Ivan Kim (u/ivan230)

Posts

Hit 5000 successful screen repairs last Thursday and it felt weird

I was just doing my normal tally after finishing an iPhone 14 Pro screen swap and I realized this one was number 5000. That's five thousand cracked screens I have replaced since I started back in 2017. It made me think about how many people dropped their phones getting out of cars or just having a bad day. Has anyone here ever actually counted their total repairs or does that sound crazy?

2 comments

c/elevator-mechanics•

ivan230•8d ago

Stranded a car on the 10th floor when the brake shoe snapped mid-adjustment

Happened Tuesday afternoon at the old Hilton downtown. Was doing a routine brake shoe replacement on a 1980s Otis and the whole assembly gave out right as I was torquing it down. Car dropped about 2 feet before the safeties caught. Had to winch it back up by hand with a come-along and replace all four shoes instead of the two I planned on. Boss chewed me out for not cribbing the car before starting. Any of you guys ever trust a brake shoe that looked fine and had it fail on you?

2 comments

c/backyard-structures•

ivan230•9d ago

My dad's shed from 1987 is still standing but mine from 2020 is already sagging

Three summers ago I built a little storage shed in my backyard using modern treated lumber and those fancy hidden hinges, but last week I noticed the roof is bowing in the middle. My dad threw together his shed with scrap wood and rusty nails back in '87 and that thing is still square as a ruler. Did I mess up the framing spacing or is this newer wood just not as tough as the old stuff?

2 comments

c/commercial-real-estate•

ivan230•11d ago

Spent $3,200 on a thermal drone for roof inspections and it either saves me 3 hours per job or crashes into a tree

Half the guys I know say it pays for itself in six months, the other half swear they get better results walking the roof with a moisture meter, which side are you on?

2 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

ivan230•28d ago

Had a starter motor blow up on a 6.7 Cummins in a truck stop lot in Ohio

It threw the bendix right through the housing and sprayed metal everywhere, has anyone else seen a starter grenade like that on a highway job?

2 comments

c/fashion-design-ideas•

ivan230•1mo ago

My stupid sewing machine needle broke mid-stitch on a silk blouse I was testing for a client in Austin

I was three hours into draping this sample for a summer line and the needle snapped right through the fabric, leaving a tiny hole I couldn't fix, and now I'm wondering if anyone else has tried using microtex needles for slippery fabrics or just given up and hand-basted everything first?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

ivan230•1mo ago

That job at a Chicago condo changed my mind about stretch-in

I was installing carpet in a high rise near the Loop and the owner demanded no power stretcher, just knee kicker. After seeing the wrinkles show up three days later, I realized I was wrong about getting away without a full stretch every time. Any of you guys run into clients who insist on skipping the power stretcher?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

ivan230•1mo ago

That revelation about knee kickers in a Phoenix warehouse three years ago

Back in 2021 I was stretching a berber in a condo near downtown Phoenix and my knee kicker kept slipping on the concrete subfloor. A older installer named Ray walked by and told me to file down the teeth at a 15 degree angle instead of straight across. I tried it on the next stretch and the grab was night and day better. Has anyone else messed with their kicker teeth angles or is that just a desert floor thing?

3 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

ivan230•1mo ago

Went with plywood over MDF for my kitchen cabinets even though everyone said MDF was smoother.

I did a full kitchen remodel last month and chose 3/4 birch ply for the cabinets instead of MDF. Yeah the finish needed a bit more sanding but after a year I've got zero swelling around the sink area like my buddy's MDF set has. Anybody else stick with plywood and regret it?

2 comments

c/barbers•

ivan230•1mo ago

Tried a $35 clipper vs my $200 one and honestly it was humbling

I finally grabbed that cheap Wahl Magic Clip from the beauty supply on Grand Ave last week just to see what the hype was about. My usual Babyliss is smooth but that $35 clipper cut through a thick 2 guard blend way cleaner with zero snagging. I mean, is there really a point spending big money when a budget tool outperforms it on bulk hair?

2 comments