That library example you gave says it all. People forget that any moisture problem becomes a major fix once the veneer is up. Good on you for speaking up when you've seen it fail.

Watch how they treat temperature logs the same way. Got marked once for writing 3pm instead of 15:00 on a fridge sheet, even though the actual temp was perfect. It just trains you to focus on the paperwork performance instead of the real food safety issues.

Seriously, though. For a picture frame or a shelf in the guest room, who cares if it's off by a tiny bit? The whole point of 'casual' DIY is that it shouldn't feel like a second job. If you stare at anything long enough you'll find a flaw, but guests just see a nice room. The level just adds stress for no real payoff (in my opinion). Perfect is the enemy of good enough, especially for home stuff.

Epoxy's heat claim gets overhyped sometimes. I've seen it yellow or even soften a bit when someone left a hot baking dish right on it. That glossy finish can get cloudy from heat over time. For real peace of mind, I still use a trivet. Some other materials handle direct heat way better.

Taylor, what's the most memorable unintended layer you've seen a translation blunder create?