Dropped $350 on a new cordless clipper and it's been a total letdown

I got the new model everyone was talking about, thinking it would be a game changer for my mobile work (the battery life is supposed to be amazing, right?). After a month, the motor feels weak and it snags on thicker hair, which is a huge problem for my fade work. Has anyone found a good cordless clipper that actually holds up under heavy use?

My bull float handle snapped clean off on a big pour in Phoenix last Thursday

It was a Marshalltown 48 inch magnesium float, and the aluminum handle just gave way right at the joint when I was pulling back. Had to scramble and finish the section with a hand trowel, which threw off my whole rhythm. Anyone else had a handle fail like that on a hot day? What's a more solid brand you'd trust?

Question about getting into a classic anime series

I finally watched 'Cowboy Bebop' after my friend in Seattle said it was a must-see, but the ending left me feeling kind of empty. What's a good show to watch next that has a more uplifting payoff?

Pro tip: I was at a friend's garage in Phoenix and saw his tool wall setup for the tenth time before it clicked

He had every single cable, adapter, and screwdriver in a clear plastic bin with a big label on the front. I used to just toss my stuff in a big toolbox and dig for 10 minutes every job. Now I keep my most used computer repair tools in a $25 pegboard setup from the hardware store. It cut my setup time in half on site. Anyone else use a pegboard for their mobile kit?

That old guy at the supply yard in Tucson changed how I think about bull floats

I was picking up some bags of mix about six years ago and this retired finisher, must have been 70, was just hanging around. He watched me load my brand new magnesium float and said, 'Kid, that thing's too light. You'll be fighting it all day on a big slab.' He walked me over to his truck and pulled out this beat up wood float he'd used for 30 years. He said, 'The weight does the work, not your arm.' I switched to a heavier wood float the next week and never went back. Anyone else have an old tool they were told to ditch but it actually works better?

Just realized my bullet journal doesn't need a weekly spread

I was talking to my sister, who's a teacher, and she said she only uses her journal for daily logs and a running future log. She told me, 'The weekly page was just stress I was drawing for myself.' I tried skipping it for a solid week and it actually felt way more flexible. Anyone else ditch a standard layout and find it works better?

Shoutout to the old guy at the 2018 ABANA conference in Atlanta

He showed me how to use a piece of scrap leather to hold hot work instead of always reaching for tongs. Anyone else pick up a simple trick like that that just stuck?

I found my old sketchbook from my first shop in Tacoma, and the notes are wild

Last week I was cleaning out a storage unit and found a book from 3 years ago full of hand-drawn cabinet plans and cost estimates scribbled on napkins. I was still doing all my joinery with a basic router jig and a lot of hope back then. What's the one old tool or method you used to swear by that you wouldn't touch now?

Warning: I blew $400 on a 'universal' tube expander kit that was junk

I bought one of those kits online that claims to handle everything from 3/4 inch to 2 inch tubes. The ad made it look solid. I needed it for a job on a small boiler in a brewery here in town. First time I put real torque on it, the mandrel teeth just sheared right off. Not a clean break either, it left jagged edges that scored the tube I was trying to fix. I lost a full day of work waiting on a proper rental, and the kit cost me four hundred bucks. Everyone says to have a universal set for emergencies, but this thing was not built for our kind of work. It felt cheap and the steel was way too soft. Has anyone found a budget brand that actually holds up, or is it just better to rent the good stuff every single time?

My uncle insisted I should always put a little sugar in my spaghetti sauce. I finally tried it.