beall buffer vs psi lathe buffer

[lathe monkey]

dump question, but is there a difference between the Beall 3 wheel buffer and PSI 3 wheel? did PSI just put there name on a Beall? The reason I'm asking is I want to get a buffing system, and of course the PSI is on back order, which is $73.00 and the beall is $140.00 which is available (I'm in Ontario Cdn)
Wondering if its worth the (what appears to be ) a long wait for the PSI, or just get the Beall from Lee Valley in a few days.
tks
lathe monkey

 

[Curly]

Don't forget the exchange (PSI becomes $100Can) shipping, possible Canada Customs and taxes and you haven't got much of a saving. The other thing is that virtually none of us have both to be able to give you an honest comparison. Just whether we are happy with the one we bought. We have the Beall that Lee Valley sell.

You could look into Caswell Canada and see what their costs would be but I don't think they have a shaft arrangement to fit our wood lathes. There is a buffing manual link on the page.

 

[lathe monkey]

Don't forget the exchange (PSI becomes $100Can) shipping, possible Canada Customs and taxes and you haven't got much of a saving. The other thing is that virtually none of us have both to be able to give you an honest comparison. Just whether we are happy with the one we bought. We have the Beall that Lee Valley sell.

You could look into Caswell Canada and see what their costs would be but I don't think they have a shaft arrangement to fit our wood lathes. There is a buffing manual link on the page.

HI, the prices are cdn William wood wright $72.95cdn, and there on back order, Lee valley has them but geezz $140.00,

I don't mind paying more if its better buffer.
i'll check out Caswell


Thank you

 

[Curly]

Ah, I forgot to look on Bill's site. PSI is known for copying other peoples products, making them overseas and selling them cheaper. Knockoffs. When you look at the number of pens you can buff with either the cost becomes almost nothing and half almost nothing. We've made well over 500 pens with the Beall from LV and have only used a third of each stick of compound if that.

 

[lathe monkey]

Ah, I forgot to look on Bill's site. PSI is known for copying other peoples products, making them overseas and selling them cheaper. Knockoffs. When you look at the number of pens you can buff with either the cost becomes almost nothing and half almost nothing. We've made well over 500 pens with the Beall from LV and have only used a third of each stick of compound if that.

thats what I figured, looks like its a Beall from LV.
thank you again

 

[Curly]

You're welcome.

 

[zig613]

I second Pete's recommendation re the Beall buffer system. I purchased mine (three wheel Beall buffer system) from LV about six years ago and the extra money was worth it. Since you live in Ottawa there would be no shipping! Just stop in at the Ottawa LV.

Wade

 

[dogcatcher]

I built my own system using buffing wheels from Caswell Plating, and the compounds from Beall. I later added more buffing compounds from Caswell after Tex at Durango wrote his article about buffing.

If you have a collet chuck, you can buy 5/8" bolts about 6" long, cut off the bolt head, and with 2 nuts and 2 washers you have a mandrel for a buffing wheel.

Or you can drill and tap a blank and make wooden mandrels that screw on to the headstock of your lathe. On the end of the wood mandrel drill and tap a hole for a 2 1/2" long 5/8" bolt to hold the buffing wheel.

 

[lathe monkey]

I second Pete's recommendation re the Beall buffer system. I purchased mine (three wheel Beall buffer system) from LV about six years ago and the extra money was worth it. Since you live in Ottawa there would be no shipping! Just stop in at the Ottawa LV.

Wade

well, I'm only 3 hours to the front door of LV, its a very dangerous place for a credit card, I only moved here a year ago and went once to LV, my wife also hit me over the head with a club to get me out of there lol

for my saftey I'll pay shipping, besides the traffic is crazy, and the storms we been having including today I'll stay home in the shop.

 

[TellicoTurning]

If he is still in business, you might want to look at Don Pencil's buffing system... it comes with three wheels, a 1 x 8 tpi spindle/shaft that the wheels screw into and the necessary buffing compounds... mine also has buffing balls, but don't remember if they were part of the system or I got them separately... can't speak to the cost though, mine was a miss-shipment when I order his hollowing system... I got the buffing system instead and when I contacted him, he laughed and said to just keep the buffing system and he would send me my hollowing system...I use the buffing system much more than the hollowing system now anyway.


One more thought, if you have a large box store, Lowe's or Home Depot or similar, you might be able to pick up generic buffing wheels, an allthread rod about a foot long, nuts and washers to fit either side of the buffer wheels and just make your own... I found 3 6" wheels at the local Lowers here that I use almost as much as the Don Pencil system... I keep the home made on on my little lathe for quick buffs of small items, bottle stoppers, pens (although it's been years since I made a pen), pepper mills, etc.... I have one of PSI's small chucks with 4 bars on it that I hold the allthread rod in place on the little lathe.

