Thread: Needing Some For A Small Surface Grinder Job in Melbourne

Thumb,

If you look at the photo in this link - https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...11#post1738211 you will notice the flycut surface of the Waldown 3M's table. The table was bought new from Brobo Waldown.

I used spraying enamel on the drill. The only surface that is subject to any abuse is the base. It has chips in the paint but the rest of the drill still looks OK half a decade on.

Bob.

G'day Phil,
Thanks for the offer, I wish it was ISO40 but it's got a propriety taper that is sort of unique to Thiel.
Cheers,
Greg.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

Kryn

I have the following holes sizes - one @ 12mm, 6 @ 6mm, one at 28mm. I am happy to pay for time and postage if you are happy to part with some wrought iron.

All my reading says that powder coating is more durable and less prone to chipping then paint.

OK I wil not use the angle grinder.

Hi thumbsucker, if you could PM me your address, I'll get the cast offcuts in the post for you. No time or postage cost to you. FREEBIE.
Regards
Kryn

PM's sent to Greg and Kryn.

I will post back in this thread and the Waldown repair thread with updates.

Thanks for everyone help with this metalworking side of my restoration.

Bob I think using the fly cutter will give the surfaces a more authentic factory finish with the lines in the finish, were the surface grinding tends to leave a much more polished plane blade finish to the surface when done well.

As for the powder coating, the primary reason I am outsourcing this step is because I do not have the space to spray, small urban backyard with no space to swing a cat, I have been working on the Waldown on a makeshift table outdoors when the Melbourne winter weather allows as my workshop is for woodworking only and the grease and metal dust/shaving must be kept out. Wood and metal is like oil and water in my books.

Thumb,

I used Dulux rattle cans when I painted my little Tough Drill. I hung the parts up on the clothes line to spray them. You don't need much room.

I'm not sure if any standard colours in spray cans come close to the original colour Waldown used because I used paint eyematched at an auto paint place and didn't bother looking at cans.

This seller reckons he can match any colour as long as it's a coded automotive colour - http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Spray-Max...-/170579716899 Finding a car painted the same colour as a drill press might be a trick. I know over here there's a firm that will eye match paint for spray cans. I was going to get them to mix up some grey to match my mill but ended up getting the paint matched at Bunnings, well sort of matched.

If you do opt for powdercoating make sure you find out how they want you to mask the areas you don't want coated.

Bob.

Hi Thumb & Bob,

I struggle painting big jobs this time of year. Shed temps struggle to get about 15 deg C and painting in those conditions ends in tears with neverending dry times or wrinkle finishes.

For smaller jobs I take them to work. We have a walk-in drying room and pre-heat the parts on my night shifts. This gives me 14 hours to apply two coats which is easily achieved when the parts are warmed to 30-40 degrees. Luckily my boss is pretty easy going and does not have an issue with it.

Simon

Sorry for bit of a side track, any one know of a company that does pressure pack cans of hammertone green paints, and will post???? Wanting to paint some of the gear that I've made.
Kryn

Yesterday I went to kwijibo99 (Greg) to repair the cast iron table and the foot of the drill press.

Here is a photoblog - I took over 150 photos but here are 14 to give you a taste.

This is what the table looked like before we started work.

IMG_4767.jpg

Here the table is attached to the milling machine and checked for level.

IMG_4773.jpg IMG_4776.jpg

The large oblong hole in the centre measured about30mm, so Greg used this special cutter head that cuts from the centre and can expand the hole to a perfect round. This hole was a stepped.

IMG_4780.jpg IMG_4795.jpg

Plugs were turned from cast iron. To an interference fit. Only one plug was welded in as it was a through hole, the others were blind or stepped holes.

IMG_4805.jpg

Here we are drilling out the smaller 1/4" holes & a 10mm hole.

IMG_4809.jpg IMG_4812.jpg


Here we have all the plugs inserted but not driven home.

IMG_4819.jpg

Next we used an end mill to full the extra plug material away.

IMG_4837.jpg

Then using the end mill Greg skimmed the top, to remove the dings and dents.

IMG_4841.jpg

Lastly we used the fly cutter to mill a uniform surface.

IMG_4857.jpg

By this time it was late so we stopped.

We have decided to give the table top a light scrapping to true the surface more, to give a nice cross hatch pattern to the table and to further obscure the plugs.

The plugs are almost hidden, and you have to catch the light at the right angle to see them.

Greg's work was meticulous and precise. It looks so much better then if I had opted for the epoxy glue solution.

Greg and I will catch up sometime in the next week or two to repair the cast iron foot.

At which point the drill press will be ready for powder coating.

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

We have decided to give the table top a light scrapping to true the surface more, to give a nice cross hatch pattern to the table and to further obscure the plugs.

The plugs are almost hidden, and you have to catch the light at the right angle to see them.

You could well find that once a bit of light patina develops you won't even be able to see them as they will blend in.
Regardless, nice work.

Michael

Nice to see the scraps of cast, going to good use.
Nice work Greg.
Kryn

The other reason for scraping is that the fly cutter created a concave surface, also the travel of the milling machine is limited and it creates two half moons on the surface.

Originally Posted by Michael G

You could well find that once a bit of light patina develops you won't even be able to see them as they will blend in.l

Originally Posted by thumbsucker

The other reason for scraping is that the fly cutter created a concave surface, also the travel of the milling machine is limited and it creates two half moons on the surface.

That's the biggest problem with large fly cutters, only has to be out of tram a second or two, and you get a concave cut. DAMHIKT.
Kryn

Nice write up Helmut and thanks for your kind comments.
I thought the head on my mill was fairly well trammed but when you're swinging a 120mm radius fly-cutter the slightest error soon becomes apparent.
Checking with a straight edge and feeler gauge the table was concave by about a thou in the middle so I broke out the scraper yesterday and got it so a .0015" feeler gauge won't go under at any point. I don't have a surface plate to see how good the surface really is but hopefully it's close enough for a drill press.
All in all this was an interesting little project an I'm glad Helmut is happy with how the table came up in the end.
Cheers,
Greg.

Originally Posted by kwijibo99

Checking with a straight edge and feeler gauge the table was concave by about a thou in the middle so I broke out the scraper yesterday and got it so a .001" feeler gauge won't go under at any point. I don't have a surface plate to see how good the surface really is but hopefully it's close enough for a drill press.

It's is plenty good enough for a drill press.

But your welcome to swing past here, and drop it on one of my plates. If your feeling brave, we could mottle it.

Regards Phil.