Wow, your story hits close to home! Last summer I was sharpening a chisel and didn't bother to hone the edge after grinding. Ended up with a ragged cut that ruined a piece of walnut. Now I never skip the stropping stage, even if I'm in a hurry. That extra minute saves so much frustration later on. Basic steps really are the key to good work!

That Wagner gun taught me power tools always lie about being beginner-friendly.

I mean you see this everywhere now, not just guns. It's like patching drywall with toothpaste or using duct tape on a car hose. Saves five minutes but blows up later. My landlord does quick flip stuff that always fails in a year. Feels like we forgot how to just do things right the first time, even if it takes longer.

Totally get that. My hands shake like crazy every time I try it. Took me years to get a steady line going.

My buddy Tom had the same thing with AC units. He replaced three compressors on one house before he found a swollen capacitor on the board that was killing them. Now he checks that first every time, even though it adds ten minutes to the diagnosis.