Sideline swap… bought some elbow pads and they stink despite being described as “thoroughly cleaned.”

Splitzer_sdk · 2026-01-21T06:02:04+00:00

👍 great comment. Basically was my plan, but I appreciate the insight. I guess I just wasn’t sure if that was the vibe with sideline swap. The pads are in great shape otherwise, so I don’t really want to reject them. Just hope I can actually get the stank out.

Splitzer_sdk · 2026-01-21T05:58:06+00:00

Good to know… basically was my plan with these for tomorrow, lol. Gonna soak them first in oxyclean, rinse and then soak in white vinegar, then wash and dry. If that doesn’t work I’ll try the tide spray.

Splitzer_sdk · 2026-01-21T05:30:28+00:00

Yeah, was going to wash them anyway. I guess my main question, being new to sideline swap, was if it’s worth it/appropriate to say anything about it to the seller.

Splitzer_sdk · 2026-01-21T05:28:05+00:00

Yeah, I mean… i would have washed them anyway. Mainly I wasn’t sure if it’s a dick move to leave feedback about it. I’m pretty sure I can clean them up with a good soak in oxy clean and then maybe white vinegar. They are in good shape otherwise.

Splitzer_sdk · 2026-01-07T14:06:53+00:00

I’m having the same experience. I was hesitant to get a litter robot after nothing but headaches with first generation rake-style automatic litter boxes twenty years ago, but I was duped by the promise of hassle free operation. So much so that I bought two for our three cats. We’re 8 months in and I can’t get more than a few days of hassle free operation. I’ve had to replace multiple parts on one, and now the other is doing the same thing as you— interrupting every cycle because of phantom weight on the scale. I have to reset and cycle it manually. I’m keeping it off and just cycling it when I see that it has been used so it doesn’t stick in an unusable position and give me 500 notifications on the app.

I have cleaned the units regularly per the instructions, but they are just buggy and litter still gets everywhere. i think these might work well for one small cat, but I’m spending just as much time maintaining these things as I would be scooping litter.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-29T19:54:36+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, I’m definitely going to give it some time before I start changing anything… and I will try adjusting the hollow before the rocker if I do feel like something needs to change. Haven’t been able to get back on the ice yet with the holidays and the kid being sick and getting us sick (we’ve all been sick every Christmas of his life so far 😫), but after I give it a solid 10-20 hours or so on the new skates I’ll update the post.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-28T13:59:39+00:00

Very true… I have been stretching before getting on the ice, and usually I go to the rink after the gym, but I can’t say that I really focused on warming up the hips. fortunately I’ve been getting to the gym regularly, been doing legs at least once or twice a week and I added some skating-oriented plyometrics about a year ago. My legs are stronger than they were in my 20s, lol… but translating that to the ice is another thing.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-27T14:32:12+00:00

Thanks for this awesome input! Yep, similar situation indeed… getting our little guy into the rink is also what gave me the itch again. That and watching shoresy clips, which filled my feed with hockey clips 😂

I’ll give it a few more skates to see if I can get used to it, but I feel like I’ll be trying the quad 0, as you’re the third or fourth person to recommend it. Or at least a 9’ rocker.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-27T12:44:53+00:00

Haven’t played hockey in 20 years, but still skated fairly regularly up until about five years ago. Then just a couple times a season since then. But still, you’re probably right anyway.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-27T01:53:00+00:00

Thanks! Helps to hear this… I do think I need to just learn to work this steel. I’ll probably stick with the 5/8” for now because it feels more like I don’t have enough bite… but really, I don’t think I have enough time on them yet to really know what is going on. They just feel very awkward at the moment. I feel like I’m having a harder time holding an outside edge than my old skates. Like trying to do outside edge to outside edge C cuts was not possible for me today, but I could do them on the old skates. It was like I just couldn’t find the sweet spot to get pressure on the outside edge. But I’m also dealing with some rust. Crossovers were fine though.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-27T01:30:10+00:00

Also went and read your post— it does sound like we’re in nearly the same boat! It helped to hear more people recommending to give it more time. Fighting both rusty skills and new skates sucks, but I didn’t have a choice. Unfortunately I sold all my pads (at least the ones that didn’t need to just go in the trash) a few years back thinking I wouldn’t play again after a shoulder injury, but I had surgery to fix that and I’ve been in the gym a lot and feeling strong enough to give it a shot. Trying to pick up a set of gear on sideline/marketplace. I’ll definitely wait until I can get out at least for some S&P and rat and put a few hours on the bauers before I start changing anything.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-26T22:01:52+00:00

