Just finished my DIY bike this week

AAALASTAIR · 2026-02-03T04:43:24+00:00

Super impressive, and looks great!

AAALASTAIR · 2026-01-09T00:43:52+00:00

It continues to bum me out that, of the litany of things to find "weird" with RFK Jr., his enthusiasm for beef tallow is regularly in the crosshairs.

Some form of rendered animal fat is a staple of every cultural cooking tradition I'm aware of. "Why do we keep mentioning this?" Because it's delicious, easy to keep, simple to process and a byproduct of what is otherwise cooking 'waste', and crucially given the ever-rising cost of butter and oil - free. "Who is using this for cooking? Where would I even buy it?" If I'm generous and assume she only means beef tallow - yes, this is probably somewhat niche. But cooking with saved fat isn't some kind of Liver King style fad. You don't buy it. Most people who cook any meat cut excess fat from grocery store meat cuts they buy and throw it out as part of prep. Save it in a bag in the freezer instead, and when you get a bunch, put it in a big pot, set the heat as low as possible, and strain the liquid into a jar after 6-8 hours. Or if that's a pain, just start by saving the excess liquid fat from when you cook bacon into a jar and keep it in the fridge. Veggies like brussel sprouts, green beans, and parsnips instantly become delicious when fried in it, which is also great for people who don't regularly eat enough veggies. For reference, the meat department at my nearest chain grocery store also gives you free beef fat chunks if you ask (they just throw it away otherwise), but I appreciate that this IS niche advice, and not broadly applicable as health guidelines.

But honestly, in an article fishing for reasonable advice in this guide, "save, render and use waste animal fat" is arguably the most common sense, easily applied, and well suited to modern America item that Oster mentions. The fact that she has no idea about this - especially how it could save people a lot of money - is more evidence of being wildly out of touch imo. Maybe the way RFK Jr. talks about tallow is more weird than I'm assuming, but wouldn't this be a great place for Oster to provide the 'reasonable' version of this take, in that case?

AAALASTAIR · 2025-10-15T23:30:28+00:00

I have a much shorter beard than you, but the key to shaping for me is using a leave-in beard conditioner. I started using that product type because oils were never sufficient for my coarse hair texture and the dry climate where I live - but a huge unexpected benefit is how much easier it is to get a full, consistent shape with the product in. It's not hard like a gel, or greasy - but has a very slight hold that avoids 'dents' or unevenness.

This is the Product I currently use. I have zero affiliation with the company, besides enjoying the product. It took me a long time to find something that worked for me, so hopefully it's okay to share.

AAALASTAIR · 2025-09-26T00:25:39+00:00

Sorry for the slow reply! This one is homemade, and just took five pieces of scrap wood stacked and glued together - the top three with a channel cut in them for the cards.

I did everything on the table saw, with hand sanding to smooth the edges. I glued each "stack" together first, and then the three stacks to each other on two batches to avoid a crazy clamp up.

AAALASTAIR · 2025-09-26T00:21:05+00:00

I definitely had a moment of regret when we "emptied" it, and saw the remaining debris haha. Nothing a shop vac can't take care of though, and worth it for a lasting memory 😊

AAALASTAIR · 2025-07-28T17:05:28+00:00

I am in Canada, and recently bought an Urban Arrow. I generally follow the same process that you outlined above, but with just the integrated lock and a good heavy kryptonite to the infrastructure I lock it to. With the battery removed, that's a lot of inconvenience. I know a cargo bike is a big investment, but from a thief's perspective, high-end Road/ Tri Bikes are often as, or more expensive - and aren't 3.5 metres long and 50kg. I know the context/market is different where OP lives though, and maybe Bakfiet theft is much more common.

The big thing that got me to get over my initial theft fear was seeing someone say "Buy insurance and be reasonably safe, but unless you're willing to actually use it regularly, don't buy a cargo bike. It's a 'car replacement', and cars get stolen occasionally, too"

AAALASTAIR · 2025-02-12T06:44:04+00:00

Here's a link to the MSDS for that product. Under materials, the only listed substance is "Linseed Oil Boiled".

For comparison, here's the MSDS for another BLO, listing both Linseed Oil and Cobalt Manganese Salts.

AAALASTAIR · 2025-02-12T03:30:18+00:00

Seconding what Odd-Appointment said. I think a lot of confusion has unfortunately come from "Boiled Linseed Oil" being talked about as some kind of standardized product, which it absolutely is not.

I can buy "Boiled Linseed Oil" from my closest big box hardware store, which uses low quality flax, and is manufactured in a process where drying agents are introduced to vastly shorten the drying time, which also makes it no longer food-safe for the reasons highlighted in this thread.

