Yeah, "assume nothing is as described" is the only way to work. That's a rough find with the live knob and tube.

Oh man, that's wild. I read somewhere that a bowl of white vinegar left inside a closed microwave for a day can really pull out bad smells. Sounds like @brookep27's baking soda trick works on the same idea, just a different thing to soak up the stink.

Shouting at them actually worked for me once.

Wait, is mixing from flakes really that much cheaper when you factor in the denatured alcohol? I buy the premixed stuff because I go through it fast and the convenience is worth the extra cost. I don't have time to mix batches and wait for flakes to dissolve for every small project.

My last "game changer" was a fancy coffee grinder that just made a bigger mess. These orbitals cut my sanding time in half on a table project, which felt like actual magic. Maybe the hype is real this time, or maybe I'm just easily impressed by anything that saves my elbows.