Warming glued parts with a hairdryer is a known trick, but calling it safe is a stretch. Direct heat on low for a short time might work, but it's easy to overheat the battery or melt internal plastic clips. I've seen people warp the case or damage the screen doing this. A proper iOpener tool or a careful application of isopropyl alcohol to soften the adhesive is a much more controlled method.

Glad you had that wet sack handy. Old forges are sneaky like that. The firepot cracks get hidden under ash and scale. I always tap the whole thing with a hammer before I light it, listening for a dull ring instead of a solid one. A cheap bag of play sand in the truck bed is good too, for smothering a spill fast without the steam burn.

Forget bubbles, the real win for me was how it changed my color blending. I used to get muddy streaks when I'd try to combine two intense colors like cobalt and amber. Cooking it slow like that lets the heat work through each layer before adding the next. Now the colors stay crisp and the blend happens in the glass, not as a muddy mess on my marver. It's like the difference between mixing paint with a slow stir versus just smashing it all together.

Set a 15 minute timer before you hit send on anything important. I used to fire off replies when I was annoyed and it always made things worse. That cool down period lets you read it again and delete the harsh bits. Works for emails too.

Yeah the feeding schedule is key. I started using a kitchen scale for the flour and water, not just cups. That consistency finally got my starter to behave.