Found out my apprentice was torching 3/4 of our welding rod budget

I was going through last month's supply orders and noticed we burned through 80 pounds of 7018 rods on a job that should have used maybe 20. Turns out my apprentice was throwing away any rod that had been out of the rod oven for more than 30 minutes, even if it was still good. Asked him about it and he said his last foreman told him to always pitch rods after 30 minutes no matter what. That's way too strict for our shop conditions. Where do you guys draw the line on how long a rod can sit before you toss it?

2 comments

2 Comments

johns188d ago

That "30 minutes no matter what" rule sounds like something somebody heard once and then passed down like gospel. It reminds me of how my neighbor insists on changing his oil every 3,000 miles even though his truck's manual says 7,500. People love following rules harder than they need to.

verab288d ago

Totally feel you on this lol. I have a buddy who swears by changing his brake pads every 20k miles even though his car is fine until 50k. It's like people get comfort from doing more than necessary, even if it wastes time and money. Makes me wonder how many old wives' tales we all just blindly follow without ever questioning them.