I keep seeing guys in my area using the wrong size wire nuts for 12 gauge solid. It's a small thing but it bugs me.

My miter saw fence gave out halfway through a big crown molding job

This happened Tuesday morning on a house in the West End. I was cutting a long piece of 5-inch crown, and when I brought the saw down, the whole fence shifted about an eighth of an inch. It turned out the plastic locking knob had cracked inside, so it felt tight but wasn't holding at all. I had to stop everything, drive to the nearest hardware store, and buy a whole new assembly for about $35. The worst part was I had already cut two pieces that were now useless because the angle was off. I keep a spare blade and drive belt, but I never thought about the fence hardware failing. Has anyone else had a small part on a trusted tool fail like that? What do you keep in your truck as a backup?

I was at the library in Springfield and saw a free seminar on reading your credit report.

The presenter pointed out that a lot of people miss the 'date opened' field for old accounts, which can really help your average account age if you keep them active.

A customer's comment made me rethink my chain cleaning method

A regular at our shop in Boulder told me my ultrasonic cleaner was just moving gunk around, not removing it. He showed me his chain after using a simple Park Tool brush and degreaser, and it was way cleaner than mine. I switched to scrubbing each link by hand before the ultrasonic bath. Has anyone else found a better pre-clean step?

My most awkward shoeing job involved a talkative toddler and a nervous mare

I was at a new barn last week to shoe a mare that was always a little jumpy. The owner's young kid, about three years old, kept asking questions and reaching for my tools. Each time I grabbed a nail, the kid would point and yell, which got the mare all tense. I had to stop often to settle the horse and softly ask the kid to back off, but the owner just thought it was funny. It's not funny when it risks safety, and it really shows no respect for our trade. Shoeing horses is a careful job that needs full attention, not a playground. I ended up speaking straight to the owner and asking them to take the kid inside, which was super awkward. Stuff like this makes me see why some folks only learn after a bad scare.