Overheard a foreman say slag hammering is for rookies

I was grabbing coffee before shift and this old foreman tells a younger guy that anyone who hammers slag off every single bead is wasting time. He said if your technique is right, most of it falls off on its own. That made me think because I always hammer mine clean after every pass. Tried just brushing the heavy stuff off for a few welds yesterday and it actually saved me maybe 15 minutes on a 6-footer. Any of you guys cut back on slag hammering or is that asking for trouble?

2 comments

2 Comments

blake_cooper1mo agoTop Commenter

Makes me think about how a lot of stuff people treat like hard rules are just habits they never questioned. Like, I see guys at the gym who spend twenty minutes doing every little stretch before they even touch a weight, but half those stretches don't actually do anything for what they're about to lift. Same with people who spend ten minutes sorting their email by color-coded folders when the search bar would find it faster. Sometimes the "right" way is just the way that wastes the least of your time and still gets the job done.

taylorc501mo ago

My buddy Joe spends 45 minutes warming up before benching 185 for three reps. Meanwhile I walk in, grab the bar, do a couple light sets, and move on. He's been doing that same routine since 2016 and swears by it. I'm not saying his way is wrong, but I've hit 225 for five without touching a foam roller once. The gym stuff is whatever, but the email folder thing hits different - I've seen office ladies retire with folders nobody touched in ten years. At some point you just gotta ask if the ritual matters more than the result.