Got a tip from a foreman at the Exxon plant in Baton Rouge about using soapstone instead of a marker on hot pipe

I was on a shutdown job down at the Exxon refinery in Baton Rouge last month and this old foreman showed me something. He said to keep a piece of soapstone in my pocket for marking layout on pipes that are still warm from the process, because markers just melt or smear off. Has anyone else tried this on hot surface work or do you stick with something else like a scribe?

2 comments

2 Comments

anna_ross1911h ago

Does the soapstone hold up better than a carbide scribe on pipe that's still above 200 degrees, or does it start to dust up after a few marks?

caleb26211h ago

I read somewhere that some guys use a flat piece of soapstone and keep it in their shirt pocket so it stays dry and doesn't get all crumbly. It makes sense because I've tried markers on warm metal before and they just turn into a goopy mess. The soapstone thing sounds like a solid trick, especially if you're marking alloy pipe where a scribe could mess up the surface. I'd probably go with that over a scribe if the pipe is still holding some heat from process.