Gouge in table saw cast iron surface

[Jason Roberts]

I dragged a pretty heavy piece of wood across my table saw surface. What I thought was a flat surface had the slightest tip of a screw protruding from it (No, I didn't see it). Anyway, there's about a 4 inch long, shallow gouge on the outfeed side of my table saw. The problem is the slightly raised edge on it.

I'm thinking about sanding it down and re-waxing but I wanted some other opinions before I go doing this.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

[Mac Cambra]

You probably don't have much of a choice since the scratch is likely to damage wood you run through the saw. My thought is to simply polish away the raised edge so your wood doesn't get scratched when sawing. If that happens to remove the scratch altogether thats great. What you want to avoid is removing too much of the top.

[Joe Walsh]

Use the largest flat file you have to remove the raised edge. Lay it flat on the table saw surface to remove the raised edge and run it back an forth over the raised edge.

[Matt Ocel]

I would show the scratch to my wife. Then tell her I needed a new one.:D

[glenn bradley]

I would show the scratch to my wife. Then tell her I needed a new one.:D

A new scratch? But you just got one.

[Larry Edgerton]

I had an employee change the screw length in a taper jig that I run through the planer. As it turns out I had just purchased a new SCMI 520, and it dug gouges in the cast steel bed, not just once but many times. I laid him off, and have been putting up with the bed ever since. It annoys me every time I see it! I need a slack time so I can send it out to be remachined. I did flatten it with a lapping stone, but its just not the same.

I understand how these things can eat at you.......

[Matt Ocel]

A new scratch? But you just got one.


That would be a new TS not a new wife.:D

[Joe Chritz]

I have a similar "scratch" that was caused by a circular saw that was set to deep. :eek:

File, then sandpaper then re-wax. The first scratch is always the hardest.

Joe

[Paul Atkins]

I've use JB Weld for all sorts of things except cast iron table fixes-just might work great though. I've got two big scratches in my 20" planer from the previous owner and I figured it was just a extra place for wax and actually helped. How's that for optimism?

[Pat Germain]

I was also going to suggest JB Weld. That stuff is pretty amazing. File down the raised edge, apply JB Weld and sand thoroughly after it dries. This won't make the scratch invisible, but it will eliminate the gouge.

[Terry Neumann]

I just swapped my Delta 1460 lathe for a Jet JCS 10 right tilt cabinet saw with 52" Biesemeyer fence. The table has two scratches on it that I can feel. What is the best way to remove them and then do an overall cleanup and polish of the cast top and wings?

Thanks,
Terry

[Chip Lindley]

Regrinding is an usually an expensive proposition, and often causes NEW problems with warp!

File or stone the gouge til raised edges disappear. Live with it! It's a battle scar which perhaps will remind you throughout your woodworking career to be a little more watchful/paranoid when sawing/planing *old wood*!

[Ed Calkins]

I was also going to suggest JB Weld. That stuff is pretty amazing. File down the raised edge, apply JB Weld and sand thoroughly after it dries. This won't make the scratch invisible, but it will eliminate the gouge.
Personally, I would not use JB weld for this. I would use a large flat fine file as has been suggested and remove all high points and then leave it alone. If filling the scratch is important to you, use any of the marine or automotive fairing compounds (bondo like products) that can be block sanded easily. There is on functional advantage to filling the scratch and it will still be visable. It is a fine "war" wound. Ed

[Ed Calkins]

There is on functional advantage to filling the scratch and it will still be visable. It is a fine "war" wound. Ed

Oops, meant to say NO advantage -- typo sorry.

[glenn bradley]

I recently notice ding. Not unusual that I can't recall what might have done it because I would have reacted ;-) I ran a piece of scrap across the area and it was going to cause trouble. I wrapped some 220 grit around a machined 1-2-3 block and hand surfaced it. I used a gray syntho pad and worked it with the grain and all is well. It shows but is not glaringly obvious and more importantly, does no harm.

[george wilson]

You may as well live with it. There is no way you are going to remove even .002" from the entire surface of the saw. J.B. Weld might help,if you can get it to stay in the shallow scratch,but it will never be the same color as the table.

[Myk Rian]

If the scratches have raised edges, use an old wood chisel on it. Been there, done that.

[Howard Acheson]

On our machine tools in the die making shop I ran, we used an oilstone to flatten scratched cast iron surfaces. Just oil it and rub it back and forth and it will level the raised edges of the gouge. Finish off with some 400 grit Wet & Dry sandpaper or Emery cloth.

A sharpening stone will do a better job of keeping the area flat. You can also mount 120 grit sandpaper on a flat block. Sandpaper used alone can create non-flat areas in the cast iron.

[Daniel Winsor]

Along the same lines as the JB weld, you may be able to put some CA glue in the scratch and wait for it to cure. Then sand it flush with the table. Epoxy may also work. I've filled plenty of cracks in wood with epoxy or CA glue but I'm not sure how it would bond to the metal. You're really no worse off if it doesn't bond. Just pick it out and you're back where you started.

Dan

[Tony Bilello]

Regrinding is an usually an expensive proposition, and often causes NEW problems with warp!

File or stone the gouge til raised edges disappear. Live with it! It's a battle scar which perhaps will remind you throughout your woodworking career to be a little more watchful/paranoid when sawing/planing *old wood*!

Just build something with the saw and forget about the scratch/gouge.
Other than looks, there should be no adverse afects. You will be judged by your work not your tools.