So I actually read something a while back about how the potato trick works because of the starch and enzymes reacting with the carbon steel, something about creating a more even oxidation layer. @the_shane is right, it's wild how simple kitchen stuff beats all the expensive chemicals people buy. I tried the apple trick once too, buried a blade overnight and it came out looking like a mess, all uneven and weird. The potato just gives you that smooth dark color without any of the blotchiness. I'm never going back to vinegar for patinas again, that's for sure lol.

20 min dry rub crew checking in, overnight is next level though.

That thing you said about "half the battle is just paying attention to the little things they're not saying" hit me hard @dixon.ryan. My buddy works at a barbershop in Philly and had this kid come in, maybe 19, super quiet. Just sat down and said "short on the sides." But my friend noticed the kid kept touching the back of his head when he thought nobody was looking. Stopped and asked if he had a bad cut before back there. Turns out the kid's barber had been jacking up his crown for years but he was too shy to speak up. My friend spent the whole cut just fixing that one spot and the kid left saying it was the best haircut he'd ever gotten. It was all about noticing that one little thing.

Honestly I walked into one of those utility rooms in a complex off College Avenue and the first thing I did was drop my 200 foot tape measure down an open floor drain. Took me 45 minutes to fish it out with a coat hanger and some duct tape. Ngl the whole setup seemed designed to punish anyone who actually needs to pull wires through it. I swear those sweeps are tighter than my ex's budget.

Raccoons are just smarter than most people give them credit for, so maybe the real issue is your setup being too easy. If you hang a feeder from a thin wire or use a baffle, they usually give up pretty quick. My mom had one that figured out how to unscrew the bottom of a tube feeder, so I bolted it shut and that stopped the problem. Not saying raccoons aren't clever, but most people just make it too convenient for them.