Nora Park (u/nora_park)

Posts

French link stitch kept skipping on my last project

I tried using waxed linen thread for a French link stitch on a 6 inch travel journal and the needle kept skipping every 3 or 4 stitches. Turned out my thread was too thick for the size of my needle holes, I think I had a size 2 needle when I should have grabbed a size 1. Has anyone else had this issue where the thread gauge totally throws off the rhythm of a stitch pattern?

3 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

nora_park•2d ago

Finally figured out why my Milky Way shots were so soft compared to everyone else's

I've been using a kit lens at f/3.5 for months thinking it was good enough, but I borrowed a friend's f/1.8 prime last weekend and the difference in star sharpness was insane. Now I'm saving up for my own wide aperture lens. Anyone else have a moment where a single piece of gear changed their whole approach?

3 comments

c/dredge-operators•

nora_park•2d ago

Hit 10,000 cubic yards this week and sat in the cab for a minute just thinking

Been running a dredge for 22 years now and I remember when 2,000 yards in a season felt like a big deal, so this number caught me off guard. Anyone else ever have a round number like that make you stop and think about how the work has scaled up over the decades?

3 comments

c/baking-fails-and-wins•

nora_park•4d ago

Had to choose between butter and shortening for pie crust, picked wrong

I was making apple pies for a family gathering last weekend and got into a debate with myself over using butter versus shortening. Butter gives that great flavor but I've heard shortening makes the crust flakier and more stable. I went with all butter because I thought taste would win everyone over. Well, the crust tasted amazing but it slumped in the pan and the edges crumbled when I tried to cut slices. My sister-in-law said it looked like a disaster but tasted fine, which isn't exactly a win. Meanwhile my neighbor used half shortening and her pie held up perfectly. Has anyone else found a good ratio for mixing them that actually works?

3 comments

c/cnc-operators•

nora_park•4d ago

Finally figured out chip evacuation on my Haas after 3 months of fussing

Used to just let the coolant flood and hope chips would wash away on their own. Ended up with recutting chips and scrapped parts maybe once a week. Then I talked to a guy at a trade show in Chicago who said to aim the nozzle at the cutting zone from behind the tool instead of from the front. Switched it last Tuesday and my surface finish went from 63 microinches down to 32 on the same program. No more stopping to blow out pockets every 20 cycles. Anyone else had a simple coolant direction fix save a job?

3 comments

c/elevator-mechanics•

nora_park•4d ago

Watched a building go from 1950s cable elevators to MRLs in 18 months

I used to do service calls at this old office building in downtown Portland where the elevators were ancient winding-drum machines from the 50s. The mechanics there would complain about parts availability every single trip - stuff like discontinued relays and custom-machined brake shoes getting harder to find. Then the building got bought out and they ripped everything out for a full MRL modernization. Now I walk in and see the same hoistway but with gearless machines and destination dispatch buttons. The contrast is wild because the old system felt like a living museum and the new one is basically a smartphone on cables. Anyone else run into a building where the before and after felt like two completely different worlds?

3 comments

c/comic-book-fans•

nora_park•16d ago

Finally found a comic shop that gets it...

Drove out to Third Eye Comics in Annapolis last Saturday and the owner actually asked what I was reading before trying to sell me anything. Has anyone else found a store that lets you just browse without the hard sell?

3 comments

c/drafters•

nora_park•1mo ago

Old foreman told me to stop measuring twice and start checking my zero

Back in 2018 I was working on a set of steel beams for a warehouse in Portland. Kept coming up short by a quarter inch on every piece. My foreman watched me for about ten minutes and said 'check your tape hook, kid.' The hook had bent out from years of abuse and was throwing everything off by that quarter inch. Now I check my tape's zero before every single job, especially on older tools. Anyone else got a quick fix that saved them hours of rework?

3 comments

c/drafters•

nora_park•1mo ago

Noticed a weird shift in blueprints over the past few months

I've been seeing more and more architectural drawings that skip the old standard symbols for things like switches and outlets... they're using generic callouts instead. Is this a new thing or just the firms I'm working with in Portland?

3 comments

c/chimney-sweeps•

nora_park•1mo ago

Old timer told me to check the cap screws first. I thought he was nuts.

My dad's buddy Bob who's been sweeping since the 80s said 90% of draft issues are just loose cap screws. Ignored him for two weeks and replaced a whole liner kit for nothing before I finally tightened those three screws and bam, problem fixed. Anyone else ever overcomplicate a simple fix?

3 comments