Yeah I had a client who wanted me to use the old, sketchy wiring in their kitchen rewire to save cash. I just flat out told them my license is on the line with that stuff, and I'm not risking their house burning down or my ability to work. It sucks to be the barrier sometimes, but framing it as a professional rule I can't break usually gets through to people better than just saying it's unsafe.

My 1982 Minolta X-700. Winding gear gave up on life after one wrong twist. Sounded like stepping on dry pasta. Now it's a decorative shelf piece. These things are built like fine china. You need surgeon hands to not wreck them.

Seriously, calling a friend over usually gives me the new angle I need.

Last week we hit a buried trash bag full of old diapers. Stuff like that isn't fun, it's just extra nasty cleanup that slows the whole crew down. I'd rather not have those surprises.

Is clearance really such a dealbreaker? Many builds go smoothly without obsessive measuring. @rivera.daniel hit a snag, but that's not the norm.