Many sculptures are cast in several sections, especially large scale pieces.

 

It is the job of the metalworker (chaser) to weld together these pieces to form a whole, whilst removing any evidence of a join. He will do this by TIG welding all the sections together with wire matching the parent metal. Any excess weld can then be ground down carefully, first with an angle grinder, then with a variety of tools, ranging from air powered tungsten burrs to small chisels and matting tools.

 

The metalworker skilfully blends the joint into the surrounding surface, matching the texture exactly. In the case of smooth or polished pieces, joins will be linished (ground away) with abrasive pads of ever finer grit until the surface is smooth enough to be polished.