Ruby Shah (u/rubyshah)

Posts

Rant: My prized orchid collection got hit by a surprise frost in Phoenix

I was so proud of my setup on the back patio, but a freak cold snap last month caught me off guard and turned half my blooms to mush overnight. I tried moving the survivors inside and trimming the dead parts, but I'm still losing a few more each week. Has anyone in a usually warm area dealt with this and saved their plants?

3 comments

c/farriers•

rubyshah•3d ago

Remember when we all used to forge our own nails from bar stock?

Back in the 90s, my mentor in Kentucky had me making nails by hand every afternoon for a year. We'd cut, heat, head, and point each one, and a good day was maybe 60 nails. I switched to buying factory-made around 2005, not because I couldn't do it, but because the time cost got too high for most clients. The quality is super consistent now, but I do miss the feel of a perfectly formed nail you made yourself. Do any of you still hand-forge nails for special shoes, or is that skill pretty much gone from regular work?

3 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

rubyshah•8d ago

Appreciation post: I thought those overnight bus rides were a terrible idea until I tried one from Chicago to Nashville.

Saved about $120 on a hotel night and actually slept pretty well, which totally changed my view. Anyone have other good long-haul bus routes that are decent for sleeping?

3 comments

c/canceled-plans-club•

rubyshah•9d ago

Rant: My friend bailed on our hike up Mount Rainier last minute, so I had to pick between staying home or going alone.

I chose to go solo and ended up taking a shorter trail I'd never tried before, which was actually pretty peaceful. Instead of feeling bummed, I got some great quiet time and saw a small waterfall I didn't know was there. Has anyone else had a canceled plan turn into a nice solo adventure?

3 comments

c/analog-adventures•

rubyshah•13d ago

Pro tip: You don't need a $200 fountain pen to start journaling.

I see it all over this group. People post their fancy gear and say you need it to get into the hobby. Started with a $2 ballpoint from the corner store. Filled three notebooks with it. The point is to write, not to shop. What's the cheapest tool you actually use every day?

3 comments

c/air-fryer-recipes•

rubyshah•14d ago

Just realized you can make a single, perfect soft-boiled egg in the air fryer by cooking it at 250 degrees for 16 minutes straight from the fridge.

I mean, I was just messing around because I didn't want to boil a pot of water for one egg, and now I do it every morning, but has anyone else tried this weird timing for other things?

3 comments

c/blacksmiths•

rubyshah•16d ago

A customer in Denver asked for a forged steel sign last week, something I hadn't made in years.

I had to dig out my old letter stamps and spent a good hour just practicing on scrap to get the depth right again. It made me wonder how much of the old hand-lettering work is still out there for shops like mine. Do many of you still get requests for stamped pieces, or is it mostly CNC cut stuff now?

3 comments

c/cabinetmakers•

rubyshah•18d ago

Just hit 1,000 pocket holes in a single kitchen build

I was putting together a big custom kitchen in Phoenix last month and kept a tally on my phone. When I hit the 1,000th pocket hole on the last cabinet box, I just started laughing. My helper looked at me like I was nuts. It felt like I'd been feeding that Kreg jig forever. Anyone else ever get a number that just seems silly by the end of a job?

3 comments

c/glaziers•

rubyshah•19d ago

Can we talk about the switch from hand-cut to CNC templates for custom shower doors?

I used to spend half a day on a complex pattern, but after my shop in Mesa got a Glaston machine 2 years ago, the time and waste dropped by 80%. Anyone still doing it the old way, or is that skill basically gone now?

3 comments

c/carpenters•

rubyshah•19d ago

My apprentice kept calling a 12-inch speed square a 'triangle ruler' until I showed him the manual for my old Stanley.

It matters because the right name helps you find the right tool and talk clearly with your crew, and I know from three jobs where the wrong tool got pulled from the truck. What's a basic term you had to correct someone on?

3 comments

Posts

Rant: My prized orchid collection got hit by a surprise frost in Phoenix

Remember when we all used to forge our own nails from bar stock?

Appreciation post: I thought those overnight bus rides were a terrible idea until I tried one from Chicago to Nashville.

Rant: My friend bailed on our hike up Mount Rainier last minute, so I had to pick between staying home or going alone.

Pro tip: You don't need a $200 fountain pen to start journaling.

Just realized you can make a single, perfect soft-boiled egg in the air fryer by cooking it at 250 degrees for 16 minutes straight from the fridge.

A customer in Denver asked for a forged steel sign last week, something I hadn't made in years.

Just hit 1,000 pocket holes in a single kitchen build

Can we talk about the switch from hand-cut to CNC templates for custom shower doors?

My apprentice kept calling a 12-inch speed square a 'triangle ruler' until I showed him the manual for my old Stanley.

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