How to remove pitting in cast iron saw tables?

That little amount of pitting should not have any affect on the machines performance. If you want it to look perfect you would need to take the top to a machine shop to be resurfaced.

-- Julian

Leave it be and refrain from sweating on it any more.

-- Illigitimii non carburundum sum

Yes, this does not affect performance at all. It is simply something that bothers me, that is why I’d like to fix it. I think that filling it is more pragmatic than sanding/resurfacing. I am likely going to try bondo, unless anyone has a better suggestion for a filler.

-- Doug - St Paul, MN

would not bother me :<))
clean it up and apply Jim fix :
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/236713 :<))
maybe some jb weld apoxy

-- Tony---- Reinholds,Pa.------ REMEMBER TO ALWAYS HAVE FUN

I second the JB weld fix.

I would put a drink coaster over it.

Your friend the one and only OG

-- Aj

Ignore it and just make sawdust. I think anything that you do will make it worse. If you fill it and sand it, it will look worse.

Paint the tables with a nice gray machine paint. It will level out and fill those spots! Or just wax the table to protect it and go on with life.

Depending on how deep it is you could try sanding it with progressively finer grits of sand paper but you may make the surface uneven. If ultimately your prepared to take the top off and have it machined then you have nothing to lose by trying to sand it . but if your not prepared to have the top milled you may be even less happy with what the top looks like after the sanding experiment. I’ve had success sanding the soles of planes to a mirror finish but that is a much smaller surface. I started with 60 grit and working my way all the way up to 1200 grit and then buffing.

Bondo or jbweld

Jbweld or any epoxy putty. You could also mix iron filings with regular epoxy, I’ve done that. Scrape it flat, touch up with sandpaper or green pad.

-- Rick M, http://thewoodknack.blogspot.com/

if the pitting annoys you, then the bondo would be even more noticeable and annoying.

JB Weld at least can get the color close or do the iron fillings in clear epoxy like Rick said.

Thanks all. I think for once in my life, I will TAKE the advice that has been so freely given to me and just let this go. There is something inside me that HAS to try and fix things that aren’t right. And even though these spots are small, they stick out TO ME and therefore – this part of my psyche just HAS to try and fix it.
With that said, there were some great points made here (Except for aj2!) and I think AZWoody is right – it’s gonna look worse. Rick’s idea is a good one and I’ll give that some thought, but I may elect to just let this one slide.

So – many thanks to everyone who took the time to weigh in.

-- Doug - St Paul, MN

I sweat on my table saw top but I don’t let it rust. I clean it off and keep the top waxed. I have no signs of pitting.

I sweat on my table saw top but I don t let it rust. I clean it off and keep the top waxed. I have no signs of pitting.

- coxhaus

-- Illigitimii non carburundum sum