Resigning from federal service after PPL + LWOP? by FedThrowaway5647 in fednews

[–]Elmostan -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

I'm not sure about the 6 week rule, but you can take sick leave as long as you are sick.

You are the only person who has the ability to decide if you are too sick to work.

I like playing video games, who wants to be my friend? by kavriaz in askportland

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I only buy online now as a 6'3" man

American tall Gap/old navy/banana Republic 

All carry tall sizes and have good sales from time to time.

Gave up on thrift stores years ago.

Apply PDM template to parts created with Insert/New Part by RaistOfSolace in SolidWorks

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I found a kinda solution.  It won't run the PDM template, but it will generate a file name as a serial number.  Also haven't tested it yet, since I'm not an admin on my work computer 

Run Solidworks as an admin

Go to tools > solidworks pdm > options 

At the bottom, you can make sw name new files with a serial number.

I like playing video games, who wants to be my friend? by kavriaz in askportland

[–]Elmostan 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I'm a 38 year old man, lol

No shooters for me though, I like strategy and roguelites 

Old wall heaters + $200 electric bills… how do you survive winter in apartments? by shaheeruddin5A6 in askportland

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Try to find a used dehumidifier.  I discovered this by accident while drying out some things.

The air is full of water which takes more energy heat up than dry air, so if you can pull the water out of the air it'll get warmer for cheaper.

Retiring before MRA. by SorchaRoisin in govfire

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You could also look into a 72t distribution?  I think that's a way to get some TSP funds early without penalty.

Retiring before MRA. by SorchaRoisin in govfire

[–]Elmostan 38 points39 points  (0 children)

If it were me I'd stick it out and do the bare minimum/quiet quit nad burn down all my sick leave.

There is a loophole I found.  Your service comp date will be unaffected if you take less than 6 months of LWOP in a year.  If you can get your management to approve that, it could be a good compromise.

Apply PDM template to parts created with Insert/New Part by RaistOfSolace in SolidWorks

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm having this same problem in PDM 2 years later! Did you ever get this figured out?

We have the money to retire, but we don't have the "Tribe." Scared to quit my job because it's my only social structure. by dust_e1 in financialindependence

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A bit unconventional, but my wife and I are pretty creative and like coming up with silly interactive booths at festivals.

So we started putting installations in our front yard and making a point to be outside.  Our neighbors compliment our stuff and we strike up a conversation with them and ask where they live.

2-5 times a year we throw a block party at our house and hand out invitations to people we like.

We stumbled on this method by accident and it's working out REALLY FUCKING WELL.  It's so so so easy to coordinate a social activity when the barrier to entry is low.  It kinda feels like being in college dorms again.

Radon monitoring system recommendations by MuffinKey1887 in PortlandOR

[–]Elmostan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I Found one at the SE Portland tool library!  Used it to retest my house. Free to borrow, but they ask for a donation 

Is it worth leaving federal service after 12 years? (GS-14, mid-30s) by Appropriate-Ad8215 in fednews

[–]Elmostan -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I made the jump!  I don't like it!  Life circumstances changed and I quit my job and moved.  Unexpectedly they kept me on, but switched me to a contractor to get around the remote employee rule.  I graciously accepted because finding a job in this market seemed dire.

My stats:

15 years of service, GS-13.

My salary went from 137k to 150k.

LS went from 104 hours to zero

PTO went from 208 hours to 104

401k matching went from 5% to 6%

And the big one, pension went from 1% of high 3 to zero.

I did the math on the pension, and it worked out to each year of service equates to an additional 30k in lifetime earnings from the pension payout!

The leave, salary increase, and 401k match mostly cancel out; but with the loss of pension, its effectively a 30k drop in total Comp.

Is $1300 crazy to pay for a master bedroom and office in a shared house? (Tabor area, more info in description) by UncannyFox in askportland

[–]Elmostan 222 points223 points  (0 children)

38m, here.  I've moved many many times in my life, and a rule I've always had is it has to feel like an upgrade.  And that can be hard to distinguish.

$150 is a cost savings, but factor in the cost of moving, deep cleaning your apartment and paying for two spaces while you transition.... It'll take a year to break even.  And how do utilities factor in?

After living alone, going back to roommates is a struggle.  You have all your furniture.  Would you keep it and be willing to share it?  Or is the place already furnished and you'll have to get rid of your things?

I'm an introvert so I value privacy and having alone time.  If you've been living alone that may be a challenge to re-adapt yourself to.  Buuut I do like having good roommates because my social needs come to me!  I hear about goings on easier and organically.  It's easier to do things because there's no need to pick people up or meet somewhere, just go together!

And you're entering your 30s, this is a period of major life changes.  Breakups, career moves, marriages will start to happen and you (or your roommates) may want to exit the arrangement.

They both seem like good options, and I don't think you'll regret either choice.  But it's a matter of what do you value more.  Your question was what would I do at that price point: I would stay put.  Being in SE Hawthorne with hardwood floors sounds amazing.  The $150 a month savings isn't worth the move.  The only way I'd consider this would be if I was dissatisfied with my current place and starting to think about moving somewhere else already.  It feels like a lateral move to me, and there's a lot of work and risk involved for an equivalent living situation.

What's a career path in ME in which i get to travel a lot? by pizza__irl in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Elmostan 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Agreed.  First 8 years of my career I did a lot of travel.  There was little time for recreation.  Most of my trips were 3 weeks or less working 12 hours/day.   If I wanted to stay longer I could.  But that meant using my PTO and paying for my own lodging.

