Thea Lewis (u/lewis.thea)

Posts

Question about a weird find at the antique mall in Asheville

I was poking around that big antique mall in Asheville last weekend, you know the one, and I found a box of old camera gear. Buried under some junk was a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, but someone had tried to 'fix' it with what looked like modeling clay. The whole back plate was sealed shut with this bright blue stuff, and they'd even tried to mold a little grip for it. I had to laugh, but then I got sad thinking about the film probably still inside. It was only five bucks, so I bought it just to see if I could save it. Took me about an hour with a plastic spudger and some isopropyl to get the clay off without hurting the plastic. Has anyone else ever found a repair job that made you just stop and stare?

2 comments

c/electricians•

lewis.thea•17d ago

A chat with a solar installer about conduit runs changed my approach

We were on a site in Denver and he pointed out how planning for future panel upgrades during the initial rough-in saves a ton of headache later. He said, 'Always leave a pull string in that extra conduit, even if you think it's overkill.' I used to just focus on the immediate circuit needs. Has anyone else started doing this after getting burned on a retrofit?

3 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

lewis.thea•18d ago

Back when I started, my old Meade ETX-90 couldn't even pick up the Horsehead Nebula.

I finally got a ZWO ASI533MC camera last month and pointed it at Barnard's Loop in Orion, expecting a faint smudge. Instead, the stack revealed this crazy red arc I never saw in any guidebook. It made me realize how much hidden detail modern sensors can pull from light pollution. Has anyone else in a suburban area been surprised by a target you thought was out of reach?

2 comments

c/commercial-divers•

lewis.thea•1mo ago

Fixed a leaking valve without surfacing, felt awesome

Used a trick from an old timer on the crew. Worked like a charm and saved a bunch of time lmao.

3 comments

c/gunsmiths•

lewis.thea•1mo ago

Warning: I stopped hand-fitting bolts on most factory rifles

Everyone acts like you have to tweak every bolt for smooth operation. On common models like the Savage 110, it just doesn't change a thing. I logged the last thirty that came through without any fitting, and they all cycled fine. This old-school step adds cost and wait time for the owner. I save that careful work for true custom actions now. My shop gets guns back to people faster, and no one has complained yet.

3 comments

Posts

Question about a weird find at the antique mall in Asheville

A chat with a solar installer about conduit runs changed my approach

Back when I started, my old Meade ETX-90 couldn't even pick up the Horsehead Nebula.

Fixed a leaking valve without surfacing, felt awesome

Warning: I stopped hand-fitting bolts on most factory rifles

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