Was it preheated too fast or maybe just old metal fatigue?

Wait, @dakota479, three hours on just the slides?

Filming the sound is such a great idea. I did that with my grandma's old mantel clock and just hearing it again brings back so much.

Wait, why do you need a "gateway" game? It's just a board game night, not some secret club initiation. Catan is fun because you can trade and talk, not because it's training for harder games. Maybe your family just liked hanging out, and any simple game would have worked.

Honestly, christophermorgan is right about the wobble ruining it. Tbh I tried something similar with my old tripod on the deck and got those same stretched-out star trails. Ngl I ended up just taking like five really short shots and that worked a bit better for a quick backyard look.