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That time my grandpa's old toolbox changed how I handle every job now
I was cleaning out my uncle's garage last fall after he passed. Found this beat up metal toolbox from my grandpa that had been sitting there for maybe 30 years. Inside was a single pipe wrench with the handle wrapped in electrical tape and a handwritten note that just said 'tighten til it feels right, not til it breaks.' I was a journeyman plumber at that point and thought I knew everything. But the next week I was on a job downtown where the homeowner had cranked a compression fitting so hard it split the pipe. Cost them $400 extra in repairs. That note keeps me from overdoing it on every fitting now. Has anyone else found some random old tool or note that totally flipped how you do your work?
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william_garcia1mo ago
I read a master plumber say "tight is tight, too tight is broke" and it stuck with me too.
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rowan9691mo ago
That master plumber quote is perfect, @william_garcia. I learned the same lesson the hard way when I tried to fix a leaky pipe and cranked on it until the threads stripped (and then had to call the pros anyway). My inner voice kept saying "just a little more" while the pipe was literally begging for mercy. Now I keep that saying in my toolbox, right next to the duct tape and my bruised ego. It really is the golden rule for people like me who think "tight" means "make it scream.
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