My uncle's "good enough" method on his old farm truck led to a head gasket that lasted exactly 37 miles. I learned the hard way that factory specs are written in the tears of people who tried to skip them. That Powerstroke story is giving me flashbacks to a weekend I'll never get back. Some lessons just have to be bought with your own time and frustration.

Wait, he actually called your work "sloppy" to your face? That's so harsh. But honestly, that extra heat time is a game changer, I started doing something similar after my bases kept cracking. It's wild how one small change can fix so many problems.

Wow, my buddy just had the same shock in Budapest last month.

Read an article once that said a lighter hammer gives better feel for the final blows. Been using a 16-ounce for finishing ever since.

Ugh, small thing but Prague is actually in Central Europe, not Eastern.