Update: That $200 home inspection saved me from a $12k roof disaster

I almost skipped the inspection on a house I was buying in Bakersfield to save money. The seller said the roof was fine and I figured I'd just trust him. But the inspector found soft spots near two vents that looked patched over. Turns out the whole north slope had hidden water damage and I walked away before signing. Now I tell everyone to never skip an inspection no matter how good the deal looks. Has anyone else had a seller try to hide something big like that?

Just hit 500 books repaired this year and I'm kinda shocked

I was counting up my work orders last night and realized I've rebound or fixed 501 books since January. That's way more than I thought, and honestly my hands are feeling it. Anyone else keep a running tally of their work and get surprised by the number?

Had a 6.7 Powerstroke with a weird injector knock that turned out to be a $2.50 o-ring on the high pressure fuel line.

Had a governor rope slip on a 90s Otis in a downtown office building yesterday.

The car oversped by about 15% before the safeties finally grabbed, which was a new one for me. Anyone dealt with a worn sheave groove causing that before?

A senior guy at the shop told me my coolant mix was way too weak

He said 'you're running it like water, not coolant' when he saw my finish on some aluminum parts. I was mixing it at about 5 to 1, so I bumped it up to a 10 to 1 ratio like he said. The tool life on my end mills has been way better for the last month. Anyone else have a simple tip that made a big difference like that?

Appreciation post: I actually like the 'ask anything' format even when it gets weird

Last week in this community, someone asked how to politely tell a neighbor their lawn flamingo is creepy, and a bunch of replies said that was off topic. I disagree, because the whole point here is you CAN ask anything, even silly stuff. Three years ago on a different forum, I saw a strict 'tech only' rule kill all the fun discussions. Has anyone else found a weird question here that actually led to a good talk?

The day a squirrel tried to help me with a quarter panel

I was working on a Honda Civic in the bay with the big door open, prepping the area for some filler. I turned around to grab my mixing board and a squirrel ran right in, jumped onto my cart, and knocked over a brand new $60 can of primer. It then sat on my toolbox chattering at me like it was giving notes. I had to shoo it out with a broom while the customer watched from the waiting room, laughing. Anyone ever have a wild animal 'inspect' their work?

Shoutout to that random Tuesday shift at the coffee shop in Portland that made me stop doubting my choice to leave school

A regular, a graphic designer who never went to college, looked at my sketchbook during a slow hour and offered me a freelance logo job for $200, which was the first real proof I could make a living from my art.

TIL a veteran operator in Tulsa said 'a good operator never needs a spotter' and I think that's dangerous advice.

He was bragging about a 150-foot lift he did solo last month, moving a generator across a tight site. I've seen too many close calls when someone relies solely on mirrors and cameras, especially with blind spots. Do you think a spotter is always necessary, or are there times you'd go without one?

Why does nobody talk about how much a simple dust bath area cut down on our flock's mite issues

After adding a dedicated 3x3 foot box with a 50/50 mix of sand and wood ash in the corner of the run last spring, we went from treating individual birds every few weeks to not seeing a single case of scaly leg mites in over 8 months.