Welding Cast Iron Jointer Table - Looking for Recommendations

[Mark Kelly 92040]

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

http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae81/mkel2010/Tools/Jointer2.jpg

http://i960.photobucket.com/albums/ae81/mkel2010/Tools/Jointer1.jpg

[Phil Thien]

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

[Mikail Khan]

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

[Van Huskey]

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.

[Mike Heidrick]

Around here welding can be $80 an hour and that is not CI. I would just buy the replacement for $125.

[Peter Quinn]

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?

[Matt Meiser]

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.

[Ryan Baker]

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.

[Chris Barnett]

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.

[Larry Fox]

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.

[Troy Turner]

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!

[Van Huskey]

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!

[Jeff Nicol]

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

[Van Huskey]

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?

[Mark Kelly 92040]

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.

[Mark Kelly 92040]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I will be ordering a replacement table (the cost I mentioned originally is with shipping) tomorrow and get this back in service enough to finish the project I'm working on. Once that's complete then I'll look at buying the 8" and selling this one off. Based on what they are asking for them on CL here in Southern California, I can probably get about $300 for it with a new outfeed table.

[Larry Fox]

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I will be ordering a replacement table (the cost I mentioned originally is with shipping) tomorrow and get this back in service enough to finish the project I'm working on. Once that's complete then I'll look at buying the 8" and selling this one off. Based on what they are asking for them on CL here in Southern California, I can probably get about $300 for it with a new outfeed table.

So you are essentially getting about $150 for it and even that might be a stretch when you divulge that it has been knocked over. Based on that - might consider springing for the 8" now or finding someone who can joint the stock you need for the current project. Having to order the part, tear the existing jointer down to remove the old one, install the new one and get everything lined up only to have to ultimately deal with the list and sale on CL seems like a lot of work for $150 (max).

[Carl Beckett]

Sounds like a plan Mark,

Be sure you know your market for used equipment. Often we see 'one' listed at a good price and think we should get the same for ours (and we dont really know what that one sold for at the end of the day)

$300 for a used 6" jointer would be considered high for my wallet (it better be pristine - as in barely used and shiny new) - I can find them pretty regularly in the $150 range. Which means that for the cost of the replacement part, you could buy another used 6" unit and complete your project and then resell it afterwards (and even if you took a loss, as long as the loss was less than replacement cost you are ahead)

$.02

But you have a path forward that will work. (I empathize with your shop setup, same issue for me with needing to be sure the outfeed space is cleared!) Try arranging all your tools at a angle if possible. You can still have a row of them, but the output will angle into the open floor space (and having said this its just not possible on all my equipment - which means pulling them out for each that I want to use)