That bit about the wood float is a perfect example. The simplest tools often give you the best control, and that's true for way more than concrete. It's easy to forget the basics when everything gets so complicated.

Guess @gracer28's crisis is why I pack a power bank now, solves the outlet hunt.

Remember when my neighbor got his truck back from a quick fix place? They missed a bent control arm because their scan said it was fine. He found out when the tire wore down to the cords in two months. That digital estimate cost him another grand to fix right.

Wait, you built the hook around the nail? That's wild. I would've just ripped it out and probably ruined the whole piece. The rust stains as part of the design is actually so cool.

Totally get what you mean, most of those hacks just add more steps. Honestly, I just stopped looking for shortcuts and focused on one thing at a time. Found that just doing the actual task without overthinking it saved me way more time. All that extra planning and setup was the real time waster for me.