 

[monophoto]

One more thought, if you have a large box store, Lowe's or Home Depot or similar, you might be able to pick up generic buffing wheels, an allthread rod about a foot long, nuts and washers to fit either side of the buffer wheels and just make your own... I found 3 6" wheels at the local Lowers here that I use almost as much as the Don Pencil system... I keep the home made on on my little lathe for quick buffs of small items, bottle stoppers, pens (although it's been years since I made a pen), pepper mills, etc.... I have one of PSI's small chucks with 4 bars on it that I hold the allthread rod in place on the little lathe.

I took a similar approach - bought a set of three 8" wheels at Harbor Freight - stitched (for tripoli), muslin (for white diamond), and flannel (for wax), and three sets of nuts and matching bolts from Ace Hardware. Turned mounts from scraps of wood that are drilled and tapped to screw onto my lathe spindle.

Buffing is not rocket science.

 

[sbwertz]

One more thought, if you have a large box store, Lowe's or Home Depot or similar, you might be able to pick up generic buffing wheels, an allthread rod about a foot long, nuts and washers to fit either side of the buffer wheels and just make your own... I found 3 6" wheels at the local Lowers here that I use almost as much as the Don Pencil system... I keep the home made on on my little lathe for quick buffs of small items, bottle stoppers, pens (although it's been years since I made a pen), pepper mills, etc.... I have one of PSI's small chucks with 4 bars on it that I hold the allthread rod in place on the little lathe.

I took a similar approach - bought a set of three 8" wheels at Harbor Freight - stitched (for tripoli), muslin (for white diamond), and flannel (for wax), and three sets of nuts and matching bolts from Ace Hardware. Turned mounts from scraps of wood that are drilled and tapped to screw onto my lathe spindle.

Buffing is not rocket science.

Mine runs off an old washing machine motor. Husband built it for me.

 

[More4dan]

You can get a buffer from Harbor Freight for about $40 when on sale. Currently $53. I've used mine for about 8 years now. I'm not sure if you have those in Canada though.

https://m.harborfreight.com/6-in-buffer-61557.html

Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app

 

[Curly]

No Harbor Freight in Canada and their shipping costs to us are ridiculously high. Closest we have is Princess Auto and a similar buffer to the one you show is $130 with an 8" one being $165. They don't have the coupons you get with HF either.

https://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/6-in-bench-buffer/A-p8502494e

 

[TonyL]

I have published an article in the library "4 Stage Buffing System" which might be helpful.
I also have my own How to document with the part/items numbers of all of the parts. If any one wants it. I can add it as an attachment. Here's a photo (no surprises; I am sure all know what one looks like )

I also bought a speed control foot pedal/switch that allows me to control the speed. I bought it by accident thinking it was an on/off switch. It is compatible with my Rikon. I also called Rikon and they said it was fine and will not damage the motor or void the warranty. https://linemaster.com/product-finder/

 

[Woodchipper]

This has been an interesting thread. The ideas for DIY have given me an idea that I might see about making a buffing system. The major penmaker in our AAW chapter says to buff the blank for a better finish.

 

[jttheclockman]

One more thought, if you have a large box store, Lowe's or Home Depot or similar, you might be able to pick up generic buffing wheels, an allthread rod about a foot long, nuts and washers to fit either side of the buffer wheels and just make your own... I found 3 6" wheels at the local Lowers here that I use almost as much as the Don Pencil system... I keep the home made on on my little lathe for quick buffs of small items, bottle stoppers, pens (although it's been years since I made a pen), pepper mills, etc.... I have one of PSI's small chucks with 4 bars on it that I hold the allthread rod in place on the little lathe.

I took a similar approach - bought a set of three 8" wheels at Harbor Freight - stitched (for tripoli), muslin (for white diamond), and flannel (for wax), and three sets of nuts and matching bolts from Ace Hardware. Turned mounts from scraps of wood that are drilled and tapped to screw onto my lathe spindle.

Buffing is not rocket science.

Mine runs off an old washing machine motor. Husband built it for me.

That is funny, mine came from a sump pump motor.

 

[Woodchipper]

I remembered that I have a generic brand 6 inch grinder, 3.5 amp, 3500 rpm. Didn't pull it off the shelf to check the shaft diameter. Is that too fast for a buffing system? TIA.

 

[Sylvanite]

Is that too fast for a buffing system?

Put 6" buffs on it and you'll be fine.

 

[dogcatcher]

If you don't mind using your lathe, make a mandrel like this. Drill and tap a blank to fit the spindle, then drill and tap the end to fit an appropriate sized bolt. I have several of these, one for each compound, the mandrel, the compound and wheel all store in their individual plastic zip bags.

The third version is so I do not have to grab a wrench for changing the wheel.

