@drew_grant52 It's like how everyone has a Strong Opinion on.. everything, honestly.

Oh man, I've been there with those old Cleveland plaster walls, they're a whole different beast. One thing nobody's mentioned yet is that the mesh patch might have failed because the plaster dust and loose bits weren't cleaned out enough before you started. In my experience, you gotta really dig out all the crumbly stuff around the hole first, almost like you're making the hole a little bigger on purpose to get to solid edges. Then instead of drywall, try using a piece of vinyl-coated metal lath cut to size and screw it into the lath behind the plaster, then build it up with a plaster patching compound in thin layers, letting each one dry overnight. The thickness will match better because you're using the same base material and can feather it out as you go. Your mileage may vary, but that method saved my hide on a similar project.

That "wow this got weird" line reminds me of a time I accidentally called my dentist by his first name.

My buddy Mark actually had this exact situation play out at his shop last month. He had this guy come in with a PS4 that sounded like a lawnmower, and Mark spent a solid 25 minutes with the teardown and deep clean. Customer stood there watching the whole time, then complained it took too long and tried to haggle the price down. Mark just pointed to the pile of dust and cat hair he'd pulled out and said "this was blocking your airflow, not my break timing." The guy paid up but left a bad review anyway. Some people just don't get that proper cleaning takes time, you know?

Dusted myself right into a coughing fit so I guess he's onto something.