I am currently restoring 2 Boss Boring machines (typically timberframing beam boring/drill machines), and 2 Millers Falls Boring machines. The components of both machines are cast iron and are susceptible to breakage when dropped or are tipped over on a hard surface like concrete. Being over a hundred years old, most of these boring machines have been dropped and have some form of damage. I found a great company to repair my cast iron parts and before and after photos are shown below. The company is:
Crow Custom Cast Welding in Hudson, Wi.
http://www.castmetalwelding.com/Buck the owner is friendly and knowledgeable. They clean the parts completely and then preheat them in an oven, as I understand. They create a graphite back block that mates to your part, do their welding, and then reheat in an oven and do a cooling process. His skill also shows through in his shaping of the weldment to recreate the original features of your part. I think they can do any machining needed too. I was very happy with the work they did on my parts, and it was only a few weeks and transit time.
Top corner of cast iron Boss boring machine broken by past owner. Typical issue caused by dropping machine on hard surface. Previous owner then drilled new holes lower down and moved the cross support, drilling through part of the Eagles wings in the process. Broken off area was rebuilt with weld material and non original holes were filled and Eagles wings reformed correctly.
Cracks around bore at "C" location (caused by me during disassembly of cross shaft) welded and ground.
Another top corner broken from a fall. Weld material built up and area correctly reformed. Original broken piece was not used.
Cast iron Millers Falls Boring machine carriage had previously been broken and welded. Weldment was sloppy and covered the "M" in "Mass." but now correctly repaired, now showing no evidence of damage or welding. "Ma" in Mass. was reshaped and now looks original again.
