What's new
What's new

Vintage Cast Iron SP - no feet ?

Lurk

Cast Iron
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
Location
Peak District UK
Feeling somewhat like the young lad told to 'wax on / wax off' - by my soon to be teacher of 'scraping' - I have been 'handed' (i.e. come dig this cast Iron plate out of the shed) and asked to clean it up ready to scrape. I thought the casting interesting as there is no 3 point foot arrangement and 3 3/4 BSW threaded holes - 2 at side (like handle positions) and one in the centre - it also has had two threaded holes put in the working face.

Having cleaned off the bad rust from below and applied a coat of paint - I plan on ringing it for a while and letting it hand if I can once I have the working face cleaned off.

What provision should I make for fitting three feet - chances are the cast ribs will not fall at the correct points - so then what ?

24 " x 18" - pre - 1938 judging by the bolt heads fitted (full size BSW not the mid WW2 reduced A/F sized) - no makers marks.
IMG_4909.jpg
 
Lurk --

In the absence of knowing replies, I'll speculate: I doubt that the patternmaker thought he was making a pattern for a surface plate; the casting looks much more like a pivoting machine table than a surface plate. If I wanted to put it on its own feet, I'd add the feet (by epoxy bonding) at intersections of the radial ribs with the third ring rib out from the center, at 12:00 o'clock, 4:30 o'clock, and 7:30 o'clock . . . that spacing isn't theoretically perfect, but is a reasonable approximation.

John
 
Thanks John, I hadnt thought about the pivoting machine plate - quite possible.
I was thinking much along the same lines for the feet. Although, I may machine some slotted feet and fit them over the rib areas and secure by a grub screw nipped up - minimum address stress and quick to remove / move.
The paint has about hardened off so its next up for a working surface to be re-applied - I might even break out the biax on this one - my arms are falling off after progressing the current 18x18" SP and Ive still got a couple of thou' to go !
Thanks for the answer
Mat
 








 
Back
Top