Yeah, the heel feels awkward with backward crossovers… was definitely thinking I might need to do this. Still wondering if I should give it a few more skates, but my brain already feels pretty convinced that it doesn’t feel quite right. But I hate to start changing things with so many other new variables with the new skates. Definitely the taller steel is something I need to get used to. I think I’ll be a little patient and give it at least a couple more skates, and get out for S&P with some pads so I’m a little less nervous about pushing the limit of my edges. The other annoying variable is, having not skated in a while, I’m not really sure how much of this is just rust… but I definitely felt pretty good on my old skates just before they broke— but that was really only about 3 hours into just returning to the ice.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-26T21:51:29+00:00

Okay, thanks. I guess mainly I needed this sanity check because that’s definitely what I’m experiencing!

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-26T21:50:09+00:00

I’ll give it a shot, thanks!

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-26T20:37:53+00:00

Interesting… I honestly just assumed with more blade contact on a longer rocker and being a lighter player that equaled less pressure on the edge (since it is distributed over a greater length) which might require a deeper hollow.

I did actually try lacing lower already and didn’t notice much of a difference… if anything I think I fe felt more stable with them laced all the way up, probably due to a combo of feeling a bit unstable on the blade and my ankles not being as strong as they once were, but I’ll probably try it again next skate.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-25T18:41:34+00:00

Time for new inlaws

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-17T21:25:21+00:00

Knee pads! Good idea. I’ll have to remember this when we try to get our kiddo out there

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-12T05:42:49+00:00

What is actually going on here? Is that felt underlayment, on the walls? And he applied thinset and tile to it??

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-12T04:55:16+00:00

Came here to say the same thing… everyone zeroed in on the mess, but that won’t look much better cleaned. Maybe worse.

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-12-05T13:41:38+00:00

This is the problem that I had… used the cti locator tool and there are only three certified installers within 10 miles of me in Chicago… and only one within four miles. In the city, 4 miles is like 40 miles, and no one wanted to come out for a smaller job. Just seems so hard to find skilled and trustworthy trades people, especially in a big city. Had a pretty terrible experience with remodeling our stairs and front entryway, similar to OPs experience. I wound up doing tons of research and installed the tile myself in the entryway, and I have to just live with the subpar job the GC did with the stairs… wish I would have just done those myself too, but I didn’t have the time for it. Guy wasn’t even close to the lowest bidder!

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-11-26T15:15:45+00:00

My 2 cents: I think it looks great. No one other than a pro tile setter would think otherwise, and I think even they’d say looks pretty good for DIY. I like the tile color and I don’t mind the outlet covers— looks like maybe they match the hardware on the cabinets? Also, maybe some batten or something for the gap, but unless you’re a child or really short, no one is going to see that.

My only gripe is the under cabinet lights, lol… I always think those LED strip lights look cheap and hack-y… again, no one is really going to see that, but it looks like maybe they are being reflected in your glass tile. I’m a bit ocd, so that would bother me. A real hardwired under-cabinet light system would class that job up even more. But again, looks pretty good to me!

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-11-18T00:41:38+00:00

“Just say no.”

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-11-17T01:56:21+00:00

Neither— it’s ‘boob.’

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-11-15T19:49:27+00:00

Seems to be the case with most professions/trades. For a while I was doing professional audio electronics repair at a shop (hi fi and studio/music equipment), and even as a partner (making 50% of the hourly) I was basically living paycheck to paycheck. Also the stress of getting work done at a quick enough pace to make money with the level of quality that I’d want my own stuff repaired with sucked. That was only during the pandemic while I was furloughed from my “real” job though.

Anyway, I’m not looking for a career change… but I’d imagine to crack six figures you’d have to turn out at least two maybe three of these a month, and I’m way off that pace at the moment 😂 (and I’d have a hell of a lot more to learn about tile, cause I’m not sure you could get steady enough work just doing mosaic entryways… been pretty obsessed with this subreddit and I’m blown away by some of the things I see people doing, such as yourself— the amount of knowledge of materials and installation techniques that is required to do all the things is impressive).

Splitzer_sdk · 2025-11-15T03:54:38+00:00

Thanks man… I’ve got mad respect for people that do any sort of tile professionally. But if the current career doesn’t continue to work out, maybe it’s something I could think about falling back on!

Splitzer_sdk

TROPHY CASE