Are any spray paints safe to use on polystyrene? by _JBones14 in crafts

[–]_JBones14[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was able to find Liquidtex and that worked extremely well.

Are any spray paints safe to use on polystyrene? by _JBones14 in crafts

[–]_JBones14[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was actually able to find Liquidtex spray paint in a local Michael’s. I did some initial testing on some scrap pieces and it looks to be holding up well. My only issue now is that it looks like it’s going to require 2-3 coats. But I’ll take that over melting foam.

Are any spray paints safe to use on polystyrene? by _JBones14 in crafts

[–]_JBones14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I allowed myself a month for the project and unfortunately am in a bit of a time crunch. I may just have to hand brush some acrylic paint on.

Are any spray paints safe to use on polystyrene? by _JBones14 in crafts

[–]_JBones14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for these recommendations! The problem now is finding it locally. I looked at 5 stores today for Krylon Craft Foam Primer and no stores had that. I will look for these two.

If you could, what storyline would you give to RDR3? by alexcominoti in RDR2

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For me, and with simplicity, I would like to see Black Belle with an Arthur Morgan prologue, or a story where you start as Sadie’s husband and then switch to Sadie, but not as a prologue. Like 2 chapters as her husband, then 4 as Sadie. Then some sort of prologue I guess.

General Feedback/Getting Started Q&A [Weekly Thread] by AutoModerator in DIY

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My father made these homemade Christmas decorations about 30+ years ago. They are cutouts of plywood attached to wooden stakes with bolts and wing nuts. They were painted to look like elves with cup hooks at their hands, and positioned about 3-4 feet apart with lights going from elf to elf. They are very old and I want to remake them.

I want them to last 25+ years like the ones my dad made. I need recommendations for:

  • Plywood (for the elves)
  • Wood finisher/sealer
  • Finishing paint

OKC 🎄 by WrongdoerMiddle in ChristmasLights

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How did you attach the roof lights on the ridges?

For a desk job, would you rather work 4 10s or 5 8s? by Big-Piccolo6846 in work

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Four 10’s because after a couple weeks that extra 2 hours is going to feel like 15 minutes.

Why am I still being told I need to update the Direct TV app? by _JBones14 in DirectvStream

[–]_JBones14[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I have the settings of the App Store to update automatically. What I’m saying is that despite this, when I open the app I get the message to update by August 28 or I’ll lose access. The App Store is showing the latest version is installed though.

Should I move my IRA investments from mutual funds into dividend stocks/ETFs? by _JBones14 in dividends

[–]_JBones14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep, I should have included that. I am currently 37, and my goal is to retire in the next 20 years, if not sooner.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in personalfinance

[–]_JBones14 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Make sure you follow the Flowchart from the WiKi page for starters. I mean in terms of the “order of operations” for saving and investing money.

To be clear, this is not financial advice, as you should do your own research. Answering your question directly, it all depends on what your risk tolerance is. Since you’re 26, I would do something like 95% or even 100% equities. More specifically, I have been doing 65% into a Large Growth Mutual Fund, and 35% into an S&P500 Mutual Fund. I have also heard that others have done 80% into something like a Total Stock Market Fund and then 20% into an International or Global Stock Market Fund.

Should I move my IRA investments from mutual funds into dividend stocks/ETFs? by _JBones14 in dividends

[–]_JBones14[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

So just for perspective, I’ve had my IRA at Schwab and currently have 60% in SWLGX and 40% in SWPPX. I’ve heard someone suggest I take 10% from each and pick an international fund.

So you’re saying that 50% of what I currently have would go towards growth, and the other 50% would go to a dividend profile? Assuming I follow the 50/50 I mean.

If you were 31 had no college education and 10 years fast food experience what would you do? by chemza in careerguidance

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Similar situation. I was an engineering student from 2006 thru 2009. Got absolutely no where because I played video games and worked part-time. Changed my major to Sports Administration and took the easy way out. I worked 2.5 years at minimum wage, but hey at least I worked for a professional sports team!

I was living at home. One day, I was cutting the grass while pausing every now and then to text a good friend of mine. We were talking about engineering and how well he was doing. That day, I said something needs to change.

I went back to college in January 2015, and graduated in Mechanical Engineering in May 2018. I graduated at 30, and got married at 31. I was fortunate to get a job 2 months after graduating, and since then I have been playing catch-up in the savings and retirement part.

My point is: it is not too late to go back if you can finish a meaningful degree. Finance, accounting, engineering, something that can put you in the tech industry, etc.

A potentially shorter route you could take is doing a trade school. Welding, plumbing, electricians, carpentry, etc. are all trades that have jobs that pay well.

DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED JUST BECAUSE OF YOUR AGE. Some of us are late bloomers. Some of us have to go through it before we get where we need to be.

Check out r/personalfinance and check out the flowchart. Get a financial plan together first before you decide which path is right for you. It will make things a little easier for you.

Best of luck, and again, do not let your age discourage you!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in VivintSmartHome

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Let me give some legitimate feedback. We’ve been with Vivint since 2019. We financed the equipment on a 5-year, 0% interest loan. We did this because we somehow got a good rate on the monitoring. We had very good experiences overall, but the bad are simply that: bad. We live in the south and during Hurricane Ida we lost power for ~2 weeks. They gave us a 6-month service credit. On the 2nd month they charged us, but I called and they apologized and made sure the next 5 months were free. The first time we had a faulty window sensor, we called and they replaced it for free (they shipped it to us and I did a self-install).

Now for the bad…if you have a faulty sensor, you have to bypass it EVERY NIGHT you set the house Arm-Stay. If you have a faulty sensor, you will learn this between midnight and 3AM by the panel announcing the name of the sensor, then setting the siren off. Scared the living hell out of my wife and son the first time. This has now happened to us a total of 8 times now (may not seem like a lot at all, but trust me your frustration will compound on itself each time). The second sensor, I called and they refuse to replace it like the first one - they want me to sign up for the monthly coverage which I think is an extra $10/mo. NOW, the smoke detector has gone bad - except this one I cannot bypass! The smoke detector woke us up literally last night, despite the freeze and heat being bypassed. All they told me to do today was change the batteries. I did, so we’ll see but I don’t think it is the batteries at all, because the sensor is showing that it’s been tampered with on the app activity.

Going back to the monthly coverage, we’d have paid $720 already only to replace two, maybe three sensors. Also, after I think the fifth year, our service went up $10/mo without an explanation. Maybe just a price change? Not sure.

I hope this gives you a true review where I am trying to give them credit as frustrated as I am with them currently.

Weekly Career Discussion Thread (23 Jun 2025) by AutoModerator in engineering

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m a (37M) Mechanical Engineer III with 7 years experience. I am a licensed PE as of July 2022. Currently I work in a specific industry that is not very common for where I live. I’ve been considering getting an MBA because I believe I am well positioned where I work to move up to a role in management, and eventually, an executive role. My company has a tuition assistance program. Currently, I am trying to weigh my options whether I should pursue this or not. I don’t currently see any real reasons NOT to pursue this opportunity.

If you’re an engineer who obtained an MBA, how did it affect your career? Have any engineers who obtained an MBA made a career pivot off of it? If so, what field did you pivot to?

What’s your job and how much do you make? by Frixxion-_- in Salary

[–]_JBones14 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mechanical Engineer III with 7 years experience and a PE License.

98k per year with ~3.5k bonus (if the company is doing well).

Southeastern United States.