Heard old timers say brass taps align spindles better than lasers.

Wait, a paper towel under the filter? That whole time you were fighting your grinder when the real problem was the cone itself? The fines clogging the holes thing makes so much sense now that I hear it, because blade grinders throw dust everywhere and those little holes are just gonna trap all of it. But a paper towel is wild, doesn't it soak up the coffee oils and mess with the taste at all? Part of me wants to try this on my $8 cone from the asian market just to see what happens.

Blacking out the walls changed my whole picture too, way cheaper than a new screen.