Switched to a new weld prep method on our 8-inch pipe runs last quarter

We used to hand grind all our bevels, but the foreman brought in a portable pipe lathe from the main yard. Our fit-up time dropped from about 45 minutes per joint to under 15, and the welds are laying in way cleaner. Who else has tried moving from grinding to machine prep on site?

3 comments

3 Comments

webb.evan1mo ago

Wait, isn't a lathe for cutting, not grinding? We used a portable beveling machine that clamped on and had a cutting head. It gave a super clean edge, way better than any grinder finish. That's what cut our fit-up time in half. Maybe your foreman meant a similar machine?

jason_wood1mo ago

Our foreman called it a lathe. It was this huge, old machine they bolted to the pipe. Took three guys to set up. If he meant a portable clamp-on, he was way off. That thing was from the 70s, easy.

carter.ben1mo ago

Those old machines could bevel or face, honestly.