My kid asked me why I still use a level on a boiler drum

I was showing my 12-year-old how to check a drum for plumb in my home shop, and he pointed at my 4-foot level and said, 'Dad, doesn't the machine that made it already know if it's straight?' It hit me that I've never really questioned the habit of double-checking factory work. How many of you still put a level on every new drum, or do you trust the mill spec?

3 comments

3 Comments

mason.faith1mo agoProlific Poster

That's a sharp kid. It's the same reason I still check if a door is locked by jiggling the handle, even though I just heard the deadbolt click. Trust gets built on a pile of small, personal verifications. The factory spec is a promise, but the level in your hands is the proof.

bethwhite1mo ago

Funny how those little checks become a habit. Reminds me of my old truck, @mason.faith. The gas gauge has been broken for years, so I always tap the tank and check the trip meter. You just learn not to trust the easy readout after it lies to you once. That kid is building a good habit early.

lucas_west1mo ago

So when does that trust in your own checks become a problem? Like, do you ever get stuck double-checking everything and waste time?