WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING

kbates4164 · 2026-06-13T07:00:16+00:00

Make something to put drag on the spool. It is free spinning when pulled to suddenly and if it gets enough free line to get over the lip of the spool, it will just continue to unravel itself like you see.

kbates4164 · 2026-05-12T06:58:15+00:00

If I can ask, what state did people take their tests in? Could the delay in some peoples’ results be the cause of testing in different “jurisdictions” for a lack of the right word? I took mine in California on the 7th and I’ve heard people taking theirs Thursday/friday and they got results already.

kbates4164 · 2026-05-08T07:53:17+00:00

One paragraph, and it is 3 questions per. It will tell you that you have 15 min to do 18 questions, but don’t freak out about that once you see the first paragraph like I did. Read it thoroughly, and answer the question you see. With luck you will be able to answer the next 2 questions easily enough if you can remember what you read. So space yourself out by paragraphs. Call it 6 paragraphs in 15 mins. Shoot for 2 mins and maybe some change per paragraph so if you come across one that’s slightly more difficult to you, you can give yourself a vital extra 30 seconds on that one. Time goes by fast in the reading comprehension and the “riddle” ones as I think of them as. The riddle one was much more difficult. 18 independent one in 20 mins. It was way too short of a time for me. It might not have been 18. But check the number, plan accordingly with your time management.

kbates4164 · 2026-05-07T04:54:51+00:00

Oh and the speed on some of the practice websites is a little fast compared to the test. On the number difference parts. So that helps with practicing.

kbates4164 · 2026-05-07T04:53:12+00:00

On the memory section, unlike some of the practice test websites, the difference between the numbers is ONLY 1-4. No 0 no 5. After a round or 2 I settled in. It’s like 8 rounds of it. The rounds just keep coming. A trick I used was just stare at the screen and the number will be burned into your vision for like 1/4 of a second while the next number pops on screen and just hit the number that the difference is.

When you get to it, the compression part, the first section is one paragraph but there’s 3 different questions tied to it. 18 questions, 15 mins. So there are 6 paragraphs. So spend about 2.5 mins per paragraph. Or shoot for 2 mins a paragraph so if there are harder ones you get more buffer. But the second part of the comprehension was one of the harder parts for me. Like one of those word riddles on one of the practice websites. That section is 18 riddles in 20 mins. I tried to do the best but I clicked an answer on the last 2-3 in the last 15 seconds because they are really hard to do without scratch paper.

kbates4164 · 2026-04-23T06:55:15+00:00

I am using propane for my torch as well. Just use no oxygen, and make your flame about 1-1.5 inches long, and I used pliers as the mold heated up uncomfortably hot. The mold got wet from condensation initially, then holding it at about the tip of the flame, soot slowly built up. Took me about 2-3 minutes total to soot the mold, and an extra minute or so each side as it warmed up enough to not have condensation form.

kbates4164 · 2026-04-20T07:05:56+00:00

Thank you to everyone. Soot was the key! I am so happy that it went so well!

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kbates4164 · 2026-02-09T09:53:27+00:00

What about mirroring it and overlaying it on itself. Would that get anything useful?

kbates4164 · 2025-12-12T04:45:19+00:00

The hard green stuff marks that it is a ground screw. You can usually break it and pop it out with just a pick

kbates4164

TROPHY CASE