5- The Unknown. How does zinc metal thinness affect site modification?

A major challenge in the industry that fabricates deposition or cast tops is the ability to measure metal thickness (or thinness) as the product is being made.

While many tout their “hand-made” nature, the resulting products available often have varied, uneven surface quality, and without getting into a lot of detail, uncertainty about the amount of metal placed on the substrate happens because the process to fabricate is quite complicated.

Oftentimes, square edge thicknesses are the only comparable areas that can be easily examined through fabrication, which leaves the thickness application in the main field of the product and on trims and vertical surfaces somewhat of a mystery; it’s really an educated guess.

And while no human is perfect, each artisan may interpret the canvas a bit differently, so to speak, which means that you might have inconsistencies in the same piece or between two pieces of the same assembly.  This bespoke quaintness suits a marketing narrative, but it’s a different story as you attempt to assemble your project on-site.

While some variety is fine, you want to know that what you’re getting is what was promised.  Current non-destructive testing methods are under-developed and unreliable, and destructive testing is not an option for finished products.

This inability to know, more precisely, the thickness at every point on the finished product and adjust this metric means that manufacturers have adopted an understandable stance:  Just don’t let the customer see what’s inside!

While there are other reasons projects shouldn’t be chopped up, wholesale, on site, small, industry-typical modifications should be allowed.

By voiding the warranty if the product is cut, manufacturers do several things: One, they keep customers from creating an obvious, first-hand inspection of the metal thickness.  Two, they greatly increase the time required in templating and design to perfect the final shape, which increases the price.

This means that small notches to account for drywall finishes not yet completed, padded inside corners, and complicated linear scribes must be perfectly recorded in a series of CAD drawings or hard templates.  This  back-and-forth can add significant time and effort to your project.

Another curious observation is how these same suppliers will insist you bore your own holes for faucets and line sets, but these cuts somehow do not void the warranty?!  Interesting take, and a poor service stance to take, in my opinion.

The challenge of creating a consistent coating has affected the warranty manufacturers are willing to offer, and ultimately the design timeline and final price to the customer.