TIL why slow cooling on boiler welds isn't just a suggestion

Was on a boiler repair last Thursday. The weld needed slow cooling to prevent cracks. Boss pushed to finish early for a deadline. I caved and used fans to cool it fast. Big mistake. The metal contracted unevenly. Now there's visible distortion along the joint. Have to cut it out and start over. Never again.

3 comments

3 Comments

davidschmidt2d ago

Feel that pain. Shortcuts always bite you later. That sucks, but at least you know for next time.

the_alice2d ago

You know, it's funny how sometimes the mess from a shortcut shows you exactly what you were trying to avoid in the first place. Like, you skip steps to save time, but then you spend twice as long fixing it, and that's when you really get how the whole thing works.

allen.zara2d ago

What shortcut blew up on you, @davidschmidt?