Actually that recipe with iron filings is more about adding a little mass to the flux so it sits on the metal longer, not about the borax being better than what you bought. Borax is borax for the most part, the commercial stuff just has a lower burn point sometimes depending on what they mix in. But hey, if it works for you on the thick stock, that's what counts.

Those weekly calls can turn into a crutch real fast. I've seen clients get lazy and stop reading emails, saving everything for the Friday chat instead of just handling it. All you did was give them a reason to dump problems on you at the last minute, and now that $40k job has you locked into their schedule instead of yours.

That salt was way too shy" really hit home for me. My buddy Greg was the same way for years, always dusting his kraut like he was seasoning a steak. He'd get this watery, limp cabbage every single time and couldn't figure out why. Then he took a class at a co-op and the instructor made him squeeze the salt into the leaves until they felt wet and slippery. He called me that night, all excited, saying the brine came out before he even packed the jar. Now he weighs everything on a cheap kitchen scale, but the real trick was learning that feel. Once you see that shine on the cabbage, you know you did it right.