Had a flange warp on a big steam drum job in Galveston last spring.

We were doing the final hydro test on a 72 inch drum when I saw a drip from a manway flange. The gasket had blown because the flange face warped during the post-weld heat treat. My boss wanted to just tighten the bolts more, but I argued we needed to pull it, machine it flat, and start over. We pulled it, and it took two extra days but held 500 psi no problem. What's the biggest call you've had to make against a foreman's quick fix?

3 comments

3 Comments

mila_perry1310d agoTop Commenter

Man, that's a huge call to make. Good on you for sticking with it. It reminds me of how often the right way is the slower, harder way, but cutting corners just comes back later. You see it everywhere, like when people try to fix a leak with more tape instead of replacing the pipe. That extra time you took wasn't a delay, it was the whole job.

sam1710d ago

Totally agree about the leaky pipe thing. I read this article about how quick fixes in tech always cause bigger crashes later. It's the same idea, doing it right the first time saves way more hassle.

bens812d ago

Yeah, that "cutting corners" thing... it's why my old car is a rolling pile of duct tape fixes.