Ask @grantcooper if he's ever had a joint fail later. That solid feeling beats speed every time for me, because I hate fixing things twice.

Seriously, isn't that just standard procedure for any competent rigging crew?

See, I gotta disagree on this one. I stuck with my 12-inch head in that same Mobile Bay muck and just slowed my pump rpm way down. Got the same boost in solids without buying a whole new head. For me, it's more about fine-tuning the pump than swapping parts. A smaller head just limits your top end if you hit a patch of gravel.

My old art teacher used to show us how to make prints from ink on glass. You get way more control over the shape than with random spills.

Oh man, the mineral trace thing seems way more likely to me. Our gear picks up all kinds of weird ghost readings from stuff like that.