4 Tips When Finishing A Stainless Steel Tube

Inexperienced people, such as hobbyists, who want to repair stainless steel tube for a food-grade application need to implement several measures to ensure that the repaired tube will be of acceptable quality for its application. This article discusses some helpful tips that can ensure that the repaired tube meets the expected quality standards.

Be Patient 

You should never rush when you are finishing a repair site in order to make it have a smooth finish which will deter the growth of microbes. Rushing through the process may lead you to use a polishing product which is too abrasive for the stainless steel tube. You may therefore end up crating deeper grooves which will require additional work to remove. 

Start from Finished Areas

It is also advisable for you to commence your finishing touches from the section of the tube which is already finished to the desired standard. You can then work away from that finished part until the entire repair site has been finished appropriately. This method will prevent any mismatches that would have occurred if you had made a random selection of the part where to start the finishing touches once the repair process is complete.

Check the Alignment

You can reduce the issues that can arise after the repair is completed by checking the stainless steel tube for any patterns which should be maintained during and after the repairs. For example, a clear grain pattern may be visible on the surface of the pipe sections which you want to weld together. Keep turning the tube sections until those grain patterns align perfectly. You can then weld the tube sections. This precaution will save you from having to redo the work later when your finishing touches fail to create an alignment in the patterns on each of the sections which you joined randomly.

Select the Best Tool

You can also produce satisfactory results effortlessly if you pick the most appropriate tool for the finishing touches. For instance, you will have better results if you polish the corners of the stainless steel tube using a finger belt sander instead of selecting a combination finisher (which is better suited to grinding flat surfaces).

It is important for you to think through the entire stainless steel repair process before you start doing the actual work. You can then be able to design a repair plan which will reduce the amount of work that you will have to do during the finishing phase of the project.

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