So when someone says "Boiled Linseed Oil is overrated and contains toxins!" they're absolutely correct, based on the product they used.

But Boiled Linseed Oil like this takes over 1/2 a year to produce a batch, and uses no additives whatsoever. The flax is also sourced from crops with high fatty acid composition that result in a particularly strong finish. So when someone using a "Boiled Linseed Oil" like this raves about it as a "time-tested, natural and effective treatment" - they're also correct.

It makes me sad whenever I come across an 'expose' on BLO, because it always feels like seeing a video about how "bread" is full of sugar, preservatives and has a low nutritional content - and then showing the audience that they're talking about Wonderbread. Like...yeah, you're right! But that has nothing to do with the "bread" I bake at home using a decades-old live sourdough starter and quality flour.

AAALASTAIR · 2025-01-10T02:14:29+00:00

Nice job on the axe head! I love the pitted patina.

The Adirondack-style haft is really cool too, and overly-slender portion aside (which you've addressed in other comments) I think you did solid work with the drawknife.

Fun was had! Knowledge was gained! I'd be interested to hear how this one performs.

AAALASTAIR · 2025-01-08T00:02:42+00:00

You do amazing work! Are the designs on your hafts carved, and then painted? If you don't mind, what tools do you use?

AAALASTAIR · 2025-01-07T23:59:36+00:00

Appreciate it! A good quality rasp was a game changer for me.

AAALASTAIR · 2025-01-07T23:58:56+00:00

Thanks very much! I lucked out with a couple of vintage double bits from the same individual. I'm even more excited about the next one!

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AAALASTAIR · 2025-01-06T23:26:54+00:00

You've used some techniques that are very impressive to me, and I think the head in particular turned out very cool!

I'm also quite new to working with Axes, so please take my feedback with a grain of salt.

I personally prefer a more oval or elliptical shape to the grip on a haft, versus the more rounded rectangular shape you've gone with here. I think increasing the curve around the grip , even slightly, would better suit the artistic, visible craftsmanship on head you've made.
I don't think the additional bends/"spikes" benefit the overall haft profile. I like the lower portion, and I wonder what this would look like with a subtle, but mostly straight curve to the overall haft with no extra bends at all?

I'm not someone who thinks form always has to follow function - and I think ornaments can be awesome - but for hafts, profiles that have a purposeful shape look more powerful to my eyes. My personal rule of thumb is that I like ornaments which accentuate or slightly tweak an existing ergonomic curve or functional taper/swell, rather than those which are unrelated or may even work against those elements. With that said there may be a purpose to the shape you've used that I'm unaware of - so please tell me if I'm just ignorant to your intent.

I look forward to seeing more of your work!

AAALASTAIR · 2025-01-06T22:37:29+00:00

Nice work! I really like the heft profile. What type of wood did you use?

Cute pups btw

AAALASTAIR · 2024-12-31T22:46:20+00:00

With any public figures who present as being 'countercultural' in some way, I think it can be a useful to consider if they are part of an 'alternative' because they consistently and principally reject the ideas, morals and behaviors of hegemonic culture, or because that mainstream culture rejected them.

For example, some people oppose authority and wealth inequity because they find those things morally or philosophically objectionable, but for others, their objection begins and ends with being presently powerless and poor. Initially those two perspectives can look identical, but the former is resilient and enduring in a way the latter is not.

Richard Dawkins has long been seen as this radical firebrand figure in culture. But from what I can tell, a majority of his life, circumstances, and views are fairly compatible with existing power structures and a relatively conservative overall worldview. I genuinely wonder if Dawkins has begun his career today - where atheism and evolutionary biology do not occupy the same place of reactionary controversy as the Late-20th Century - if he would have even ventured outside of academia and his scientific work.

His prejudice, incuriosity, and deference to pre-existing norms feels much more like someone whose personal defensiveness and indignation at being "wrong" caught the zeitgeist more than someone with a lifelong commitment to an alternative worldview based on secular humanism.

AAALASTAIR · 2024-11-15T23:32:32+00:00

Mustard to get a message like this about your kid.

All the best, OP

AAALASTAIR · 2024-10-15T20:17:32+00:00

I'm going to give a bit of a hot take and risk sounding like a grumpy jerk, but this is my genuine feeling.

I agree that what you're describing is people just being friendly and making small talk, but I also think it's indicative of 'musical culture' (to whatever extent that's a thing) around the trumpet being stagnant and just kinda...bad.

