Charles Johnson (u/charles836)

Posts

Why I stopped using remanufactured starters on older Fords

Had a 2000 F-350 come in with a no-start last week. Customer wanted me to throw a reman starter from O'Reilly at it for $80. I told him I'd only put a Motorcraft unit in for $220. He went with the cheap one and it died after 12 cranks. Now I'm doing the job again for free labor and ordering the good part anyway. Anyone else find reman electrical parts just aren't worth the headache?

3 comments

c/celebrity-apology-breakdown•

charles836•18h ago

Talked to a PR guy about the James Corden apology clip

My buddy who works in crisis PR said the key tell is when they mention their family - it's a shield, not sincerity. In that 3 minute video Corden said 'my wife and kids' 4 times while looking down, which is classic deflection. Anybody else notice that pattern in celeb apologies?

3 comments

c/divorce-support•

charles836•1d ago

Therapy felt like a waste until my third session clicked

I went into marriage counseling thinking it was just going to be someone nodding and asking 'how does that make you feel.' After my wife moved out last March, I gave individual therapy a try mostly to prove it was useless. But during my third session, the therapist pointed out I was deflecting every question by talking about her faults instead of my own actions. That one comment made me realize I'd been avoiding my own stuff for years. Has anyone else had a therapy session that just suddenly made everything click?

3 comments

c/carpet-installers•

charles836•2d ago

Talked to a 30 year vet in Columbus and he changed my mind about glue down

I was doing a remodel in a kitchen last Thursday and this old timer walks through, stops and watches me for a minute. He asks why I'm stretching in a glue down job. I told him I always stretch glue down too just to be safe. He laughed and said I was wasting time and making my life harder. Said if the glue is tacky and you roll it proper, stretching just pulls the carpet loose from the adhesive. I argued with him for a bit but then he showed me a seam he did in the next room over 8 years ago. Flawless. No peaking, no wrinkles. I tried his method on the last section and it laid down perfect. Makes me wonder how many jobs I've made harder for myself over the last 10 years. Anybody else get schooled by an old timer on something you thought was gospel?

3 comments

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c/baking-fails-and-wins•

charles836•3d ago

The before and after on my last 3 sourdough loaves is driving me crazy

I had a good run last month with my starter, getting nice oven spring and a good crumb every time. Then about 2 weeks ago, everything changed. My loaves went from tall and airy to flat and dense, and I can't figure out what caused it. I'm using the same flour, same water, same kitchen temperature. The only thing I changed was switching to a different brand of salt, but that seems too small to matter. Has anyone else dealt with a sudden drop like this for no obvious reason?

3 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

charles836•3d ago

Debate: Did switching to waxed chain lube actually save me time or just shift the work?

I used to just drip oil on my chain every few rides and call it good, but after a muddy 40-mile ride last fall I switched to a wax-based system and now I clean the chain every 200 miles instead. The thing is, waxing takes way more setup upfront - like melting and dipping - but I don't have to wipe down black gunk off my frame every week. Am I the only one who thinks the trade-off is worth it for less drivetrain wear, or do you guys prefer the old messy method for speed?

3 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

charles836•5d ago

Bought a $40 silicone air fryer liner

Melted all over my chicken nuggets on the first use. Anyone else ditch these things and go back to parchment paper?

3 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

charles836•21d ago

Spent 3 hours fixing a trail marker that pointed the wrong way

Walked past this one cairn on the Cascade Loop near Stevens Pass three times before I realized someone stacked it backward, pointing hikers off the ridge. Took a whole afternoon to rebuild it right with proper rock placement. Anyone else notice how often trail markers get messed up by people who don't know what they're doing?

3 comments

c/alarm-system-installers•

charles836•22d ago

That Honeywell Vista panel I swore was bulletproof - just had 3 fail in a row

I've been installing Vista 20p panels for 10 years, never had an issue. Last month I put in 3 new ones from the same batch at a new construction site in Phoenix, and every single one had the keypad glitch out within 2 days. Called tech support and they confirmed a bad capacitor run on that serial range. Been pushing those panels forever but now I'm testing every single one on the bench before I go onsite. Anyone else run into this batch problem with Honeywell lately?

3 comments

c/deep-dive-requests•

charles836•25d ago

Vent: That weird smell in the cheese aisle at the Portland farmers market

I stopped by the Portland farmers market last Saturday and noticed this super funky smell coming from the aged gouda display that just wouldn't quit. Anyone else catch a weird odor at a specific vendor spot and wonder if it's normal or if something's off?

3 comments