My uncle's old workshop had that same chemical smell stuck in the walls. It's like we all just accept the worse way to do things because it's what we know. I see it with people using dull knives or ancient vacuum cleaners. You get used to the struggle and forget there might be a better tool. That moment of seeing a heat gun work is like a little wake up call to question your routine.

Watched a guy fight his miter saw for an hour on baseboard my handsaw nailed in two minutes lol.

Ever try to sand a curve with a brick? My first block was so stiff it basically just polished the high spots. I was fighting a door on an old Civic, and it looked worse when I was done. Switched to one of those foam ones that bends a little, and it was like the metal finally decided to cooperate. Night and day difference.