Guy on site showed me a trick for tight header rows

Was working a boiler retube last month in Gary. Header rows were so tight I couldn't get my normal bar in there. Old timer handed me a piece of 1/2 inch all-thread with two nuts welded on. Thread it into the tube sheet and use it as a puller. Worked perfect. Saved me like 2 hours of swearing. Anyone else got makeshift tools that saved a job?

2 comments

2 Comments

phoenixb341d ago

@blair_martin that all-thread trick is GENIUS honestly. I work with tight spaces too and sometimes the dumbest looking stuff saves the day. I keep a beat up piece of rebar with a bent end in my truck for stubborn bolts. Grind it down a little each time it gets mangled. Three jobs and it still works like a charm. The cheap tools always surprise you when you need them most.

blair_martin1d ago

...and then the guy just walked away like it was no big deal, didn't even stick around to see if it worked. I stood there holding this all-thread, feeling like an idiot for never thinking of it myself. But man, once I threaded it in and started cranking, those rows popped loose so easy I almost laughed. Now my go-to "save me" trick is a cheap harbor freight pry bar with the tip ground down to fit in tight spots. Works for about three jobs then you just grind it down again.