Sorry, I have no technical info to add to the thread. But I do remember reading an article about Cannondale once, at that time there was a guy (probably quite a few, actually) in the factory who's only job was to grind the welds smooth. My impression was that it was sort of the "new guy" position, after you did that awhile you got to move up the ladder.

Like you, I remember wondering at the time if Cannondale's welds start out with a little more material so they can afford to grind some off-