Repairing "The Oliver" My Cast Iron Shop Table

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

So, as some of you are aware, I recently purchased a lot of stuff from a machine shop that got bought out. One of those objects was a cast iron work table that had been broken. I got it for less than scrap price, and figured that if it wasn't fixable, I could just build a new base for it, and scrap the legs.

Some idiot who shouldn't be allowed to use a crane put a sling around a bad "weld" that some one had previously attempted. It broke, and the table came crashing down, shattering the once just cracked leg into 6 pieces. I searched around ground zero in the dark with my flashlight and managed to find all of the puzzle pieces.

Once I got it back to my shop, I got to examine it under better light and determine whether or not it was repairable. I decided that nothing risked, nothing gained, and all I would be out is some time and a little acetylene and oxy on my torch if I was wrong. I hoisted the lot of it onto my welding table, and got busy with a grinder.

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

Once I got all the pieces fitup, I got sparked some life into my torch and started brazing. I preheated the whole shebang to about 400 degrees, then got to work. Unfortunately I forgot to take some pictures of the inside braze, but everything fit together perfectly.

What I typically do is vee the backside out 70% of the way, then braze. Vee out the front until the root is reached, then braze the front for 100% penetration.

All brazed up.

I ran out of rod before I could do the little ear on the corner of the base, but I got some more, and when I go back to the shop on Monday I'll snag a few more pictures of the finished project.

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

So, here's the "finished" table. Its going to have to wait until spring for a paint job though.

A_Pmech · Feb 2, 2014

That's the way to do it! More people should try brazing for cast repair, rather than using nickel or iron rod.

:thumbup:

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

You would love the place I got this from AP, its where Oliver woodworking machinery was made.

galute · Feb 2, 2014

Nice work. It is amazing how strong brass is on cast iron when done right. I've got two old vices that were broken in the neck that I've had since the early 70's. They were brazed back together when I got them and they are tough. They have survived years of abuse from me even to the point of me beating on the handles with hammers and they are still hanging in there.

BFBOB · Feb 2, 2014

How did you manage to preheat (and maintain the heat) "the whole shebang"?

Very nice job of fitting-up, by the way. Not sure I would have thought to bolt the legs to the tabletop, though with a second's thought that's obviously the best way to go.

Now, the hard decision: paint or bare metal?

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

I used a rosebud heating attachment, and monitored the heat with a infrared thermometer. If it dipped too low, I switched tips and heated everything up again and kept brazing.

I'm going to paint it, I just want to wait until spring, because I have several things to paint, and I want to do it outside. It's too cold out right now in Michigan. Someday I;ll have a spray booth again!

Mavawreck · Feb 2, 2014

Beautiful! Thanks for saving that. I think with the green Oliver used, it is appropriate that it now reads "The Liver"

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

The bolt that holds the legs from spreading make the "O".

A_Pmech · Feb 2, 2014

dr_clyde said:
You would love the place I got this from AP, its where Oliver woodworking machinery was made.

Oliver was bought out and they're selling off the shop?

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

Yeah, the machinery business was I guess sold off awhile ago, but they still made the connecting rods and mains here. The company that bought the racing parts division took what they wanted, and everything else was to be sold. I got an "in" before any auctions to have my pick. Still a bunch of cool stuff, like the master comparators for scraping the ways on the huge machines they used to make.

longlivepunk · Feb 2, 2014

So I know next to nothing about fixing up cast iron, but I thought the trouble-zone for it was any temperature between 50 and 500, mind setting me straight? That is a nice job fixing that up, and an AWESOME table! It's amazing how quickly stupid people can break things.

1/2 Cup · Feb 2, 2014

Thanks for sharing, that's one nice table worthy of restoration, great job. :thumbup:

jabberwoki · Feb 2, 2014

Very nice! So did this have an Oliver machine on it ?

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

Not entirely sure what you mean by "trouble free zone". Were you referring to metallurgical phase changes? Generally speaking, changes on the iron-carbon phase diagram happen when the metal is quenched. Cast iron isn't very ductile, especially compared to steel. When you braze cast, it is important that the metal be cooled evenly and slowly. If the outside metal cools significantly faster than the weld metal, a crack will form. The brazing filler metal is more ductile than the cast around it, so if the cast cools at a slightly different rate, the braze stretches a bit, and makes it so that it doesn't crack.

Brazing happens between 800 degrees and the meting point of the base metal, so we're already outside the 500 degree window.

dr_clyde · Feb 2, 2014

jabberwoki said:
Very nice! So did this have an Oliver machine on it ?

No, near as I could tell they ran a bunch of these at their foundry once for shop tables in their machine shop. I don't think they sold these as a product. I may be wrong about that, however.

NASTYZEN · Feb 2, 2014

Great fix! I would of done the same thing. Brazing is awesome. I like to use my oxy-ace cutting torch to braze thick parts like that. Keeps more heat in the part.
Great looking table. :thumbup:

A_Pmech · Feb 2, 2014

dr_clyde said:
Yeah, the machinery business was I guess sold off awhile ago, but they still made the connecting rods and mains here. The company that bought the racing parts division took what they wanted, and everything else was to be sold. I got an "in" before any auctions to have my pick. Still a bunch of cool stuff, like the master comparators for scraping the ways on the huge machines they used to make.

Ahh. I seem to remember the woodworking machinery business was bought by some of the employees.

kustom53 · Feb 2, 2014

impressive work...that table looks tough too, good find.

ilovevocs · Feb 2, 2014

^x2

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

EdT · Feb 2, 2014

Great table!!! Superb repair!! Thanks for sharing.

dr_clyde · Feb 6, 2014

Bump for finished pics at post #3.

nine4gmc · Feb 6, 2014

Great job, glad you saved it!!

Richard D · Feb 6, 2014

I would have been sad if you hadn't saved that. What color will it be?

dr_clyde · Feb 6, 2014

I kinda like the darkish blue that's on it already. Haven't really made up my mind yet.

cnc-me · Feb 8, 2014

Anything Oliver is worth fixing.
Premo stuff for sure.

cnc-me · Feb 8, 2014

A_Pmech said:
Ahh. I seem to remember the woodworking machinery business was bought by some of the employees.

Chinese importer bought the rights to the name "Oliver".
New machines from China, bear the name Oliver, what a disgrace.
I think they still make the 299 planer on a custom order basis all though
it has to have the Eagle name on it even though it's the only true Oliver made today.

Repairing "The Oliver" My Cast Iron Shop Table

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