Surface Plate Restoration or Machine Base?

[macardoso]

Looks like a great scraping project to me! I'd definitely not drill it.

 

[Richard King 2]

It looks lie it has been sitting for a long time. Depending on how accurate you need it. You could leave it alone. If I wanted more accuracy I would have it Blanchard Ground. That would zip of any plating real fast. before being ground I would tap the holes for handles. Before sending it out to be ground I would also screw in an eye-bolt, hang it up and on a crane and use a dead blow hammer or 4 x 4 and hit it like a bell to vibration stress relieve it. Parts sitting for a long time causes cast iron to set a twist. It may or may not have set on 3 points, or sitting on 2 x 4's cockeyed. It is a preventative thing to do.

 

[vtcnc]

It looks lie it has been sitting for a long time. Depending on how accurate you need it. You could leave it alone. If I wanted more accuracy I would have it Blanchard Ground. That would zip of any plating real fast. before being ground I would tap the holes for handles. Before sending it out to be ground I would also screw in an eye-bolt, hang it up and on a crane and use a dead blow hammer or 4 x 4 and hit it like a bell to vibration stress relieve it. Parts sitting for a long time causes cast iron to set a twist. It may or may not have set on 3 points, or sitting on 2 x 4's cockeyed. It is a preventative thing to do.

It has three points to rest on cast into the base. The bottom has some rust, so I would expect it to not be flat after however many years it has been neglected.

For now, my logical brain is kicking in and cursing myself for buying it. My emotional brain is happy I saved it from the scrap heap. My problem solving brain is figuring out a plan for a stand to weld up for it.

 

[macardoso]

It has three points to rest on cast into the base. The bottom has some rust, so I would expect it to not be flat after however many years it has been neglected.

For now, my logical brain is kicking in and cursing myself for buying it. My emotional brain is happy I saved it from the scrap heap. My problem solving brain is figuring out a plan for a stand to weld up for it.

I bet there are a few people here happy to take it off your hands

 

[Dhal22]

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.

Dawn power scrubber or whatever dawn used to sell is a wonderful metal cleaner. Too bad they don't sell it anymore.