I used to think you had to replace every bad power supply, but now I test the caps first

Back in my shop in Dayton, we'd just swap the whole unit if a computer wouldn't boot. After a $30 ESR meter showed me that 70% of the time it's just one bulging capacitor, I started repairing them. Anyone else still doing component-level fixes on PSUs, or is that just too risky now?

Appreciation post: that old salvage diver in Mobile Bay who showed me the trick with the shackle pin

Three years ago on a bridge piling job, I watched him tap a seized pin with a hammer twice, then pour hot coffee on it... came right out. Everyone else was ready to cut. Anyone still use that method or is it just lost knowledge now?

Built a simple Python script to count words, but it gave me a number way too high.

I made a function using the .split() method on a string from a book I downloaded, 'Pride and Prejudice'. It said there were over 150,000 words, which seemed wrong. I learned it was counting punctuation attached to words as separate items. Anyone know a better way to clean the text before splitting?

Showerthought: I finally figured out why that old glue down job in Toledo failed

Three years back I did a vinyl plank glue down in a basement over a concrete slab. The homeowner called me last month saying the planks were lifting at the seams. Went back and found the slab had a moisture reading of 8 pounds, way over the 3 pound limit for that adhesive. The supply house guy told me I should have used a moisture barrier primer first, which I do on every job now. Anyone else run into this with older slabs?

Just watched a DIYer try to lay vinyl plank over a 1/4 inch dip in the subfloor. They said it would 'settle'. It's been 3 days and the locking system is already popping.

People keep treating the coworking space like a library

I work out of a spot in Raleigh, and there's this thing that drives me nuts. Folks will book a hot desk, then spend the whole day on video calls without headphones. It happened again yesterday, this guy had a two hour sales call on speakerphone at full volume. The whole point of these places is to have a bit of community and energy, not to force everyone to listen to your business. I know we're not in a silent office, but basic courtesy seems lost. It makes it impossible for anyone else to focus. How do you even bring that up without sounding like the workspace police? Has anyone found a good way to handle the loud talkers?

Update: My home office went from a mess to a real workspace in about 3 weeks

I mean, my setup was just a laptop on the kitchen table for years, and I was always getting distracted. I finally cleared out a corner of my bedroom, got a cheap IKEA desk, and put up some shelves for my stuff. The difference in how much I get done, especially on my writing projects, is crazy. Has anyone else found that just having a dedicated spot, even a small one, made a big change for them?

Bought a $400 thermal camera for tracing door operator circuits.

Found a bad relay in five minutes on a job that would've taken half a day with a meter. Anyone got a better brand they swear by for this kind of work?

Can we talk about the time I finally figured out why my bread was always gummy after 3 years of dense loaves?

Last week, I realized I was kneading my whole wheat dough for 15 minutes instead of the 8 my recipe called for, which was developing too much gluten and trapping all the moisture inside.

I always thought those little dive scooters were just for tourists in Cozumel

But I had to use a Suex XK1 on a big hull clean in Seattle last month, and it cut my bottom time in half. The boss said it would save air and let me cover more area, and he was right. Anyone else had a job where a scooter actually made sense?