# Refinish mill table.



## Rotaxxx (Jan 29, 2021)

I bought my knee mill from a school and the table on it is rough with some dings in it, no drill holes or anything crazy. I would like to make it smooth again but I am not too sure how to go about that. Should I remove the table and get it surface ground? Are there any other options? I know I could stone the high spots off but would rather get the whole table looking better.


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## YYCHM (Jan 29, 2021)

It's a mill, mill it smooth


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## Rotaxxx (Jan 30, 2021)

YYCHobbyMachinist said:


> It's a mill, mill it smooth


I also have a angle grinder here, maybe it may work too?  I kid lol. I did some more looking and found grinding is the best option provided the table has the proper thickness. Also its not a easy job as some table grinding may lead to needing to grind the ways and scrape them after. Sometimes they warp from taking material off the top. I think I may just leave it and look the other way when I use it. Or cut some nice covers for the table that go on the table, and around the vise. Would make clean up easier too I guess.


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## turner (Jan 30, 2021)

I have a drill/mill with a beat up table, bought it used...didn't pay much ( ten yrs ago). Yes, the imperfections are a problem, but only in my mind ( OCD ). Take down the high spots, tram the mill, *buy good tooling* and you will produce good work. The work that comes off your mill is what matter most. Payback for me is the product the mill is able to produce. Honestly dings and all, I would not want to be without this thing. All my equipment is old, has character. 
Some day I may own a real mill with a perfect table...but until then...I have lots to learn. Learning how to keep a prefect table prefect.
Todd T.


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## PeterT (Jan 30, 2021)

_I did some more looking and found grinding is the best option provided the table has the proper thickness_

From what little I know, or think I know, this seems to be the conventional wisdom of machine re-conditioners who do it for a living. Or at least do it to achieve some degree of predicatable outcome restored accuracy that most people might want out of their mill. Personally I think there are many more things that could go wrong by milling / flycutting / re-machining a table in-situ, but that's just my own opinion. Some might say if in-situ re-machining results in in a net improvement then it was worth going down this path. Because even if its a fail (a shinier but more non-flat distorted surface) you can always take it to a surface grinder service anyways. I dunno. The devil is in the details. What accuracy level is acceptable to YOU? How is the overall condition? A new machine with great ways and 'simple' table defect is perhaps a better candidate than a worn machine with worn ways & other issues because these fits all influence one another. How much resurfacing $ cost is too much to your wallet? What is the cost of f*cking up the table milling if things happen to go sideways & possibility of table replacement? etc etc. And that might be another option depending on your make/model/vintage - find a replacement table.

You likely found similar responses to this. I would just review & digest them with a critical eye. Which is an armchair opinion & which is a defined A to B example of what you yourself would call success.
https://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/general/repair-resurface-bridgeport-mill-table-myself-213010/


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## kevin.decelles (Jan 30, 2021)

I've come to believe that overthinking it is the pastime of our privileged demographic.  I'll mull over a design/issue/problem in my head for hours, look at it from 30 angles, plan plan plan, and while I'm doing this, a shaky video will surface of someone in Vietnam, wearing sandals, surfacing a table with a home-made cutter made from a thatching blade, turned by a 60 year old electric motor with frayed wires, run from the village dynamo -- all the while chickens are running around......   and his table finish is awesome, and he'll turn out parts for years.

Sometimes.... you just need to go for it.   Not saying that "I would go for it", sometimes I do, sometimes I don't,  but the older I get the more I question the pursuit of perfection.


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## RobinHood (Jan 30, 2021)

The actual appearance has nothing to do with the accuracy of the table/machine. An old, oil stained, rust pitted table (even with pecker holes) that is flat, whose gibs fit properly, is well lubricated and all axis run tight and smooth, will run rings around a brand new, shiny, poorly fitted gibbed ways and sticky sliding surfaced machine.

Carefully draw file the worst areas, then stone off the high spots. Clean, lubricate, adjust for smooth operation and use the mill. You could always scrape the table after knocking the high spots off.

Do you have any pictures?


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## Rotaxxx (Jan 30, 2021)

Thanks for all the replies everyone, lots to consider here. I don't have any pics of it, although I could. I think its my OCD kicking in that wants it done, I think I have it stuck in my head the parts will look nicer coming off a nice table I guess lol. I will maybe leave it for now. I have a couple projects I need my mill for first, then decide what to do next..


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## DPittman (Jan 30, 2021)

kevin.decelles said:


> I've come to believe that overthinking it is the pastime of our privileged demographic.  I'll mull over a design/issue/problem in my head for hours, look at it from 30 angles, plan plan plan, and while I'm doing this, a shaky video will surface of someone in Vietnam, wearing sandals, surfacing a table with a home-made cutter made from a thatching blade, turned by a 60 year old electric motor with frayed wires, run from the village dynamo -- all the while chickens are running around......   and his table finish is awesome, and he'll turn out parts for years.
> 
> Sometimes.... you just need to go for it.   Not saying that "I would go for it", sometimes I do, sometimes I don't,  but the older I get the more I question the pursuit of perfection.


Oh man ain't that the truth!


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## historicalarms (Jan 30, 2021)

Rotaxxx said:


> Thanks for all the replies everyone, lots to consider here. I don't have any pics of it, although I could. I think its my OCD kicking in that wants it done, I think I have it stuck in my head the parts will look nicer coming off a nice table I guess lol. I will maybe leave it for now. I have a couple projects I need my mill for first, then decide what to do next..



  My "farmer rationality" kicked in for a minute here....if it is satisfactory to  do a couple jobs as is...it'll probably do the next 200 jobs equally well. 
      But I do know what your talking about, I bought a drill press 43 years ago, first "good shop tool" I had ever bought (damn near caused a divorce in a 2 yr old marriage )...I was proud of that sucker, and today after drilling thousands of holes, it has one small divot in it that my old man put in it...we damn near came to blows over that divot that hasn't affected its performance one iota.


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