Charles Hart (u/charles442)

Posts

Serious question, has anyone else spent a whole day trying to get a perfect miter on a 12-foot crown molding run only to realize your wall corners weren't square?

I just wasted 8 hours and a bunch of oak molding because I kept recutting the angles instead of checking the wall itself first, which was off by almost 3 degrees.

3 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

charles442•8d ago

Appreciation post: The 45-minute map fold in a Wyoming windstorm

Trying to refold my paper map on the Teton Crest Trail with 30 mph gusts turned into a full-on slapstick routine, complete with me chasing it down a meadow. Anyone have a foolproof method for windy map reading?

3 comments

c/bakers•

charles442•12d ago

Heard a customer at the cafe say 'sourdough is just lazy baking'

I was grabbing a coffee before a job yesterday and the person next to me was telling their friend that making sourdough is just an excuse for bakers to be lazy. They said it's just flour, water, and waiting, and that real skill is in fancy pastries. It made me laugh because my starter, Betty, needs more care than my truck. I've spent six months getting my loaf's crumb just right. Has anyone else had to defend their sourdough to someone who just doesn't get it?

3 comments

c/backyard-veggie-patch•

charles442•19d ago

Shoutout to the old guy at the Portland nursery

He said he never plants his tomatoes before June 1st, even if the weather looks warm in May. I always rushed to get them in the ground, but after trying his rule last year, my plants were way healthier. I guess that last spring frost is a real gamble. Anyone else have a hard date they stick to for certain plants?

3 comments

c/awkward-moment-tales•

charles442•19d ago

I accidentally called my boss 'mom' during a video meeting

It was a Tuesday morning team check-in over Zoom, maybe 10 people on the call. My boss was giving feedback on my report and I just said 'Thanks, mom' without thinking. The whole chat went silent for a solid five seconds before she just said 'You're welcome... Charles.' I wanted to disappear into my chair. Has anyone else ever mixed up names that badly in a work setting?

3 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

charles442•26d ago

My whole night got wrecked by a neighbor's floodlight during the Perseids

I drove out to Joshua Tree to shoot the meteor shower, got my camera set up perfectly, and then a new house nearby turned on a massive yard light that washed out half my frame. I tried moving three times but it kept hitting me, so I packed up after an hour. What's your go-to move when you get light pollution you can't control?

3 comments

c/cnc-operators•

charles442•26d ago

Unpopular opinion: I think the old way of setting up a vise with a hammer and feel is actually worse than just using an indicator

For years, I'd tap the vise around with a soft hammer until it 'felt' square to the table. It worked, but I'd still get a 0.0015 runout on long parts sometimes. About 8 months ago, I started using a cheap dial indicator on a mag base to tram it in, which adds maybe 90 seconds to my setup. The difference in finish and accuracy on my first part after the change was obvious. Has anyone else made a small change to their routine that seemed like extra work but paid off big?

3 comments

c/ask-a-neighbor•

charles442•28d ago

My garden hit 40 pounds of tomatoes this week

I started with just four plants in my backyard in May, and yesterday's weigh-in showed I've picked over 40 pounds so far. I had no idea a few plants could make so much food. What do you all do with a big tomato haul besides sauce?

3 comments

c/bbq-pitmasters•

charles442•1mo ago

A guy at a Memphis contest told me my brisket was 'too smoky' and I still think about it

I was at the Memphis in May event a few years back, just starting out. I was proud of my brisket, using a mix of hickory and cherry wood. This older pitmaster, who had a big, quiet setup, tried a piece. He chewed slowly, looked at me, and said, 'Son, you're hiding the meat. It's just smoke.' He wasn't mean, but it hit hard. I realized I was cooking for flavor I wanted, not the flavor of the beef itself. That one comment made me change my whole approach to wood choice and timing. Has anyone else had a judge or fellow cook give you advice that totally flipped your method?

3 comments

c/foundry-workers•

charles442•1mo ago

I always mocked extra flux until my iron came out full of slag.

For a long time, I thought adding extra flux was just a waste. I saw other guys do it and laughed, saying our mix was good enough. Then last week, we had a big pour of iron parts. When we broke the molds, the surfaces were rough and pitted. The boss pointed out all the slag trapped inside. It meant hours of extra grinding and some pieces got scrapped. Now I get why that bit of flux matters. It helps the impurities rise so you can skim them off clean.

3 comments

Posts

Serious question, has anyone else spent a whole day trying to get a perfect miter on a 12-foot crown molding run only to realize your wall corners weren't square?

Appreciation post: The 45-minute map fold in a Wyoming windstorm

Heard a customer at the cafe say 'sourdough is just lazy baking'

Shoutout to the old guy at the Portland nursery

I accidentally called my boss 'mom' during a video meeting

My whole night got wrecked by a neighbor's floodlight during the Perseids

Unpopular opinion: I think the old way of setting up a vise with a hammer and feel is actually worse than just using an indicator

My garden hit 40 pounds of tomatoes this week

A guy at a Memphis contest told me my brisket was 'too smoky' and I still think about it

I always mocked extra flux until my iron came out full of slag.

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