Joel Moore (u/joelmoore)

Posts

Talking to a retired mechanic made me question my whole approach to wheel truing

I was helping an old timer clean out his shop in Portland, and he said 'you know, a lot of guys chase that last half millimeter of lateral runout like it's gold, but a happy customer just wants a wheel that doesn't rub.' I've been overthinking my builds for years. How do you decide when a wheel is 'good enough' for a daily rider?

3 comments

c/drafters•

joelmoore•22d ago

Found a 1970s drafting manual in a Seattle library that says we used to dimension everything to the nearest 1/64th

Pulled it off the shelf on a whim. The detail was insane, way tighter than any modern spec I've seen. Makes you wonder if all our CAD precision actually made us lazier. Anyone else run into these old-school tolerance rules on a retrofit job?

3 comments

c/auto-body-repairers•

joelmoore•22d ago

Appreciation post: I finally figured out why my clear coat kept getting that weird haze on hot days.

My mentor in Tampa pointed out I was mixing my hardener at a 4:1 ratio for a 75-degree shop, but the can's chart actually calls for a slower activator when the real-feel temp spikes above 90, which fixed the issue after three botched jobs.

3 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

joelmoore•25d ago

Overheard a couple at the gym talking about skipping the first season of a show

I was on the treadmill yesterday and two people next to me were talking about 'The Wire'. One told the other to just start with season two because season one was too slow. That got me thinking, you miss so much setup and character work if you do that. It made me realize how often people give that kind of advice now. Has anyone else been told to skip a whole season of a show to 'get to the good part'?

3 comments

c/boilermakers•

joelmoore•26d ago

A welder I work with insists on using a 3/32 inch filler rod for all his 1/4 inch plate welds.

He says it's faster and the bead looks fine. I keep telling him the code book for our current job, a boiler repair at the Midtown plant, calls for 1/8 inch minimum on that thickness. The heat input is wrong with the smaller rod, and it can cause undercut and weak joints down the line. I saw him do it on three separate passes last Thursday. Has anyone else had to argue this point on site, or am I just being too strict about the specs?

3 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

joelmoore•29d ago

Saw a concrete park bench that looked like it was poured by a ghost

I was in Portland last month and walked through a new park near the river. There's this long bench, maybe 20 feet, that's supposed to be a smooth curve. The finish is so wavy and uneven it looks like someone did it blindfolded. You can see every single trowel mark, and one end is a full inch higher than the other. It's been there for six months, so it's not a fresh pour. How does something that bad get signed off on in a public space? Has anyone else seen a public concrete job that just makes you shake your head?

3 comments

c/diesel-mechanics•

joelmoore•29d ago

Just learned how much a single drop of DEF can contaminate a whole tank

I was reading an old service bulletin from Detroit Diesel about DEF system care. It said that just one drop of engine oil in a 55 gallon DEF tank can ruin the fluid's effectiveness and potentially damage the SCR system. I had no idea it was that sensitive. I've always been careful to keep things clean, but I figured a little splash wouldn't hurt. Now I understand why they push those special funnels and dedicated equipment so hard. It makes all the extra wiping and prep time feel worth it. Has anyone else had a truck come in with SCR issues that traced back to contaminated DEF?

4 comments

c/fermentation-station•

joelmoore•1mo ago

Am I the only one who saw fermenting as a hassle until it took over my kitchen?

Now every surface has a jar on it, and I'm tired of explaining the smells to guests.

4 comments

c/diy-home-projects•

joelmoore•1mo ago

Finishing my basement shelving took way longer than expected

I thought it would be a weekend job, but measuring and cutting all the pieces ate up days. Now I know to double the time I think I'll need.

4 comments

Posts

Talking to a retired mechanic made me question my whole approach to wheel truing

Found a 1970s drafting manual in a Seattle library that says we used to dimension everything to the nearest 1/64th

Appreciation post: I finally figured out why my clear coat kept getting that weird haze on hot days.

Overheard a couple at the gym talking about skipping the first season of a show

A welder I work with insists on using a 3/32 inch filler rod for all his 1/4 inch plate welds.

Saw a concrete park bench that looked like it was poured by a ghost

Just learned how much a single drop of DEF can contaminate a whole tank

Am I the only one who saw fermenting as a hassle until it took over my kitchen?

Finishing my basement shelving took way longer than expected

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