For Services and Resources in French Polynesia
The Tahiti Cruisers Guide is brought to you by Julien Desmont from Xperimental and Chuck Houlihan from Jacaranda. Starting as an idea based on the very successful Panama City Cruisers guide, it has evolved into 200+ pages of information on vendors and services throughout French Polynesia. In January 2018, we added GPS coordinates and links to Google Maps to assist in locating businesses.
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Last update: 10 Dec 2024
Welding
Metali'nox
2020-11-08 05:47:35 UTC
Island: Tahiti
GPS Coordinates (Latitude/Longitude in decimal degrees):
Latitude: -17.552167
Longitude: -149.544409
view in google maps11-2020 SV Moggy We had Metalinox manufacture a 1.5 metre long swim ladder from 42.4mm x 2mm wall, 316 stainless steel tube.
We supplied drawings and had phone conversations with Dan about the manufacture and in particular the bends required.
Overall we are happy with the result and we recommend Metalinox.
Potential customers should have realistic expectations.
Efficiency 5 out of 5
He got back to us in a very timely manner and answered all emails and phone calls promptly.
Speed of Manufacture 5 out of 5
It was to be finished with a time frame for delivery to us in the Tuomotus and he met that schedule easily.
Materials Used 5 out of 5
Exactly as requested
Welds 3 out of 5
The welds are strong but are rough. Many are undercut so Dave cannot polish them out. We understand that other people have asked for them to be tidied up and he has done this willingly. Unfortunately we did not collect the ladder ourselves and did not have this opportunity.
Bends 2 out of 5
These are a disappointing result. This could be due to communication error, but they are not in accordance with the drawings or our understanding of subsequent conversations.
Overall finish 3 out of 5
We knew when we ordered that he would not polish the ladder. To polish to mirror finish, a weld needs to be proud rather than undercut. As a result we cannot achieve a result that is commensurate with other stainless finishes on the boat.
Value for money 3 out of 5
It was a very expensive job for a strong, functional finish. If you want something pretty, this is not the guy.
We did ask him to quote for hinge fittings and the quote was around US$90. We decided to import hinges from the USA for $14
We understand that he is probably the best welder of this type in Tahiti. He is also very easy to deal with.
We had Metali’nox fabricate a stainless steel frame for the installation of 4 x 340 watt solar panels across the stern of our Lagoon 500. The end result was very impressive and we are 100% satisfied with their work.
I should stress that we supplied very detailed fabrication drawings, and Metali’nox followed them exactly as specified - they got it right the first time and we had no rework. They delivered the frame to the boat and even helped with the installation at no additional cost.
Metali’nox will not polish stainless steel to a polished mirror finish, but their 320 grit polished finish is very pleasing to the eye.
The Manager, Dan, speaks English and communicates by email with the assistance of Google Translate. He is a very likeable and helpful young man.