Just call it a battle scar. Probably more harm done to your ego than the function of the saw. Give it time…it'll grow back! ;-)

 

I would live with it depending on where it is. The surface might be too smooth for epoxy. Bondo might work best.

 

If it was me, I'd just live with it. The exception might be is it is in a place where it snags the wood I'm sawing. In that case I'm not sure what I'd do, but getting the gouge filled and top reground might be hard to do (around here, anyway). I'm actually surprised it did that much damage, I'd bet the router bit is toast.

 

As others have said leave it there's nothing you can do that will make it look better,plus leaving it there reminds you not to do router work on your table saw's top.

 

I would live with it. My Sawstop has a number of scratches and such and as long as they are smooth and do not scratch the wood I cut, it is fine.

 

Check for burrs around the edge and fill it with epoxy. Have a razor blade or chisel ready so, depending on the cure time of the epoxy you use, you can slice it cleanly flush with the top of the saw. There will be a point where it's cured enough not to be gummy, but not so much that it's hard.

 

I say fill it. You don't want the possibility of something catching on it. As for a filler, I would use JB Weld. It's an epoxy with some sort of metal powder in it, I think. As previously suggested, I would let it get pretty hard, then scrap it flat before it completely hardens. Maybe practice on something first.

JB Weld is tough stuff. It comes by its name honestly. I've stuck metal together that normal people would have welded, expecting it to last until I could do a better repair. But, it never failed after years.

 

Fill it, never used JB weld but have used a product from Lock tite that was a metal epoxy (industrial service) that you can drill and tap when cured. File and sand smooth when hard.

 

Fill it, never used JB weld but have used a product from Lock tite that was a metal epoxy (industrial service) that you can drill and tap when cured. File and sand smooth when hard.

- Andre

I second that epoxy putty stick that is two colors you knead to mix. Have used it for various things and works well.

 

If it was me, I d just live with it. The exception might be is it is in a place where it snags the wood I m sawing. In that case I m not sure what I d do, but getting the gouge filled and top reground might be hard to do (around here, anyway). I m actually surprised it did that much damage, I d bet the router bit is toast.

- Fred Hargis

The funny thing is, the bit is fine. It cut the rest of the needed circles w/o a problem.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into that epoxy.

 

If it was me, I d just live with it. The exception might be is it is in a place where it snags the wood I m sawing. In that case I m not sure what I d do, but getting the gouge filled and top reground might be hard to do (around here, anyway). I m actually surprised it did that much damage, I d bet the router bit is toast.

- Fred Hargis

The funny thing is, the bit is fine. It cut the rest of the needed circles w/o a problem.

Thanks for the suggestions. I ll look into that epoxy.

- gmaffPappy

Cast iron isn't that tough. I have a related hole in the table on my drill press. I was certain that the bit was aligned over the hole in the table, but it missed by about 1/8". For the drill press it is no biggie. I think I would fill the gouge in the saw table or at least make certain that the edges were smoothed so they couldn't catch any work piece.

 

JB Weld Steelstick or Milliput epoxies should work just fine. The JB Weld sets up in 6 minutes, Milliput a little longer. Both can be sanded.

 

If it's part of the wing that got damaged why don't you or get someone to weld and fill it in then grind and sand it flush. I would tape/ cover the entire top except the damaged gouge then fill in the weld. I know you can weld cast iron if you use a high nickel rod. Just another option.

 

If it's part of the wing that got damaged why don't you or get someone to weld and fill it in then grind and sand it flush. I would tape/ cover the entire top except the damaged gouge then fill in the weld. I know you can weld cast iron if you use a high nickel rod. Just another option.

- duc996

Yah, I thought about a weld fill. I was a welder….decades ago. But I thought it might do more damage to the flush top, as it would get heated really high in order for the weld to take. I'm pretty sure that would throw off the true/flat nature of the table?

 

Epoxy, sand, but then wax and move on.

Welding it would be too much localized heat and you would risk warping the top and THAT would be fatal….tis but a scratch.

 

Try JB Weld. It's got a long track record of success though I would use the long set version. It's not difficult to use and will last as long as the saw. Personally, I would avoid welding on cast iron on the table top.

 

Scrap the saw. I'll be over to give you top scrap price for it.

 

Ronald Walters did the same to his saw and published his repair.

 

If you do fill it you might want to try a nib file to help level it.

 

I ditched nib files decades ago. Just take a razor blade and put a piece of masking tape on each end. Now the blade is off the surface the thickness of the tape you use. The file may last longer, but you can find a box of 100 blades for <5.00.

 

Yea j b weld or epoxy will fill it. I had a casting brazed at a local shop and it worked really well but brazing is probably overkill on your table. Live and learn….

 

I like devcon plastic steel better than jb weld. I would fill it with something though

 

I'd like to know what brand router bit you used.
.. .. Marc

 

I d like to know what brand router bit you used.
.. .. Marc

- marc_rosen

Now the real questions….and an image of how well it faired.

 

Cast Iron is actually fairly soft,you can carve it with a pocket knife.
Dont weld but fill with JB or some other epoxy.