diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index ed315497..503a2a5b 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -930,6 +930,10 @@ function Base.getindex(axis::Axis, k::Symbol)
     end
 end
 
+function Base.getindex(series::Series, k::Symbol)
+    series.d[k]
+end
+
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 # update attr from an input dictionary
diff --git a/src/axes.jl b/src/axes.jl
index d8bfe3c2..bb66c30c 100644
--- a/src/axes.jl
+++ b/src/axes.jl
@@ -159,16 +159,18 @@ function expand_extrema!(sp::Subplot, d::KW)
     for letter in (:x, :y, :z)
         data = d[letter]
         axis = sp.attr[Symbol(letter, "axis")]
-        if eltype(data) <: Number
-            expand_extrema!(axis, data)
-        elseif isa(data, Surface) && eltype(data.surf) <: Number
+        if eltype(data) <: Number || (isa(data, Surface) && all(di -> isa(di, Number), data.surf))
+            if !(eltype(data) <: Number)
+                # huh... must have been a mis-typed surface? lets swap it out
+                data = d[letter] = Surface(Matrix{Float64}(data.surf))
+            end
             expand_extrema!(axis, data)
         elseif data != nothing
             # TODO: need more here... gotta track the discrete reference value
             #       as well as any coord offset (think of boxplot shape coords... they all
             #       correspond to the same x-value)
-            # @show letter,eltype(data),typeof(data)
             d[letter], d[Symbol(letter,"_discrete_indices")] = discrete_value!(axis, data)
+            expand_extrema!(axis, d[letter])
         end
     end
 
diff --git a/src/components.jl b/src/components.jl
index ad31ef0d..bddb53bb 100644
--- a/src/components.jl
+++ b/src/components.jl
@@ -399,8 +399,8 @@ Base.Array(surf::Surface) = surf.surf
 for f in (:length, :size)
   @eval Base.$f(surf::Surface, args...) = $f(surf.surf, args...)
 end
-Base.copy(surf::Surface) = Surface(copy(surf.surf))
-Base.eltype(surf::Surface) = eltype(surf.surf)
+Base.copy(surf::Surface) = Surface{typeof(surf.surf)}(copy(surf.surf))
+Base.eltype{T}(surf::Surface{T}) = eltype(T)
 
 function expand_extrema!(a::Axis, surf::Surface)
     ex = a[:extrema]