Appreciation post: the old-timer who told me to 'just eyeball it' on a flange fit-up

Overheard a retired boilermaker at the union hall in Gary last Tuesday telling a young guy that laser trackers are fine, but there's no substitute for looking down a pipe after a long day. He said he once fit a 60-inch ID flange by sight alone and it passed a hydro test with zero leaks. Made me think about how much we rely on gadgets now versus the basic feel for metal that these guys had.

2 comments

2 Comments

blairtaylor17d ago

Actually that 60-inch story is a good one, but just a small correction there - a hydro test at 1.5 times working pressure with zero leaks on a blind fit-up would be almost unheard of without at least some seal welding. Old timers had incredible skill but they also knew when to cheat a little with a grinder and some shims. Still, the main point stands about reading metal by feel instead of just staring at a screen all day.

the_tara17d ago

Did you mean they used a grinder on the fit-up or the weld itself?