sam17•20d ago

PSA: Magnetic parts tray saved me from dropping a bolt into a 50-foot boiler tube

Had to fix a tube bundle on a 2000 hp boiler last week at the paper mill in Tacoma. Dropped a 1/4 inch bolt twice and spent an hour fishing it out. Stuck a magnetic tray on the catwalk near the tube sheet and it caught everything. Wish I tried this years ago. Anyone else use magnets for tube work or just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

elizabethn5620d ago

Oh man, "fishing it out" is the most accurate description of boiler work I've ever heard (usually I'm just hoping the bolt didn't land in a spot that requires a full shutdown). I once spent 45 minutes trying to retrieve a socket from a tube header with a magnet on a stick, only to realize I'd left the magnetic tray in my truck (classic move). Now I keep three of those things taped to every boiler I touch because my hand-eye coordination is clearly not up to par.

abby_black20d ago

Do you think the universe punishes laziness by letting hardware fall into the worst possible crevices, or is it just my bad luck? I swear bolts have a sixth sense for finding the one spot you can't reach without a full teardown.