Journeyman told me to mark my shell plate before beveling, saved my butt in Tulsa

Old timer I was paired with on a tank job in Tulsa said to scribe a reference line before I started torch beveling, I figured it was just his habit. Halfway through the first plate I second guessed my cut line and realized I had nothing to check against. He walked over, showed me his mark, and now I do it every time, any of you guys use a similar trick to keep your cuts honest?

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1 Comment

joseph_baker18d ago

Honestly, I’ve been burned so many times by trusting my eye that I now mark everything like I’m leaving a trail of breadcrumbs. Tbh, my first few years I just eyeballed it and ended up grinding out more metal than I actually cut, which is embarrassing when the foreman walks by. Ngl, that scribe line is the difference between a clean bevel and me staring at the plate like it personally insulted my family. I still mess up plenty, but at least now I know it’s my cut, not my guess. Kinda funny how the simplest trick is the one you fight the hardest.