Buffing system

[NAH]

I know a lot of the people here swear by the Beall buffing system, but I just thought of something and wondered if it would work. Does any one know of a reason that the compound (tripoli or white diamond) couldn't be applied to a cloth and have the pen turning on the lathe? On the same note, any ideas on what cloth might work best? Thanks,
NAH

 

[William Young]

NAH;
I checked out the Beall system and would love to have it but with the pen turning lathe and all the accessories and supplies that I bought recently I am laying low on major purchases.
But I ran across this
http://www.houseoftools.com/product.htm?pid=216959
And I ordered one just yesterday. I know it wont compare with the Beall system but for small things like pens and bottle stoppers etc, it may work out pretty good. Time will tell. The price is right. $ 15.00 US, or $20.00 Cdn.
I'll just chuck it up in either my drill press or in the morse taper chuck I have for my lathe. Before it even arrives I am thinking of putting the whole three on a 1/4" rod with spacers between them and chuck it up between centres on my lathe so I dont have to keep changing from one to the other. I think that's called ingenuity or something like that ;-)
I sold three more pens to day. Every bit helps.
W.Y.

 

[YoYoSpin]

You guys really need to enter our pen/display design contest...one of the prizes will be a Beall buffing system.

 

[dw]

Russ had instructions (on his web page?) for making your own buffing system...to be used on the lathe...out of paint rollers. I thought that was ingenious. Unfortunately I ran across it after I had already invested in and different set-up.

I've tried wiping a soft cloth across a stick of white tripoli and I can't say as I'm confident that I'm picking anything up on the rag. The tripoli is too hard. Carnuba is too hard to use that way as well. And I wouldn't want to try applying the tripoli, in particular right to the spinning blank--I'd be afraid that the tripoli stick would just rip what ever finish was on the blank, right off.

Hut Plastic Polish looks to be white tripoli in a solution. I've used that and it works good...on acrylics as well as on CA. And some of the other compounds like EEE have similar composition in that they also have tripoli or something similar in them. These <b>can</b> applied with a rag to the spinning blank and polished off. No buffing system needed! []

 

[Mac In Oak Ridge]

Originally posted by dw
<br />Russ had instructions (on his web page?) for making your own buffing system..

DW,
Would this be Russ Fairfield? I went to his web site and looked and looked at the links he has to other web sites. Didn' see anything about the buffing system you discribe. Can you post a link to it?
Mac

 

[dw]

Mac,

Yes that's Russ Fairfield...and no I can't post a link. I can't find the article myself, now. [:I] Sorry.

But as I recall, all a person needed to do was turn two plugs (one for each end of the paint roller) and then mount the roller between centers, I think you wanted to use lamb's wool rollers, too. A feller might could turn "connecting plugs" and have several short lamb's wool rollers in a line...each dedicated to a different compound or I suppose you could just tie a red string around a long roller--dividing it into thirds(?), with each third dedicated to a different compound.

Russ reads and posts here so maybe he'll chime in and set us both straight.

Anyway hope that helps....

 

[its_virgil]

Before I had a buffing system I applied the stick buffing compounds by lightly touching the sticks to the spinning pen and move from one end to the other and then buffing with a piece of clean t-shirt. Worked fine, just keep the pieces of cloth separate. After 4 or 5 pens the compound is in the cloth and no need to dress the pen with the compound each time.

I finally made a buffing syttem to mound on an older lathe that was not being used. I have also mounted it on other lathes, taken it to demos, etc. It works very nicely for under $30. Take a look.

Do a good turn daily!
Don





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[RussFairfield]

No photo anywhere. I tried to post a picture here, but all I can get is the dreaded Red X

You can make a buffing wheel from a 9" long nap lambs wool paint roller. Turn a plug for each end and hold it between centers.

Spin it as fast as the lathe will run. Put a band of Tripoli on one end, White Diamond in the middle, and Wax on the other end of the roller. It works better for pens than the Bealle wheels because it is softer and less aggressive. (My opinion)

 

[DCBluesman]

Works like a charm, Russ. One little modification. Use some scissors to shear away a little strip between each third, that way you won't contaminate the different areas!

 

[jwoodwright]

I use a single buff. Ruined a pen by buffing after assembly. Looked dull. Cheap gold was long gone in a second...[]

 

[Guest]

WHen I am done with the finish,I chuck a buffing wheel on my electric drill.
HArdor freight had a buffing/polishing compund kit on sale.
I came with 2 2" wheels a stick of white.and a stick of brown stuff.
The white is aggressive the brown polishes.
I sometimes use to white to even out a CA finish after mm.
I also have a 4"wheel that I use for a final buff after putting on either carnuba was or a Guitar polish I have.
Can't figure out why I haven't read anyone else buffing while they are still on the lathe.
Seems to work fine for me.
Oh yeah,leave the lathe turning