Vent: I was checking for level wrong on a 15-story traction job for months.
I always used my 4-foot level on the guide rails, but a guy from the inspection crew in Charlotte pointed out the floor plates were off by a quarter inch, throwing everything off. Now I start from the pit floor with a laser and work up. Anyone else get caught on something basic like that?
Man, I felt that. I once spent a whole week chasing a wobble on a gearbox, only to realize my new boots had a thicker sole and my torque wrench wasn't clicking right. You just stand there feeling like the world's smartest dummy. That quarter inch will haunt you, but at least you got the laser now.
Hot take: Levels lie.
Longer response: That "world's smartest dummy" feeling is too real. It's crazy how one wrong assumption at the start can wreck a whole project. I've learned the hard way that you gotta check your reference points twice before you trust anything. The laser is the right call, man.