Mila, that's rough to hear - not what you'd expect from a five dollar lamp. Sorry it went boom on you so fast. Been there with a cheap toaster that shot flames at my toast one morning. Hope you didn't lose any important stuff.

Bet those old-timers knew they were building something that had to last a hundred years, not just pass inspection for a five-year warranty. Hand-drawing every rivet like that was their way of showing they took ownership of the design from start to finish. Makes you wonder if our shortcuts today are really saving time or just kicking problems down the road for someone else to figure out.

The real trick nobody talks about is mixing in a shovelful of finished soil from a buddy's bin or a bag of organic potting soil. That kickstarts the bacteria and worms FAST. My first attempt was a total wet mess until I seeded it with some active dirt from my neighbor's pile. Night and day difference.

10 pounds of lime per batch fixed my sticky issue too @hannahm39.

My uncle Gerald showed up to our 4th of July cookout with one of those cheap serrated bread knives from the gas station to slice brisket. The handle literally twisted off in his hand on the third cut and the blade went clattering across the driveway. My cousin's dog grabbed it and ran off thinking it was a toy so we had to chase him around the yard for 10 minutes. Ended up using a hunting knife from somebody's truck to finish the job. Last time I ever let anyone bring their own knife to a family gathering. Now I just pack my own basic kitchen set in a toolbox and let people borrow if they ask nice.