15d ago

Foreman told me to pack the tube sheet with a 2 inch roller and I laughed at him

Wider roller on a tube sheet is asking for trouble in my book. The whole point of the smaller roller is keeping the tube from getting too thin right at the ligament, and going bigger just beats up the metal more than it needs. Yeah the old timer got it to hold on that job, but one hydro test passing doesn't mean the joint won't creep on you down the road when it's under real heat and pressure. That Gary spec sheet might've been about that one setup, not some rule for every tube sheet that comes along. Guys with 30 years do know their stuff, no question, but sometimes they lean on what worked once instead of what's actually right for the job in front of you.