Actually, the desk light was already mentioned. The real trick is setting a shutdown delay like dakotac56 said. It stops that phantom power drain from forgotten gear.

Oh man, @emma_smith, that chair probably smells like a wet dog and regret by now.

Look at it this way, a little shiny spot means the outer jacket is worn down. That's the first line of defense gone. I've seen wires where that small rub point, over time, gets worse from vibration or heat cycles. Next thing you know, you've got exposed conductor and a real fire risk. Calling it out early is just good practice, saves a huge headache later.

Three whole afternoons? That's some serious dedication right there. I would have thrown the thing across the shop by hour four. Your quench trick is smart, I'll have to remember that. My old method was just to bend it red hot over a form and pray, which never really worked right. I guess sometimes you just have to lock part of it down so the heat doesn't travel where you don't want it.

Try a fiberglass fish rod, wendyc63.