Just torched a $120 end mill because I trusted the 'recommended' speeds on a cheap aluminum bar stock.

Bought a $300 vintage sewing machine and it's a total workhorse

Found it at a yard sale in Portland last fall, a 1970s metal Singer. I was worried it would just be a heavy paperweight, but it's saved me so much time on sample work. The old straight stitch is just rock solid, way better than my newer plastic machine for thick fabrics. I've run denim and canvas through it for months now without a single jam. Kind of funny how the simple old gear just keeps going when the fancy stuff breaks. Anyone else have a go-to piece of old equipment they still use every day?

My eight-year-old nephew asked me if archaeologists ever find dinosaur bones, and I had to explain the whole 'that's paleontology' thing.