Cheap stuff from the big box store"?? That stuff is pure GARBAGE, man.

@the_margaret preheating is the game changer for sure, my Cosori needed 4 minutes.

Didn't your buddy try to build a shelf without any measurements and it came out completely crooked?

Remember @noran21's sign-offs? Same useless pain.

Yeah, you hit on something real. Last time I had to repoint some mortar, the new mix just didn't grip the same. Felt like spreading butter, not like you were locking the stones in for another hundred years. You lose that feel in your hands, and the whole thing becomes just a task to finish.