One more Stainless job...

Sean · December 22, 2004, 06:30:18 PM

This is a stainless Tray Return system for a university Dining Hall. Whoever installed it originally, measured the thing up before the Tile was on the wall and forgot to allow for it.

When they installed it, they found their mistake and tried to fix it by cutting the tile off the wall so it would fit. Unfortunately for them, a University inspector found what they tried to hide with silicone caulk and we were called in to fix it.

We had to cut the top 2" of the backsplash off so the Tile man could get behind it and replace the cut tiles. Now we are in the process of putting that 2" back on, and re-graining the Brushed Stainless to make the repair invisible. In 8 hours today, we got about ten feet welded and polished. There is about 90 feet of backsplash that has to be done this way.

There is no way to get a Dolly behind it so all our "adjusting" has to be done with Heat and Wet rags.

Bib_Overalls · December 22, 2004, 06:58:19 PM

Impressive. But what would you expect from a man with "people skills."

GPster · December 22, 2004, 07:14:33 PM

Does the guy that measured that job measure duct-work too? Is he the same one that butchered the tile? Sounds like he should be a foreman. GPster

Sean · December 22, 2004, 07:18:56 PM

Quote from: "Bib_Overalls"Impressive. But what would you expect from a man with "people skills."

Thanks. Its really not that hard to do, but it is definitely time consuming.

This job kind of fell into our lap, as we weren't involved with the original construction. The Company that installed the system claimed it wasn't their fault and denied all responsibility, so the general contractor for the job called us in to fix it.

I really don't understand why the company didn't own up to their mistake and fix it themselves because the General Contractor is holding their money. The General will pay us out of that money and the original installers will get whats left over. The General is pretty P.O.'d about the whole situation and gave us the job on a Time and Material basis.

My new Boss was pretty happy with this deal because it happened to be something I already knew how to do, and its T&M. He said "Well, I guess I don't have to worry about you losing Money on your first Job..."

enjenjo · December 22, 2004, 10:39:14 PM

You have a picture of the tool you do the regraining with? Do you have to gas sheild the back side?

Bruce Dorsi · December 22, 2004, 11:58:11 PM

Sean:

What do you use to get the discoloration from the welding out of the stainless?

Do you rely on an abrasive process, or do you use a chemical?

I once visited a company that welded a lot of stainless. ...They had a vat of acid, and dipped all the pieces after welding, and that removed all the discoloration. ...I was unable to learn what the acid was. ....Do you have any idea of what they used?

Thanks!

Sean · December 23, 2004, 07:07:18 AM

That Dipping process is called Passivation. The Pasivation Tanks we have are not big enough for anything other than small parts so on larger items we do it with spray bottles. Its a small percent mixture of Nitric acid and a few other ingredients. I think it basically just eats anything thats not Stainless so there is less chance of contamination causing rust.

Sean · December 23, 2004, 08:03:46 PM

Frank, here is a picture of that thing. I don't even know what the name of it is other than its made by a company called Suhner. The Drums are about 3" in diameter and roughly 6" long.

enjenjo · December 23, 2004, 09:31:24 PM

OK, thanks Sean.

river1 · December 23, 2004, 10:06:46 PM

is this the wheel about halfway down the page and the tool is at the top

http://www.emazing.com.au/tools/ptx_abrasives1.htm#mix

look for Poly-Mix or Kombi Wheel

later jim

Sean · December 24, 2004, 12:47:18 PM

Quote from: "river1"is this the wheel about halfway down the page and the tool is at the top

http://www.emazing.com.au/tools/ptx_abrasives1.htm#mix

look for Poly-Mix or Kombi Wheel

later jim

That looks like the same type of equipment, but a little better selection than the company we have been dealing with. Thanks for putting that link on here Jim, I'll have to show that to my Boss.

Sean · January 08, 2005, 03:34:59 PM

Finally finished the "never-ending job". Got pulled off a couple times but ended up taking myself and an apprentice 9 days to do roughly 95 feet of backsplash. I went back alone the 10th day and did the final polishing by hand.

I don't care if I ever touch another piece of Stainless Steel again...

Sean · January 08, 2005, 03:42:10 PM

This is the outside of it where the students put their trays. It had a 10" shelf on the back and we had to make the replacement in three pieces. Hiding the Butt joints for those three pieces was the worst part of the Job.

58 Yeoman · January 08, 2005, 05:28:24 PM

Looks really good, Sean. What are those rollers for?

Sean · January 08, 2005, 05:58:39 PM

Quote from: "58 Yeoman"Looks really good, Sean. What are those rollers for?

Thanks, I was pretty happy with how it turned out. The Belts stop once they get around the first corner, then there is a series of roller sections that the trays travel on. That section in the picture takes them around another corner.