I just acquired a 5' x 8' acorn table. There are a few divots in the top where someone drilled too far or went nuts with a grinder.  How would you go about repairing  this? 

 

Thanks

 

dw

Most of the ones I've seen are all cast iron, so I'd think really hard about welding or doing a repair on it. If you aren't careful you can cause more damage if that weld cracks in the HAZ when the weld cools. I'm not sure I'd braze something like this either. If you use a torch on the table to heat, you may melt the braze.

 

If I had no choice I'd "cold" weld the repair with high nickle filler like Ni99. My guess is you don't have a furnace big enough to really preheat this to 700+ to try and hot weld it. I'd do really short welds, maybe 1/2" in length and then wait until I can touch the weld with my bare hand and peen the heck out of it. The idea being you keep the heat so low you don't cause any stress as the material cools.

 

 

If you absolutely positively want/need to do the repair, PM me and I can give you the name of a guy on another site who does nothing but cast repairs for a living. Contact him and see what his thoughts are on this based on the equipment you have on hand. He's who'd I'd contact if this was my job, just to double check the information I already have.

 

 

As far as tooling, Most tables I have seen like that typically use clamps similar to wedge dogs / hold fasts on wood workers benches, just bigger. That or custom bending tools similar to what's often used in a hardie hole on the anvil.

1 Does it really need it?

2 Clean throughly and use JBWeld epoxy.  (note such areas will stink when hot metal comes in contact with it---see #1)

... as the old lense maker once said ... "Son, look through the lense not at it!" ... My table has a few dings from the provious owner and a few I made, these are great tables and made to use.

Greetings DW,

 

Wow a 5x8 ...  I have a 5x5 and find that's plenty..  Put the rough part in the back ,  fill the holes with JB and use it...  The tooling I have for mine is everything from very large bending forks...  Round pins that fit through various flat belt pulleys for forming large radius .  I also take advantage of its weight. My Hosfield bender and other such equipment are on rollers with plates on the back so that I can move them up to the table and lock them down... Saves a lot of floor space...  I also have developed pop in hold downs and blocks for use with hydraulics when the job requires it.. Welding risers ,  bench supports  the list goes on..  Have fun you will soon say how did I ever get along without it.....

 

Have fun and bend something..

Jim