Beall 3 wheel buffer

[RobS]

So after 1.5 years of debating about should I buy the Beall 3 wheel buffer. I said screw it and I bought it. Wow what a difference. I sanded 9 barrels, 320, 400, 600 and then buffed them all. Total time was about 1 hour. I'm thinking I should have done this sooner. Yes, the first couple of runs were messy with buffing wheel string flying everywhere even after doing the wheel prep with sand paper, but it's calming down. I can not say how happy I am with this purchase. It's saving me a ton of time.

 

[TonyL]

Congratulations and enjoy! Jerry(?)Beall is also a very nice guy. Always willing to talk and help.

 

[Terredax]

Sandpaper prep? To eliminate the strings and keep the buff clean, invest in a buff rake. Some people try alternatives, i.e. hacksaw blades, but a good rake cleans and fluffs the buff.
I also prefer a dedicated buffer. It gives full range of motion and better access.

 

[RobS]

John: I'll look into the rake. I just moved from a 4 car to a 2 car garage. House rules are that all cars must be parked in the garage at night. So no room for a dedicated. It's a very tight 2 car.

Tony: yeah Beall has some great stuff I have their er32 collet holder, the IX expansion collects and a Pen Wizard.

 

[Bikerdad]

Sandpaper prep? To eliminate the strings and keep the buff clean, invest in a buff rake. Some people try alternatives, i.e. hacksaw blades, but a good rake cleans and fluffs the buff.
I also prefer a dedicated buffer. It gives full range of motion and better access.

buff rake ??
What is this thing, and where does one find one?

 

[RobS]

$20 on amazon. Search buffer rake. Looks like I need more tools.

 

[Curly]

The instructions with the Beall whells calls for the use of 80 grit paper to condition the wheels. Probably because most of us have it and not a rake.

 

[TonyL]

Beall knows his stuff and would never put my intellect up against his. However, I use a rake for major debris removal and "fluffing" (just make sure you hold that rake tight) and the large rubber eraser to remove the fine debris (only need to hold it lightly againt a medium rpm wheels - if you spin too fast with too much pressure the rubber with melt into the buffs. I also added two more wheels and compounds that are finer than the white diamond (because I am a nut! )

 

[dogcatcher]

One think to remember is do not to buff bare wood, the buffing compounds are combined with a "grease" of some sort and it will seal the wood. That will lessen the adhesive quality of your finish. In other words you finish will snot stick as well or soak into your wood.

 

[Sylvanite]

buff rake ??
What is this thing, and where does one find one?

See Buff Rake at Caswell Plating. A buff rake cuts the wheels quite aggressively, so I use mine sparingly. Learn to not overload the wheels with compound, and they'll last much longer.

I hope that helps,
Eric

 

[Charlie_W]

I usually just use a scrap of wood as in a ripping from blanks or boards. I present the sharp edge/ corner of the wood to the wheel...change to a fresh corner frequently to remove built up compound. Also running the wheels in the opposite direction while doing this helps.
Using a metal object such as a screw driver will impart metal crud onto the wheel causing a discoloration which can be transferred to your next wood buffing piece.

After seeing this comb, I got to thinking about a curry brush/comb....but will stick to my stick for now.

 

[moke]

RobS
I have had a Beall system for about 5 or 6 years now. I bought Rikon Economy lathe to put it on. I love the whole system. The time it has saved me is unbelievable. I also remember walking into the house after using it the first time. I was covered with little white strings....it was even in my hair! My wife just laughed......

There is a few things I have learned:
1. I do almost exclusively acrylic, and on the "swirl" blanks, it raises the swirl pattern.....I have a hard time explaining it. Most of the time it is not bad, but in a few instances I have gone back and resanded and used MM.

2. When you are turning some material, the softer and easier it turns the more you want a lighter touch on the Beall.

3. I alway buffs at 45 to the buff, with my blank on delrin bushings....then I turn it 90....never leave it on the metal bushings it will turn your buffs dark which will transfer to material like casein and such....DAMHIKT

I always used a piece of board like Charlie...I didn't know there was a dedicated groomer/Rake! Thanks for that info guys.

Good luck...it is sooo much faster.....you will love it!