Which of the following statements about grinding stainless steel butt joints aligns with industry recommendations?

• A. Three-point technique
• B. Single-pass technique
• C. Two-point technique
• D. Four-step technique

Answer: (C)

Grinding stainless steel butt joints calls for controlled, even material removal with minimal heat input to keep the edge true and prevent distortion. The two-point technique achieves that by guiding the grinder from two sides of the seam, keeping the edge square and allowing for balanced contact along the joint. This distributes pressure and grinding action evenly, which helps produce a uniform, flat prep and reduces the risk of gouging, overheating, or creating an uneven bevel. In practice, this approach lines up with industry expectations for a clean, consistent weld prep on stainless steel.

Other approaches tend to compromise control or efficiency: using more points can introduce wobble or instability, single-pass grinding can risk hotspots and uneven surfaces, and a more procedural multi-step method adds unnecessary complexity for a standard butt joint prep.