That "forge ready" label is basically a dare from the universe. I had the same thing happen with a bag of Firebrick brand stuff, total junk. These days I just bite the bullet and mix my own with some kaowool and a proper castable, it's a pain but at least it survives past the first heat cycle.

Had a guy on a bridge job try to guess a grade with his boot. Shut the pour down and made him watch me run the level myself for an hour. Now I keep a cheap laser level in my truck and hand it to anyone who looks unsure. They get the point when they have to do it twice.

Oh man, the classic Sunday brunch hollandaise panic. Been there, felt that deep fear when it starts to look like scrambled eggs. Your old chef was right, but man, seven minutes of whisking over steam sounds like a workout for your sauce arm. Guess the secret ingredient was just patience, and maybe a sore shoulder.

Yeah, not having gas cans is a huge plus. But I'd still keep one around for emergencies, like if your power goes out for a long time and you need a generator. For the battery, the manual says to store it inside, not in a cold garage. I put mine on a shelf in the basement. Do you have a good spot like that?

That's actually a pretty common field fix.