That "never brought any back" part is the real killer. Saw it happen at our old community garden. People would get all excited about free tomato seeds, then you'd never see them again next season. The whole thing just slowly dies when nobody puts anything back in.

That locked rabbet idea is smart for paint. Ever think about cutting the rabbet a hair deep so the glue has a tiny pocket to fill? Makes that seam even less of a worry.

Man, that's a classic failure mode. I read a woodworking forum post ages ago where a guy swore by adding a loose tenon into the miter for long frames, says it fights the twist way better than biscuits. For painted stuff now, I just use a locked rabbet joint and fill the tiny seam. It's nearly invisible after paint and mechanically locks the corner.

Forget the brand debate. Speed matters less than knowing your mix. A good worker with cheap stuff beats a rushed job with top shelf any day.

You weigh your sourdough starter water? I just eyeball it from the tap.