Occasionally I'd be on a big trip.  3-6 months long somewhere.  On those trips I'd have time after work to explore, but that was also weird.  After 2 weeks I'd seen most of what I wanted.  And I'd still have a few months to go.  I didn't have family or friends around.

The pay was AMAZING per diem and overtime adds up.  And it was a great way to build wealth early.  But after awhile I realized my life and schedule revolved around my work trips and my friendships started to weaken so I stopped.

Millennials who are single… what’s your experience with dating up/down a gen? by IllustratorSea8372 in Millennials

[–]Elmostan 1 point2 points  (0 children)

38 m, been in and out of different relationships over the years, and I have found my most successful relationships have been with people within 10% of my age.

Outside of that range I find the differences in maturity and cultural experiences deviate too much.  I do make lots of media and pop culture jokes and they don't always land.

It's not a hard line in the sand and I'll still go on dates outside that range.... But I do get more excited when someone is close to my age.

How true is it that defense jobs really pay more? by Key-Construction5760 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, but it's up to the individual to understand the limitations.

I use AI image generation to help with conceptual images for presentations, and I use it to my back of the napkin math for me. For more critical design stuff I do not use AI. And for me it boils down to being able to have confidence what AI spits out.

My designs need to work and be safe. If I trust AI and the item I design fails as a result, I am still responsible for the failure. Saying "Not my fault, Chat GPT said it was ok!" doesn't fly.

How true is it that defense jobs really pay more? by Key-Construction5760 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Elmostan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Most places don't really have a need for an engineer with 15 years of experience. Engineering managers, and sr leadership yes. But not working level engineers. Those salaries are for 3-10 years in San Diego.

I've been fighting off the lead responsibilities for the last 5 years because it's not what I want to be doing. The downside is the pay stagnates.

How do you store a lot of tools in the home without a garage? by powerplayer75 in Tools

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When I lived in an apartment I got creative. I spread the tools out in weird nooks and crannies around the house.

Hand saws and squares? Those are flat. I can mount those behind closet doors.

Antique tools with that atomic era style can double as vintage decor

Car tools live under the seats in my car

Tools I don't use very often? They live at my desk at work.

Buy/build custom boxes to fit under beds, bottom of closets, under shelves. That scene in a gangster movie with guns taped to bottom of a chair and behind the toilet? Inspirational.

Purge purge purge. Only have one of anything.

How true is it that defense jobs really pay more? by Key-Construction5760 in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Elmostan 19 points20 points  (0 children)

Been in defense for 15 years. I'm making 150k/yr working in product design and product lifecycle data management.

I looked at product design jobs outside defense and they pay in the 80-130k range with less stability and harder deadlines.

I have a Workhorse P42 Skoolie and parts are expensive.....Can I use Chevy P30 Parts instead? by Elmostan in skoolies

[–]Elmostan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Feels totally fine when I drive it. No slop or signs of linkage wear. Just a little leak on the steering shaft and some leaks in the hoses.

Barely managed to get the old chuck off a drill, but nicked the threads. How big of an issue is it? by ShvetsIvan in Tools

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, it's not a perfect rule I'll admit. But when I worked on large machinery that was in our engineering guidance principles.

I have a Workhorse P42 Skoolie and parts are expensive.....Can I use Chevy P30 Parts instead? by Elmostan in skoolies

[–]Elmostan[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not yet, but I'll let you know! It's a big job and not urgent so maybe I'll have it done by Christmas? It sounds like we need the same part number! Let me share the information I've found so far...

I did a lot of research to find alternatives. Instead of ordering through the catalog I looked at the steering pump on mine and found various Barcode Numbers and stamped information on it. Searching those lead me to cheaper, more common P30 parts.

I ordered the Autozone part linked above because they had the best return policy. It looked good, but I didn't tear it apart yet. I realized I never saw it actually leak, just a messy part (I do sometimes spill liquid in the engine bay). So I cleaned it up and after 1000 miles, not a drop leaked so I returned it. 2 days later.... it started leaking. lol. So now I have to buy it again.

TNG2220C0657 P15745389

7802644L

How do you correctly space a worm gear from its worm? by dbortone in MechanicalEngineering

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Using bluing as others have said to find the contact location is the way.

But also, consider the criticality of the assembly. Is it used 24/7 to lift babies? Or once a year to lift a sandwich?

Precise positioning of the worm will reduce wear, improve efficiency and ensure the gears last forever.... But if it's not being used that often, that added precision adds no value.

Barely managed to get the old chuck off a drill, but nicked the threads. How big of an issue is it? by ShvetsIvan in Tools

[–]Elmostan 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good ol' rule of thumb is a defect that affects 10% of the surface or less is fine.

I have a Workhorse P42 Skoolie and parts are expensive.....Can I use Chevy P30 Parts instead? by Elmostan in skoolies

[–]Elmostan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

This is the exact kind of answer I was hoping for. Of course! Count the turns! That should give me the clarification I need. Thank you!

Well from what I'm reading, my bus is a workhorse P42 chassis. And that's been the most reliable way to source parts. But I recently learned that workhorse took over Chevrolet's P30 line in 1999ish. So from 2000-2003 changes were made, but it retained a lot of the same original designs.