Everything so far in this series has been about the chemistry. This one is about the practical reality of working in a coatings lab when you're brand new to it. None of this is in the technical literature. You pick it up from experience, or from somebody who's been around long enough to tell you. Consider this the shortcut. In this episode I walk through how to read the three documents you'll be handed in your first week: a formula sheet, a technical data sheet (TDS), and a safety data sheet (SDS). Then I cover five practical realities I wish somebody had told me on day one. This is Episode 8 of the Coatings Industry Training Series, based on Book One: Paint Formulation for Beginners: No Chemistry Degree Required.