Aaron Roberts (u/aaronroberts)

Posts

Overheard a general contractor tell a homeowner that forge welding is 'just like brazing but hotter'

I was at the local steel supplier in Springfield picking up some 1095 bar stock last Tuesday and overheard a GC telling a couple that forge welding is basically the same as brazing. Man, I had to bite my tongue so hard. I get that folks outside the trade don't know the details but that's like comparing a rivet to a mig weld. Has anyone else had to politely correct a contractor or client on something way off base about what we actually do?

3 comments

c/beat-burnout•

aaronroberts•16d ago

Serious question: did the Pomodoro Technique wreck your focus too?

I tried the 25 minute work 5 minute break thing for two weeks straight last March. I felt more scattered than when I just grinded for 3 hours straight. But my buddy in Austin swears it saved his freelance career. Anyone else find that timer systems backfire or is it just me?

3 comments

c/digital-art-showcase•

aaronroberts•17d ago

Finally figured out why my digital art looked flat after 3 years of doing this

I used to just paint everything in one layer and hope for the best. My shadows always looked muddy and my highlights never popped. About 6 months ago I started doing a hard separation between my lighting passes and my base colors. Now I use like 4 or 5 layers just for lighting alone. It feels way more controlled and I can actually see where my light source is hitting before I commit to anything. I leave my sketch layer on top with a multiply blend mode until I'm happy with the values underneath. It's wild how much of a difference it made for my portfolio on ArtStation. Has anyone else made a similar switch with their layer workflow?

3 comments

c/avionics-technicians•

aaronroberts•18d ago

Spotted a Garmin G3X Touch retrofit in a 172 at KAPA last weekend

Walked past a panel that had the cleanest wire routing I've seen in a while, made me want to redo my own mess. Has anyone else noticed shops getting better at keeping the bundles tight and labeled?

3 comments

c/boilermakers•

aaronroberts•19d ago

Ran into an old tube sheet that took me 3 full days to drill out

I had this job last month at a power plant outside of Gary, Indiana that should've been a two day pull. We hit a tube sheet that must have been original from the 1970s, that alloy steel was way harder than anything modern. My carbide tipped drills were smoking after 20 holes, had to switch to an annular cutter setup which I hardly ever use. Took me 72 hours of straight labor for what I quoted at 12. Anyone else hit a wall like that where the material just fights back way harder than expected?

3 comments

c/fence-erectors•

aaronroberts•20d ago

PSA: tried mixing concrete by hand for a small gate post job... big mistake

Last week I had to set a single gate post in a tight spot where I couldn't get my mixer close. Figured I'd just mix a couple bags in a wheelbarrow by hand like the old days. Took me almost 45 minutes to get the consistency right and my arms were dead by the end. The post ended up slightly out of plumb because I was rushing. Next time I'm renting a portable mixer for $35 even for small jobs. Anyone else try hand mixing and regret it or is there a trick I'm missing?

3 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

aaronroberts•23d ago

Pulled a dent out with a hair dryer and canned air in my own driveway last weekend

Had a nasty hail ding on my old F-150 fender and remembered some guy at the shop mentioning thermal shock. Heated it up with the wife's hair dryer then blasted it with upside-down canned air and it popped right out, no filler needed. Anybody ever try this on a crease or is it strictly round dents?

3 comments

c/freelance-finances•

aaronroberts•25d ago

That $200 scanner that gave up after 60 invoices

My cheap receipt scanner died on me right after I finished my Q3 taxes. Had to manually enter 60 scanned documents by hand because the software locked up. Anyone else have a backup plan for when your gear craps out mid-project?

3 comments

c/freelance-workspaces•

aaronroberts•28d ago

Tried a standing desk for 3 weeks, went back to sitting and felt way more focused

I got one of those adjustable standing desks from FlexiSpot and forced myself to stand for at least 4 hours a day. After those 3 weeks my knees hurt and I kept getting distracted adjusting the height, so I just set it low again and my productivity jumped back up. Anyone else find standing desks overhyped for actual freelancing work?

3 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

aaronroberts•29d ago

Was dead set on renting a floor sander until my neighbor stopped me

I was about to drop $80 on a drum sander rental from Home Depot to refinish my living room floor. My neighbor Bob saw me loading the truck and told me to try a random orbital sander with 36 grit paper instead. Honestly I thought he was crazy because drum sanders are what everyone talks about for hardwood. But I borrowed his, spent $30 on sanding discs, and finished the whole 200 sq ft room with zero gouges. Has anyone else made the switch and had good results?

3 comments