My expensive tools just sit there looking pretty now.

Did you even ask your friend if he lost money too?

Yeah but sometimes you just need to get it done.

I saw that same vase and the punty scar was almost sharp enough to cut you. The gallery owner told me they pick pieces based on "visual impact" from ten feet away, not craft details. I started asking about the artist and finishing steps, and now they at least look things over before putting them out. It forces them to see the work up close.

Maple is such a tricky wood for stain, it shows every single sanding skip. I did the same thing on a cabinet door once and had to strip it all back to bare wood, which added hours to the job. Your point about showing the surface after each grit is spot on. For someone new, seeing that progress from rough to glassy is actually really helpful. It turns a boring step into a key lesson. I'm totally with you on sharing those in-between photos now.