My last pine project had more bubbles than a kid's bath time, and I was convinced I'd invented a new kind of textured finish. Pine is just gassy like that, it lets out air and sap when you put on thick coats. What finally worked for me was wiping on super thin layers of poly with a rag instead of brushing, and yeah, a shellac-based sealer first can calm the wood down. Sanding between coats is key too, but go easy or you'll cut through to the wood again.

Yeah but that's the whole thing, we almost never try hard to overload stuff. It's the slow creep that gets you. You add a few more cans to the garage shelf, then some paint, then a toolbox, and you've doubled the weight without noticing. I see it with cheap furniture too, people trust it way past its limit because it hasn't broken yet. It's not about engine blocks, it's about not respecting how all those little things add up over time.

Why does everything need to be a big debate? It's a stump, not a peace treaty. Let people have their small wins.

What was that Icelandic drama called, @grantpatel?

Did you hear my friend got hacked after brushing off a security warning as paranoia?