That's a sweet story but honestly, the beep is just a beep. It's a machine doing its job, nothing magical about it. Maybe we hear things differently when we want them to be more than what they really are.

Nah I gotta disagree. A 12 brush set sounds like overkill unless you're doing hyper detailed stuff. Most people are fine with 3 or 4 good ones.

but see I actually kind of miss the looseness of my old stuff even if the technique was worse. there's a rawness to those early pieces that I've been trying to get back but can't now that I know all the "rules." maybe that fear of hard edges was just a different kind of confidence.

My Osprey zipper blew out on the PCT near Idyllwild and I used a stick as a makeshift slider.

I read somewhere that some of those big crane operators train in simulators now to get a feel for those tight clearances before they ever step on site... It's wild how much prep goes into it. Two inches might sound nuts but with the right tech and a steady hand it's almost routine for those guys. Still, I'd be holding my breath the whole time watching that... That kind of margin leaves zero room for a mistake.