My mount tracking just gave up during a 4 hour Andromeda shot

I was out in my backyard last night, about 2 hours into a long exposure of M31. The whole thing just stopped, the mount made a weird clicking sound and went back to its home spot. I checked the power supply (a Celestron PowerTank) and it was fine, so it must be a motor or gear issue inside the mount itself. Some folks online say this is a common fail point that needs a full repair, while others think a simple software reset can fix it. Has anyone else had their gear just quit mid-session and found a good fix?

My buddy said to skip the glue on a miter joint and just use biscuits, I thought he was crazy.

I was building a picture frame for a client in Boise and tried it on a test piece, the joint held up better than my usual method after a week in a humid garage. He showed me how the wood movement with seasonal changes can crack a glued miter but the biscuit lets it flex a bit. Has anyone else had a similar experience with this technique on small projects?

Warning about using a 3/8 impact driver on those new Samsung washer pump bolts

I tried it on a job last week and snapped the head right off, which turned a 20 minute swap into a 3 hour nightmare. Anyone else run into these being way softer than they look?

Just had a vintage Nikon F2 shutter curtain snap right in my hands

It happened yesterday while I was testing the slow speeds, and I had to order a new curtain from a supplier in Germany. Anyone have a good trick for aligning the new one without the factory jig?

My band saw decided to retire in the middle of a big order

It happened yesterday afternoon while I was breaking down a side of beef for a local restaurant. The motor just gave a loud pop, smoked a little, and stopped dead. I had to finish the whole order by hand with a breaking knife, which took me over two extra hours. Has anyone else had a major tool quit at the worst possible time, and what did you do to get back on track?

Warning: your 'work from anywhere' laptop setup is killing your visa chances

Keep seeing posts about people working on tourist visas. They think it's fine if no one checks. Got flagged in Thailand last year. Immigration officer at Suvarnabhumi asked to see my return ticket and bank statements. Then he opened my bag. Saw my work laptop, mouse, notebook with client notes. Got the third degree for 45 minutes. Almost denied entry. It's not about getting caught at a cafe. It's about the border agent seeing a full office in your backpack. They look for patterns. Multiple recent entries, long stays, gear. Had a friend get banned from Malaysia for 6 months over this. How do you handle the visa question when your stuff clearly says 'digital worker'?

Vent: My new drawing tablet's pressure curve was totally wrong for 2 weeks

I got a Huion Kamvas 13 and my lines felt weirdly stiff, like I was drawing with a stick. Spent hours tweaking driver settings, thinking it was my fault. Turns out the default pressure curve in the app was set for a totally different model, and fixing it took 5 minutes once I found the right forum post. How can a simple software setup be so hard to get right, or is it just part of the deal with new gear?

My sourdough starter went from a sad puddle to a bubbly monster in 48 hours after I moved it to the oven with the light on.

DAE get annoyed when people mix up the author's life with the book's meaning?

Just left a club where someone argued 'The Bell Jar' is only about Plath's depression, ignoring the whole critique of 1950s gender roles. That flattens the entire work. How do you steer the convo back to the text itself?

Showerthought: My old gas mower used 2 gallons a month, but my new electric one just plugs in at night.

I mean, the electric one is way quieter and cheaper to run, but the real win is not having to deal with gas cans and oil changes anymore, has anyone else made a switch like that?