Buffing system help

[georgetyson]

Hello fellow pen turners I need some help. I used a buffing wheel system for the first time today and I am not happy with the results. I put it together like the instructions said. I mounted it to my lathe and spun it up to 3000 RPM's and I placed the appropriate wax/polisher on it. Experimenting with this system I polished the top part of the pen with Triple E friction polish and then ran the whole pen and a pendent through all 3 buffing wheels. I think the results are horrible. Giving that this is my first time using this system I am going to chalk it up to operator error. A few questions that I have are:
Does the buffing system replace the need to use friction polish?
What is the approximate speed that I need to run it?
Are there any in-depth you tube videos on this system?

Any help would be grateful.

 

[JimB]

You don't say what system you bought or the size of the wheels. I don't have a lot of experience with buffing but 3000 rpm is very fast. The various systems have recommended rpm's. I believe for 8" wheels it is 1500 - 1750. For smaller wheels or buffing balls a bit higher rpm is recommended.

Also, i have never buffed a friction polish but if I did I would only do the final step, wax. I think the first 2 steps would just remove the friction polish leaving you with bare wood or even worse remove the friction polish in some areas and not others leaving a poor inconsistent finish.

The heat you generate when applying a friction polish helps it cure and shine therefore I would only do the wax.

 

[Curly]

With the three wheels of the Beall sydtem I sand to 400, then use super fine/0000 steel wool then on to the wheels. The instructions with the Beall call for 1800 rpm maximum. I don't always use full rpm either. After polishing with a grit wipe all of it off before going to the next finer wheel. When done your CA finish or plastic blank will sparkle.

Friction polishes are probably too soft to buff. Polyurethane will buff nicely too.

 

[terry q]

The first time I used mine I had horrible results. I was applying way too much material to the wheels. A little goes a long way.

 

[nativewooder]

You need to do some reading about buffing and about what type of materials to use to accomplish various finishes. Building a DIY system without a plan is kind of like digging a hole in the ground to see what it looks like.:biggrin: