TIL my old method for checking tube alignment was way off

I was helping a buddy on a big boiler job at the old paper mill in Everett, and he pulled out a laser level to check the tube bank. I'd been using a string line and a 6-foot straight edge for years, thinking it was good enough. He showed me how the laser caught a 1/8 inch bow in a 20-foot run that I would have totally missed. Anyone else have a tool or trick that made you rethink a basic part of the job?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_caleb10d ago

Ever have that moment where a simple tool shows you've been doing it wrong? I used to swear by my old bubble level for framing until a guy on site had a digital one. Seeing that tiny digital readout prove my "level" was off by a full degree was a real gut punch. What was your first big "oh, I'm the problem" moment with a tool?

wren3019d ago

Torpedo level for tile. Thought my lines were perfect for years. Buddy's laser grid showed every single cut was slightly off. Had to redo a whole bathroom floor. Never trusted my eye again after that.