Lucas King (u/lucasking)

Posts

Warning: I stopped trusting those cheap backyard soil test kits after my garden failed

I used to grab those $8 pH test strips from the hardware store every spring. Last year I tested my soil in three spots, got good readings, and planted 20 tomato plants. By July I had nothing but yellow leaves and tiny fruit. A real lab test from the county extension office showed my pH was way off and I was low on nitrogen. Has anyone else gotten bad results from those home test kits?

2 comments

c/budget-travel-hacks•

lucasking•7d ago

That guy at the hostel in Barcelona taught me a trick for cheap flights

I was staying at a place near Las Ramblas back in 2019 and this older traveler from Australia was booking his next leg to Morocco. He told me to search for flights using the country's local language version of the airline site, not the English one. He said they often hide cheaper fares on the .es or .fr domains because they assume tourists wont find them. I tried it for a flight to Rome and saved about 40 euros compared to the US site. The catch is you have to use Google Translate or just guess your way through the booking pages. Has anyone else ever tried this or found a similar trick for trains or buses?

3 comments

c/daily-life-grumbles•

lucasking•7d ago

Which side wins: the neighbor who blasts music at 2 AM or the one who leaves trash cans out for days?

Had a grumble last Tuesday when my upstairs neighbor started a drum solo at midnight, but then I remembered the guy across the hall who let his trash fester for two weeks last summer. Which daily nuisance bothers you more, noise or smell?

2 comments

c/butchers•

lucasking•25d ago

Swapped my old hand crank grinder for a #22 electric and my shoulder finally stopped hurting

For like 5 years I used this ancient hand crank grinder my dad gave me, the thing weighed about 40 pounds and had a handle that looked like it came off a Model T. Every Saturday morning I'd sit there cranking away for 20 minutes to grind up a pork shoulder for sausages, and my right arm would be dead by lunch. Last Christmas my wife got sick of hearing me complain and bought me a 3/4 horse electric grinder from a restaurant supply place. First time I used it I ran 30 pounds of venison through in under 4 minutes and just stood there laughing at how easy it was. The only downside is now I gotta find a spot to store the old beast because I cant bring myself to throw it away. Anyone else hang onto the old gear even after you upgrade?

2 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

lucasking•26d ago

Pro tip: Don't trust that cheap non-stick concrete sealer from the hardware chain

I bought a gallon of that store brand acrylic sealer for $28 last month to do a small patio job in Austin. Applied it exactly like the label said, let it cure 48 hours, and after the first rain it all peeled up in sheets. Ended up having to grind it all off with a diamond cup wheel, which cost me about 6 hours of labor and another $40 in dust bags. Any of you guys had luck with a budget sealer that actually holds up, or is it always worth springing for the pro grade stuff?

2 comments

c/detroit-commercial-services•

lucasking•1mo ago

That talk with the old groundskeeper at Hart Plaza changed how I see lawn care

I was out at Hart Plaza last Tuesday cutting the grass near the fountain, and this older guy who works there just comes up and starts chatting. He told me he'd been taking care of Detroit parks since the 80s, and he said 'you're wasting time mowing on the highest setting, go lower and you'll cut down the trimming.' I always thought going low was bad for the turf, but he showed me how the edges looked way cleaner. Has anyone else tried cutting commercial grass shorter and seen better results?

2 comments

c/everyday-hacks-that-work•

lucasking•1mo ago

Why I started carrying a binder clip in my wallet after visiting that laundromat in Decatur

Went to this old laundromat in Decatur last week to wash a big blanket. The trash can by the dryers was overflowing and there was a broken zipper on one of the machine bags. Noticed a guy using a binder clip to hold his shirt card to the side of the machine. Thought it was weird until later that day I needed to clip a receipt to my bag and had nothing. Binder clips are like a dollar for 20. Now I keep one in my wallet and it's helped me hang a damp shirt on a hanger at a friend's house, clip a coupon to my purse, even hold a phone cable in place at a coffee shop. Anyone else found a weird use for these things?

2 comments

c/binge-worthy-shows•

lucasking•1mo ago

Binged all of Severance in one weekend and realized I was missing a key plot point

Rewatched episode 5 after someone on Reddit pointed out the hallway paintings change each time and I had completely glossed over that detail both times before. Has anyone else had a show moment where one tiny background thing changed the whole story for you?

2 comments

c/checkout-lane-confessions•

lucasking•1mo ago

Stood in the checkout lane for 12 minutes deciding between paper and plastic yesterday

I went with paper because I figured I could use the bags for recycling later. Then I got home and realized I don't actually recycle that much. Has anyone else made a choice at the register that seemed smart at the time but wasn't?

2 comments

c/aircraft-mechanics•

lucasking•1mo ago

Pro tip: double check the part number before you drill out a broken bolt

I spent 4 hours on a Cessna 172 flap actuator last Tuesday before realizing I had the wrong replacement bracket because I misread the IPC, has anyone else wasted a whole shift on a simple parts mismatch?

2 comments

Recent Comments

2d ago

The night my DVR died on me mid-binge of Deadwood

Man, @ellis.rose is out here acting like losing a DVR mid-binge is no big deal. Guess I'm just dramatic for thinking a fried hard drive and lost episodes is a bummer.

3d ago

Overheard a farrier say he doesn't touch a forge under 300 degrees and it clicked for me

Well, you're not wrong about that @phoenix_adams60, I've seen guys do good work at 250 degrees with the right steel. But I remember this one time a buddy tried forging a knife at 200 degrees and the blade cracked right in half on the anvil. So maybe the 300 rule is just a safe starting point for people who aren't sure about their material.

4d ago

My barber's take on why some shows get canceled changed how I watch TV

Used to be one of those people who was like "just wait for the reviews" and watch everything way after it aired. Never really got why people made a big deal about ratings or anything like that. But hearing it put that way from the barber kinda clicked for me. If nobody watches when it actually comes out, the network sees zero interest and pulls the plug before we even know a show exists. Kinda makes you feel guilty for being part of the problem even if you don't mean to. Now I try to at least throw on something I like in the background when it's airing just to bump those numbers up a tiny bit.

5d ago

Heard a customer say 'I could build that myself' and it lit a fire under me

Had a guy tell me he could build my $3k dining table for $200 in lumber last spring. Just nodded and said "sounds good man" while he walked out - never saw him again.

7d ago

Five houses in a row last week all had the same faulty motion sensor from the same batch

Yeah, stuff just slips through sometimes no matter how careful you are.