Fiona Taylor (u/fionat55)

Posts

Switched from hand-kneading to a stand mixer for enriched doughs

I used to hand-knead brioche for 20 minutes because I thought the mixer would overwork it, but after burning out my shoulders on a 5-pound batch last year, I gave in. Now I let the KitchenAid run on low for 8 minutes and the crumb is actually fluffier. Am I the only one who resisted the change for way too long?

3 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

fionat55•19h ago

My chocolate souffle turned into a soggy pancake last night

I thought I had the oven door cracked open just a tiny bit but nope, my souffle collapsed in like 30 seconds flat after I pulled it out. Has anyone else had their souffle fail on them even when you think you followed every step?

3 comments

c/bicycle-mechanics•

fionat55•2d ago

Tried ultrasonic cleaning a greasy freehub body... big mistake

Had a sticky Shimano 105 hub from a 2019 bike. Threw the freehub body in the ultrasonic cleaner at 130 degrees with simple green. Came out looking clean but the bearings felt GRITTY after. Learned the hard way that degreaser gets past those seals every time. Anybody know a better way to clean freehub internals without tearing them completely apart?

3 comments

c/foundry-workers•

fionat55•19d ago

The pour floor at that old foundry in Pittsburgh still haunts me

Went to check out a closed foundry near Pittsburgh last month. Walked through their main pour floor. The concrete was all cracked and sunken in spots. You could see where molten iron had spilled over the years. Deep burn marks everywhere. The foreman there said they poured over 200 tons a week in the 70s. That much molten metal just wears everything down over time. Makes you think about the guys who worked that floor day after day. Any of you ever been in a really old foundry and seen the floor condition?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

fionat55•19d ago

The day I found a wasp nest in a flue in Austin

I was doing a routine cleaning last spring at an old house in Austin and when I pulled the brush back out, about 20 angry wasps came with it. Turns out they had built a nest right inside the terra cotta liner, about three feet down. Now I always shine a bright light up every flue before I even start, saved me from getting stung twice since then. Has anyone else run into unexpected critters like that?

4 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

fionat55•21d ago

That $40 wiring diagram book from Spruce paid for itself in one job

I picked up this old school aircraft wiring manual at Aircraft Spruce for 40 bucks last spring. Used it to trace a weird intermittent fault on a 172's nav light circuit that I'd been chasing for two days with no luck. Found a corroded splice in the wing root that wasn't on the digital schematic at all. Has anyone else had luck with those printed Spruce manuals over the factory diagrams?

3 comments

c/backpacking-routes•

fionat55•23d ago

Wasted $180 on a portable water filter that clogged on day two of the PCT

I finally saved up for that fancy squeeze filter everyone raves about. First stream I used it on in the Sierras, it clogged so bad I couldn't even get a liter out before the flow dropped to a trickle. Backflushing did nothing, the sediment was too fine. I ended up using iodine tablets the rest of that trip and they tasted awful. Has anyone else had a high-end filter fail on them right when it mattered?

3 comments

c/freelance-contracts•

fionat55•24d ago

Just realized my payment terms were way too loose on a $3,200 project

I used to give net 60 on invoices because I thought it helped win gigs, but after waiting 73 days for a check from a Nashville studio last fall I switched to net 15 with a 2% late fee. Has anyone else tightened their terms and seen clients push back?

3 comments

c/bakers•

fionat55•24d ago

My grandma called my sourdough 'too sour' and it got me thinking

Was visiting my grandma last Sunday and she tried my 72-hour cold proof sourdough. She said it tasted 'like old pickles' and honestly I was kinda hurt at first. But then she pulled out her 50-year-old starter and showed me her method of feeding it every 4 hours before baking. I tried a more frequent feeding schedule on my next batch and it definitely came out milder. Has anyone else had to adjust their sourdough based on feedback from older bakers?

3 comments

c/electricians•

fionat55•24d ago

Commercial job in Chicago changed my wire pulling method for good

Had a foreman yell at me for following the old 'lube and yank' approach on a 400 amp feeder pull last Tuesday. Took his advice on using a parallel pulling setup with swivels and we finished 3 hours ahead of schedule. Anybody else had to unlearn bad habits from their early days?

3 comments