Haha I feel that, banjo almost went through the drywall instead of on it at my place too.

Wait, isn't the Miconic 10 from the early 90s? I thought they stopped making those in 1991 or something, but you said 1989, so that checks out. Actually, the worm gear shim method you mentioned is way more forgiving on older rails that have settled over time (like you said, 30+ years of wear changes everything). The laser kit is great for new installs where everything is still straight, but on old steel that's sagged a bit, those fancy sensors just fight against the real-world geometry. Maybe the tech's laser wasn't calibrated right, or the building's foundation shifted since 1989, which happens more than people think.

Did you try boiling the bamboo one to make it more flexible before you broke it? I've heard that can help with cheap tools but I've never actually tried it myself.

Tube storage makes all the difference honestly. I keep my Arctic Silver in a ziplock bag in a drawer away from sunlight and it stays good for years. If the cap isn't on tight or it sits in a hot car for a day, that stuff dries up fast. Temperature swings are the real enemy here, not age.

Read an article about this exact thing. Sound waves from a speaker can actually mess with your inner ear for a split second. Makes you think you went deaf. Happens more with really loud bass. Your brain just kinda blanks out the noise for a moment. Then your hearing snaps back like nothing happened.