@lopez.simon yeah that burr mustve been tiny, but bettywood's finger trick wouldve caught it sooner.

Read somewhere that old glue residue needs primer even more because it creates a weak bond.

That feeling where the universe is just messing with you" is exactly right. It's like the camera gods decided to test your patience all at once. I swear, when that happens, you start checking the calendar for a full moon or something. The Omaha guy driving three hours though, that part is wild. Makes you realize how rare these repair skills are getting, which is both cool and a little scary for the future of film cameras. Hope you got them all sorted without losing your mind.

Nah I gotta push back on this one a little. Look I've been pouring in Texas summers for years and I've seen guys overwater the cure and actually cause more problems than they solve. If you wet cure wrong you can get thermal shock when the burlap dries out fast and the concrete cools down too quick. Sometimes that spray on compound is all you need if you apply it right and keep the crew moving. I've watched crews waste half a day babysitting wet burlap while the guys who just sprayed and walked away had perfectly fine slabs three months later. It's not the method that's the problem its whether you know your mix and your weather conditions.

Wait, did you ever try hitting up the flea markets instead of the regular stores? I started going to this one on weekends and it's a GOLD MINE for old records and books. People sell whole collections dirt cheap 'cause they just want to clear out space. I found a first edition of a Stephen King novel for five bucks once. The bins are still dusty, but there's way less competition than at a thrift shop. Honestly, it brought back that same thrill of the hunt for me.