304 vs 316 Stainless Steel for Outdoor Sculpture
The grade decision costs little at the quotation stage and a great deal once a piece starts pitting. Here is how to make it properly.
Capability
Mirror Polished Stainless Steel Fabrication
Why a mirror finish is a fabrication problem before it is a polishing problem, and how the seams are made to disappear.
Stage by Stage
7 Stages Each With the Problem It Solves
Each stage lists what normally goes wrong at that point, then how it is handled here.
1
Sheet Selection
Surface defects in the incoming sheet cannot be polished out later without thinning the panel.
Sheet is inspected before cutting and the grade is confirmed against the order, because 304 and 316 look identical on the rack.
2
Developed Pattern Cutting
A compound curved sculpture cut from a guessed flat pattern ends up with forced seams that never sit flat.
The form is developed into flat patterns before cutting, so panels meet without being pulled into place.
3
Forming
Over-worked steel shows as waviness under a mirror finish, even when the shape is right.
Panels are formed over shaped bucks in stages rather than forced in one pass.
4
Welding
Heat distortion on a thin polished panel is permanent.
TIG welding with matched filler, staged around the piece to spread the heat, and welded from the inside wherever the geometry allows.
5
Seam Dressing
This is the step that decides whether the reflection breaks at the joint.
Every seam is ground and levelled until it reads flat under raking light, before any polishing starts. A mirror surface cannot hide a seam that was not dressed.
6
Polishing
Skipping grits leaves scratches that only appear once the surface is bright.
Polishing runs through successive grits with the surface checked under raking light between stages.
7
Passivation and Packing
Welding removes the passive layer exactly where corrosion would start.
The piece is cleaned and passivated after all hot work, then crated with foam on every finished face.
Applies To
Ranges This Capability Covers
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Guides on This Subject
Material Guide
Process Guide
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.
Maintenance Guide
Caring for a Mirror Polished Stainless Steel Sculpture
Very little is needed, but the wrong product used once can undo a finish that took days to achieve.
Frequently Asked Questions
At which stage is the price fixed
When the design is signed off. Before that a price is indicative, because the material, the structure and the finish are still moving.
How much of this happens in your own workshop
All of the fabrication and finishing. Cutting, forming, welding, seam dressing, polishing and packing are done in the same 12,000 square metre building in Shenzhen.
Can we visit or see progress
Progress photographs are sent through the build, and the finished piece is stood up and photographed from every side for written approval before it is crated. Workshop visits can be arranged.
What is the most common cause of delay
Design approval, followed by the foundation. Both are inside the client's control, which is why the base plate and anchor pattern are issued early enough to pour while fabrication is still running.
Bring Us In Before the Design Is Locked
The cheapest place to solve a fabrication problem is on the drawing. Send what you have and we will tell you what it will cost you later if it stays as it is.