Man, the top of the fridge is such an underrated proofing spot and I'm glad someone else found that out too. Mine gets warm from the coils in the back and it's basically a free proofing box all winter (my oven with the light on works in a pinch but it's way too easy to cook the dough if you forget about it). Congrats on finally beating the pan, that fourth try must have felt amazing when you pulled it out. Cold kitchens are the worst enemy of bread and nobody warns you about that when you start baking. Took me forever to figure out my dough wasn't dead, it was just chilly.

Checked the AMM lately? Most manufacturers spec .0025 ohms max for bond straps, not .001. The .001 number floating around is usually for fuel tank bonding, different animal. Stick with the book number and you will be fine.