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That moment when the 3/4 inch plate on the Lake Erie tank job just would not line up
We were doing a repair on a big water tank near Cleveland, and the new section of 3/4 inch plate was off by a full inch at the bottom seam. My foreman, Mike, just kept yelling to pull it with the come-along, but the steel was fighting us hard. Ended up having to cut a small relief notch we didn't plan for, which added two hours to the weld prep. Anyone else had a plate fight them that bad on a seemingly simple patch?
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williamh482mo ago
Oh man, that sounds about right. Honestly, it's like the metal knows when you're on a tight schedule and just decides to be a jerk. We had a half inch plate on a hopper once that warped so bad it looked like a potato chip. Took three guys, a torch, and every clamp on the truck just to get it to sit flat. That relief notch is a pain, but sometimes it's the only way to win the fight.
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tessa_hill8610d ago
Agree with you there, William. That potato chip description is perfect, I've been there more times than I care to count. @angelapalmer probably knows the feeling too, that sinking moment when you step back and realize your patch job has gone sideways. We had a 3/8 plate on a box trailer floor that twisted up like a party streamer the second we struck an arc on it. Ended up having to cut a big relief notch in the middle and even then it took us two full days to get it anywhere close to flat. Sometimes you just have to accept that the metal is going to fight you and plan for extra time and clamps.
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