Yeah the first application probably had a bad seat or bubble in it.

Calendar days matter more than business days for that timeline.

You tried adding water and it still got gummy... how long did you actually microwave it for?

right so our book club had a fight over this exact thing last year and i literally picked the wrong day to host because i could not handle the chaos. i got so stressed trying to keep it civil that i accidentally spilled red wine all over my white couch and everyone had to stop arguing to help me clean it up. looking back i think we should have just read both endings and compared them without trying to pick a winner, but then again half my group still holds grudges over it so maybe not. honestly book clubs are just an excuse for people to get heated about fictional characters living rent free in our heads.

Maybe put some non-slip shelf liner under your clamp pads instead of messing with the bench itself. That way you keep the slick top for glue drips and still get grip on weird shaped stuff.