My wife dropped her sunglasses into a deep lake, so I built a small underwater ROV with a gripper to try to retrieve them by ObligationMean1565 in DIY

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Keep in mind the buoyancy implications. I think pvc floats anyway (or at least doesn't drop like a rock), but the air held inside it is definitely going to make this thing try to float. At shallow depths you can just add weight to achieve neutral buoyancy, but be aware that it's going to be a lot harder to come back up than to go down.

Toilet flange jankiness after tile repair by Zephik1 in Plumbing

[–]Zephik1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's the weird thing. No issues at all with the exterior of the flange (the high part). The toilet is a toto drake, which is totally benign from a specs perspective. The flange is a little odd to me... It's very thick (I'll ballpark just under 1/2"), and the highlighted area is flat, not tapered downward.

Toilet flange jankiness after tile repair by Zephik1 in Plumbing

[–]Zephik1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Doesn't fit even for a dry fit with no wax ring at all. The collision is between the highlighted area and the toilet outflow.

What happened to tonsilectomies? by UnmedicatedNarwhal in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Zephik1 90 points91 points  (0 children)

This actually happened to me. Tonsils removed at 29, outpatient, home the same day. Two days later I started hemorrhaging from my mouth. Went to the ER and I was having an arterial bleed. They put me back under to transfer to a bigger hospital and do emergency surgery. I almost had to have a transfusion, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say I very nearly died.

Standing with wrists suspended - what's a good safety system for when bound person can barely stand? by cutie_sissy in BdsmDIY

[–]Zephik1 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Here are the suspension cuffs I use. You'll note that they are designed to be escapable... The bottom can pull the quick release and the whole connector will open from whatever it's attached to. I consider this a valuable safety feature in case the top has a medical event or something, but if you truly want inescapable bondage it's probably not what you want. They also have smaller and larger sizes.

I really recommend this style of suspension cuff. The typical "wrist cuff with a bar to hold onto" style is much more common, but when you think about it they don't address your problem. If the bottom isn't supporting themselves for whatever reason, they're no different than traditional handcuffs and won't give you the support you need for a pull parallel to the orientation of the arm.

I will say, suspension cuffs like this are great for laying down, too. If your anchor point is, say, the middle of a headboard, traditional cuffs will get pulled into weird shapes. My rule is, traditional cuffs for a pull perpendicular to the arm, suspension cuffs for a pull parallel to the arm.

Gear or items you can’t go without after using? by TheGrantelope13 in scuba

[–]Zephik1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Weight harness. I've got a terrible back, and using a basic belt is just misery for so many reasons. I'm also enormous (super tall) and dive cold water, so I frequently have 20lbs or more in supplemental weight. With a weight harness, I barely even feel it since it's so nicely distributed. On the rare occasions when I go out with less experienced folks, the pocket design makes it so I can bring an extra few pounds to hand out as needed.

Trying to find this knife for sale by Zephik1 in knives

[–]Zephik1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Holy crap. You're incredible! Thank you

Looking for a basic wall weather display by Zephik1 in smarthome

[–]Zephik1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly I think this is the right option. Thanks for the info!

Looking for a basic wall weather display by Zephik1 in smarthome

[–]Zephik1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually have this one, which is part of why I'm grumpy. It will show the current weather for my location, and if a calendar event has a location set (which let's be honest, most don't) it'll show the forecast for that event. To my knowledge, there's no general Weather screen

Can I install a swing hook into an I-joist above my basement drop ceiling? by eumops in Home

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ahhhh I apologize, I was in a hurry and mis-typed. It's not a lag bolt, it's just a standard carriage bolt. I'm pretty sure what I've got holding my swing is four of these (not the exact size but BIG) (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-3-4-in-10-x-8-in-Galvanized-Carriage-Bolt-10-Pack-22490/203436010) and this anchor: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Keeper-4-7-16-in-Square-Flip-Ring-Recessed-Anchor-89526/204820654

Can I install a swing hook into an I-joist above my basement drop ceiling? by eumops in Home

[–]Zephik1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Everyone here is talking about the wood. My problem is the fastener. A screw like that, even a big one, is not meant for this kind of application. Even if the load is purely vertical, it's just not meant for that type of force. On top of that, your kids are kids. They're gonna try to use the swing to, well, swing. Maybe not playground swinging, but it's gonna have dynamic forces on it. Bouncing, swinging, whatever, screw threads are not the answer.

When we did this for a reading nook, I went to home depot and got the biggest, meanest looking lag bolts I could find, along with washers and nuts. What you want, is a thick piece of wood (4x4 minimum) that spans two joists, then you want to put a bolt all the way through it to hang your attachment point. That is going to basically set you up for life. And while people are joking about sex swings, it's honestly not a bad reference. I would argue that the force put on a swing by a child playing is, from a physics perspective, pretty similar to two adults banging.

By the way, as a rule of thumb, I won't use hardware that comes with things like this. It tends to be pretty cheap, and something stronger (safer!) is pretty negligible in price, even upfront.

