sam17•2mo ago

PSA: Magnetic parts tray saved me from dropping a bolt into a 50-foot boiler tube

Had to fix a tube bundle on a 2000 hp boiler last week at the paper mill in Tacoma. Dropped a 1/4 inch bolt twice and spent an hour fishing it out. Stuck a magnetic tray on the catwalk near the tube sheet and it caught everything. Wish I tried this years ago. Anyone else use magnets for tube work or just me?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethn562mo ago

Oh man, "fishing it out" is the most accurate description of boiler work I've ever heard (usually I'm just hoping the bolt didn't land in a spot that requires a full shutdown). I once spent 45 minutes trying to retrieve a socket from a tube header with a magnet on a stick, only to realize I'd left the magnetic tray in my truck (classic move). Now I keep three of those things taped to every boiler I touch because my hand-eye coordination is clearly not up to par.

abby_black2mo ago

Do you think the universe punishes laziness by letting hardware fall into the worst possible crevices, or is it just my bad luck? I swear bolts have a sixth sense for finding the one spot you can't reach without a full teardown.

loganthompson29d ago

Forgot to mention, that little metal tray trick only works if whatever fell isn't too rusted or gunked up, otherwise the magnet just slides right off it. Had that happen with a bolt that looked solid but was basically just a shell of rust, ended up having to shake the whole pipe to get it out.