Jumped into a similar situation with a contractor last summer. He kept telling me my roof didn't need a full replacement, just patch work. I was pissed thinking he was cutting corners. But I got three more quotes and every single guy said the same thing. Sometimes our gut just wants to fight back because we're pissed at the situation, not because the advice is bad. It's like when your mechanic says your car isn't worth fixing and you think they're lazy, but really they're just being real with you. Trial risk and insurance limits are cold hard math, not laziness.

Dude YES this EXACT thing happened to me on a set of utility cabinets last fall. My Domino would drift like a quarter inch on the edge cuts and I thought I was going crazy. I finally figured out the rubber pad on the base plate gets slick after a while, especially on that smooth birch surface. I wiped mine down with alcohol and scuffed it with some 80 grit and it helped a LOT. Still have to clamp for the really tight spots near the edges though, it's just the nature of the tool on plywood.

Jumped on a "deal" from one of those sketchy third party sites for a trip to Portland last year. Missed connection, they told me to call the airline myself (useless) and the airline said to go through the booking site (also useless), ended up dropping $200 on a last minute ticket. Never again, honestly I'll just pay the extra $50 and book direct now.

Stick with mudding as you go, it keeps the compound workable and cuts down on sanding later. Your partner's method saved my butt on a humid job last summer, really helps avoid those pesky bubbles.

Man that sucks. Always test new gear on the ground before trusting it with your life.