My boss told me to always dimension from the center line on pipe runs

Jamie Webb · 2026-03-19T06:10:10.985053+00:00

He said it would save time on the fab shop end, so I did it for a big HVAC job in Phoenix last month. The shop called back confused because their standard was to work from the face, and we had to redo 15 sheets. What's your shop's standard for mechanical dimensioning?

felix4145mo ago

My old drafting teacher said that fight has been going on since the 70s.

2

kevin9745mo ago

My buddy's shop had the same issue, they always work from the face too.

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pat7815mo ago

Yeah but that "work from the face" thing can get messy with big assemblies. We switched to centerline years ago and it cuts down on fit-up errors BIG time. It just gives you one solid reference point.

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blakestone5mo ago

Reworking 15 sheets sounds like a special kind of Monday. That center line versus face debate is a classic shop floor argument. We dimension from the face for all our ductwork and pipe, it just matches how the guys actually build it on the tables. Your boss's idea makes sense on paper, but paper doesn't have to cut and weld the stuff.

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