The old argument continues I’m afraid. In the opinion of us here at CDS Architectural Metalwork welding is a means of joining 2 metal pieces together and should not be seen with regards to feature metalwork pieces.
When polished welds are called up by the design team then this is what you should be getting and nothing less.
However this level of finish takes time and patience and once the fabricators are trained and experienced then achieving this level of finish is not a problem and should be sought after.
Mildsteel or stainless steel, polishing welds looks fantastic when done correctly.
So………… insist on polishing on metalwork. Balustrades, handrail, metal staircases or whatever, if it’s a feature piece look for quality finishing to your design.
Here is an example of hidden welds. These posts are manufactured from mildsteel sections and all of the welds in the caps are hidden or polished.
Another example of proper polishing. After the process the edges should remain true to shape and not be rounded off from the machines travelling too heavy on the ends.
We can provide samples if required just give us a call.
Regards,
Martin.