[scrumper]

I am currently in the middle of rebuilding a pair of 6.2L small block Chevrolet engines. By a factor of six these are the largest engines I've ever worked on, and the rebuild is far more extensive than anything I've attempted before too.

During the teardown, part of my process (let's not dignify it with "workflow") has been photographing the incredible amount of crap that's been bolted to the engines as I remove pieces to help me with later reassembly. Sometimes I say a couple of words because the Live Photo captures some context.

I have come to loathe my phone as a camera. Yes it works with gloves on, but every day it ends up covered in oil and grease. Holding it is awkward, you have to do a bunch of swipey things to make the camera work, the 3D Touch (or whatever it's called now) is somewhat random with gloves, and I've lost count of the number of times it's got itself stuck in portrait or panorama mode. Those of you with daughters will understand this ultimate critique - it was worth it to me to bribe my grumpy pre-teen to operate the camera rather than fighting it myself.

All of this is to say, I could _really_ use a pair of camera glasses. That little bit of friction taken out of the process would make a massive difference to me. And if I could record video, I'd be able to add another middle aged man's amateur mechanics channel to YouTube - something that I am certain the world is desperate for.

[ilyt]

Gopro mount gonna be far cheaper than those

> I have come to loathe my phone as a camera. Yes it works with gloves on, but every day it ends up covered in oil and grease. Holding it is awkward, you have to do a bunch of swipey things to make the camera work, the 3D Touch (or whatever it's called now) is somewhat random with gloves, and I've lost count of the number of times it's got itself stuck in portrait or panorama mode. Those of you with daughters will understand this ultimate critique - it was worth it to me to bribe my grumpy pre-teen to operate the camera rather than fighting it myself.

Yeah, I wish my phone was like 3x thicker and just had a row of buttons on the side apps can use. Then just bind them to few common camera features rather than fidding with fucking touchscreen.

[z2h-a6n]

> Yeah, I wish my phone was like 3x thicker and just had a row of buttons on the side apps can use. Then just bind them to few common camera features rather than fidding with fucking touchscreen.

Surely this part is somewhat tongue-in-cheek. Digital cameras still exist.

[rtkwe]

Or a smaller action cam like the Insta360 Go. It even has a water resistant body with a single somewhat configurable body button you could hit to start recording the clip. It’s a third the size and weight of a GoPro though the video is definitely inferior.

[pests]

What will the GoPro mount solve?

> and just had a row of buttons on the side apps can use. Then just bind them to few common camera features rather than fidding with fucking touchscreen.

That would be amazing.

[maroonblazer]

> What will the GoPro mount solve?

Hands-free video recording, ala J Kenji Lopez Alt.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdFjuglEAds

[pests]

Totally different use case though. That's chest mounted pointing down. Sure, useful for some. Perfect for something like cooking.

The benefit here I think is a more literal WYSIWYG - what you see is what you get. You see it, you get the photo of it.

[maroonblazer]

Nope, head-mounted.

https://media.gq.com/photos/621e6cade2354d618c84380a/master/...

[pests]

Its still offset. If I turn my head sideways to look between something or under a car or anything close to the face really is out of focus or not even in view.

[xp84]

I’m with you man. Touchscreen reliance is cancer.

[xarope]

did you miss typing /s at the end

but in all seriousness, I do still bring an olympus tg5 "brick" for my climbing/mountaineering trips, because phones are just too cumbersome to take pictures with, when hanging off the side of a cliff, wearing gloves, at below freezing temps etc.

[AmericanChopper]

I’m pretty sure industrial processes are one of the only areas that smart glasses have achieved any real success, and for pretty much the reasons you’re describing here.

[pomfrit]

Do you know of any glasses that got adopted in an industry?

[bombela]

For what is worth, on my phone double click on the power button located on the side jumps into camera mode (even if locked). And pressing the volume down takes the photo. Then one click on the power button to turn off.

click-click, click, click.

And assuming the Google software doesn't decide to lag too much, it's quite quick to, and it reduces how much you touch the phone with dirty gloves.

edit: I should add that you still need one hand free to do so of course.

[qup]

FWIW it sounds like you have a pixel. Other androids aren't quite the same, but often have similar shortcuts.

The pixel is very quick to get the camera open, as you say.

[lsh123]

I have exactly the same problem with dirty hands when I take boroscope photos of the engine on my plane. I would love to just see it in my glasses and say blink twice to take a photo.

[eludwig]

Sounds like a perfect use-case for a GoPro?

[dharmab]

Headband mounted GoPros are awkward. A helmet mounted GoPro works better, but you're either not wearing a helmet, or if you are you probably need to keep it clear of protrusions for safety reasons.

[mildchalupa]

What is there to remember about tearing down an LS motor it's like Lego. It's also completely poka-yoked so it's idiot proof.

[scrumper]

Not a lot, but the snake orgy of wiring harnesses and the three or four plates of accessories bolted to each end of the heads and block and the specific order they're attached is a different story. Also, a monkey can tear down; putting it back together takes a human.

I had to look up poka yoked. I thought it was some regional colloquialism but no, it's Japanese.

[djtango]

FYI at least on my Android power key can be configured such that double press takes you straight to camera bypassing lock screen and volume down takes a picture.

But I fully take your point that there is a need and use case for hands free cameras. The market for GoPros and to an extent drones highlights this

[Robdel12]

Take comfort in one thing: you’re rebuilding one of the most popular and prolific platforms for hot rodders in the last 20 years. You can probably throw a rock and hit someone who can legitimately help you, haha.

Rebuilding a junkyard ls (okay yours isn’t a 5.3 ) is like the rite of passage

[qup]

I used to know a robdel.

Does 312 mean anything to you?

Edit: it's you--I stalked your comments. Emacs? Christ, I thought I showed you a better example.

[scrumper]

Yes it's been very easy to get advice, that's for sure, and it's made me want to go find a junkyard core and see if I can salvage it. Not that I have anything to put it in. This is a marine application so not everything applies (or applies differently) so the complexity is in navigating what's legitimately different vs. what's Mercruiser taking advantage of the ignorant.

For example. The engine has EV6 Bosch injectors, a completely standard off-the-shelf part. A seal kit (i.e. a bunch of o rings) for the injectors is maybe $20 from Fel Pro. If you go by the Mercruiser part number for the kit it's - get this - $297. Two hundred and ninety seven dollars for sixteen tiny rubber o rings.

The photographs (just to keep it on topic) are basically all around the accessories bolted to the heads and block. A remote oil filter, the heat exchanger, the particular fuel boost pump it uses, all with weird brackets and spacers and eight different types of bolt.

[elif]

Do you really want to bloody your knuckles wrenching with sunglasses on? I would last maybe 20 minutes before frustratedly throwing them at a wall... unless of course you are doing engine teardown out in the driveway.

[jonasdegendt]

There's models in the lineup with clear lenses.

[gizajob]

Now your glasses will be able to get covered in oil and grease!

[scrumper]

Only if I touch them. And a single button I can cover with a bit of painter's tape.