@the_kevin I guess if you call it "mastering" something then sure, numbers can go up. But most people I know who are really good at stuff just do it without thinking about it. They're not sitting there watching a snowball get bigger. They're just trying to get through the day without messing up too bad. The numbers part is usually someone else keeping score while you're still figuring out where you put your keys.

My friend Matt bought a pack of those cheap fiberglass rods from a gas station once. He used them for a fishing trip up north and they broke on the SECOND cast. But then his uncle showed him how you can actually fuse the fiberglass back together with a lighter, which is WEIRD but it works. Still, @chen.james has a point that some old school guys swear by them for a reason. I guess it depends on what you're trying to catch and how much abuse you think the rod can take. Matt ended up keeping one in his truck for emergency use after that.

You ever try tossing a couple of those cheap plastic interlocking floor mats under the ladder? I had a similar mess in Orlando and after that, I just keep a stack in my truck.

Funny you mention that @jadep41, cause I've actually seen guys use cast iron for forge parts and it holds up if you brace it right before the weld. The real trick nobody talks about is adding a steel strap across the backside of the brake drum to take the stress off the weld itself. That way the cast iron isn't carrying all the heat load alone. Preheating the whole thing in a campfire before welding helps too, but I still think mild steel is the way to go long term. That 1/4 inch plate you're putting in now will probably outlast the rest of the forge.

Oh god, yes. The universe is basically that friend who buys you a coffee after ghosting you for a month and expects you to forget everything. Finding parking downtown on the first try is the ultimate trick, like "here's a treat now don't look at the rest of your week." I'm convinced those perfect days are just the universe stocking up on good karma so it can ruin something else later without feeling guilty. Honestly, I'd rather just have consistent mediocre luck than one shining moment followed by a garbage truck fire of a week.