Tried a free brush pack versus the $15 Procreate set, and wow.

Honestly, the free ones felt okay, but the paid pack had a single 'grainy pencil' brush that made my sketch lines look way more natural. Has anyone found a good middle ground brush set that doesn't cost a ton?

Had a weird finish issue on a 6061 part after switching to a new coolant brand

I mean, I was running a job on our Haas VF2, just some simple pockets and a facing op. Switched from our usual stuff to this new 'Eco-Cut' coolant they gave us a free sample of. After about three hours of cutting, the parts came out with this almost frosted look on the finished surfaces, like a really fine texture. The tool was fine, feeds and speeds were the same as always. I think the new coolant just wasn't lubricating enough for the aluminum, maybe it's more for steel? Has anyone else run into a finish problem that turned out to be the coolant and not the toolpath?

I always packed my tent bag way too tight until a buddy in Bend pointed it out

We were packing up after a trip in the Oregon high desert and he watched me basically wrestle my tent back into its stuff sack. He just said, 'Dude, you're gonna wreck the waterproof coating doing that.' I had no idea that creasing the fabric that hard could actually damage it. Now I just roll it loosely and strap it to the outside of my pack. Anyone else have a simple trick that saves your gear from wear and tear?

Spent $150 on a 'smart' plant that just dies and texts you about it

Got this thing called a Grobo, supposed to grow herbs automatically. It just sent me a notification saying 'Your basil is sad' and then the whole unit shut down. Has anyone actually had one of these work for more than a month?

I thought tap-to-pay on my phone was just a gimmick until my card got cloned at a gas pump in Toledo.

An old mason in St. Louis told me to always lay my first brick dry

I was setting up for a small patio job a couple summers ago, and this retired guy from down the street came over to watch. He pointed at my pile and said, 'Son, you'll save yourself a headache if you dry-lay that first course. The ground never tells the truth.' I did it, and sure enough, my planned layout was off by almost two inches. Has anyone else had a simple tip from a stranger save a project like that?

Serious question, how do you handle a comic shop that overprices everything?

My local shop in Dayton started marking up new issues by $2 over cover price, which adds up fast when you pull 15 books a month. I tried talking to the owner, but he just shrugged and said 'supply and demand.' So last month, I switched my entire pull list to a smaller shop 20 minutes away that still does cover price. It took an hour to move everything over, but I'm saving over $30 a month now. Has anyone else had to switch shops because of price hikes like that?

Got a call for a 10x20 patio in Tacoma that had a weird slump issue nobody could figure out.

We ended up spending almost 8 hours just on the pour and initial finishing because the mix was coming off the truck way too wet, and it took forever to figure out the batch plant had a faulty water meter that day.

Read a USDA report that said over 30% of inspected ground beef had antibiotic resistant bacteria

Found it online last Tuesday while looking up something else. The number was way higher than I figured. Makes you think about handling raw product differently. How do you guys handle that risk in your shops?

Just saw a pitmaster's brisket go from dry to perfect in one cook

I was watching a live stream from a guy in Kansas City who usually has okay results. His brisket was always a bit dry. This weekend, he showed his whole process and the difference was HUGE. He said he started wrapping it in butcher paper at 165 degrees instead of foil at the end, and let it rest for a full 4 hours in a cooler. The slice he showed just fell apart. Has anyone else tried switching their wrap timing like that?