like I do.