Unless a sharp edge is left, or a thin spot, nothing may ever happen on a stationary piece. Put that same weld on a front end loader or something huge that may have cyclical movement and it could be disasterous. It usually depends on the use.
An example that comes to mind, some welding procedure specifications for code welding require grinding the weld to a certain conture on the face of a fillet weld. This procedure may or may not specify the final surface finish.
Ornamental iron only needs to look good and keep the kids from breaking the weld and you from meeting their lawyer. Of course, there's that part about keeping rain out of the tube stuff.
Again, it depends on what the end result needs to accomplish.
In the very large picture, way out in right field, any scratch on metal could be a potential crack. With this said the direction of grinding would be suggested that the grinding scratches should be toward the direction of possible bending. This way the scratch lines will bend with the metal.
Hold your hand palm out. Bend your hand as if to hold a hammer handle. The fingers curl around easily and do not seperate.
If the grinding scratches go transverse or across the potential direction of bending the scratches will tend to stretch and open. Hold your hand palm out.
Put the end of the hammer handle in the palm of your hand and attempt to wrap your fingers around the end of the handle without spreading or bending the fingers.
Clear as mud?  |