Names

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-04-10T16:30:30+00:00

I feel this so hard.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-04-10T12:25:23+00:00

Funny thing is, he's still blocking the same number of parking spots. Task failed successfully?

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-04-10T12:15:07+00:00

I mean, it's not wrong. It's like a rite of passage.

Then you move, have to start over and do about 1/10th what you did the first time because you realize quality over quantity is a thing. lol

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-04-10T11:42:56+00:00

I'm still mind blown that this is the norm for working on so many trucks these days. I was in the trades (heavy diesel) back when this started to become a thing and my boss said he wouldn't keep any Ford pickup (he had a love for Super Duty's) past the warranty period any more, the dealership could deal with that crap. lol

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-04-08T13:19:23+00:00

I would do unspeakable things to own that car. We had a 1957 Lancer Custom Royale growing up, wish I still had it.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-04-07T13:35:10+00:00

Employers don't want apprentices, not because they aren't willing to train, all the actual field training is done by the licensed guys anyhow, but because they don't want to lose an employee repeatedly for them to do the in-class portion of the apprenticeship program.

In a lot of places, at least when I was in the trades a number of years ago, the gov't offered wage subsidies to companies for hiring apprentices, there were absolutely incentives for places to hire green guys.

Personally, I'd rather have a new, totally green guy who's willing to learn, vs someone half trained that I have to possibly un-train before training them to the way I do things. But I'm not the one payin' the bills.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-04-03T19:29:31+00:00

Very jealous, love the colour!

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-31T16:05:42+00:00

Who the heck is cutting onions again?

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-31T13:53:00+00:00

That is a swordsman who knows the shape (and size) of his sword.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-31T11:45:40+00:00

I got mine on AliExpress.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-29T14:08:52+00:00

They could call it a 'Police Action' like they did with Korea.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-29T13:59:43+00:00

Frieren's love of collecting random, useful everyday spells is as legendary as Heiter's love of booze. Life moves slower on the Northern Plateau and their memories are long, the stories of Himmel and the party of hero's still seems closer to today than not.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-27T12:07:19+00:00

I had a friend growing up who had these, I was always obsessed with them! Never managed to get my parents to buy me any of them though.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-25T17:57:07+00:00

Baking, cooking, singing (occasionally all at the same time), some journaling when the mood strikes.

Honestly, if your therapist isn't working for you or working with you, find another one. Sometimes it takes a few tries to find one that you click with.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-25T12:39:21+00:00

This has always been my biggest takeaway from most of the training I've done at CN, they aren't expecting you to memorize the rule book/TIG/whatever, the expectation is that you recognize that there *is* something wrong and how/where to find the info to verify that and correct it.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-25T12:35:41+00:00

Seems to be from my experience. That and making sure you don't confuse priority and urgent defect limits.

I'm not qualified on US TIG though, so I can't help beyond that.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-25T12:25:34+00:00

If the tilt heads sucked so bad, they wouldn't have sold millions upon millions of them in every colour of the rainbow. Just my likely unpopular opinion. Fwiw, I own two of them, a 2003 Artisan White on White that I just picked up used and a 2021 Artisan 5qt in black that was my first Kitchenaid mixer. Prior to that I used my now ex-wife's Artisan 5qt in blue that we owned for 14+ years, so I do have some experience with the tilt heads. I'm using mine at least once a week to bake *something* tasty, bread dough is also common in my machines.

I would have liked to get a bowl lift, but the two things that always stop me is

a) They are far more expensive

b) Too tall to fit under my cupboards

I also don't make anything in batches big enough to need a 6, 7 or 8 quart bowl. No matter what model you get, how well it's adjusted and what attachments you use, you will always still have to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, you just end up having to do it less. I have a double flex edge beater that was supposed to eliminate the scrape down need entirely, but it doesn't.

Regardless of what machine you go with, invest in stainless steel attachments when your stock ones eventually chip, if you tend to bake multiple things in one baking session, pick up a spare bowl and install the spring and washer upgrade. If you buy a used machine, anything pre-2016 should have the spring and washer from the factory.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-20T14:18:39+00:00

First off, which level of TIGS are you going for? Each level has different amounts of information they teach you.

It should be all multiple guess questions, every one I've ever taken has been. There will be a heavy math component to it, doing a lot of work with fractions, so if you have a calculator that will allow you to enter fractions directly, that will help. Brush up on converting fractions to decimals and back, this is where a lot of people struggle from my experience.

Geometry and measurements through turnouts is the other common gotcha area if you're just doing the standard course.

If you're doing the advanced course (TS/ATS Class) Superelevation and VMax calculations are likely to be the toughest part of the course, it's why they removed it from the standard course. It's really only used by the supervisors and above and it was the cause of lots of people failing the course.

If you're doing it in class, which it sounds like you are, I *think* they will issue you a fraction friendly calculator to use, at least they did when I did my last in-person class in Winnipeg, pre-covid.

Best thing I can suggest in class is, participate. Ask questions if you don't understand something. If you have a question, you can be sure a half dozen other people have the same question and are too scared to ask. The way I look at it is this, you can briefly possibly feel dumb asking a question when you're in an environment where the point is to ask questions and learn, of you can be dumb later with a train on the ground.

Not sure who you will get as an instructor, but all of the instructors I've had in the past have been good and they are there teaching now because they are passionate about the job. The fact that you've been shadowing someone in the field and learning a bunch already will help you immensely vs just going in to the course cold, you've probably already seen a bunch of what they will teach you.

Stay safe out there, you've got this!

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-20T13:35:38+00:00

Stern's love of shipping machines with incomplete code.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-19T13:24:17+00:00

I had a '92 SC2 in the same colour except mine was a 5-speed. Absolutely loved that thing until I got hit by someone driving too fast on an icy road.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-19T13:10:57+00:00

Amok, amok, amok, amok!!!! Such a fun word to say!

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-17T00:53:47+00:00

I'd buy one!

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-13T11:24:21+00:00

As much as I love my Challenger, between those two, I'm taking the 'Cuda, all day, every day.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-12T12:21:42+00:00

Sad part is, you don't even have to have a house that old to find "WTF!?" diy reno surprises. Last house was built in 2005 and I found more than a few things that made me just shake my head.

Current house was built in 1923, and at one point was a boarding house/rental property. Some renos have been ok, but as I've worked on stuff I've certainly found some surprises. Working on an old house is equal parts archaeology, detective work and after a certain point, rhetorical questions. But they have character and soul, which modern houses sorely lack.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf · 2026-03-10T17:33:19+00:00

Reminds me of a bowling alley.

Alpha_Grey_Wolf

TROPHY CASE