Our full-service finishing shop is housed in the same facility as the rest of our custom metal fabrication operation. In it, we offer everything from surface preparation to final finishing. We know how quickly carbon steel tends to rust if it’s stripped down to white metal and aim to counteract that tendency with immediate galvanizing, painting, or powder coating.
Surface Preparation
We can prepare metal surfaces for finishing at surface preparation grades SP1 – SP10. The techniques we use include wire brush, sandblasting, and metal bead blasting.
Painting
After a surface has been prepared, we apply primer before painting. With each layer of paint or primer, we can gauge the thickness of the coat and document it if a job requires especially strict tolerances. In those cases, we have our certified in-house staff do all work-in-progress inspections and then invite a third-party inspector for final inspection before shipment.
We also apply direct to metal (DTM) paint. Essentially a combination of primer with finish paint, it seals metal from the elements all in one coat.
Hot-Dip Galvanizing
Typically, we do hot-dip galvanizing after a structure or sub-assembly requiring it has been put together. On the other hand, we can also order galvanized material and fabricate with it — an approach we often take when making outdoor ladders and stairs.
Metal Powder Coating
For metal fabrication work that requires more decorative finishing, we offer powder coating, which delivers a softer finish. More of an aesthetic process, powder coating is a good way to finish decorative hand railing or signs, for example.