Aw man, I gotta disagree a little here. On the Park Tool gauge at least that arm does actually reference off the wheel rim, so it's measuring more than just the tool's own body. I've lined mine up against a proper alignment gauge before and it matched up close enough for most work.

Told myself for years that decoupaging old kitchen stuff was just covering up perfectly good patina, but your bread box totally changed my mind. That seed catalog paper sounds perfect with the cracked green paint, way better than leaving it bare metal. I tried it last month on an old cake tin with pages from a 1950s Better Homes and Gardens and now it sits on my counter getting compliments from everyone. The key is using paper that actually fits the era of the piece, like your seed catalog matching that farmhouse look. What kind of sealer did you use to keep the paper from peeling around the lid?

Buddy of mine swore off hard hats until a dropped wrench split his skull open.

I'll push back on the glue and sawdust thing, Mila. I've tried that a few times and it never quite matches the grain or takes the stain right. If the burn is deep like you're describing, you might be better off cutting out that section and patching with a new piece of veneer. That way you don't end up with a dark spot that screams "fix me.

Man I just found a dead raccoon in a trash can last week.