Totally agree with @ward.robin on the kitchen gear hack. I've used a colander for quick sifting when my real screen was too big. Lets you see the small stuff right away. Saved me so much time on a dig last month. Plus it's cheap and easy to replace if it breaks.

Last year, I thought DIY was just hassle, but your post showed me the pride in perfecting small things!

Toothpicks and wishes describes my old dining set perfectly. I tried using a footstool for step-ups once and it folded like a lawn chair. Why do we even buy furniture that can't handle basic movement?

The shops near me switched to aluminum bodies five years ago without this much fuss. It's just a different type of weld, not rocket science.

What brand of machinist's square did you end up getting? I've been looking at the cheap ones online but worry they might not be square either. How do you check if yours is actually accurate?