Cameron Owens (u/cameron_owens49)

Posts

Just wasted $450 on a fancy laser level that can't even handle direct sunlight on a patio

That thing was useless outside after 10 AM, so now I'm stuck with an expensive paperweight and back to using my old bubble level.

2 comments

c/camping-gear-reviews•

cameron_owens49•9d ago

Hit 100 nights in my hammock last year, never thought I'd ditch the tent for good

After that 40th rainy night in a row where setting up a tent felt like a hassle on the AT in Virginia, the hammock won me over completely, and now I'm curious how many others made the switch after a specific trip or number of uses?

2 comments

c/drafters•

cameron_owens49•10d ago

Misread a roof truss detail on a commercial job in Boise last spring

I was drafting a set of roof truss layouts for a 40,000 sq ft warehouse and somehow missed a critical bearing point on page 3 of the structural drawings. The foreman caught it when the steel crew was already staging the first 20 trusses on site, which cost us half a day and a lot of awkward phone calls. Has anyone else had a print error slip through that everyone just assumed was right?

3 comments

c/boilermakers•

cameron_owens49•10d ago

Appreciation post: The older guys who taught me how to actually read a boiler print.

Old timer named Frank at the local hall showed me 3 years ago how to spot a bad weld joint before you even strike an arc. Last week on a job in Gary, his tip saved me from having to redo a whole section of tube sheet.

3 comments

c/buried-headlines•

cameron_owens49•10d ago

That email from a reader made me stop using 'factually' in my posts

Some guy in Germany emailed me saying my article about the river contamination in Ohio got blocked because I used 'factually' as a crutch and the editors flagged it as biased. Changed to just linking the actual lab reports after that, has anyone else had a single word get your whole story censored?

2 comments

c/budget-friendly-meals•

cameron_owens49•14d ago

Found out my 'cheap' rice and beans meal costs more than I thought

I was adding up my grocery receipts from last month and got curious about my go-to budget meal. Turns out, the bag of dried beans I buy is $2.50, and the rice is $1.80, but I use about half a can of diced tomatoes at $1.20 each and spices that add up quick. I read a breakdown on a food blog that said the average cost per serving is closer to $1.75, not the 50 cents I always assumed. That surprised me because I thought I was saving way more. Has anyone else done the math on their staples and found it's not as cheap as they figured?

2 comments

c/cybersecurity-tips•

cameron_owens49•15d ago

My mom almost got phished by a fake 'Netflix' email with a typo in the sender address

She forwarded me an email saying her account was on hold and she needed to click a link to verify payment. I pointed out the sender was "netfl1x-support" not "netflix" and she still almost fell for it because the logo looked legit. This happened last Tuesday and it got me thinking how easy it is for anyone to miss those small details. Did you guys ever catch a scam just because of a weird spelling or character swap in the email address?

2 comments

c/drywall-installers•

cameron_owens49•16d ago

Drywall vs. Mesh Tape for Inside Corners - Finally Settled It

I spent YEARS arguing with my crew about which tape is actually better for inside corners. Paper tape always seemed like the right way because that's how the old timers taught me. But after a job in Nashville last month where we had this HUGE humidity problem, I tried fiberglass mesh tape on a total whim. The mesh tape actually let the mud set up way faster and I didn't get those stupid bubbles that paper tape loves to leave behind. Plus I didn't have to mess with bedding the tape as much, just stuck it on and went right over it. My buddy still swears by paper for flat joints though. Any of you guys had better luck switching to mesh for certain spots or am I just imagining things?

2 comments

c/drafters•

cameron_owens49•19d ago

Picked up a tip from an old hand at the shop about paper space scaling

He said to always set your viewport scale before you start drawing, not after, and it saved me 20 minutes of rework on a floor plan last Tuesday. Has anyone else found a workflow change that just clicked after someone pointed it out?

2 comments

c/crane-operators•

cameron_owens49•20d ago

Talked to a 20-year tower crane veteran at lunch today and my mind is blown

I was grabbing lunch at this deli near a job site and sat next to an older guy who noticed my hard hat. Turns out he ran tower cranes for 20 years in Houston. He told me he never uses the swing brake for precision picks because it messes with his feel for the load. I always thought you needed that brake on for tight spots. He said no, just feather the controls and let the crane talk to you. Been thinking about that all afternoon. Anyone else have a habit that goes against what the manual says?

2 comments