MY FIRST PROJECT ON STAINLESS STEEL FABRICATION
Good morning friends,I hope things are going well with you and I hope you find this post beneficial.
I'm a Professional Stainless steel fabricator and it'll be my pleasure to share a story about my first project as a Steel fabricator
Before I proceed to that, I'd like to share some vital knowledge about stainless steel.
What is Stainless steel?
In simple definition, stainless steel is a corrosion-resistant alloy of metals.
Why is it called Stainless steel?
It's simply because it doesn't rust or stain. Even if it's stained, it can simply be cleaned and brought back to its original stainless state.
Does stainless steel rust?
Despite being known for its corrosion resistant feature, stainless steel can still rust. Why? Due to exposure to dirt water and Chemicals mostly. But the good news is that there's always a remedy!
What can remove rust or chemical stains on stainless steel metal?
Rust can be removed using baking soda, powdery substance like dry cement or vim powder after a machine brush polishing (common method I use) although other professionals have numerous methods and solutions to stainless steel rust.
Now may I proceed to telling a brief story about my first project after my apprenticeship program.
It was indeed a success throughout the learning process. My boss was a great mentor, and with the help of my senior colleagues I could acquire more knowledge and skills to handling different kinds of work on stainless steel.
I could fabricate a stainless steel handrails, staircase railings, doors, window protectors, shade covers, chairs, cabinets and lots more. Yet one of the few challenging projects in stainless steel field for me was fabricating a stainless steel Gate to an installation level.
After I left my boss, I never thought my first contract would be A steel Gate( a kind of work I wasn't 100% skilled at) yet I happened to get it as my first contract.
Of course nobody wants a huge profit to pass by so I decide to take the bull by the horn.
These are pictures of when I started the Gate fabrication.
I got the the contract from a client on Facebook after I posted samples of stainless gates. Though the agreed price wasn't really intriguing but it was enough for a beginner like me😁
I never had a workshop of my own so I was fabricating at a Colleague's workshop.
In the above picture, what I'm holding in my hand is called a welding thong using basically for joining two or more stainless steel metal with the aid of a filler wire. Behind me is a TIG200 Argon welding machine. The dark eye glass is used to block the welding light from penetrating into the eyes.
Other common tools used for this fabrication include;
- Measuring tape
- Angle square
- Hand plumb
- Writing Marker
- Earth clamp
- Argon gas
- Gas regulator
- Filler wire
- Cutting machine
- Sandpapers and lots more.
Front and back view of the gate after fabrication.
Some common steps to full fabrication include;
- Cutting of the steel metals according to measurements
- Filing the metal to aid smooth welding
- Tagging metal to metal
- Thorough welding
- Polishing of the welded surface to produce a stainless shiny surface amongst other finishing steps.
Installation process.
Since it's a rolling gate, a rolling iron track is usually set on the ground with the aid of cement, concrete stones, sand and water alongside with a Plumb for accuracy.
The rolling track is called the down roller and there's always * the up roller* to aid free rolling of the gate.
Yes, I installed the Stainless steel Gate! A project i was so confident about delivering excellent. God saw me through, I impressed the client and that was how I got my second contract still from him.
Thank you for reading.