The weld is the finish.
Full-strength welds left exactly as our welders lay them down, built for structure and hard work. Nothing is ground away, so what you see is the welder’s skill itself.
- Built to
- ¼″
- Finish
- As-welded
- Price
- $$$
The same at every level
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Same crewThe same experienced Fabworx welders and fabricators build every level.
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Same strengthEvery weld fully fuses the steel. Strength never changes with the level.
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Same steelThe same quality material from the same suppliers.
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Same checkEvery piece is measured for size and square before it leaves the shop.
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Same warrantyEvery level carries the Fabworx workmanship warranty. Your written proposal spells out the terms for your job.
What you will see
- 1The welder’s bead
Each weld shows its rippled bead, often called a “stack of dimes.” An even bead like this is a sign of a skilled welder.
- 2Weld berries
Small beads of spatter can stay on the steel near the welds. They are cosmetic and do not affect strength.
- 3Heat color
Straw, bronze and blue tones where the steel got hot. A natural part of welded steel.
- 4Mill finish
The dark, slightly mottled surface steel has when it arrives from the mill.
- 5Built to ¼″
Sizes and corners are built to a quarter-inch spec, right for steel that is framing, supporting or working.
When Level 1 is the right fit
Fixing a gate or building a garden frame does not need showroom finishing. Level 1 gets it built strong, by the same crew, at a price that fits the job.
A ranch gate, a truck rack or a firewood holder gets bumped, loaded and weathered from day one. What matters is the weld, and that is identical at every level.
Steel behind drywall, under a deck or set in concrete is never seen again. Hours of grinding there would add cost without adding anything you will see.
Rustic, farmhouse and industrial designs want the welds to show. Level 1 puts the welder’s craftsmanship right on display.
With no hours spent on finishing, Level 1 has our quickest turnaround, so your project is working for you sooner.
Not sure? Answer a few quick questions and we will suggest the right fit.
Built to ¼″
Level 1 is built to a quarter inch, about the thickness of a pencil.
We check square the way the trades do: measure corner to corner both ways (A and B). On a Level 1 piece, A and B match within ¼″.
The gray band is the ¼″ spec zone around a perfect square, and the red line is the frame as built. A frame can lean a little, but it never leaves the zone. Both are drawn 10 times larger than real life so you can see them; on a real 4-foot frame the difference is too small to notice. Tap the drawing to enlarge it.
We always build as accurately as we can, and most pieces come in closer than their spec. The spec is our promise. Holding a tighter spec takes more shop time: more precise cutting, the piece clamped in fixtures, welds laid in a careful order so the heat does not pull it out of square, and more measuring and correcting along the way. Steel shrinks as a weld cools, and keeping it within 1/16″ means managing that at every joint.
Ruler shown enlarged. For scale: ¼″ is about a pencil’s thickness, ⅛″ is two quarters stacked, 1/16″ is one quarter.
The same weld inside, every level
Every Fabworx weld fully fuses the steel, laid down by the same experienced, certified welders. That never changes. What changes from level to level is the work done on the surface after welding, and the time spent holding the piece to its spec.
That time is the difference in price. Matching the finish to where the steel is going means every hour in the shop goes into something you will actually see and use.
How we build As-Welded
- Cut & fitParts cut and fit to size
- WeldFull-strength welds
- InspectChecked for size and square
What you get
- Full-strength welds by the same Fabworx crew that builds every level.
- Parts cut, fit and welded to your dimensions, built to a ¼″ spec.
- Cut ends deburred so it is safe to handle.
- Checked for size and square before it leaves the shop.
- Paint or powder coat available.
Left natural
- Welds stay as welded, with their natural ripple.
- The steel keeps its mill finish and the heat color from welding.
- Small spatter beads (“weld berries”) can stay where they land.
Built for
Built for repairs, projects and steel that works hard.
- Raised garden bed frames
- trellises and arbors
- fire pit rings
- firewood racks
- BBQ and smoker stands
- Broken gates
- sagging railings
- snapped hinges and latches
- trailer and bracket repairs
- Workbenches
- storage racks
- tool and welding carts
- truck ladder racks
- bumpers
- hitch carriers
- Livestock and horse gates
- hay feeders
- panel repairs
- dog runs
- chicken coops and runs
- Framing behind walls
- deck and floor supports
- posts and plates set in concrete
- Table and bench bases
- shelf brackets
- pieces where the welds are part of the look
Three finishes, one standard
The level and spec for your job are confirmed in your written proposal. One project can use more than one level, for example Seamless on a feature railing and As-Welded on the supports behind the wall.