A method of repairing a defect in a casting or cast article, where the defect comprises at least one of a manufacturing, intentional, or service-related defect. The cast article can comprise a casting core and a casting, the casting core comprising a bumper that creates a thin region, namely the defect. One method of repairing the bumper hole defect comprises locating the defect area in the cast article; removing an area of the casting at the defect area; removing an area of the casting core including the bumper at the defect area, where the removing the area of the casting at the defect area and removing an area of the casting core including the bumper at the defect area create a hole; positioning repair material in the hole; heating the defect area, the repair material and the area of the casting at the defect area to melt the repair material and area of the casting at the defect area into a molten material; and re-solidifying the molten material to form a repaired casting. Also, the method without forming the hole can be applied to repair surface defects. The invention also is directed to the repaired article formed by the methods.