Two hundred bucks for templates that can't even handle a basic color change? That is absolutely insane. I would have been on the phone with my credit card company the same day demanding a chargeback. Stuff like that makes me wonder if these "pro" sellers even test their own products before shoving them out the door. Honestly, you got scammed by some really expensive junk.

Wait, your map literally turned into mush in your hands?

Credit card thickness is actually pretty dead on once you've done it a few times... the trick is to feel the trowel resistance more than measure it. When the mud is starting to grab and drag instead of just sliding off, that's your sweet spot. Too thin and it'll flake off in sheets... too thick and you're fighting bubbles and ridges. Coffee stirrer width is another good benchmark, actual credit cards got too thin over the years.

Exactly what I been saying these gimmicks just cost you time and money.

wait so you're telling me i could've been living this whole life without being covered in grease burns and smelling like an industrial fryer for days? lol i finally tried air fryer wings last week and honestly my kitchen didn't look like a war zone for once. i messed up the timing a bit though my first batch came out more "crispy on the outside, still kind of raw in the middle" than i'd like to admit. but hey that's on me for not shaking the basket halfway through like an actual responsible adult.