Remember cutting steel with a torch and a prayer?

Used to burn through 10 tanks of oxy-acetylene a week on a pier job in Boston back in 2009, now I just grab my hydraulic shear and slice through 3 inch steel in under a minute, how do you guys handle the switch to newer gear without losing the old feel for the metal?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora_wells5817d ago

Hear you on that torch and prayer setup, I've been there too with the old gear and it's a whole different rhythm. Switching to a hydraulic shear feels like going from a manual transmission to an automatic, you lose that vibration in your hands that tells you the metal's about to give. I still keep my old torch around for tight corners and finicky cuts because sometimes the new stuff just doesn't have the same touch. It's tough when you're used to feeling the steel through the flame, but I've found that taking a few extra seconds to watch the metal move in the shear helps me stay connected to the work.

spencer_wood17d ago

That thing about watching the metal move is exactly right. When you're on the torch, you get that orange glow and the drip telling you it's ready, but with a shear you gotta look for the curl and the way the metal starts to buckle just before it snaps. I've been running a hydraulic for about six months now and I still catch myself holding my breath during the first few inches of a cut. The real trick I've found is running your hand along the cut line before you drop the blade, just to feel for any warping or hidden curves. There's something about that hand feel that bridges the gap between the old way and the new way, even if it sounds kind of superstitious.