Honestly, seen plenty of blades get made just fine without that level of stress. Color in a bright shop is super subjective anyway. Your friend might have had a flaw in the steel already. Sometimes a crack just happens, doesn't have to be a big lesson.

My boss made me switch to a power stretcher full time three years ago. He said knee kickers cause more callbacks for restretches. I fought it at first for hallways and closets. But he was right, the tension is just more even. What was the exact trick the old guy showed you with the head placement?

My buddy poured his into a coffee mug once, total disaster.

Yeah and it's wild how often that happens, life just throws a random extra five people at your dinner plans. Robert976 is totally right about pasta bakes, they're a lifesaver. I feel like half of being an adult is just knowing how to stretch a few cheap ingredients into a whole meal for a crowd. It's a skill you don't think about until you NEED it.

Honestly, used to be on team "just dig" myself. The cost and time for GPR seemed like a lot for maybe nothing. A project last year changed that for good, though. We were about to put a trench right through what turned out to be a colonial-era cellar hole. The GPR pinged it clear as day. Now the idea of not checking first makes me really nervous, like we're working blind. It just feels irresponsible not to use the tool if you have access to it.