Old timer told me my root pass looked like bird droppings

Guy named Dave at Local 30 in Chicago watched me weld a root pass on a 6-inch schedule 80 and just laughed. Said I was running too hot and pausing too long at the toes. Switched to a tighter arc and a little weaving motion, now my X-ray pass rate went from like 70% to 95% in two months. Anybody else get roasted by a veteran and actually fix something?

3 comments

3 Comments

zara5721mo agoMost Upvoted

Doesn't it feel like the best lessons are the ones that sting a bit first?

blakem131mo ago

Gotta hand it to @zara572, you're onto something. The sting is like a shortcut to your brain, skipping all the fluff. I learned to fix my own car after my alternator died on a dark road at midnight, had to crawl under there with a phone flashlight. That panic and frustration etched the lesson in way deeper than any YouTube tutorial ever could. It's like the pain unlocks a different kind of remembering, you know? Makes you wonder if we're supposed to get knocked down a little just to pay attention.

paul25122d agoOG Member

Isn't it funny how that same pattern shows up in the dumbest little things too? Like I used to always burn toast because I was in a hurry, and nothing made me slow down until I actually set off the smoke alarm and had to air out the whole kitchen. Now I check the toaster every single time without thinking about it. It's like your brain files those painful moments in a special folder marked "don't forget this again.