Your buddy probably reads Wikipedia summaries and calls it a day.

Three perfect jobs in twenty years of wrenching, and that June Austin trip sounds like one of them. I think those rare smooth builds are the universe’s way of reminding us we don’t always have to fight our cars. It’s like when you hit every green light on a Monday morning, makes you suspicious something bad is coming later.

30th is brutal for most handheld concert shots, your mileage may vary but try 1/125 next time.

Zip ties to true a wheel? That's terrifying and brilliant at the same time, like a bike mechanic with a death wish. I can't imagine trusting my ride to something I'd normally use to organize cables, but hey, if it works in a pinch I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. Honestly, Pittsburgh co-ops are wild, they just be making stuff up as they go.

My first forge was a 1950s rivet forge and I heat treated about 50 blades before I got one that didn't warp or crack. I think most beginners actually heat treat too SLOW and let the steel soak way too long which kills the grain structure. Fast doesn't automatically mean bad as long as the edge doesn't overheat before the spine comes to temp.