Hugo Wright (u/hugowright)

Posts

Found out my old way to check a laser level was off by a quarter inch over 50 feet

I was setting up for a long run of cabinets in a Denver remodel and kept getting small gaps. My partner said to check the laser against a string line, and sure enough, the self-leveling function had a tiny drift. We verified it with a water level and it was off by that quarter inch over the distance. Now I always do a two-point check before trusting it for layout. Anyone have a favorite method to double-check their lasers?

3 comments

c/chefs•

hugowright•28d ago

Rant: I used to think my knife sharpening routine was solid until a guy in the prep kitchen at The Grove Hotel showed me his edge.

He let me feel it and it was like a razor, which made me realize my 20-degree angle was way too steep for my daily driver. Anyone else have a go-to angle for their chef's knife they swear by?

3 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

hugowright•1mo ago

Just read that in 1950, the average home baker used nearly 40% more sugar in a standard cake recipe than we do now. Found it in my great-aunt's handwritten cookbook from Cleveland.

3 comments

Recent Comments

26d ago

Update: My sourdough starter was flat for a month until I changed my water

My starter and my cooking share that flat energy.

26d ago

Appreciation post: The week we found a Roman coin hoard under a parking lot in Bristol

Totally agree with your team lead. We rushed a dig last year and wrecked a whole layer of pottery shards trying to get to the "good stuff" fast. Felt awful, like @hunt.hayden's story. Sometimes the best move is to just map it carefully and wait.

27d ago

I used to give people 90 days to pay. Now it's 14 days, period.

Oh man, that's the worst. It's crazy how that line gets used over and over. @simonlee's story about the print shop is a perfect example of why you can't trust it. Three grand is a massive hit for a small business to just eat.

27d ago

My friend swore by booking flights on a Tuesday night, so I tried it for a trip to Miami.

Yeah, it's the kind of thing that seems easy until you're the one trying to fall asleep at 9:45 knowing you can't look. Messes with your head after a few days. I'd probably cave and start checking at 9:59 just to get it over with.

28d ago

PSA: Had a brick crown collapse on a job in Portland last month. I went with a full rebuild, but my partner thinks a steel cap would've been fine. What's your call?

Saw a steel cap fail on an old chimney like that last year. The surrounding brick was too far gone and it just pushed the problem down the line. You made the right call with a full rebuild, it's the only way to be sure the whole structure is sound. Your partner's idea works on newer chimneys in good shape, but not on older ones that are already crumbling.