My old foreman in Pittsburgh told me to always hand-tighten the first few threads on a 4-inch steam valve, and he was dead right after I saw a rookie cross-thread one with a wrench.

Honestly, I watched a guy at the new plant try to muscle a big Crosby valve on with a 3-foot cheater bar last month and he stripped the whole flange, which made me think of that advice from twenty years ago that's saved me a ton of headaches.

2 comments

2 Comments

shanewells1mo ago

That's solid advice for sure, but honestly, I've always been taught to start everything with a wrench, just super light. Hand-tightening can let it go crooked if the threads are even a little rough, especially on the bigger stuff. A little controlled torque from the start keeps it straight.

rowan_butler931mo ago

Wait, you start everything with a wrench? Even tiny stuff like a 10mm bolt on a valve cover? That's wild to me, @shanewells. I've seen guys strip threads on aluminum parts doing that. My old boss would have a fit if he saw someone not hand-starting a bolt. He said the wrench is for the final pull, not for finding the threads. What happens if it's cross-threaded and you don't feel it because the wrench is already on?