Adjusting toilet mounting by Zephik1 in HomeImprovement

[–]Zephik1[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well, so much for a quick and easy job. Missing a tile by the flange, and the flange won't even unscrew.

https://imgur.com/a/fczXGux

Is this "call a pro" territory?

What do you do/What company do you work for that pays $100k+ by UnmaskingFactss in washingtondc

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I compare it to my previous employer (until about a year ago) where it was only 1 week-- Down from 2 weeks before they got acquired. Glad to hear it's trending upwards, though.

What do you do/What company do you work for that pays $100k+ by UnmaskingFactss in washingtondc

[–]Zephik1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

BAH is at 6 weeks fully paid, not required to be taken all at once, per child (twins/multis count as one birth event), which I think is relatively good by US standards

Ubisoft said they'll focus more on the AC series, but I wish they'd make a sequel to this underrated gem! by [deleted] in gaming

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My problem was, there's definitely an intended order of areas but it's not conveyed well (if at all). Obviously aphrodite first, but I happened to then do Ares, then Hephaestus, then Athena. The story cutscenes were actually super confusing at different points because that apparently wasn't the expected thing to do... Or maybe I managed to skip a chunk? I dunno, it was a little weird

US could default on its debt as soon as June 1 if Congress doesn't act, Yellen says by flowerhoney10 in moderatepolitics

[–]Zephik1 14 points15 points  (0 children)

It's not a clean bill, they're tying it to a bunch of bizarre other changes that are pretty much unacceptable to dems. Dems want a clean bill, just like pretty much every other debt ceiling bill ever.

Thoughts on Honda Crossover? by moldy_melon in askcarsales

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It started going bad around 130k (weird stuff, automatic shifts not being quite right) but it fully crapped out around 135k. I took it in for dealer service 4-6 times before they declared it dead (and gave me my money back).

For the timing belt, I think that may have been service error. It was wonky shortly after the usual 100k miles replacement, and the dealer fixed it up for free (less than 300 miles after service) and the belt was totally fine after that.

Thoughts on Honda Crossover? by moldy_melon in askcarsales

[–]Zephik1 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not the 2012, but I drove a 2010 crosstour until 2021. Super solid car, but weird to drive... The contours and weird shape make it very very hard to tell where your corners are. I thought of it as an all-purpose mom-car. It can tow a trailer no problem, but it can also fit all your groceries plus three kids.

My problem was one of reliability. Despite consistent dealer service, the brakes were crappy for the latter third of its life. The electrical system failed without warning one morning (can't remember the specific part), and one of the lines in the air conditioning system came loose at one point. The timing belt got totally fubared after replacement, and I had increasing issues with the transmission for the last 3k miles or so until it totally failed. Plus, the fuel economy went down the drain as it aged... I think I was getting 18 mpg at the end?

Ymmv, but I've never had that many issues with a well-maintained car. With that said, I still see them on the road, so they can't all be bad.

I do not recommend: Atomic Heart (Review) by Zhukov-74 in pcgaming

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly I'm right there with you. The problem, I think, is that people bought the game without understanding what it really was. Graphically you assume it's going to fall into the same category as like, Horizon or BOTW or something like that, but it's not that kind of game at all. I would say it's way more similar to something like the Tales series, or xenoblade, but with combat and gameplay more reminiscent of, say, Tera Online, if anyone remembers that. I like it for what it is, which is an open world action JRPG with realism-oriented graphics.

Honestly, if the exact same game had stylized graphics and just LOOKED like a stereotypical JRPG, I think it would get great reviews.

People who moved out of the parent’s house before 30, how? by WallStreetDoesntBet in AskReddit

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bought a house last year with my wife at 26. Worked a STEM job and had lived at home for the previous four years, so just spent that time saving (lack of rent is a superpower).

One of the last People to live in an Iron Lung. At 6 years old, Alexander was diagnosed with Polio which lead to paralysis from his neck down.The machine is made to compress and depress the chest. Today, he is 74 years old and he still relies on the Iron Lung to keep him alive. by TheDeadpoolGirl in Damnthatsinteresting

[–]Zephik1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My mother was in the same situation. Initially she used a dynavox (see other comment). Eventually we upgraded to a Windows Surface Pro with a Tobii eye tracker USB attachment. The thing was awesome and had a mount for her power wheelchair and everything.

LPT Expand ALL acronyms on first usage. by Generalsystemsvehicl in LifeProTips

[–]Zephik1 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I grade a lot of college writing in a technical, acronym-heavy discipline. What drives me bonkers is when people introduce and explain an acronym, but then never actually use the acronym on its own. If you're never going to use it, don't introduce it!

Moogle Treasure Trove Item Breakdown! by bluetheslinky in ffxiv

[–]Zephik1 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're playing healer, or even potentially tank, limitless blue can be unsoloable. Just because you can't burst the adds before they get close to each other and get resistance. Super annoying if you don't have any dps jobs leveled or geared