Finally got my beach glass pieces to hold together right

For months I was trying to attach smooth glass bits with regular craft glue, and everything kept falling apart after a day. Last week I switched to a two-part clear epoxy made for non-porous surfaces, and the difference is night and day. My little seahorse sculpture made from Lake Michigan finds has been solid on the shelf for over a week now. What other adhesives work well for you all when dealing with slick surfaces like glass or ceramic?

The client whose 'subtle balayage' request turned into a full rainbow situation

She came in wanting a few sun-kissed pieces and left with seven distinct colors after we got a bit carried away with the toner mixing. The change happened over a single 4-hour appointment because she kept pointing at pictures of peacocks and saying 'more like that'. Has anyone else had a color consult go completely off the rails in the best way?

Rant: That one time a simple boom extension took all day

Had to set a big AC unit on a roof in Phoenix last summer. The chart said we could reach it, no problem. Got there, rigged up, and the load started swinging like crazy past 80 feet. Took us four hours to figure out the wind was catching the unit's housing like a sail. We had to stop, add extra tag lines, and inch it up slow. Anyone else get fooled by a load chart when the wind picks up?

A customer in my route's apartment complex told me 'it's just a scratch' on his quarter panel, but I saw the rust starting underneath.

Overheard a guy at the lumberyard in Fresno say he uses a 6-inch knife for everything, taping to finishing. That's just wild to me.

He was bragging about how it saves him time not switching tools. I get the appeal, but a 6-inch for taping beads? For finishing? That's a hard pass. I've tried it before on a rush job and the ridges were impossible to get smooth. You need the right knife for the right phase, period. My 10-inch for the second coat makes a difference you can see and feel. Am I just being too particular, or is this a legit corner that gets cut too often?

Can we talk about how bad the local advice was for my trip to Phoenix?

I asked for a good hiking spot in the forums before my trip last month, and someone told me to try the Echo Canyon trail at Camelback Mountain. They said it was 'moderate' but man, that thing was straight up dangerous in the afternoon heat. I had to turn back after 20 minutes because I ran out of water and felt dizzy. Has anyone else gotten advice that was totally wrong for their skill level or the conditions?

I used to fish coax through walls with a coat hanger, now I use a glow rod kit. When did you make the switch?

A fire at the Memphis in May contest changed how I set up my pit

I was there last year, and a guy's whole rig went up because his grease bucket was too close to the coals (like, maybe 6 inches away). The wind shifted, and it was a total mess in minutes. Now I keep my bucket at least two feet from any heat source, no matter what. Has anyone else had a close call like that and changed their setup?

Just had a big piece fall apart on me after the gallery opening

My main sculpture for the local art walk last Friday collapsed. It was a big driftwood and old bottle cap piece, about four feet tall. I used a specific outdoor epoxy that said it was for 'all materials'. The humidity from the crowd must have gotten to it because the central joint gave way after three hours. I had to scramble to prop it up with some bricks I found outside. Honestly, I think we rely too much on modern adhesives for found object work. Has anyone else had better luck with just traditional wire and tension for big outdoor pieces?

Pro tip: stop using a flathead screwdriver to pry open console cases

I've seen this so many times in repair videos and even in guides. People grab a flathead screwdriver and just start prying at the seam of a PlayStation or Xbox case. It almost always leaves deep gouges in the plastic and can even crack the shell. I learned this the hard way about six months ago on a PS4 Slim I was trying to clean. I used a small flathead and left a nasty white stress mark on the edge. The right way is to use a plastic spudger or a set of guitar picks. I bought a set of five colored picks for $8 online and they slide right into the seams without any damage. You can work your way around the whole case and it pops open clean. Has anyone found another good tool for this that doesn't scratch things up?