Shoutout to my old foreman who made me hand-cut tube sheets instead of using the plasma table

Nina Johnson · 2026-09-23T14:10:05.655167+00:00

I know most guys in the shop will call me nuts for this, but I'll take hand-cut tube sheets over plasma-cut ones any day of the week. Back in 2019 I was working a small boiler job in Gary, Indiana, and my foreman refused to let us touch the plasma table for the tube sheets. I thought he was just old school and wasting our time. But after doing it his way for three months, I got it. The plasma leaves a heat-affected zone that's harder than the base metal, and when you go to roll those tubes in, that hard edge can chew up the tube or keep it from seating right. Hand-cutting with a good circle burner and then dressing the holes with a die grinder gives you a clean, soft edge that rolls smooth every time. We had zero leakers on that job, and the hydro held first try. I've watched other crews fight leaks for a full shift on plasma-cut sheets. So yeah, I'll take the slow route. What are you guys doing on your tube sheets these days, plasma or torch?

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Shoutout to my old foreman who made me hand-cut tube sheets instead of using the plasma table | Boilermakers - Talk Freely