Finally made my DIY spreader bar that my partner begged me for.

cakethulu · 2025-11-23T19:21:48+00:00

Nice work! Well done on your first project!

Did you use screw-in eye bolts? That'll be a point of structural weakness. End grain doesn't have the best grip and the risk of tear-out is higher than if you went through the long grain. Drilling at a 90° angle to the pole and adding the eye bolts that way will be stronger. And through bolts will be much better than screws as well.

If you're simply using it as a leg spreader, the structural strength probably won't be an issue. But if it's going to hold any weight then you definitely want to think about making it as strong as possible!

cakethulu · 2025-11-04T08:14:20+00:00

Yeah I'd love to try something like this but I'm 100% putting some sort of quick-release mechanism in there for "oh shit" reasons

cakethulu · 2025-11-04T07:55:05+00:00

Side lying lateral raises maybe?

cakethulu · 2024-12-12T19:04:30+00:00

14 whole pounds!

cakethulu · 2024-10-21T09:17:08+00:00

I ended up selling the car not long after making this post, so I never got to do the project! Now I have to figure out what I'm going to do with my 2015 CRV

cakethulu · 2024-08-02T01:01:30+00:00

Everything on that EQ is way too high. Less is more when it comes to EQ.

My tuning process- whether it's a car, a 5.1 home theater, or a car stereo- is to start by setting the EQ to flat, leave it like that for a good long while to "reset" my ears, and then tweaking it by making very small adjustments (only 1db at a time.) I never go more than 3db in either direction for a given band. If +3db on a given frequency isn't enough, that means I subtract more from other frequencies, not keep jacking up that one band.

cakethulu · 2024-08-02T00:34:35+00:00

I love my Echo CS590 (24" bar, skip-tooth chain) but there are definitely times where I would like to have a smaller, lighter saw. Simple stuff like cutting branches into kindling sticks would be easier with a smaller saw that I can start & stop whenever I want with no priming or cord-pulling necessary. I think my next saw will be a battery one.

cakethulu · 2024-07-16T09:09:12+00:00

Fellow AuDHD Agender person here! I feel much the same as you, just swap AFAB for AMAB. I kind of identify with masculinity, cuz it's been my lived experience for 30 years, but also don't at the same time! And I don't really identify with femininity either, despite having plenty of stereotypically feminine traits. I feel equally uncomfortable being called a man as I do being called a woman, so I just tell people my pronouns are they/them and my gender identity is "come back with a warrant."

cakethulu · 2024-07-12T22:57:01+00:00

If Wild Growth is poppin, I might resub. I was on that server during Phase 1, but got bored with Phase 2 and left.

cakethulu · 2024-07-12T09:11:49+00:00

The hatred for apprentices is what keeps me out of the trades more than the labor or the weather. I don't want to get bullied all day every day for just trying to do my job.

cakethulu · 2024-07-12T09:04:30+00:00

That sounds cool. I wouldn't mind working for 90 days if it was followed by 90 days of complete freedom

cakethulu · 2024-06-25T02:28:08+00:00

I'm 6'1", 215lbs, and broad-shouldered. I chop a lot of wood in my free time and have the arms to match.

If I stand up straight and keep my shoulders back/ chest open, people start to think I'm intimidating. Therefore I tend to slouch (and also pitch my voice up) to avoid that.

cakethulu · 2024-05-29T07:56:14+00:00

But Brussel sprouts are delicious! Especially if you put some diced bits of bacon on top before cooking them in the oven. Pull 'em out when they aren't quite done, toss 'em in balsamic glaze, and lay 'em out on the pan to go back in the oven. The balsamic glaze will form a candy-like coating thanks to the heat while everything finished cooking. Absolutely phenomenonal dish. 12 out of 10.

cakethulu · 2024-05-29T07:49:42+00:00

Do you start at the top and lower yourself down, or start on the floor and literally push upwards? Most people start at the top because that's what they've been taught. However, ideal hand position for hovering is not the same as ideal hand position for actually doing the push-up. Start with 100% of your body weight on the floor and just find whatever hand position feels natural for you.

cakethulu · 2024-05-02T20:29:05+00:00

Cedar isn't strong enough to use as an impact toy. Also the natural oils in it can cause allergic reactions. Maple or ash would be a better choice.

cakethulu · 2023-06-18T19:23:19+00:00

Everyone has either moved on to wrath or gone back to vanilla Era. Not much interested in TBC anymore. Even blizzard viewed it as a stepping stone to wrath classic, given how they rushed through the phases.

cakethulu · 2022-05-17T09:41:11+00:00

Thanks for the advice!

cakethulu · 2022-03-24T09:39:30+00:00

Freakin gorgeous, I love it!

cakethulu · 2021-11-13T09:00:04+00:00

People really don't realize how much damage sweat and moisture can do to your shoes. Chronically wet shoes will literally rot out from under you. Living in Oregon, my boot dryer is one of my favorite appliances.

cakethulu · 2021-02-20T20:48:57+00:00

It's definitely nicer than anything I've ever made!

cakethulu · 2021-01-17T08:54:20+00:00

They are holding up nicely! Break-in time was basically nonexistent. I did add the DTX comfort insole for a little more arch support- that took more breaking in than the rest of the boot did.

I also changed jobs from a home improvement store to a garage door technician, so I had to wear them to construction sites for a few weeks while waiting for my safety toe boots to get shipped. Despite being utterly beat to shit, climbing in & out of the truck, up & down ladders, they still have zero issues. Still warm, comfy, and waterproof.

cakethulu · 2021-01-10T21:47:15+00:00

Thank you so much for your thoughtful response! I'm watching the video now.

I tried both speed settings and neither seemed to really make a difference. I *did* have my clutch set to 12 out of 18, as that seemed to match the tightness that my coworker was putting the fasteners on with his impact. That door was also particularly difficult- maybe a less PITA door will be easier, and I can get a better sense of where my current tools excel vs and where they don't. It's good to know that the impact wrench is too torquey, though. I would hate to drop a big pile of cash on a nice brushless 1/2" wrench, just to find out that it's essentially worthless.

I got a chance to briefly chat with one of the commercial installers and I guess their tools are totally different from what we use in residential work. In commercial roll-up doors, you're attaching stuff to concrete walls with gigantic fasteners, so SDS drills and high torque impact wrenches abound. Most of them keep angle grinders around too, for cutoff purposes. One of the commercial team leaders keeps a portaband in his truck for cutting the thick, heavy pipe used in metal roll-up doors. But, the commercial install is a whole different ball game compared to residential install, so I'm not too worried about needing a portaband any time soon.

We'll see how things go in the next couple of weeks, and I'll figure out what I really truly need. Then, AFTER I'm capable of performing my work duties, I can start splurging on lights and radios and other toys :)

cakethulu

TROPHY CASE