From my last steel job: why I now check every bolt by hand

I was connecting beams on a warehouse roof last week. Our crew used impact wrenches for speed, like everyone does. But I spotted a bolt that looked off, so I tried my manual torque wrench. It clicked way too early, meaning the bolt was barely tight. The impact gun had a worn spring, so it felt right but wasn't. If that section had loaded up, it could have shifted and caused a fall. Now, I test random bolts with a hand wrench throughout the day. Most guys say it's a waste of time, but I've seen the risk. Don't let a tool's feel replace a solid check.

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1 Comment

davis.david2h ago

Man, your story hits close to home. A buddy's uncle was a millwright, and he told us about a time a brand new torque wrench was reading wrong straight out of the box. The crew had tightened a whole series of big flange bolts on a press, and the thing just felt weird when they went to test it. They went back with a known good wrench and found half the bolts were way under spec. That always stuck with me, how you can't even trust new gear sometimes. It's exactly why that extra manual check you're doing isn't a waste at all. It's the last real line of defense.