best way to level iron surface

[Lee Alkureishi]

Hi,

I'm new to metalworking, so please forgive me if this is a ridiculously simple question/answer.

I'm building a woodworking bowl lathe stand, and a riser for the headstock. The riser is 4 steel tube columns with angle iron welded to the top to act as ways.

I'm not sure if my clamping was off, or the iron deformed from the welding heat, but the top surface is no longer flat - rather, it has a slight crown toward the center.

I'm wondering the best way to flatten the top surface/have the 2 pieces of angle iron in the same plane. I was planning to use an angle grinder to get it close, then a file. I'm thinking it'll be a lot of workdo i wanted to ask if there's a better way before i start!

Thanks in advance,

Lee

[Bruce Page]

Lee, is the angle iron orientated flat or as an inverted “V”? If it is flat then I think the grinder/file method is your best option. If they are orientated as an inverted V, short of having them milled on a milling machine, I can’t think of a way to get them in sync. I suppose you could make a gage and hand work them into sync but it would be difficult.

[Lee Alkureishi]

Hi Bruce,

Thankfully, they're flat , the inverted-v thing sounds crazy tricky!

Thanks for the input,

Lee