Surface Plate Restoration or Machine Base?

One of those is on my long range radar...$20...I’d a been stupid at $40.
 
I bought a 3x4 CI plate similar to that acouple years back and it had some surface rust on it and some staining from a tapping machine the PO had on it. I took the blue paper towels in a roll and soak enough of them in vinegar to cover the top surface. Let it sit for acouple hours and got this. Would still loved to get it scraped back in but the surface is great no pitting just discolor from the bad spots 33349AB3-C663-4F1C-B601-720BEEFBD8B9.jpeg3931DCE4-F3AA-418B-BEB6-B4FA88985F44.jpeg
 
Great find Bryan.

It is absolutely restorable. I would try removing the coating by spraying with Easy-Off Heavy Duty BBQ Grill Cleaner.
Rinse & repeat as required.

One issue with using CI for precision surface plates is that any ding raises an annulus. Granite may chip, but no raised annulus.
That means you have to be even more careful with CI. If you get a ding, you have to stone it. What?

Clean it up and survey it for flatness. I don't know if you have a large enough granite, but I'm hoping you have access to one. Maybe, as is, it's flat enough for your desires at this time.

If you drill holes in it to mount a Chinese arbor press (or the like), I will shed a tear.
 
extropic said:
Great find Bryan.

It is absolutely restorable. I would try removing the coating by spraying with Easy-Off Heavy Duty BBQ Grill Cleaner.
Rinse & repeat as required.

One issue with using CI for precision surface plates is that any ding raises an annulus. Granite may chip, but no raised annulus.
That means you have to be even more careful with CI. If you get a ding, you have to stone it. What?

Clean it up and survey it for flatness. I don't know if you have a large enough granite, but I'm hoping you have access to one. Maybe, as is, it's flat enough for your desires at this time.

If you drill holes in it to mount a Chinese arbor press (or the like), I will shed a tear.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. I'll try the degreaser. Ok, I PROMISE, I will not drill into this and use it as a machine base. What was I thinking?!
 
extropic said:
One issue with using CI for precision surface plates is that any ding raises an annulus. Granite may chip, but no raised annulus.
That means you have to be even more careful with CI. If you get a ding, you have to stone it. What?

Clean it up and survey it for flatness. I don't know if you have a large enough granite, but I'm hoping you have access to one. Maybe, as is, it's flat enough for your desires at this time.
Click to expand...
Stoning won't be an issue and have done this before to remove burrs and raised sections you describe. I can feel a few raised areas around some pits and dings, so it will require some love and attention.

I have my eye on a 3x4 granite surface plate. Despite being in the temperate Vermont climate, the granite will be far more stable than the cast iron.

Having both won't hurt my feelings!
 
I've got a smaller one (12 x 18 or so) that I use as a sanding plate. I use it ALL THE TIME. Cannot recommend it enough.

One or several of the YouTube dudes have done videos on the topic. I don't remember who at the moment, maybe Renzetti?

I've also got a pretty decent granite plate that I use for measuring stuff. I try not to use it as a sanding plate too, but, well, we all do from time to time.
 
Nice find, you guys in the industrialised North America have so many opportunities to buy second hand stuff, it's very scarce here.
 
I just got a 15 by 18 ci plate used some scotch brite and some wd 40 cleaned right up the thing was sitting in a barn for 10 years my plate it has six feet not three:rolleyes:
 
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