Oh man, that Buffalo trick is the real deal! I tried the exact same thing a few weeks back after seeing a similar tip online, and it totally changed my wing game too. That 400 degree heat with the dry brine is just magic, the skin comes out like glass it's so crispy. I used to do 375 for longer and always ended up with that chewy skin you're talking about, drove me nuts. And yeah, I do pat them dry before brining, it just helps the salt actually stick and pull out more moisture from the skin. Also, I found letting them sit out on a rack in the fridge for an hour after the brine makes a huge difference, that dry surface is everything. But trust me, once you do it this way, you'll never go back to the boring recipe book method.

Wait, are we sure that loud blender wasn't a clever trick to test your patience?

I did the same with my pasta roller for flattening leather scraps, works great.