More paper machine stories

This story also relates to the paper machine operation. There were times when the paper makers including the superintendent, just could not get the machines to run properly. They would experience paper breaks all the time. In desperation, the superintendent would make the claim, that the machine was misbehaving because it was out of alignment. Every time there were frequent breaks on one of the paper machines, the younger engineers and draftsmen would get nervous. (We could hear the paper breaks in our nearby office. Calender breaks are very noisy). Should the paper boss declare, that a machine was out of alignment, it was the task of the engineers to figure out where it was out of alignment. For some reason, we were often told that the misalignment was in the dryer section. A paper machine dryer section is a totally enclosed machine section with a large hood enclosing the dryers. The dryers consist of large, steam heated steel cylinders which rotates and dries the paper as it travels through the dryer section. To support the paper going through the dryer, there are also machine felts carrying the paper sheet. Having received marching orders, we would strip down to our shorts and jump into disposable paper coveralls. Time was of essence and we had to enter the dryer sections as soon as possible. The temperature inside the dryer was impossibly high and the dryer rolls were so hot that we had to jump from one foot to the other to keep our feet from burning. Under these conditions we worked for hours with plum bobs and other instruments checking that all the dryer rolls and smaller rolls within the dryer section were parallel.  It must have been a twice yearly performance. I do not ever recall  that our work resulted in the re-alignment of a dryer roll. By some miracle, the machine always started up after our sweaty and unpleasant work. I guess we brought good luck to the paper makers and their machines.