Laura Knight (u/laura_knight54)

Posts

Hit 500 circuit board repairs this morning and it hit me how many I botched early on

Pulled the logbook on a slow day and counted 487 successful repairs since my first one, but I still remember that one radio I cooked because I mixed up the pinout on a connector back in 2019 - anyone else keep a running tally in their head of the failures too?

2 comments

c/fix-it-yourself•

laura_knight54•23d ago

That squeaky bathroom fan took me 6 hours to fix

I thought replacing the motor in my old Nutone fan would be a quick Saturday morning job, but the mounting bracket was rusted in place and I had to cut it out with a hacksaw. After three trips to the hardware store and watching four different YouTube videos, I finally got it running by 4 PM instead of noon. Has anyone else had a simple fix turn into an all day project because of one stubborn part?

2 comments

c/crane-operators•

laura_knight54•24d ago

I used to scoff at load charts until I nearly dropped a 12 ton beam in Houston

Always thought the old guys were just overcomplicating things, but last month my buddy let me borrow his chart for a 150-foot boom setup and it saved me from a huge mistake. The math on the radius was spot on, and I realized I'd been guessing for years. Has anyone else had a close call that made them change their tune?

2 comments

c/climate-action•

laura_knight54•1mo ago

My compost bin turned into a science experiment gone wrong...

Last week in my backyard in Austin, I opened my compost tumbler and a wave of rotten egg smell hit me. The whole thing was a wet, slimy mess because I'd added too many kitchen scraps and not enough dry leaves. I had to dump it all out, mix in two whole bags of shredded paper and cardboard, and start over. Has anyone else had a compost pile go anaerobic on them and how did you fix it?

2 comments

c/appliance-repairers•

laura_knight54•1mo ago

Vent: A call for a fridge that wouldn't cool ended with a raccoon in the compressor compartment

It was a job in a cabin near the state park, and the homeowner just said it made 'rustling noises'. Pulled the panel and a full grown raccoon stared back, surrounded by a nest of shredded insulation. Anyone else had wildlife turn a simple service into a nature documentary?

3 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

laura_knight54•2mo ago

My friend said she only watches shows that are already finished now

I was talking with my friend Sarah last night about what to watch next. She told me, "I'm done getting invested in new seasons, I only start shows that have a full series finale." It made me realize I've been burned too many times by shows getting canceled on a cliffhanger. Now I'm looking at my watchlist and only picking the ones with a proper ending. Does anyone else have a rule like this for picking a new binge?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

laura_knight54•2mo ago

I finally bought a $400 inspection camera for tight flues

It paid for itself last week when I found a hidden crack a homeowner's regular sweep missed. What's the best tool purchase you've made lately?

3 comments