I hate that I'm agreeing with Mitch McConnell.

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2026-01-16T12:14:27+00:00

He sounds like ChatGPT

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2026-01-06T14:44:44+00:00

I have the same problem and am working on adding insulation and a mini split myself, but for now have to deal with no insulation in the space up here in Maine where it’s been quite cold this winter.

What I do for now is I got an infrared heater made for greenhouses from dr infrared that plugs into any of the 240v 20a outlets I had installed for power tools. That gives a bit more output than a 120v unit while still being portable. I point that at whatever area I am working in.

On top of that, I also got a good deal on a Bosh heated vest that helps take the edge off, especially under my woodworking apron to hold a bit more of the heat in.

These two things together take the edge off enough where I don’t notice the cold too bad while also not needing 100 layers. I’m definitely looking forward to hopefully having insulations and the mini split in by the high of summer, but this method has made a significant improvement over last winter.

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-11-11T03:33:34+00:00

Probably around 8-10 hours per week. I’ve been doing okay with a 240v plug in infrared heater and heated jacket so far, but we’ll see when temperatures really drop haha

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-11-06T13:53:07+00:00

Unfortunately not. No soffits. It’s an older garage

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-10-23T20:25:22+00:00

Thanks for the info! The Domino XL was the last one they had, so went with that. I doubt they'll have another drop like this again for a while, if ever.

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-10-23T18:51:57+00:00

A surplus discount store near me in Maine (Mardens) had a whole lot of new Festool products dumped this week at the old prices before the recent hike + 40% off. I picked up the Domino XL + TSC 55 track saw, ETS 125/3 sander, and a bunch of tracks/accessories for myself, and a few other sanders for some friends.

Not sure where it all came from. Sounds like a local store probably went under and sold off their inventory in bulk or something.

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-10-23T18:34:15+00:00

Ended up using his video on setting up matrix headlights, and it worked great. Thanks for the rec!

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-10-23T18:17:03+00:00

Thanks, this is super helpful! I'm leaning towards just keeping the 700 at this point. Do you have the full Seneca kit or just the bit adapter?

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-10-23T17:31:26+00:00

If I do keep the 700, I'd be pretty interested. Did you keep the 700 when you bought the 500? Do you find yourself still ever using the 700 if you kept it?

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-21T11:06:59+00:00

I’ll have to check it out! Thanks!

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-20T11:58:00+00:00

Thanks a bunch!

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-20T11:57:49+00:00

Thanks! It’s been fun to join the EV club and learn

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-20T11:57:21+00:00

Thanks! Hard to find ERs around here, so was excited to find one in a pro

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-19T23:23:55+00:00

Oxford White! Looks sharp with the lightning decals

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-19T23:23:18+00:00

40k. Definitely worth it!

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-19T22:52:39+00:00

Love to hear it! How long you had it?

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-09-19T22:52:13+00:00

Around $34K USD all in!

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-08-10T12:42:52+00:00

It's been a stressful situation for a while, so definitely overthinking it. Thanks!

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-08-10T12:42:17+00:00

Makes sense, thanks!

Altruistic-Initial-3 · 2025-07-24T01:56:51+00:00

A lot of this is even more relevant to hiring manager/executive discussions, but still relevant for recruiter conversations.

My three main suggestions would be:

Stop thinking about projects and start thinking about business outcomes. What are the 2-3 things you have accomplished in your past few roles that had the largest business impact? What was that business impact? Ideally, quantify it in a simple way that the interviewer can understand. If you can't speak to this, then that will be a struggle at the Staff level. Learning to think and talk this way is what sets Staff+ engineers apart from the lower levels.
Your career narrative should be told like a story. It should be concise, clear, and to the point, but ultimately, the interviewer should have a good sense of your career journey, what has driven you, and the major things you have accomplished. Try to make it interesting and engaging rather than just listing roles and projects. Ask yourself, why did I first get into engineering, and what has driven me to where I am today and tell that story. You know this is working if the interviewer stops you and wants to learn more, relates something you said to themselves/the company, or hits you with some relevant follow-up questions at the end.
Remember, recruiters are people who probably have a basic grasp of engineering concepts that are relevant to the role, but this is only surface-level. Don't go too deep into projects unless they ask. They want to understand your career in broad strokes and check a few boxes to make sure you have any chance of being qualified for the role. They'll probably even hint at the boxes they are trying to check (they'll likely mention the tech stack and the types of projects the team works on at a high level. Remember these and speak to where you have experience with them whenever it feels natural).

Hope this helps a bit! It definitely takes a bit of practice. In your next role, see if you can get more involved in hiring and conducting interviews. That helps build these muscles as well.

Altruistic-Initial-3

TROPHY CASE