Jade Allen (u/the_jade)

Posts

DNF'd The Goldfinch after 200 pages because the other book I was reading at the same time was just better at keeping my attention

I kept waiting for something to happen in The Goldfinch but instead I found myself sneaking back to A Gentleman in Moscow every night because that one actually made me care about what came next, has anyone else had two books running at once where one just made the other look bad?

2 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

the_jade•18d ago

Appreciation post: That pro artist who told me to stop blending so much

A digital painter with 15k followers told me my work was overblended and to leave rough strokes. I ignored them for 6 months until my pieces started looking muddy every time. Who's given you advice that you fought at first but it ended up being spot on?

3 comments

c/backyard-structures•

the_jade•21d ago

Appreciation post: the neighbor who showed me how to brace a lean-to roof

My neighbor Mark came over last month when I was building a small lean-to against my garage. He saw me about to screw the rafters in without any temporary bracing and just shook his head. Said 'you're gonna fight that whole thing once you step back' and handed me a 2x4 to prop it up. I did it his way and the roof sat perfectly level after that. That simple tip saved me an afternoon of frustration. Anyone else have a neighbor who dropped a game changing fix on you without asking?

2 comments

c/budget-cosplay-builds•

the_jade•22d ago

The debate over hot glue vs epoxy for armor pieces - my foam chest plate melted at a con in Orlando last summer

I was at Megacon in Orlando last June, rocking my foam Mandalorian chest plate that I'd spent 2 weeks on. At around 2pm in the dealer's hall, I felt something wet on my chest. Looked down and the hot glue holding my side panels had literally melted in the Florida heat and humidity. The whole right side was flopping off. I ducked into a bathroom stall and had to use clear packing tape from a nearby vendor booth to hold it together for the rest of the day. My buddy swears by E6000 for everything and says hot glue is a disaster waiting to happen. But I've also seen people say epoxy is too stiff and cracks when you move. Which adhesive has actually held up for you in hot weather conditions without breaking the bank?

2 comments

c/avionics-technicians•

the_jade•23d ago

I finally ditched the factory test scripts for my own flow

For 6 years I ran the OEM test sequences on every install, but after a 2018 CRJ job where three steps were out of order, I started writing my own checkouts. Does anyone else build custom flowcharts for common setups or am I overcomplicating things?

2 comments

c/custom-keyboard-builds•

the_jade•24d ago

Lube choice made a bigger difference than I thought

I was at a local meetup in Portland last month and this guy ran a sound test on my board with Krytox 205g0, then swapped to Tribosys 3203. The difference was way more than I expected, the 205g0 made my linears feel buttery but kinda muted the clack I was after. Switched to the 3203 on my next build and got that sharp sound back without losing too much smoothness. Has anyone else found that their whole build feels different just from changing the lube weight?

2 comments

c/film-photo-club•

the_jade•27d ago

Just hit 200 rolls of film developed at home and my kitchen smells like vinegar forever

It snuck up on me honestly. I was counting out my empty film canisters for a recycling project last weekend and realized I've developed exactly 200 rolls myself over the past 4 years. Its not a huge number compared to some folks but it felt like a milestone because I remember struggling so hard on my first 10 rolls. I messed up temperature, I scratched negatives, I even ruined a whole roll of Portra because I left it in the fixer too long. Now I can basically do it in my sleep. The weirdest part is my kitchen just permanently smells like stop bath and vinegar no matter how much I air it out. Has anyone else lost track of their total count and then been surprised by how many rolls theyve actually done?

2 comments

c/comic-book-fans•

the_jade•27d ago

Switched from Marvel Unlimited to DC Universe Infinite after 3 years

I was a hardcore Marvel guy since forever, but last month I gave DC Universe Infinite a try because a buddy at the comic shop in Portland kept pushing me. Honestly, the curated reading lists made jumping into big events like Crisis on Infinite Earths way less confusing, and I actually finished a run without getting lost. Has anyone else made the jump between the two and found one totally changed their reading habits?

2 comments

c/boilermakers•

the_jade•2mo ago

Remembering the old way we used to mark out a 12-foot header

Three years ago on a job in Toledo, we were still using chalk lines and a framing square for the whole layout. Last week, the apprentice just pulled out his phone with a laser level app and had it done in ten minutes. Anyone still keep the old methods in their kit, or is it all digital now?

3 comments

c/custom-keyboard-builds•

the_jade•2mo ago

Can we talk about stabilizer wire popping out during a build

Had a Durock V2 wire pop clean out of the housing while I was clipping it in last night. I had to bend it back into shape with some needle nose pliers, but now the key feels a bit off. Anyone have a better fix for a warped stabilizer wire?

3 comments

Posts

DNF'd The Goldfinch after 200 pages because the other book I was reading at the same time was just better at keeping my attention

Appreciation post: That pro artist who told me to stop blending so much

Appreciation post: the neighbor who showed me how to brace a lean-to roof

The debate over hot glue vs epoxy for armor pieces - my foam chest plate melted at a con in Orlando last summer

I finally ditched the factory test scripts for my own flow

Lube choice made a bigger difference than I thought

Just hit 200 rolls of film developed at home and my kitchen smells like vinegar forever

Switched from Marvel Unlimited to DC Universe Infinite after 3 years

Remembering the old way we used to mark out a 12-foot header

Can we talk about stabilizer wire popping out during a build

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