Man that's how it always goes, cheap fix costs more in the long run.

The whole buy-first-act-never thing is basically just digital hoarding at this point. Same goes for those workout app subscriptions people grab in January and forget by February. It's like we trick ourselves into thinking owning the tool is the same as doing the work. Bought a fancy meal planning app once, opened it to pick recipes, got overwhelmed by the options, and just ordered pizza instead. Actually using something takes way more effort than clicking "buy" ever does.

Silica's been used forever and people have been fine, you're just trading one set of problems for another. Olivine breaks down faster under heat so you might end up inhaling more fine particles over time anyway. If you're really worried about safety, maybe focus on upgrading your ventilation instead of switching fancy sand brands.

Little hope is the whole point, not just a side thing.

Oof the rusted hose clamp thing is so real. "Job that takes 15 minutes on YouTube" is basically a trap lol. I've noticed this is how everything works now, like the simpler a thing seems the more hidden BS you find. My buddy tried to swap a light fixture last week and ended up having to patch a hole in his ceiling because the old box was wired so janky the whole thing fell apart. It's like the universe just waits to punish you for trying to do anything yourself.