Re: "Building Up" Tablesaw Top?

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

> Comments?

How does it cut?

Barry

[dmiale]

There is a 2 part epoxy that is used for leveling machinery foundations on ships. I think it's called Level-All or Level-lite, but I'm sure a Google search will turn up something.

[Bridger]

if this were a metalworking machine the solution would be to hand scrape the high spots down to flat. might be worth looking into... Bridger

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Just a couple of thoughts.

Will whatever you use hold up being that thin?

How will you machine, sand, or otherwise level it to a closer tolerance than what you have now?

[Dave G]

Aside from the fact that I can't figure out where/how to square the blade or the fence to the surface? Fine.

[Dave G]

No clue. Does cast-iron "creep" under steady strain and 90degF temperature swings? The motor hangs from the front of the top. It was kept in Dad's unconditioned shed in Northern Virginia until he died, and then spent at least one winter/summer cycle outside under the deck.

[B a r r y B u r k e J r .]

In that case, once you can square it up, use it until you can replace it.

Barry

[Andy Dingley]

Yes (although it's not strictly creep).

Saw tables are big wide, but thin, castings. Like all castings, they cool down form the outside first and so they have a stressed skin on the outside (a bit like tempered glass). Machining _one_ side of this smooth gives an unbalanced casting that's almost guaranteed to warp.

It also used to be good practice to "season" large iron castings for six months (or even a year) before machining them. This is no longer done, for cost reasons. That said, seasoning is no longer as necessary as it used to be, owing to modern metallurgy being different.

Personally I'd ignore it. If you get that worried, it's time to look for basically better saws.

-- Klein bottle for rent. Apply within.

[EJ_Sawmill]

I sold a craftsman table saw with a cast iron top having the same trouble, the fella I sold it to was an auto mechanic who took the table off and took it to an auto machine shop that had a wide belt sander for flattening automotive machine heads. Cost him $15 worked like a charm according to him. I do think he followed that up with some 600 grit and a nice wax job to complete it.

EJ

[Dave G]

That's my problem ... I can't square it up. Where the wood rides (and hence what blade angle will give a square edge) depends on how wide the piece is, since the top is curved up away from the blade on both sides.

[Dave G]

Cast iron.

It's sounding like the recommendations are:

1. JB-Weld, epoxy paint, or something similar, followed by sanding it down (probably with a full sheet of paper spray-glued to a flat piece of glass or some such). 2. Call a local machine shop and see what they can do, or 3. Relax my sphincter, and accept that I can't get square edges ... which would be acceptable if I had a decent jointer, but I was relying on my WWII blade to make up for that ...