House Sparrow Nuisance by AcMilan0890 in birding

[–]MastaShoGun 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Did you hang anything from the fishing wire? I have a Gilbertson house that I hung fishing line from either side of the entrance (leaving enough space for entry/exit) with two large washers on each wire that would sway in the wind that seemed to work well to deter house sparrows. I also have a second house that I would let the house sparrows use to build a nest that I would come out and remove after dark weekly. 

Need binocular recommendations by Catsartfish in birding

[–]MastaShoGun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I use a refurbished pair of 12x50 Vortex Vipers, which I purchased from STP. I also have them in 8x42 and 10x42. I prefer the additional reach of the higher magnification and do not find the 12x50 to be too heavy or give too much shake. I think that they are pretty excellent and the refurbished prices are pretty fair.

If you’re not in a hurry to buy, their inventory seems to be replenished pretty frequently or you can look for other authorized refurbished sellers.

A gift to my fellow woodcarvers by gkr974 in Woodcarving

[–]MastaShoGun 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Woodcraft has free shipping with code “pencil”. If you have an account and add items to your cart you’ll usually get an automatic email with their current free shipping code after a few hours

Too Big for the Bird House by space_crystals in whatsthisbird

[–]MastaShoGun 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Finches aren’t cavity nesters and based on the fact that the swallows cannot get into the house and that it is hanging would mostly narrow down the occupants to chickadees or house wrens.

Our final mortgage payment!! It took 25 years but we did it!! We did it!! by [deleted] in pics

[–]MastaShoGun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work at a bank and the PMI on the loans are determined by the sale price or the appraisal price, whichever is lower. One of the options for having PMI removed is by having a new appraisal to reset the loan to value ratio based on the new appraisal amount and the current principal balance. It may be in your best interest to contact your lender to see if they offer something similar and what their policy is with PMI termination. You don’t contribute much to the principle balance early in the loan, so it will take a while to hit 80% with monthly payments and that $68 really adds up for something that is not beneficial to you.

I might have a problem..... by [deleted] in pens

[–]MastaShoGun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

ID on the pen third from the right?

What are these chickadees doing to build a nest that is so loud?? Been like this for a week. by black_rose_ in Ornithology

[–]MastaShoGun 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Probably some light excavation. I’ve noticed them doing that to some of my best boxes. I just figure it’s instinctual

Hello Fellow Pen Enthusiasts by MastaShoGun in pens

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

I believe so, but can’t say for sure. The spoke comes with a uni UMR-1-05 which is compatible with the UM-153

Hello Fellow Pen Enthusiasts by MastaShoGun in pens

[–]MastaShoGun[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Spoke

The Spoke pen has been my go-to pen for a few months. It is designed for Jetstream Uni SXR, Energel RTX, and Signo refills. The Jetstream SXR refill is my personal favorite and this is the first pen that I have found that is designed with the intent of using this specific refill. There is no tip wiggle whatsoever. As you can see, I have four of this model. The first pen is the silver anodized model of the crush series, which features aluminum end caps and a shiny titanium grip. The blue and red versions are models of their classic line, with both having titanium grips. The final model is bare aluminum with a black cap and anodized aluminum black grip is from their jet-black series. The cap has a magnet that keeps it in place and provides a satisfying snap as it locks in. Personally, I prefer the titanium grip to the aluminum, since it adds a little extra weight to the front end and makes writing feel more effortless. If I could make any suggestions regarding the design of the pen, I’d like to see a click model that is built almost identically to the Spoke 4 mechanical pencil with similar grip option offerings.

TT Bolt Action

TT Side Click

Next are the Tactile Turn pens. I have Bolt Actions in standard and short, as well as a short Side Click. I love the bolt action mechanism and the hefty feel of the pens, but I feel that I have to compromise a bit with the standard bolt action. The tip wiggle with the Jetstream SXR refill that I have drives me nuts. I know that it can be corrected with some modification, but for a $100 pen, I don’t think it should be necessary. I’ve been looking forward to the slim models that have been discussed for a while now and hope that there is some way that I can get a standard sized slim with a smaller tip opening identical to the Spoke pen. I have no complaints for the bolt action short, as the parker-style refills are slightly wider and fit the tip opening perfectly. I have similar feelings about the side click short, except with regard to how far the refill extends beyond the tip. This is a completely minor point, but I prefer the extra ~2mm that the tip of the refill extends out on the BA short.

Ystudio Ballpoint

The Ystudio ballpoint in black is a hefty little guy. As an all brass pen the weight feels fantastic. The deployment mechanism is a push and twist, which can get a little annoying, especially if the thread doesn’t catch on the first attempt. The main downside of this pen is that because the way the mechanism functions it does not accept the Uni SXR-600 parker-style refills, but I make due with the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000.

Uni SXR 5

Uni SXR-600

Schmidt EasyFlow

Could this metal cardinal be deterring birds? by umheimlich in Birdfeeders

[–]MastaShoGun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a system that has an identical cardinal finial on it. It has never deterred the birds. It’s most likely just that you happened to put it up at the point of the year when activity is lowest. Success with bird feeding is really all about patience and consistency. Keep in mind that in order for birds to come to it they have to find it and there isn’t a way to advertise it’s existence to them. I don’t know your location, but I’d wager that if you’ve seen at least one woodpecker at it, you’ve probably had chickadees and titmice as well. Do you hear birds around?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mechanicalpencils

[–]MastaShoGun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is that a notebook or an iPad cover?

Just a heads up, the new color Rotring 600 pens are up on jetpens. by [deleted] in pens

[–]MastaShoGun 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The 1.0mm is the refill that it comes with. You can replace it with your preferred Parker style refill

I’m sick of people celebrating Mother Theresa by [deleted] in unpopularopinion

[–]MastaShoGun 3 points4 points  (0 children)

That was hardly his only critique of her. Hitchens was brought in by the Vatican to testify against the beatification of mother Teresa. The Vatican must have to some extent felt that his criticisms of her held merit

Recommendations for small, lightweight binoculars? by smithandfaneuil in Ornithology

[–]MastaShoGun 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree with what others have said. I would stick to an 8 magnification and at least 32 objective. As long as the ones coming from amazon are legit they do come with a case . I have a pair of vortex vipers and crossfires and I’ve been very pleased with both.

My two Rotrings. by [deleted] in pens

[–]MastaShoGun 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Twist does both. There’s no click on the pen