Table Repairing

[Chris64]

In the next day or so hopefully I'll be taking possession of a "new to me" mill. It has one small glitch that I'm aware of immediately (and probably more that I'll learn about after I try to use it). Someone went a little too low on the table and milled it a bit. Is this something that:
a) I should be worried about?
b) that can be repaired? I have a TIG and I was thinking if I just heated the table up with a torch a bit and then filled it in and sanded it smooth, I could probably fix it. But I don't know if the heat will hurt anything else but I would worry about just TIGging a big chunk of metal like that without pre-heating it a little.

Any suggestions...I searched and didn't really find anything.

[fkaCarel]

It's a scar. At least you can always say you did'nt do it. Consider it "pre-bashed".
question a: no
question b: with welding you can maybe fix it visually, but you will damage straigthness.

[Mcgyver]

agree with fka. don't mess with it, one of the advantages of cast iron is that its (relatively) stable, weld it and you introduce new stress.

[motomitch1]

Put aTooling Plate on it the full size of the table.

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Matrix-Tooli...QQcmdZViewItem

[fkaCarel]

I have to add that "sanding it smooth" is considered a major offense in machine land.

[Chris64]

Originally Posted by motomitch1 Put aTooling Plate on it the full size of the table. http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Matrix-Tooli...QQcmdZViewItem

That's an idea...but I don't know about alluminum. I suppose this could be one of my first projects is building a fitted cover like that.

Anyway...the table is something like 45" wide so I still have plenty of smooth surface to work with. I just never see tables with scarred surfaces so I wasn't sure if it's something to be worried about.

I'm over it.

Thanks everyone.

[motomitch1]

I know your over it but I cant stop

JB-WELD
http://www.centralhobbies.com/buildi...ves/JBwld.html

[RICHARD ZASTROW]

Chris64, You could chemically clean the surface(s) you want to restore; overfill the surface(s) with Devcon plastic steel/iron or some other; let it cure properly; fly cut the surface to match the table surface. Cosmetically, an orbital sander and steel wool look a lot like a smooth used surface.