I also made another version that screws on to a 4 1/2" Harbor Freight grinder, It was hooked up to a router speed controller so I have a variable speed buffing wheels/ Sorry no pictures, it was given to my son.

 

[bmachin]

Caswell plating has a good downloadable publication on buffing that's worth a read. Gives recommended surface feet per minute and how to calculate, etc. Also recommendations on compounds, buffs, for different applications.

Here is the Caswell page with a brief primer on buffing. The link to the downloadable file is at the very end of the article.

https://www.caswellplating.com/buffman.htm

Bill

 

[Charlie_W]

I remembered that I have a generic brand 6 inch grinder, 3.5 amp, 3500 rpm. Didn't pull it off the shelf to check the shaft diameter. Is that too fast for a buffing system? TIA.

The Beall website recommends a motor with 1725 rpm.They state that 3,000 (3450) rpm is too fast for 8" buffing wheels but would work for 4" wheels

 

[Talltim]

Salvaged an old washing machine motor and a cheap arbor and made my buffing station over 30 years ago to sharpen carving tools. It is still going strong.

Add a little white diamond and it makes em' shine.

It goes at 1750 which has been a good multi-purpose speed.

I have occasionally thought about something that looked better but always asked myself , why?

 

[mecompco]

I bought PSI's version a couple of years ago. It has worked fine. It lives on my 10x18 HF backup lathe. Honestly, there's not much to it, and had I known, probably would have attempted to make my own. They basically took allthread and turned the ends down to a more-or-less MT2 taper. That would be the only tricky part if one doesn't have access to a metal lathe.

 

[dogcatcher]

I bought PSI's version a couple of years ago. It has worked fine. It lives on my 10x18 HF backup lathe. Honestly, there's not much to it, and had I known, probably would have attempted to make my own. They basically took allthread and turned the ends down to a more-or-less MT2 taper. That would be the only tricky part if one doesn't have access to a metal lathe.

A 2mt arbor with a threaded end would be all you need. From there add a connector threaded to the 2MT that is compatible to the all thread rod of your choice. Add nuts, washers, buffing wheels and I would suggest a piece of Delrin threaded to fit the end of the all thread to save wear and tear on your live center.

 

[monophoto]

I bought PSI's version a couple of years ago. It has worked fine. It lives on my 10x18 HF backup lathe. Honestly, there's not much to it, and had I known, probably would have attempted to make my own. They basically took allthread and turned the ends down to a more-or-less MT2 taper. That would be the only tricky part if one doesn't have access to a metal lathe.

A 2mt arbor with a threaded end would be all you need. From there add a connector threaded to the 2MT that is compatible to the all thread rod of your choice. Add nuts, washers, buffing wheels and I would suggest a piece of Delrin threaded to fit the end of the all thread to save wear and tear on your live center.

Or you could drill and tap a hole in a scrap of wood to match the threading of your spindle, and then drill a through hole to match the all thread. Add a couple of nuts and you have an arbor that can be used to hold your buffing wheels.

There are many ways to skin this cat.

 

[monophoto]

I bought PSI's version a couple of years ago. It has worked fine. It lives on my 10x18 HF backup lathe. Honestly, there's not much to it, and had I known, probably would have attempted to make my own. They basically took allthread and turned the ends down to a more-or-less MT2 taper. That would be the only tricky part if one doesn't have access to a metal lathe.

A 2mt arbor with a threaded end would be all you need. From there add a connector threaded to the 2MT that is compatible to the all thread rod of your choice. Add nuts, washers, buffing wheels and I would suggest a piece of Delrin threaded to fit the end of the all thread to save wear and tear on your live center.

Or you could drill and tap a hole in a scrap of wood to match the threading of your spindle, and then drill a through hole to match the all thread. Add a couple of nuts and you have an arbor that can be used to hold your buffing wheels.

Or you could turn a short wooden spindle with the appropriate MT taper on one end, and then drill a hole to receive the all-thread on the other end. You could thread the tap the hole to receive the all-thread, embed a suitable nut, or just glue it in.

There are many ways to skin this cat.

 

[JimB]

I drilled and tapped scrap wood to screw onto my headstock. Drilled the other end to accept a 3/8 T-nut. Bought the Beall buffs from CSUSA that already have the 3/8 bolt on the for $17.50 each. They go onto my headstock ina few seconds.

BTW, if you are mounting multiple wheels at a time you are contaminating them with compound from the other wheels. I mount mine one at a time and keep the buffs in separate plastic bags to prevent contamination.

 

[lathe monkey]

well I decided to go with a 2 wheel dedicated buffer. either craftex from busy bee or a rikon from elite tools. Also canton wheels,plastic buffing compound from caswell Canada.
All learned all of this info on this site and looking forward to trying it. And been looking hard at the beall system as well, but this way I have a buffing station and no take down and set up on a lathe.