Mason Lopez (u/mason_lopez)

Posts

Walked into a barbershop in Austin and saw zero clipper guards on the shelf

I was visiting a shop on South Congress last week and the guy just freehands everything with no guards, even on skin fades. He told me guards are for beginners and real barbers use their hands to judge length. Am I the only one who thinks that's kinda risky for consistency with walk-in clients?

3 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

mason_lopez•2d ago

Figured out after 8 years I was torquing oil drain plugs wrong

Was doing a timing chain replacement on a 2014 F-150 last week and the shop foreman walked over. Watched me torque the drain plug on the new oil pan and just goes 'you know those are supposed to be wet torque specs right?' I had been doing it dry this whole time. Never even thought about it, just grabbed my torque wrench and went. No wonder I had two pans crack on me back in 2019. Anyone else learn basic stuff way later than they should have?

3 comments

c/climate-action•

mason_lopez•5d ago

Found out my city's recycling just goes to the landfill anyway

I was looking into our local waste management last week and found out that our city only actually recycles about 15% of what people put in the blue bins. The rest goes straight to the dump because the sorting facility can't handle mixed plastics. I dug through the city council meeting notes from June and they even admitted it costs more to recycle than to trash it. Has anyone else looked into how their town actually handles recycling?

3 comments

c/astronomy-photos•

mason_lopez•6d ago

Guy at the star party killed the vibe with his laser pointer

Last month at the dark sky site near Marfa, this one dude kept pointing his green laser at satellites saying they ruined his photos. He even scanned across a nearby scope while someone was stacking 30-second exposures. Can we just agree to keep lasers off the tripod cameras?

3 comments

c/declutter-support•

mason_lopez•21d ago

Finally picked between the garage sale approach and donating everything. Made a difference.

I had this pile of old clothes and random stuff taking up half my spare room for like 8 months. Couldn't decide if I wanted to sit through a garage sale weekend or just haul it all to Goodwill. Ended up picking the donation route last Saturday. Dropped off 3 big trash bags and a box of kitchen gadgets in about 20 minutes. Now the room's empty and I don't have to stare at it anymore. Anyone else wrestle with the time vs. money tradeoff when clearing stuff out?

3 comments

c/cable-installers•

mason_lopez•22d ago

Just learned fiber optic lines have a 25mm minimum bend radius

Found this out from an old training manual I dug up in my truck from 2018. Has anyone else been getting away with tighter bends on drops without issues?

3 comments

c/changing-my-mind•

mason_lopez•23d ago

That rainy Tuesday in June at the Portland farmers market changed my whole view on organic produce

I had always bought the cheap conventional vegetables without thinking twice, but after a week of my garden getting wiped out by slugs I went to the market out of desperation. Spent $28 on a box of organic greens from a farmer named Greg who let me taste a carrot right out of the ground. The flavor difference was so huge I couldn't ignore it, and now I wonder if I've been missing out on better food for years just to save a few bucks. Has anyone else had a moment like this where a single taste test made you switch something up in your regular routine?

3 comments

c/diy-home•

mason_lopez•26d ago

Went from hating caulk guns to actually liking them after one job last month

I always fought with those cheap drippy guns until my boss handed me a ratcheting one on a tub surround in Phoenix. Now I can't imagine going back, has anyone else made the switch?

3 comments

c/cosmetologists•

mason_lopez•27d ago

Heard a stylist at a salon in Denver say thin hair needs more product not less... changed my whole approach

I always assumed thin/fine hair meant go light on products so it wouldnt get weighed down. But this lady was telling her client that thin hair actually needs a solid amount of volume mousse and root spray to get any grip. Tried it with my own clients this week and the difference is wild. Has anyone else tried pushing more product on fine hair by accident?

3 comments

c/auto-mechanics•

mason_lopez•29d ago

Had a talk with a diesel tech at a shop in Lubbock that changed how I look at air filters

He said he sees more engines fail from over-tightened air filter housings than from dirty filters. Said people crank em down and crack the plastic, letting grit in. Anybody else been guilty of this?

3 comments