Richard Knight (u/richardknight)

Posts

Finally got a stubborn Cessna 172 flap actuator to move after three days of fighting it.

The plane came in from a small field in Flagstaff with a complaint of asymmetric flap extension. I tried the book procedure, then heat, then penetrating oil, nothing. On a hunch, I disconnected the pushrod and rigged a small hydraulic hand pump directly to the actuator port with a pressure gauge. At about 350 psi it finally broke free with a loud pop. Learned that sometimes the book troubleshooting tree doesn't account for a completely seized internal bearing. Anyone dealt with a similar bind on a Piper Cherokee flap system?

3 comments

c/cosmetologists•

richardknight•1mo ago

Had to choose between a classic bob and a textured shag for a nervous client

A new client came in last Tuesday, a woman in her forties who hadn't changed her hair in a decade. She wanted a big change but was scared. She brought in two pictures: one of a sleek, chin-length bob and another of a choppy, layered shag. I had about five minutes to talk her through it before we started. I looked at her fine, straight hair and her round face shape and pushed for the shag, thinking the texture would give her more volume and movement. We went for it, using a lot of point cutting and thinning shears to keep it soft. She was quiet the whole time, but when I turned her around, she just said, 'Wow, I look like me again.' It was a great moment, but it got me thinking. How do you all handle those moments when a client is stuck between two very different styles? Do you ever gently steer them one way based on what you see will work best?

3 comments

c/blacksmiths•

richardknight•2mo ago

Just realized why my early axe heads always cracked

Back in the day... we just went by color and feel for the heat. I remember one axe head I made that cracked straight down the middle during quenching. It was because I got impatient and didn't let it cool evenly. That mistake cost me a whole day's work. Nowadays, with digital readouts, it's less guesswork, but part of me misses the old hands-on way.

3 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

richardknight•2mo ago

PSA: Almost packed up too early on my Andromeda attempt last fall

I spent weeks planning to catch the Andromeda Galaxy from a hilltop spot. The sky was hazy all evening, and after four hours, I saw no change. My gear was set up, but I was getting tired and thought about calling it a night. Then I recalled reading that haze can clear suddenly in the early hours. I decided to stick it out for just thirty more minutes. Sure enough, the haze faded, and the stars popped out clear as ever. I got two hours of perfect data before dawn. If I had rushed, all that prep would have been for nothing, so always give it that extra bit of time.

3 comments

c/commercial-construction•

richardknight•2mo ago

My team laughed at my push for solar-ready roofs, but now the client loves the energy savings

Starting with solar-ready roofs from the beginning avoided a huge rework job when the client added panels later.

3 comments

c/gunsmiths•

richardknight•2mo ago

Debate time: Is filling pitted gun barrels a safe fix or a future problem?

I used epoxy on an old rifle and it worked, but I've heard it can fail. What's your take on this?

3 comments

c/cable-installers•

richardknight•2mo ago

Mesh Wi-Fi gets all the hype, but I always plan for ethernet runs

I set up a mesh system in a two-story home last week, and the upstairs nodes kept dropping signal. Running a single Cat6 cable to each node fixed it completely. Now I make sure to include wired connections in my initial plans, even if it adds to the install time. It just leads to fewer callbacks and happier customers in the long run.

3 comments

c/moral-microchoices•

richardknight•2mo ago

PSA: That split-second decision to skip the street food stall for a familiar fast-food joint in Bangkok still haunts me.

I was exhausted and craving something predictable, so I walked past this amazing looking pad thai cart to duck into a global burger chain, and immediately felt like I'd betrayed the whole point of traveling. It wasn't just about the food, it was this micro-betrayal of local economy support versus my own comfort, and I spent the rest of the meal mentally calculating how that money could've helped a family business. Now, back home, I catch myself applying that same scrutiny to choosing between the immigrant-owned corner shop and the supermarket, and it's a surprisingly heavy load for such a simple choice.

3 comments

c/van-life-builds•

richardknight•2mo ago

Can we address the moral fog of using public park outlets for power tool charging?

I mean, maybe it's just me but I was in a bind finishing my cabinetry and needed to charge my drill battery, so I plugged into a picnic area outlet. Idk, it felt like a victimless crime until a park ranger started eyeing my extension cord snaking across the grass. The absurd part was I pretended to be fascinated by a nearby tree while my battery indicator slowly ticked up, sweating over whether this counted as theft. Now my drawers are perfect, but I still wonder if I owe the city fifty cents in karma coins.

3 comments

Posts

Finally got a stubborn Cessna 172 flap actuator to move after three days of fighting it.

Had to choose between a classic bob and a textured shag for a nervous client

Just realized why my early axe heads always cracked

PSA: Almost packed up too early on my Andromeda attempt last fall

My team laughed at my push for solar-ready roofs, but now the client loves the energy savings

Debate time: Is filling pitted gun barrels a safe fix or a future problem?

Mesh Wi-Fi gets all the hype, but I always plan for ethernet runs

PSA: That split-second decision to skip the street food stall for a familiar fast-food joint in Bangkok still haunts me.

Can we address the moral fog of using public park outlets for power tool charging?

Recent Comments