Shoutout to the foreman who called me out on a bad weld in a Texas power plant

I was on a boiler header replacement in Waco last fall, working on a 2-inch thick pressure weld. I rushed the root pass on a 6G joint, thinking the fit-up was good enough. The foreman, a guy named Ray, shut my hood up after the first bead and just said 'That's a cold lap, start over.' He was right, the penetration was maybe 60%. I had to grind it all out, which took an extra two hours. It taught me to never assume a fit, even when you're behind schedule. Anyone else had a boss catch a mistake that saved your bacon?

3 comments

3 Comments

jasonc772mo ago

Man, I gotta be honest, that story doesn't sit right with me. A foreman just shutting your hood like that feels like a power move, not good teaching. There are better ways to point out a mistake without making someone feel small. That kind of thing can wreck trust on a crew. I get the lesson about not rushing, but the method seems off.

leo_adams2mo ago

I've seen foremen do way worse than close a hood, jasonc77. On my first site, a guy got his whole toolbox locked up for leaving a mess. It's a tough environment, not a classroom. That little move probably got the point across faster than a talk. Sometimes you need a sharp lesson to stop a bad habit before it gets someone hurt.

foster.dylan2mo ago

Locking up a toolbox is different from touching someone's car. That hood move crosses a line into personal property. It sets a bad tone for the whole job site.