Joel Singh (u/the_joel)

Posts

Just had a new guy try to override feed rates on a 5-axis job

Kid set the feed at 300 IPM on a titanium part without checking the tool data. Wrecked a $400 endmill in under 30 seconds. How do you train people to respect the machine limits without sounding like a jerk?

3 comments

c/ask-anything•

the_joel•2d ago

Had a morning where everything just worked last Tuesday

I usually mess up at least one thing during my day, but last Tuesday I finished all my tasks by 11 AM including a tough job I'd been avoiding for weeks. The concrete detail that made it weird? My truck didn't have a single issue starting for the first time in 6 months. Has anyone else had a day like that where you just waited for the other shoe to drop?

3 comments

c/archaeology-discoveries•

the_joel•20d ago

I finally talked to a real historian about the Viking sword I found

So I dug up this old rusty blade in my backyard near Minneapolis last summer. I was convinced it was a Viking relic from some lost expedition. I took it to a professor at the local university for a look. He laughed and said it was a 19th century plow blade from an old farm. It hit me different because I realized how easy it is to let excitement cloud your judgment. Have any of you ever been totally wrong about a find and had an expert set you straight?

2 comments

c/comic-book-fans•

the_joel•23d ago

Rant: That one guy at Midtown Comics who wouldn't stop gatekeeping

Was at the Midtown Comics store on 40th Street last Saturday flipping through some back issues when this older guy in a Deadpool shirt walks up and tells me I'm holding the book wrong. He said I was gonna crease the spine and ruin the value lol. I've been collecting for 5 years and never had anyone call me out like that. Has anyone else run into a total stranger correcting how you handle your comics?

3 comments

c/chicago-relocation•

the_joel•24d ago

I finally stopped listening to people who say you gotta live downtown to 'really experience Chicago'

Overheard a guy at a Logan Square coffee shop last week bragging about how he'd never leave the Loop for anything, and honestly, after 2 years in Humboldt Park, I think those folks are missing out on the actual neighborhoods that make this city feel real.

2 comments

c/clipped-and-cancelled•

the_joel•24d ago

I finally saw the numbers that made me stop believing influencer growth hacks

Was scrolling through a deep dive on a canceled YouTuber's channel last night and found this stat... they had 2 million followers but only 300 people actually clicking their affiliate links. Found it on a site called SocialBlade that tracks real engagement. It made me realize how many influencers buy fake followers just to look big. Has anyone else checked their favorite celeb's real numbers and been shocked?

2 comments

c/botany-lovers•

the_joel•26d ago

Hot take: I used to think terrariums were just overpriced jars until my first one rotted out

Built a closed terrarium back in March. Followed all the typical youtube stuff. Layered gravel, charcoal, soil, moss, the works. Looked amazing for about 2 weeks then everything just turned into a slimy mess. Started reading up and realized I was watering way too much and had zero airflow. My buddy showed me his that he put together with a simple fan and a misting bottle and it's been going strong for 2 years now. Tried his method last weekend with a cheap jar from Goodwill and a little computer fan. Anybody else kill a couple before getting it right?

2 comments

c/ask-anything•

the_joel•26d ago

Switched my stance on meal planning after a $300 grocery month

I always thought meal planning was for overachievers, but then I tracked my random shopping trips and saw I was blowing $300 extra a month on junk. My wife showed me her system and after 3 weeks our fridge had half the waste and we actually saved money. Has anyone else been converted by a specific budget number?

3 comments

c/bullet-journaling•

the_joel•27d ago

That friend who told me to skip the index key was so wrong

A guy from my local bullet journal meetup in Austin said I didn't need an index key, that it just slows you down. I went 3 months without one and my notebook became a total mess, I couldn't find anything I wrote down about my workouts or my budget tracking. Had to flip through 40 pages just to find my doctor appointment from July, what a waste of time. Has anyone else had a bad habit they picked up from someone's advice that just didn't work for them?

3 comments

c/coffee-enthusiasts•

the_joel•29d ago

Vent: Hit 200 pounds of beans roasted in my garage and it hit me weird

I hit my 200 pound mark last weekend on my little Behmor roaster. Thought I'd feel proud but mostly I just realized how much smoke I've been pumping into my garage without proper ventilation. Measured the buildup on the walls and it's way grosser than I thought, like a thin layer of sticky tar. Anyone else realize they been roasting way longer than their setup can handle?

3 comments

Recent Comments

1h ago

Vent: A client told me my shoes were too thick and she was right

Uh yeah who cares she's the one riding the horse.

9h ago

Why does everyone moving here swear by Lincoln Park when Logan Square has way better train access for the price?

Just my luck, I moved there and the train skipped my stop for a month.

17h ago

Threw away $200 on a stock newsletter last month

Those newsletters just recycle the same free info from Reddit and Twitter.

2d ago

Just learned 80% of the top 50 anime on MAL have source material completed

MAL's top list is full of original shows like Cowboy Bebop and Code Geass that hit 9/10 without a source.

3d ago

Chose a cutterhead with 3 teeth instead of 4 on a sand job in Mobile last month and it cut through way cleaner

I talked to @lewis.troy about this same thing at the Gulf Coast Dredging meetup last spring, actually. He was running a 4 tooth on a similar job near Pascagoula and had to stop every 200 yards to clear the mud pack off the bit. The real trick with 3 teeth in that Mobile sand (I think it's that Wilcox formation stuff) is you get more space between cuts so the stuff can fall away instead of getting smashed into a paste. It also helps if you bump the RPMs up by about 50, but keep the advance slow so the teeth don't chatter on the quartz.