How a Mirror Polish on Stainless Steel Sculpture Is Actually Achieved
A flawless mirror finish is decided during welding and grinding, long before anyone reaches for a polishing mop.
Stainless Steel Ball
Stainless Steel Titanium Gold Metal Hollow Decorative Ball Mirror
Stainless Steel Titanium Gold Metal Hollow Decorative Ball Mirror is a titanium gold plated 316 stainless steel sphere built to order in our Shenzhen workshop.
Product Overview
What This Piece Is
Stainless Steel Titanium Gold Metal Hollow Decorative Ball Mirror is a titanium gold plated 316 stainless steel sphere built to order in our Shenzhen workshop.
A sphere reads the same from every approach, which makes it the safe choice for a roundabout, a lawn or an atrium where there is no fixed viewpoint.
316 stainless steel carries molybdenum, which is what makes it hold up in salt air and around chlorinated water far better than standard grades.
The minimum order is one piece, the size is set by your drawing rather than by a catalogue.
Stainless Steel Titanium Gold Metal Hollow Decorative Ball Mirror produced by Xinhengda Sculpture in Shenzhen
Key Benefits
Why Buyers Specify This Piece
- Specified in 316 stainless steel for coastal, poolside and fountain positions where salt and chlorine attack ordinary steel.
- Titanium gold PVD plating bonds into the surface in a vacuum chamber rather than sitting on it as paint, so the colour does not chip off an edge.
- A brushed matte face scatters light instead of throwing it back, which suits interiors where a mirror surface would be distracting.
- Height, width and base detail for this sphere are set from your drawing, so it is proportioned to the space instead of being the nearest standard size.
- One sphere is a full order. A single project in the position it is going into does not have to wait for a container quantity.
- A sphere reads the same from every approach, which makes it the safe choice for a roundabout, a lawn or an atrium where there is no fixed viewpoint.
- Fixing points and the anchor pattern for this sphere are drawn before fabrication, so site work is bolt down rather than improvisation.
Application Scenarios
Where It Is Installed
Placed wherever the drawing puts it, with the base and fixing detail set to suit that position for this sphere.
Who It Is For
The People Who Order This
- Public art planners and municipal teams siting a sphere in public spaces where it will take public contact
- Galleries and trade buyers reselling 316 stainless spheres into their own local projects
- Main contractors who need the sphere, the base plate and the crate quoted as one package
- Private clients commissioning a single titanium gold plated sphere for the position it is going into
Problems It Solves
What This Piece Removes From the Project
- Sculptures near the sea or over a water feature pick up pitting within a season if the wrong grade is used. 316 is the grade that answers that.
- Gold coloured paint scuffs on handling and dulls under cleaning. A PVD coating is far harder and takes normal cleaning without losing tone.
- Mirror surfaces can be too busy in a small room. A brushed face keeps the form readable and hides fingerprints.
- Getting a sphere into the position it is going into is usually harder than the design assumed. Access is checked before the piece is built, not on delivery day.
- Off the shelf spheres are never the size the position it is going into actually needs, so schemes end up compromised. Making this one to the drawing removes that compromise.
Technical Features
How It Is Constructed
- Seamless sphere construction with the panel joints dressed out so the curve reads continuous
- Titanium gold PVD coating applied in a vacuum chamber over a polished base
- Directional brushed finish applied consistently across panels so the grain runs one way
- Mirror polished by hand through successive grits until the reflection is undistorted across the whole surface
- Fabricated throughout in 316 stainless steel with matching filler where the material is welded
- Internal frame sized to this sphere rather than taken from a standard section list
Specifications
Recorded Specification
| Material | 316 stainless steel |
|---|---|
| Finish | Titanium gold PVD plating and Brushed matte |
| Form | Sphere |
| Category | Stainless Steel Ball |
| Size | Made to your drawing |
| Minimum Order | 1 piece |
| Placement | Quoted per project |
| Packing | Foam lined plywood crate built to the finished geometry |
| Origin | Shenzhen China |
Dimensions, weight and lead time for this sphere are confirmed with the quotation, because it is built to your drawing rather than to a stainless steel ball catalogue size.
Materials
What It Is Made From
- 316 stainless steel
- Stainless or galvanised fixings sized for this sphere and supplied with it
Manufacturing Process
How It Is Made
1
Laser cutting of 316 sheet to the developed pattern
2
Cold forming of each panel over shaped bucks
3
TIG welding with matched 316 filler wire
4
Weld dressing and levelling across every seam
5
Polishing or texturing to the specified finish
6
Pickling and passivation to restore the passive layer after welding
Quality Control
What Is Checked and When
- Mill grade verified on the incoming sheet
- Filler wire matched to the parent grade and recorded
- Welds dressed and checked for undercut before polishing
- Passivation completed after all hot work
- Drainage points on water-facing pieces checked to be clear
Customisation Options
What Can Be Changed
- Overall height, width and depth of the sphere set from your drawing or from the dimensions of the position it is going into
- The 316 stainless grade stepped up where the piece is going within reach of salt or treated water
- Proportions adjusted so the sphere reads correctly from the approach distance in public spaces
- Finish changed between mirror, brushed and coloured coating on the same sphere
Comparison
How It Compares With the Alternatives
Compared with 304 stainless steel
304 is the sensible choice inland. Within reach of salt spray or chlorinated water, 316 is worth the difference because it resists pitting that 304 will eventually show.
Compared with A cast or moulded reproduction
A reproduction repeats a fixed size. This sphere is built to your dimensions, which is the whole reason to commission one.
Compared with Buying through a trading company
A trader passes drawings along and adds a margin. Here the sphere is drawn and built by the same people you are talking to.
Use Guide
Looking After It Once It Is Installed
- Rinse down with fresh water after storms or pool servicing
- Wash with a neutral detergent, then dry to avoid water spotting
- Inspect drainage holes on water features twice a year
- Avoid chloride based cleaners of any kind
- Clean with a soft damp cloth only. Abrasive pads will eventually dull a PVD surface.
Related Products
Other Pieces in Stainless Steel Ball
Frequently Asked Questions
Can this be made in a different size
Yes. Stainless Steel Titanium Gold Metal Hollow Decorative Ball Mirror is made to order, so the height and width are set from your drawing or from the dimensions of the space. Send the position and the height you have in mind and the quotation follows those figures.
What is the minimum order quantity
One piece. There is no container minimum, which is why single projects in the position it is going into are a normal part of the workload here.
Why 316 stainless steel rather than something cheaper
316 stainless steel carries molybdenum, which is what makes it hold up in salt air and around chlorinated water far better than standard grades. Sculptures near the sea or over a water feature pick up pitting within a season if the wrong grade is used. 316 is the grade that answers that.
Is the gold colour paint or plating
It is a titanium PVD coating applied in a vacuum chamber, not paint. That is why it survives cleaning and handling far better than a gold coloured lacquer.
Does a brushed finish mark as easily as a mirror finish
No. A brushed face hides fingerprints and light scuffing much better, which is why it is the usual choice for pieces within reach of the public.
How is a sphere this size packed and shipped
A plywood crate is built around the finished geometry with foam on every titanium gold plated face. Large spheres are split into sections at joints chosen during design, trial assembled in the workshop, then marked so they go back together in the same order on site.
What do you need from me to quote
The position, the height or overall size you want, and any drawing, render or reference photograph you already have. For the position it is going into a photograph of the space is often enough to start.
Quote This Piece for Your Project
Send the position, the height you want and any drawing you have. The quotation comes back against your figures, not against a catalogue size.