Man that's brutal. I feel your pain on that one, I've been there with a steam drum flange that looked dead flat on the bench but as soon as we bolted it up it was like a banana. Warped flanges are the worst because you can't see it until you're already committed and sweating. That gap showing up after you cut and measured everything right is just a kick in the gut. Sounds like you handled it though, getting it done by 7 after fighting it all day is a win in my book.

Oh man, that's a SOLID setup you saw. I've literally done this exact thing on my own balcony last summer. It works better than you'd think because those nursery pots are usually thick enough to handle being outside for a few seasons. The key is drilling plenty of drainage holes - like at least 6 to 8 per pot - so water doesn't sit and rot the roots. I used zip ties too and found that staggering them like you said gives each plant its own space to get air and light. Just make sure the fence or railing is sturdy because when those pots get wet and full of soil, they get HEAVY. I grew herbs and trailing flowers in mine and they did great with morning sun. Definitely saves floor space and looks way cooler than a boring shelf.

Man those blue pens got me too for a while. I actually switched because I kept getting these weird intermittent shorts on some tiny qfn packages and couldn't figure out why. Cleaned the board with ipa and hit it with a scope and saw all this crusty residue hiding under the components. The syringe gel takes a little getting used to but once you figure out how much to put down it's way more predictable. My reworks have been holding up way better too, especially on boards that see any kind of humidity or temp changes.

That $350 is a tough pill to swallow when you're standing there staring at it. But you gotta respect someone who sees the big picture and doesn't chicken out. I've seen way too many folks skip that kind of thing and end up with a ruined driveway down the road. You did yourself a solid, no doubt about it.

Wait, you mean you actually straightened a bent prong and plugged it in without dying?