Did you at least wear gloves with the acetone? Learned that one the hard way... took days to get the feeling back in my fingertips. Agree about prep, though—it's annoying, but worth it. Ever had tape pull off fresh paint? That's a whole other level of frustration. Glad you got the windows done safely, though. What's next on your list?
Good call on the gloves—acetone's no joke. I've seen guys shrug it off, then regret it big-time later. And yeah, tape pulling fresh paint is maddening; had a client once who insisted on rushing the job... ended up repainting half the room. Glad your windows turned out well, though. Prep work's tedious, but it saves headaches down the line. Curious what you're tackling next—hopefully something less finicky than windows.
Good points about the acetone and tape—been there myself. Learned the hard way that rushing prep work usually means doubling your workload later. Had a similar experience painting my kitchen cabinets a few years back. Thought I'd save time skipping primer on one section... ended up peeling and repainting the whole thing within a month. Lesson learned, haha.
Windows are definitely up there on the finicky scale, but honestly, have you ever tried refinishing hardwood floors yourself? Did mine last summer, and it was a beast of a job. Sanding evenly, managing dust control, and getting the stain consistent—talk about tedious. Worth it in the end, but man, I wouldn't jump into it again lightly. Curious if you've tackled flooring yet or if you're planning something else entirely?
Also, quick tip if you ever do decide to go the flooring route: rent the best sander you can afford. The difference between a cheap rental and a high-quality drum sander is night and day. Learned that one the hard way too...
"Sanding evenly, managing dust control, and getting the stain consistent—talk about tedious."
I haven't tackled flooring yet, but your description makes me reconsider my DIY ambitions... Maybe I'll start smaller, like refinishing a coffee table first. Appreciate the heads-up on the sander quality though, noted!
Refinishing a coffee table's a solid first step—small enough to manage, big enough to learn from mistakes. I started with a nightstand myself... thought it'd be easy until I realized sanding corners evenly is its own special nightmare. Speaking of dust control, anyone have tips on keeping sawdust from invading every corner of the house? My vacuum-and-pray method isn't cutting it anymore.