Overheard a foreman say "just eyeball it" on a 400 psi steam drum today

I was fitting a manway gasket on a boiler at the old Ford plant in Dearborn. Foreman walks by, sees me double checking with a straight edge, and goes "don't overthink it, just eyeball the gap." Told him I've seen a blowout send a gasket into someone's leg. He walked off. Am I crazy for taking the extra 2 minutes to measure? How do you handle guys who think close enough is good enough?

3 comments

3 Comments

williamb2923d ago

And that's how you end up with a 400 psi steam shower that doubles as a free trip to the burn unit. "Eyeball it" is great for hanging a picture frame, not for keeping a boiler from turning into a shrapnel cannon. I had a foreman once tell me to "feel" if a flange was tight. Felt real smart when it started weeping at 200 psi. Trust the straight edge and let the old school guys roll their eyes. They're not the ones who'll be picking gasket bits out of their jeans.

jamesm3823d ago

Good move. I've seen guys try to snug a flange by "feel" on a steam line and end up blowing a gasket within an hour. A straight edge and a torque wrench never lie, your instincts will.

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williamm8217d ago

Haha exactly, James. @williamb29 nailed it with that "eyeball it" bit, I've seen that same "feel it out" nonsense on a steam flange and watched it start singing within minutes. A buddy of mine tried that on a 300 psi line, we spent the next hour swapping gaskets while he ate crow. Torque wrench and straight edge every time, no substitute for it.