Chat with an old pipefitter changed how I look at joint prep

He told me he never uses a grinder for bevels, just a torch and a file, and after watching him nail a perfect fit-up on a 6 inch schedule 80 in 15 minutes I started wondering if I am overcomplicating things - anyone else ever get humbled by a simple old school method?

4 comments

4 Comments

rowan_thomas8428d ago

It's funny how often the simplest way turns out to be the best way.

ellis.faith28d ago

The part about the simplest way being best really sticks with me. Most people try to overcomplicate things because they think easy means lazy, but that misses the point entirely. Simple usually wins because it leaves less room for things to break.

sandra_bennett5928d ago

Oh man, tell me about it. I'm famous for overcomplicating the dumbest stuff, like I'll spend an hour trying to fix a sticky drawer with a whole contraption when really it just needed a little soap on the track. My brain always jumps to the most roundabout solution first, I guess because it feels more impressive or something. But the stuff that actually works is almost always the boring, obvious fix, haha.

dakotab9328d ago

Hell yeah, that rings true. Buddy of mine used to rebuild small engines in his shed. I watched him spend three days fighting to get a seized piston out of a lawnmower block, cussing and prying and soaking it in all kinds of crap. His old neighbor came over, tapped the side of the block with a rubber mallet twice, and it slid right out like it was butter. My buddy just stood there with his mouth open. That old man didn't even say a word, just walked back to his yard.