[Newbie] Table refurbish.

Thanks guys some things to try there!!
Had to take the vertical head to pieces to get the collet chuck out on a shop press (took 8 tons) but other than a damn good clean and paint it should be a nice machine... can't wait to learn how to use it!!


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It's been abused, it's damaged, what's the worst that can happen to it if you try to repair it?

First option is get really....really lucky and find a table to repalce this one.

There's a good chance that milling off the damaged surface would cause the table to warp/distort, but how flat is it in it's current condition? I would be inclined to mill off most of the ugly. It looks to be maybe an 1/8" in the worst spots. Another option would be to clean it up in the area where you mount the vice, but you still have to deal with tramming the head to the table. Good Luck- Russ
 
Come outside the box....

The damage is excessive so it will need a few actions.

The surface has low spots that can be filled with a mix of epoxy and steel grindings but the huge voids requires additional work to provide a footing.

You can get Dowell pins or round CRS steel and a 2 flute end mill same size.

CRS cuts easier so use that.

Experiment on scrap and drill a hole with mill then mark a length of CRS slightly longer than hole depth and cut.

Lay it sideways and whack it with heavy hammer to disfigure it then test fit in hole.

You are after a very tight fit that requires a good tap to seat.

Clean with acetone then epoxy in place.

You can Google stitching as that is another process.

You do not need to fill whole area but you do need to have enough "pegs" to allow for a good area without many large voids.

Next use die grinder and other methods to clean up remainder of low spots and mix good high quality epoxy with steel shavings or grinder dust and thin it with acetone or whatever the epoxy can take.

Scrub it into the table to work it into all crevices and arround pegs.

Use wood blocks in the t-nut slots as dams to keep epoxy on table.

Let cure for a week...

With the sharpest cutter you have mill down the pegs and epoxy until just proud of the table.

Place tape over good spots and file plane it down then remove tape and finish.

It will be ugly but it will be a good dofor. ..

Do for now...




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Hi all I'm new to this forum and pretty new to the machining game...
Got given a centec 2a some years ago and it's not in great condition, particularly the bed/table.
Just wondered if anything can ce done with it? Thanks
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Mill the table flat, then bolt this to the top: http://littlemachineshop.com/products/product_view.php?ProductID=3845&category=


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It matters what you want to do with the tool.

If you have it at home and need to work on occasional hobby like projects all you need to do is get a flat spot so you can mount a good quality vise. If needed consider filling part of it with steel powder and epoxy as mentioned above. Most people use a home hobby Bridgeport type machine with a vise mounted and virtually never move it. Then make some side panels out of thin masonite (Everyone should, keeps the outside area on the table from getting scratched with tools, etc on either side of the vise.) Then you would never see the table marks anyway.

I would avoid expense and time it would take to finish the entire surface just to end up with a vise mounted and sides covered anyway.

Otherwise, maybe a good quality 4 inch fly cutter making very thin passes with the power feed until all the badness is gone? With 3 discreet passes to make it seems like it would not overheat, if it is a concern make a pass and wait a while before the next pass.
 
Thanks all some great advice for me to think about


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If you are brand new to the game, clamp a plate of aluminum on it, say half inch thick. fly cut it flat and drill lots of regular holes in a grid and tap them. Mount a vice, get some cutters and get using it. You will learn. YOu will make mistakes and run tools into the vice or your table, you will figure out what you want your next machine to be and it will serve you well. Then if you get a newer, better mill, save this one as a heavy duty drill press. There is no point getting a beautiful cream puff as your first machine because you will beat on it. This is perfect for your purposes and you will learn what size and features you really want. There is this stuff called moglice, which is used to build up worn ways. it is an epoxy. You could could clean and debur the table, apply moglice and set it face down on a surface plate or piece of glass, just to have a level surface. But you probably want to put a fixturing plate on top of that for use. Good luck.
 
Better yet, get a piece of aluminum tooling plate cut to the size of the mill table. I would suggest 3/4" thick, personal preference. Take a flat file and knock off all of the positive metal burrs on the existing table top. Set the new top on and wrung in place, run a .001" feeler gage under the edges to make sure it lays flat. If all good then secure it down to the old table with some large flat head screws such as 3/8". Once done, do as SBlack said to do, drill and tap a field of holes for mounting things to.
I have a plate my dad made that is 6" x 12" x 1/2" thick that was used for the same purpose on a old T & C grinder he had. I kept it when the grinder was scrap out. It had a field of 3/8" drilled and tapped holes all over it on 1" centers.
 
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