Buffing tip!

[ed4copies]

Had a conversation yesterday with a customer who noted that he buffed trustone and his buffing wheels turned grey.

I asked if it was one of the gold or copper veined blanks, he said it was.

This reminded me------The trustone with metal in it MAY turn your buffing wheels black or grey.

I would NOT use these for future wood pens---they should work OK on dark acrylics---not sure about light acrylic (after the wheels get black).


For conversation: CAN the wheels be washed? (I have always just replaced them, but this is a reasonable question).

If you buff light acrylics, will the dark wheel change the color of the light blanks?

Other suggestions for Trustone with metal in it???

Ed

 

[mredburn]

Depending on the surface speed of your wheel it could generate enough heat to soften the surface of any acrylic and infuse the old buffing compound in to the pen.`I have had that happen. There are prescribed ways to remove the built up buffing compound but I dont remember washing them being one of them. That could have had something to do with the fact we were buffing jewelry and they did not want to wash any precious metal down the drain.

 

[SteveG]

... That could have had something to do with the fact we were buffing jewelry and they did not want to wash any precious metal down the drain.

Same idea here…would we want to wash any "Precious Resin" down the drain???

 

[mredburn]

Your washed buff would have to be really dry when you put it back on so that it did not cake up in clumps when you charged it with the buffing compound for polishing. That would be a disaster.

 

[Mack C.]

Other suggestions for Trustone with metal in it???

I clean my buffs with an old hacksaw blade, or 100 grit sandpaper or a carding brush. I've turned them somewhat grayish upon buffing aluminum used in my segmenting.

They don't transfer any of the gray to the light woods I have used! A spritz of CA accelerator on the light wood usually cleans up any override from the aluminum. (if in actuality there is any).

 

[BKelley]

Ed,

Buffing wheels can be "raked". Mack is correct in restoring his wheels with a hack saw blade. Buffing wheel makers also sell a rake which is a little more aggressive than a hack saw blade.

Ben

 

[Chasper]

I use a rake. A wheel needs to be raked occasionally to keep it soft, the rake restores it to nearly new. Use a magnet to know which trustone has metal. The buffing wheels darken a little, the rake removes most of the darkness and after that is doesn't darken even a white resin blank. I don't know about light wood, I only use the buffing wheel on wood after several coats of CA so my Tripoli wheel never touches raw light colored wood.

 

[Deadhead]

Ed,
I forgot to tell you; I was able to wash the buffs. It took 3 washes, but the 1st was a short cycle and I had "re-charged" the buff alot, before I thought about washing them.

Ben

 

[Pitoon]

good info to know. i have a couple of segmented blanks with aluminum in it. now i know what to expect.

Pitoon

 

[edstreet]

Perhaps the greatest buffing tip ever is the fact that buffers is the most dangerous tool you can have in a shop and the #1 tool for injuries.