Hold on, is it really that cut and dry? Sometimes saying no to a stretch assignment just means you have too much on your plate already. Good bosses will understand if you explain your situation clearly. Missing one chance doesn't doom you to being stuck forever. People find new opportunities and catch up all the time. It feels like you're overstating how much one choice can change your whole path.

That's a great result from changing your process. What does your hand-rubbing routine look like now, like how many coats do you typically do and how long do you let it dry between them?

Modern stuff breaks easy but fixes hard.

In art class, drafting seemed SIMPLE, but @sarah_davis changed my mind.

I mean, you said the warranty hassle ruined your weekend, but is it really that big a deal? Idk, maybe it's just me, but tools break all the time and warranties are kinda just part of the deal. Borrowing from a buddy might be annoying, but it's not the end of the world, right? Two weeks for repair isn't crazy long in my experience. I get it's upsetting, but rethinking the whole brand seems a bit much for a standard hiccup. Sometimes we make small problems bigger than they need to be.