Good Tools Matter When Everything Goes Wrong

The last couple of weeks we’ve been rebuilding equipment.

I’ve been in this business for 30 years, and I have a pretty good idea what can go wrong.

Of course, what can go wrong is everything.

We have several belt brazing ovens. The flights needed to be replaced, and while we were at it I decided to replace the chain as well. I had the supplier come out to the shop and sent them back with one of the old chains so we could be absolutely certain we ordered the exact replacement.

Instead, they sold me a standard length chain that turned out to be too long.

That wasn’t the only surprise.

The 1/8-inch holes on the flights came in undersized and had to be drilled out. One set of tubular heating elements had been assembled with a missing nut, so those had to be rebuilt as well.

Anyone who has been doing this kind of work for a while knows the rule: plan for things to go wrong.

And then plan for a few more things on top of that.

Because when you start rebuilding equipment that has been running for years, surprises are almost guaranteed.

Bondhus hex head wrench

The Value of Good Tools

One thing I’ve always believed in is having the right tools and parts on hand when situations like this come up.

During this rebuild, our Bondhus hand tools were a big help.

There’s something very satisfying about using a high-quality tool that fits properly. When the tool slides into a fastener cleanly and engages solidly, the work goes much more smoothly.

Some of the fittings we had to remove were inside an oven and had been there for years, running at about 1600°F day after day. At those temperatures, parts tend to become firmly attached to each other.

This was one of those situations where I was pulling hard on the tools with both hands.

That’s when you really appreciate good steel.

Cheap tools round off. Good tools hold their shape and transfer the torque where you need it.

Lessons Learned Over 30 Years

Over 30 years I’ve made plenty of mistakes. Fortunately, I’ve learned a few things from them as well.

Two lessons stand out.

First, high-quality hand tools are essential. When a machine is down and production is suffering, the tool in your hand often gets used hard. That’s exactly when you need tools that won’t twist, round off, or fail.

Second, I’ve learned the beauty of clear plastic zip bags with a white label block.

Whenever I’m working on a machine, the parts immediately go into a labeled bag. Something simple like:

“8-32 machine screws – Conveyor 5.”

It sounds like a small thing, but it prevents a lot of confusion later.

When you’re in the middle of a rebuild with parts scattered around, good labeling can save hours of frustration.

Felo tough Pliers

Expect Problems With Ordered Parts

There’s one more thing I’ve learned.

No matter how careful you are when ordering parts, something will go wrong eventually.

A chain will be the wrong length.
Holes will be undersized.
A component will arrive missing a piece.

It’s just part of working in manufacturing.

That’s why experience matters—and why having the right tools, spare parts, and a little patience makes such a difference.

Because when everything goes wrong, those are the things that get the equipment running again.