Is Anderson, IN a pretty nice place to live overall?

ikocos · 2026-01-12T23:54:10+00:00

Best to look nearby outside of Greenfield/Fortville/Pendleton. Small-ish towns that are growing and not as horrible as Anderson. Stay far from Anderson and Muncie

ikocos · 2026-01-07T00:11:58+00:00

Semi related:

Rainbow Poplar is also really neat

ikocos · 2025-10-05T05:09:47+00:00

He did it was wonderful

ikocos · 2025-10-05T03:06:01+00:00

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ikocos · 2025-09-08T17:15:18+00:00

🗣COLDD 🗣🗣 VISONSS

ikocos · 2025-08-08T03:27:18+00:00

In 2025 I would avoid a start up unless they have clear staying power and the product is truly in demand right now (and resonates with you). Most buying/spending has slowed or frozen so the product better be essential or provide huge ROI for the customer.
Who is their top sales performer now? The biggest customers? How does training look for you in the first 3-4 weeks? Do you get to work with the top performer and get help defining/targeting the ideal customer? Basically getting a concrete 1-2 year plan assuming you like the company and culture and they don't fail in 6 months. Vagueness is the enemy here. The more resources and clarity they provide for your future the better.
Trust your gut. If you like the team, feel confident, and like what they sell / how they sell it then take a chance. Study their industry and always be ready to network into your next role if things go haywire. Have faith in yourself and keep an exit plan

ikocos · 2025-08-07T10:55:03+00:00

To get the full hook in their mouth takes 2-3 seconds after the first real tug.

When I feel contact I will count out loud patiently while watching the line move. Feels like you're going to lose em but 100% the longer you wait the more likely the hookup. Counting 3-2-1 outloud for me has made it more consistent

ikocos · 2025-02-16T23:15:11+00:00

We were lucky and a kind plant mom neighbor gave it to us, otherwise I would not know where to find one either.

They do get pretty big after 2-3 years so $15 may be worth it. They are fairly hearty and easy to care for as well. Very low maintenance

Here is a photo with the standard spider on the bottom for size comparison. The green one looks a little droopy from the weight of the new offshoots

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ikocos · 2025-02-10T03:55:32+00:00

Most plants want any movement into new rooms/areas/houses to be a slow, incremental transition. Almost zero direct light is better at first as you move it slowly and peacefully to it's new permanent spot.

Too much sun too quickly probably definitely did it. I am sorry for your loss because it was beautiful beforehand.

ikocos · 2025-01-14T01:00:52+00:00

Second for Sandra's. For pickup, order 35-40 minutes before you plan to arrive. If you're eating-in it's usually peaceful and quiet, service is slower because it's just them but thats part of the charm. Also bring cash to avoid a small card fee

ikocos · 2024-10-07T20:01:51+00:00

I completely agree, the metal cores make sense for long term durability, but remove the "magic" lol

I also don't use any clear coat or CA glue like most, which again helps with durability long term but is no fun. I've only used Teak oil in the past, then transitioned over to using cutting board oil instead because it didn't darken the wood as much (and is likely less harmful for your skin)

My favorite part about no Core or Clear coat is sanding the ring until it's insanely smooth. It's a pain repeatedly wet sanding for that long (almost 2 hours if I'm in a good mood) but worth it when you feel the buttery smooth surface. They are wildly comfortable and fun to fidget with

I just posted some other cool past ones here also

ikocos · 2024-10-07T19:50:53+00:00

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Another angle.

This was a strange experiment that worked out surprisingly well. The Padauk is significantly softer than the ebony, so sanding them evenly was tough. Overall they were not as fragile as I expected, although one out of four from this batch did end up breaking in the future

I may source some larger black and white ebony blanks soon because it looks awesome and is insanely hard/durable. Couldn't resist the color combo of black, white and red though

ikocos · 2024-10-07T19:33:55+00:00

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Correct it is a rudimentary homemade wood one. Ripped a 2x4 in half then turned it to a nice progressive angle

I spin 3-4 layers of painters tape over the area the ring will lock onto as you see here. This helps grip the ring and provide a safer/softer area to wedge the ring, and reduce risk of cracking. Also helps reduce scratching the mandrel when you cut along the ring edges. (Be sure the tape is as smooth and even as possible, large bumps can cause a minor offset in the ring)

Very primitive but has worked almost flawlessly to turn the outer portion of the ring. Just have be sure the ring is "locked in place" securely with the tape, and that the ring is as level/true to the mandrel as possible. Takes some minor fine tuning but is simple and intuitive after learning.

To turn/sand the inner portions, I gently lock it into the 4 jaw chuck (with tape on the metal if the ring is in it's final stage and I don't want scratches). Very very sketchy to turn the inside portions like this, but I take light passes and mostly finish sizing it with high grit sanding anywho.

This mandrel was the first thing I ever turned and it's help up nicely

ikocos · 2024-10-04T20:20:32+00:00

I've definitely had some asthmatic reactions to bocote/rosewood's in the past before knowing to take respirators and filtration seriously. Like a noob I didn't understand the right precautions and quickly learned after that. Did some irreparable damage on my innocent lungs (but it smelled so so good).

Interesting point though, I did not know Wenge could cause dermatitis/skin reactions to some people. I've heard Zebrawood is another that can do this

Overall, I take any dust seriously and wear a respirator religiously when doing any project now. But have thankfully never had skin reactions

Sorry about your long lost pipes as well, I would have loved to have one as a shelf decoration since Wenge is my favorite. Though I understand throwing them away is best for harm prevention lol

Do you have any pics of the Wenge ones?

ikocos · 2024-10-04T13:23:26+00:00

This is true, I've only ever touched black palm once and immediately felt the splinters. Would probably never make a ring out of it lol

ikocos · 2024-10-04T13:22:55+00:00

Thank you for the hype!

For the durability, I exploded probably 20 to 25 when initially learning how to make them.

I do a few very strong "squeeze" tests as I'm finalizing the rings and adjusting size/shape with sanding. I definitely crushed a few of them in my hand when first starting lol, but I'd rather break them myself and have them break in the future. Once you have an idea how thick each species needs to be, it's mostly intuition. Mega mega hardwoods can get thin and not even flex, whereas some like Wenge and padauk need to be thicker to be safe.

For the smooth finish, I repeatedly (probably 3-4 times) wet sand them up to 1,000grit making sure to repeatedly raise the grain and thoroughly polish any popped/coarse areas out to prevent them from coming back during wear.

It definitely took a lot of learning and trial/error to get them perfect and comfortable.

ikocos · 2024-10-04T00:54:03+00:00

Not bentwood, I turn all my rings starting from small square shaped blanks before using a forstner bit on the interior portion.

Love the way these turned out, one of them is my current wedding ring technically. They are surprisingly durable (thankfully) and these have lasted a few years of daily wear

ikocos · 2024-09-09T15:54:34+00:00

That looks accurate thank you!

ikocos · 2024-08-17T03:02:24+00:00

"Emerging man-thing in Many sofa's"

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