Professional welder on high end project - need advice

[skotl]

This isn't a structural part. It doesn't need to be strong. However it also shouldn't look like that!

Is it possible that someone could lean on it (arm first, butt first, or whatever) and if it gave way they could overbalance?
I agree that it's not structural, but I do think there's a latent H&S issue here.

Even more so if, in five years' time, something grisly happens and the lawyers stumble upon this thread

 

[Richard.]

This isn't a structural part. It doesn't need to be strong. However it also shouldn't look like that!

It's not structural but it is a railing. I quite agree with bill it needs to have some joint strength there. People will lean, push, sit, kick, shake etc on them and although they ain't designed for that they need to be built to take it. I don't think they are up to much at all a 4mm bridge of pure coking mess that's been ground down till the point of cracking then re welded on top and ground down till it's paper thin.
No thanks.

 

[Akira]

Those are typical 1mm thick capping bits for the privacy screens that were fitted all over the job. No other fixings that a compression gasket. You can remove any of those by hand. Tight, but removable. All signed off and the people have already moved in in some blocks of flats. Yes, they are fitted in the penthouses as well, £2-3M each.

What is being fitted, you do not always have the power to refuse and send back to the shop.

Look, mate, if you came on here expecting professional welders to look at that and give you the thumbs up that everything will be ok...,

You surely can't look at your own pictures and believe that the issue has been addressed?

You got me wrong, mate, I never said so. Agree, I was sometimes sarcastic about the "quality".

I got confirmation that the handrail will be polished this morning (I put a straight edge on the welds and its awfull). The client comes to sign the flat off on Monday.

 

[Tinbasherdan]

They can't even manage not to burn thru on the edges that's appaling

 

[Revs1972]

The wall tiles would distract me from the quality of the metalwork on those last few pics. Was the tiler out on the p155 with the welder ?

 

[cumbriasteve]

I think what we have to remember is a lot of these expensive new builds are face finished only and what you can't see gets passed by those with less knowledge than those that performed the work and they don't have a lot in the first place.

Dig deeper and you will probably find everything from joinery, plumbing and electrics are to the same sub standard, built to a cost that is too low for true quality.

Too many so called professionals around with book knowledge but no real 'on site many years' experience, pass a few course, get some nice looking certificates and you too can earn lot's of money passing stuff that deserves it's place in the nearest scrap depot.

Cost and time are the major factors, I doubt the op has much power to stand his ground and cause what those above him would consider problems and loss.

I know I would not want my name associated with the work but also it can't be easy when you have the bills to pay and don't want to end up on the employment blacklists that are not supposed to exist.

 

[Revs1972]

What worries me is that someone has signed it off. Could you imagine commissioning someone to do work on your own house and accepting that as a quality finish ? ( that's not aimed at you Akira - but the people higher up the chain).
Does the client not have their own QA guy doing the snag list ?
We did a refurb on a £24m house in London years back and they were pointing out tiny grinding marks on a powdercoated pipe cover that had to be redone.
I guess it's all down to time restraints and budgets though

 

[Revs1972]

Dig deeper and you will probably find everything from joinery, plumbing and electrics are to the same sub standard, built to a cost that is too low for true quality.

Sadly true. whilst the approved supply chain should mean you are using tried and tested companies to do your work, the level of quality changes dependant on who you send to do the job. A place where I used to work had a "number 2", who had such a high opinion of himself and his work quality and would chew the head off of anyone who tried to question it. A real bully boy and was able to get away with it because of his position in the company. (When I say number 2 - he was number 2 in the company as well as a proper number 2)
I went on site to meet a client to measure up for some up and over walkways and took the opportunity to look at some staircases he had installed. They were shocking . The client (who was new to his company) , said I don't know who installed those, but I'd never use them again. I had to bite my tongue quite hard

 

[HughF]

Where's the pictures of this all 'polished up' then?

 

[Shox Dr]

The wall tiles would distract me from the quality of the metalwork on those last few pics. Was the tiler out on the p155 with the welder ?

Those jumped out at me as well. I cant believe the standard of workmanship. I wouldn't except any of that, regardless of how much the project was.

 

[HughF]

Those jumped out at me as well. I cant believe the standard of workmanship. I wouldn't except any of that, regardless of how much the project was.

The wall panels on the outside of the property, round the windows? I thought they looked pretty nice, granted the vertical lines are all random but that's the point, no?

 

[Shox Dr]

The wall panels on the outside of the property, round the windows? I thought they looked pretty nice, granted the vertical lines are all random but that's the point, no?

There's no bond, regardless of whether its required ie just tiles, they look *****

 

[HughF]

There's no bond, regardless of whether its required ie just tiles, they look ****

No bond, as in grout missing? I know naff all about tiles hence my inquisition

 

[backpurge]

As a qualified welding inspector take it from me, these are not fit for purpose and there is absolutely no way I would put my name to those. I appreciate people are probably going to be more concerned with their cosmetic appearance as opposed to the structural integrity but to me they fail dismally in all areas. If I was responsible for signing these off I wouldn't even recommend they were repaired, I would insist on them being scrapped and completely re done from scratch

 

[Shox Dr]

No bond, as in grout missing? I know naff all about tiles hence my inquisition

Sorry they are out of bond. As in the vertical joints (perks) should be in the middle [or there abouts] of the tile above and below.

Google; Brick wall bonding patterns for examples

 

[Richard.]

As a qualified welding inspector too I totally agree with all of back purges post.

 

[daleyd]

As a qualified welding inspector too I totally agree with all of back purges post.

As a total layman in terms of welding, I agree with both of the above!

 

[Revs1972]

Those jumped out at me as well. I cant believe the standard of workmanship. I wouldn't except any of that, regardless of how much the project was.

Phew, it's not just me then lol
I have seen a style similar that was out of bond but done in a uniform way that made it look good to the eye . That however is a mess.

I was reading on another forum about these apartments etc being built to be sold on the Asian market to investors over there . If this building is for that purpose then I'm happy for them to leave it all just as is ...