surface table mods

[grunty]

I've just got a lovely surface table. Not much evident wear but surface rusty so needs a clean.
Problem is I bought it more for a workbench rather than surface table. I would like to mount a vice and would also be wanting to clamp stuff to it for welding.
This means drilling holes.
good idea or would this be sacrilege

 

[bazmak]

Get a piece of say 5mm plt to lay over it for drilling and welding
Use the surface plt as the label says.Dont spoil it. If you want a welding table
find one or make one Regards barry

 

[Swifty]

It's glory days as a nice surface plate may have passed due to the rust, but I certainly would not use it as a welding bench. I have a small granite surface plate, but also a couple of surface ground steel plates about 12" square x 1 1/2" thick, which I constantly use to lay model parts out on, I find them very handy when making a project.

Paul.

 

[mcostello]

The precision You damage today,You might wish for tomorrow.

 

[Chiptosser]

It would work great for a jigging table, for set-ups and fixtures, and welding!

Drilling and tapping holes are not going to change flatness or accuracy.

You can sand the rust off the best that you can, but it will never be a precision plate.

If, you want precision, it will have to be ground then scraped or lapped.

Also, weld cleans off from cast iron, if it is cast, easier than steel.

I think its perfect! Good Luck

 

[DJP]

I had the same dilemma. I was given a cast iron table top and I needed a welding table. The rusty cast iron table looked pretty good when I took a stone and some oil to it so I'm still searching for a welding table. As mentioned, a nice flat surface is perfect for setting up and clamping parts before welding.

I ended up placing the cast iron table at my back when working on the lathe. It has been a great place for temporary placement of tools and parts during a project.

I vote for keeping the flat surface table as it will become more useful with time.

 

[Wizard69]

Is that a true surface plate or just a castiron or steel table? If it is a true surface plate it should be heavily ribbed underneath. As for how you use it, that is up to you. I highly doubt that it has remained in any sort of calibration.

One thing to consider, if it is an old casting it is probably pretty stable. This means if it is an actual surface plate it might be worth having it professionally redone. As someone else suggested, ground and either scrapped or lapped in. I'm just not convinced yet that it was ever intended to be a surface plate, looks more like a setup table.

 

[grunty]

thanks for the replys everyone.
Unsure if it is surface plate or assembly table. both items have the same calibration sticker but couldnt see a date. the rust is only surface so hopefully will clean up ok. Underside is deep ribbed, will get a couple more pics.

 

[grunty]

Had a clean today, DA sander and scotchbrite. came up ok but some areas deeper than hoped.


1988 certifed

underside ribs


I think in light of this I'm going to put a neat array of m12s in the top for clamping stuff down. I will see if I can make a clamp for my vice as those holes would be a bit larger than I would like to drill into the table.

 

[DJP]

My cast iron table top looks similar but it has a T slot cut for the full length. Your plan to drill and tap hold down locations should give the same capability as mine. I consider the table to be for assembly where clamps using the T slot can hold parts flat and solid. It would be nice the just weld when everything is in place but I clamp the parts again and move them to a welding area.

Perhaps I should make the cast iron table top into a welding table but not yet.

 

[Wizard69]

Looks like an assembly table to me. If it was a surface plate, with the expectation of high precision I would expect more involved ribbing underneath. The inspection certificate/stamp or whatever you call it is interesting, maybe to old owners had an expectation for accuracy but maybe to to the extent that it would be called a surface plate.

It would be interesting to know the history of this table and what it was originally marketed for. I've been known to be wrong in the past so this could have been marketed as a surface plate.