Oh man, it was wild. I had to explain the new coffee machine setup to like ten different coworkers, one after another. They all walked up with the same confused look and asked the exact same question. Felt like I was stuck in a loop by lunchtime.

Good grief, a ball-peen hammer? That's just a rounding hammer without the flat face. The control you'd need for a perfect scroll with just that is mind boggling. I watched a guy straighten a serious bend in a heavy bar using only a sledgehammer and two concrete blocks on the ground. He used the blocks as a makeshift anvil and just worked it. Made my whole rack of dedicated bending jigs feel a little silly. It really showed me that sometimes the skill is in the hands, not the toolbox.

Honestly I used to think that oil trick was pointless until @adam_thomas saved me from another leak.

Actually tap water works fine for me if I let the film air dry completely.

It's the same story with everything now... you try to save a little money and it ends up costing you more. My neighbor had a cheap battery charger catch fire in his garage. The price tag looks good until you're stuck fixing a bigger problem. Sometimes that extra cost for a known brand is just paying for peace of mind. I stick with the old names in the catalog, even if the invoice hurts a bit more.