Does anyone know if the cheap kits are using a different type of plastic in their thread too? I bought a budget one and the thread felt kinda waxy compared to the real stuff, might be why some books don't lay flat.

That bittersweet feeling makes total sense (and nobody seems to talk about it). Two years of cutting everything fun out is a huge sacrifice, even if the end result is technically a win. You earned that $10k but it also cost you a lot more than just money.

Wait, "maple vs MDF"? That actually blew your mind? I need to know what that stat was because I've been going back and forth on which to use for shelves and I cannot wrap my head around one being that much better.

My brother told me the same thing back in 2021. It really stings when you want to believe them but part of you knows better.

Flip it around on you. Tipping the driver is great but you just paid $600 for someone to ring your doorbell. That driver got maybe $30 of that. The pizza place got the rest. You could've bought a used oven and made better pizza for 3 months with that cash.