Overheard a 30-year vet say 'mark your layout with a center punch before you start'

Was on a job at a refinery last week and this old timer saw me start drilling without marking my points. He just said 'slow down and punch it first.' Saved me from scrapping a $200 plate. Anyone else get habits drilled into them by an older hand?

2 comments

2 Comments

miawalker6d ago

That 30-year vet’s advice about center punching reminds me of something an old millwright taught me years ago at a paper mill. He made me use a scribe to mark every hole location and then double check with a ruler before I even grabbed my center punch. Saved me at least three times on a single job where I would have drilled right through a hidden weld. @reese_patel that counting taps twice thing is smart, I started doing that after I cross-threaded a critical hole on a hydraulic manifold once. The old timers always have those little tricks that feel like extra work but end up being the difference between a clean job and a costly mistake.

reese_patel6d ago

Did that old timer also tell you to count your taps twice before you thread a hole?