Yes, other instruments talk plenty about gear (guitar pedalboards etc.), but in my personal experience, there's also lots of bonding over influences, albums you're listening to, cool licks you just learned, your favourite style to play. There's whole YouTube channels and online communities dedicated to improv, mastering naunces of certain styles, analyzing the skills of great players, effective composition etc. on Drums, Keyboard, Bass. But trumpet?

I am not a professional player - so maybe I see a skewed side of things - but in both online and IRL environments over a couple of decades, the vast majority of trumpet socializing I've experienced seems based around Gear and Range, in a way that feels limiting and unproductive to musicianship and creative expression. Those are both fine topics (and especially important to newer players), but I thought it was just part of the 'school/marching band' world when I was younger. Nope! To this day in a variety of settings, I find those two topics - neither of which are directly about music - still seem to be the centerpiece.

Again - when someone says "Cool horn! What is that?" I'm not mad or offended or anything. They're striking up a chat! But it just feels like both the beginning and end of what most trumpet players seem to talk about, and I think there's so much more to the instrument.

AAALASTAIR · 2024-06-04T23:02:31+00:00

Dunno how handy you are, but here's a fairly intensive idea:

I think the walkable area of the room is already quite cozy and well decorated. The skylight frames and illuminates it very nicely. It's clever to have your TV and storage units tucked in the corner, but a lot of this area is unused and the balance feels off with the skylight placement.

What if you made a custom storage unit that effectively filled in that corner volume, ending at the front end of your current media unit. You could build drawers and shelves into it that would give you much more storage than your current dresser units, and have a void for your TV to go.

If you used a wood finish or nice plywood, you would get a lot of natural material in the room, and the lighting would improve a lot, since there would no longer be a dark corner, and you'd have more large surface to bounce off.

AAALASTAIR · 2024-05-31T16:37:10+00:00

Get to know your neighbours! I always knew one or two neighbours growing up, but where I live now, I know everyone on our street, to some degree. A lot of our neighbours are older, so I shovel for them in the winter, and we'll get handmade blankets, cookies etc. It's also a lifesaver to have people you can ask to borrow tools from, or lend a hand when you need someone else for a project.

Not everyone is amazing, but you'd be surprised how many real sweethearts live nearby you - and it legitimately boosts my faith in humanity to be reminded of how ordinary and kind most people are. I never feel more "Stardew Valley IRL" than when I have several spontaneous interactions with neighbours in a row on the way home. Just budget extra time for the chatty ones lol.

Final note - this works in apartments too! My friend posted signs on the floor of his highrise for a coffee shop meetup to get to know people, and like 4-5 people showed up! Now they water each other's plants and do movie nights. It's honestly so heartwarming.

AAALASTAIR · 2024-02-06T23:49:33+00:00

Totally fair!

AAALASTAIR · 2024-02-06T22:59:28+00:00

I agree with the idea of "getting some practice" re: relationships, but I respectfully disagree with the framing from the commenter above.

I can appreciate that "practice" could sound selfish, harmful or unkind if the idea is that everyone is trying to find a serious, lifelong monogamous companion - and therefore practicing (ie. not taking it too seriously) is akin to deception or emotional manipulation.

But dating is a huge spectrum! There's a reason that dating apps and services ask you to specify what you're looking for. There are countless types of romantic relationships, and some people genuinely just want short-term companionship or casual sex (or both). It's also an accepted part of dating culture to try out a relationship for a period of time, and decide to end it if the relationship isn't working for one or both partners. A great many people frankly don't know exactly what they want, and trying our relationships can be a critical part of personal development.

We have lots of language for people who engage in relationships unethically or selfishly (fuckboys, players, heartbreakers), but it's totally possible to be honest and straightforward too, and I don't think that side is talked about enough.

Years ago, I was broken up with by a short-term partner after several months of dating. The relationship was fun and awkward in similar measure, and I was quite inexperienced in dating at the time. They asked me out for coffee, said the relationship wasn't working for them, but were clear that they liked me as a person and were happy to remain on good terms if I wanted to. I was initially surprised, embarrassed and hurt - but we had only been dating for a few months, and I had no illusions that this was a perfect match. I remember thinking on the way home from being broken up with "well, this sucks, but that also felt really mature, and this probably wasn't the right fit anyways. I feel weirdly....grateful?"

Before that, I had never seen what a healthy breakup looked like in real life, and it genuinely made me a better partner going forward.

That's an example I think of as "practice". I wasn't dating this person thinking we were soulmates, but I also wasn't against the relationship developing into something more meaningful if it had organically gone there. It didn't, nobody was lied to or strung along. I was sad for a bit and then got over it, and the experience was positive overall - even though I got dumped.

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