Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 15 of 18

Thread: Welding Cast Iron Jointer Table - Looking for Recommendations

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Winchester, CA
    Posts
    36

    Welding Cast Iron Jointer Table - Looking for Recommendations

    While working today, my jointer was accidentally knocked over. As a result, I now have a crack adjacent to the dovetail ways in the outfeed table, with a small piece broken off. I've got it apart and there are several pictures of the area below. The crack/break is right in the area of the gib set screws so if I do have it welded the repair will need to be strong enough to handle whatever stress tightening the set screws may cause.

    Assuming I could find someone experienced at welding cast iron, is this repair advisable? If so, how should I go about finding someone to do the welding. What questions should I ask before I have it done?

    I can replace the outfeed table for about $125. I'm not sure what the weld will cost. Right now I'm leaning towards replacing it anyway with an eight inch jointer and then selling the repaired 6 inch (Rigid) jointer. I'm not sure what a welding job like this would run so I'd also have to weigh the cost of welding vs. replacement.

    Any comments or suggestions greatly appreciated.

    Mark




  2. #2
    I'd skip the repair, and part our what's left on eBay, buy an 8" model, and not look back.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    Trinidad, West Indies
    Posts
    458

    Consider metal locking for repair

    Welding cast iron is not easy.

    You can check to see if any machine shops in your area can do metal locking and compare the cost.

    http://www.locknstitch.com/Metal_Stitching.htm

    I have used metal locking sucessfully at work. I am not sure how cost effective it will be for you.

    Mikail

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
    Posts
    9,447
    Sell it as is or replace it. I am betting welding will cause warping and that isn't an easy area to do a good job. Brazing is a possibility but I don't think it will be cost effective.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    Bloomington, IL
    Posts
    6,009
    Around here welding can be $80 an hour and that is not CI. I would just buy the replacement for $125.
    Glad its my shop I am responsible for - I only have to make me happy.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Northwestern Connecticut
    Posts
    7,149
    The heat is likely to warp the table then you have to have it reground flat, now you are paying a machinist and a welder to braise it. Sell it, scrap it, replace the casting if you care to and can. Welding is not much of an option IMO. I think cast iron is actually "braised", which is more like filling the crack with a filler that holds the two edges together than welding such as is done with steel parts. But I'm not an exper on that at all, so maybe talk to one first?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Monroe, MI
    Posts
    11,896
    In addition to the above advise, I'd offer that if I was looking at a jointer and saw welding done on it, huge red flags would go up in my mind.


  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    Detroit, MI
    Posts
    1,661
    I'd have to agree with Matt about the red flags to a buyer. After the welding, you would have a bunch of grinding/machining to pay for as well, which would certainly cost more than the replacement part (unless you know somebody who will 'donate' the work). If you want to keep it, I would buy the replacement and move on. If you want to sell it, you would probably do better to sell it 'as is' at a reduced price and give the buyer the info about the replacement part. You could try brazing it if you wanted to keep the cost down before selling it.

  9. #9
    You might want to ask the experts @ weldingweb.com. They are quite helpful and should know the best way to weld and watch-outs for this task. Sorry about the bad luck.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    Glenmoore, PA
    Posts
    2,194
    I would part it out and get the 8 inch jointer. I had a cast iron part for an emmert vise repaired by a company called lock and stitch (a poster above provided the link). They did an absolutely wonderful job - I mean a FANTASTIC job but it was 1
    $100. + shipping and it was a small piece. No way having it repaired is going to be cost effective for you here.
    Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us.
    -Bill Watterson

    Reminds me of my safari in Africa. Somebody forgot the corkscrew and for several days we had to live on nothing but food and water.
    -W. C. Fields

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Tyler, TX
    Posts
    553
    Not worth the welding. Sucks cause we try and salvage everything we have in hopes of not having to drop anymore money on replacement parts or a new one.

    If you have the $$ for a new one, grit your teeth and go for it. You already know you're going to be out $125 for a replacement part (don't know if that includes shipping). Maybe you can find a good used one on CL or something. I've got a Craftsman 6" that I'm waiting to go out so I can get me a better one.

    Maybe mine with "accidentally" fall on the floor one day

    Good luck whatever you decide...but stay away from the welding it back together!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
    Posts
    9,447
    The more I think about it the more I think I would strip the motor, pulleys, belt and blades (if they aren't disposible types someone will give you a few bucks for them) and scrap it. I would use the motor etc on SOME project, come to think of it I might save the fence too, no telling what use I might find for it...

    PS get the motor starter too!
    Last edited by Van Huskey; 06-24-2012 at 10:07 PM.
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Eau claire, Wisconsin
    Posts
    3,084
    If you can't do all the repairs yourself it will cost more to fix than to get the new part, I have been welding for 35 years and doing cast is a real pain. If it was more for cosmetics instead of under stress, brazing would be easiest, but to do it right the whole piece would have to be heated up and kept hot during the weld and then cooled slowly to not crack apart, and with a piece that big one would need a big oven! So it is just not cost effective as others have already said, part it out, save what you can use for other projects and there is someone out there with the other end broke on theirs who will buy what you have left.

    Just to quench the curiosity.......How the heck did it get tipped over? Did you have a rugby match or an earthquake in the shop!

    Jeff
    To turn or not to turn that is the question: ........Of course the answer is...........TURN ,TURN,TURN!!!!
    Anyone "Fool" can know, The important thing is to Understand................Albert Einstein
    To follow blindly, is to never become a leader............................................ .....Unknown

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    LA & SC neither one is Cali
    Posts
    9,447
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Nicol View Post
    Just to quench the curiosity.......How the heck did it get tipped over? Did you have a rugby match or an earthquake in the shop!

    Jeff
    A bull in a woodworking shop?
    Of all the laws Brandolini's may be the most universally true.

    Deep thought for the day:

    Your bandsaw weighs more when you leave the spring compressed instead of relieving the tension.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Winchester, CA
    Posts
    36
    Quote Originally Posted by Jeff Nicol View Post
    Just to quench the curiosity.......How the heck did it get tipped over? Did you have a rugby match or an earthquake in the shop!

    Jeff

    The long story: I had a long board that I was running through my 15" planer. My garage is my shop so all the tools are on wheels and get moved around each time I am working. I normally have the jointer set up so that the infeed/outfeed direction is in line with the infeed/outfeed of the planer. Today I had the jointer set up perpendicular because of the length of the board. I was on the outfeed side of the planer to grab the board and had my back to the jointer. Apparently, the height of the board coming off the planer was just right to meet the jointer and push it over. I didn't hear it fall and didn't realize what had happened till it was all over. The jointer landed on the fence casting, which didn't break (and neither did the fence.) I suspect that there may have been a hairline crack there to begin with and the impact was enough to finish it off.

    Not one of my better days.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •