So one guy's opinion and one video made you redo everything?

4 hours of re-cutting over one clamp seems like a lot for a glue-up slipping. Are you sure the clamp was the only thing that went wrong? Oak panels that size usually need more than one clamp anyway. I've had a cheap Harbor Freight one pop on me before but honestly it was user error, I had it way overtightened on a joint that didn't need it.

That "failed silently" part hits home... I've seen power strips where the little light still glows but the surge protection is totally shot. They look fine, you plug in, nothing happens, but people swear it worked yesterday. I always tell customers to plug straight into the wall first, not just a different outlet on the same strip. Also, check if the strip feels warm, that's a dead giveaway it's struggling. Old strips are like old batteries, they just give up without making a fuss.