Know exactly what you mean! Curly maple does weird stuff with light, it's not you. I built a guitar with a curly maple top last year, and the finish made the stripes look like they were swimming depending on the room light. It freaked me out too at first, but that's just how that wild grain interacts with a smooth, clear coat. You got the perfect finish, now you get the light show that comes with it.

Seriously, getting that grind right felt really hard at first. I wasted so many beans before it clicked. What was the biggest hurdle for you, like was it the taste or the machine itself? Ngl, I struggled with sour shots for weeks and couldn't figure out if it was the grind or my tamping. Hearing how others pushed through helps a ton. So, what finally made it make sense for you?

Honestly, I used to brush off needing proof from the book... but seeing how it cuts through the noise changed my whole view.

Ever have a factory spec strip threads in the field? That's what happened to me on a linkage bolt, and now I check every time.

In third grade, my pen spring shot across the room.