12,000 sq ft in 3 days seems like a rush job to me.

You know, I used to think like jessem59 there - figured standard hinges were fine for just about everything. But then a couple years back I had a similar situation with a heavy wooden gate, thought I'd save a few bucks with regular hinges, and within a month they were pulling right out of the wood. Picked up a set of the big black strap hinges from the local hardware store, the kind with the long screws that go deep into the frame. They've held that gate steady through storms, snow, and my kids swinging on it. So I'd say go with those heavy strap hinges - they're worth the extra few dollars for the peace of mind.

Honestly, how long did it take you to figure that out? I did the exact same thing with a bowl last winter. Walked it straight from the cold garage into the kiln like a complete fool. Cracked so loud I thought the shelf broke too. Now I let everything sit near the annealer for a good 30 minutes minimum. That cold air just gets into every little flaw in the glass.

Same exact lens. Bought the cheap helicoil tape for $12 on Amazon. That was four years ago, still works perfect. Sometimes the gamble pays off and you save yourself a hundred bucks.

That's exactly what I've noticed too - once you use one you can't go back to guessing.