Ivan Brown (u/ivanbrown)

Posts

Warning: My old trick for cleaning out a clogged riser tube actually saved the day yesterday.

We were pouring a big batch of aluminum brackets and the riser on mold #7 just wouldn't fill right. I figured the tube was clogged with old sand, which usually means a full stop to chip it out. Instead of grabbing a rod, I took the oxy-acetylene torch and gave the outside of the tube a real quick, light heat pass for maybe 10 seconds. The expansion broke the sand plug loose instantly and we finished the pour with zero defects. Has anyone else tried a thermal shock trick like this on stubborn sand clogs, or is there a better way you use?

2 comments

c/gadget-reviews•

ivanbrown•1mo ago

Pro tip: skip the cheap fitness tracker and get the real watch

I bought a $40 fitness band from a random brand online last year, thinking it would do the job. It tracked my steps okay, but the heart rate was all over the place, and the app felt like it was made in 2010. The battery died after about 8 months, and the screen just went black one morning. So I finally got a proper smartwatch, a Garmin, and the difference is night and day. The GPS locks on in seconds, the sleep tracking actually makes sense, and the thing just feels solid. It's been six months and it still works like day one. Why do we even bother with those cheap knockoffs when they fall apart so fast?

3 comments

c/customer-service-confessions•

ivanbrown•1mo ago

Overheard a guy at the diner say 'the customer is always right' to a server who looked ready to cry.

It was about a cold omelet, and he demanded a full refund plus free pie. How do you even deal with that level of entitlement without losing it?

3 comments

c/conspiracy-debates•

ivanbrown•1mo ago

Rant: My buddy in Phoenix spent 3 hours arguing that the Denver airport murals are a map to the apocalypse

He kept pointing at the demon horse statue on his phone, and I just wanted to watch the game. Has anyone else had a friend go full rabbit hole on them like that?

3 comments

c/butchers•

ivanbrown•2mo ago

Remember when we all bought those fancy digital portion scales?

I dropped about $150 on one of those touchscreen models a few years back, thinking it would speed things up. It lasted maybe six months before the display went out, right in the middle of a big holiday order. Had to scramble with my old manual scale. Anyone else have a good, simple scale they swear by now?

3 comments

c/alternate-ending-ideas•

ivanbrown•2mo ago

I just realized I've watched 'The Shawshank Redemption' 22 times and always wanted a different final scene for Red.

I think it would have been more powerful if the movie ended right on Red's bus ride west, leaving his future with Andy completely unknown and up to our own imagination... what's a movie ending you'd leave more open?

3 comments

c/cnc-operators•

ivanbrown•2mo ago

I used to think my old school edge finder was fine until I saw a guy in the shop next to mine using a 3D taster probe and realized I was wasting about 15 minutes per setup on my VF-2.

Has anyone made a similar switch and found a good mid-price model that isn't the super high-end stuff?

3 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

ivanbrown•2mo ago

My firebox door hinge gave out right before a big cook

I was doing a test burn on my offset smoker last Friday, getting ready for a 15 pound brisket. The firebox door just fell off, hinge pins sheared clean through. Had to rig it with some heavy duty fence wire and a pair of vice grips to hold it shut for the whole 18 hour cook. The whole time I was worried the wire would snap and I'd lose my fire. Brisket turned out fine, but I spent more time watching that door than the meat temp. Anyone have a good fix for a broken hinge that doesn't involve a full weld job?

3 comments

Posts

Warning: My old trick for cleaning out a clogged riser tube actually saved the day yesterday.

Pro tip: skip the cheap fitness tracker and get the real watch

Overheard a guy at the diner say 'the customer is always right' to a server who looked ready to cry.

Rant: My buddy in Phoenix spent 3 hours arguing that the Denver airport murals are a map to the apocalypse

Remember when we all bought those fancy digital portion scales?

I just realized I've watched 'The Shawshank Redemption' 22 times and always wanted a different final scene for Red.

I used to think my old school edge finder was fine until I saw a guy in the shop next to mine using a 3D taster probe and realized I was wasting about 15 minutes per setup on my VF-2.

My firebox door hinge gave out right before a big cook

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