OK, I'll bite ! . What's the diff between buffing and polishing ?
Yeah, I know there is a diff but just want to hear it from someone; the answer might be educational to more than me.
In most instances, buffing is the process to remove the blemishes from the surface, i.e. scratches. Polishing is the process of refining and cleaning the surface to achieve a shine.
Both processes are similar, but use different materials.
Buffing uses a ridged or coarse wheel with a larger particle compound. The compound and wheels are dependent on the material and the condition of the surface. Once the buffing is finished, the surface should be smooth and ready for polishing.
Polishing uses a soft wheel, usually flannel or canton flannel for a glass shine. Cotton can be used, and is usually the string or loose wheels. These wheels are used in combination with what's called a greaseless compound. These compounds use either an extremely fine particle or powder. The lack of grease, or the binder, eliminates the build up that diminishes the shine and it removes the grease from the buffing process.
I don't know how informative this may be... I'm better at conveying information by demonstration as opposed to written instruction.
One important tip when using wheels... use a light touch. Let the compound do the work, not the wheel. Just the outside edge of the wheel should lightly touch the surface. Using the wheel with too much pressure against it, will create a lot of heat and can destroy more than the finish.
A safety tip... avoid catches. This can be done by only touching the wheel to the bottom 3/4 of the part. Then flip it end for end, and repeat. If the wheel touches the top edge of the part, it can be violently ripped from your hand.
I'm sure you find this worth the price that was paid.
Thanks John. I'm going to add a set of buffing wheels to my wish list. It would have been nice if more of the "beginner" penturning videos out there would go over some of these techniques (TBC, drilling on the lathe, etc). I guess it is all part of learning, but it sure would have saved me a bunch of time and money to go straight to the best techniques.
I'm sure a lot of people would appreciate an all in one stop for everything pen making. I guess the IAP is the best option, although it does take some effort to gather the information. It just depends on what a person is wanting to do, since some people want to get to a destination gradually.
Most of these techniques used to make pens, were adapted from other venues, with most being metal working and machining. All of these techniques have been used for other things for many years, and because of the diverse arrangement of the IAP, they have made their way here.
I'm guessing, that most of the beginners, start with the most simple and available pen making supplies. Then they discover the IAP, and find all of the useful information they wished they would've had before the purchase of the supplies they are now intending to replace.
I hope this is partially comprehensive.