Old pipefitter in Baton Rouge showed me a trick I still use

Back in 2010 on a turnaround at the Exxon plant, this grizzled pipefitter named Red taught me to always check your fit-up with a straight edge before welding. Said "son, you can burn a million rods but if the gap's off you're just making scrap." Still saves me rework to this day, anyone else got a lesson from an old timer that stuck?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_linda1mo agoMost Upvoted

Hate to say it but old school lessons like that are gold. Red sounds like he knew his stuff and took the time to pass it on, which is rare these days. I bet he saved you more than a few headaches over the years. That kind of practical advice sticks with you way longer than anything from a manual or a training video. It's a shame so many of those old timers are retiring out, we lose a lot of real knowledge when they go.

angela5871mo ago

That old timer knew his stuff. Learned the same lesson from a welder in Port Allen.

jana_jones1mo ago

Ain't it the truth? Some of the best lessons come from folks who've been doing it for decades, not from a book.