Buffing/Polishing

[Ligget]

I am contemplating turning my bench grinder into a buffing machine for Dymondwood etc..

Do I need this, or am I looking for an excuse to spend money?

Do any members use buffing regularly?

What type of set up do you recommend:

1) Converted bench grinder.
2) Lathe system
3) Drill press
4) Other setup

What do you guys think, I don`t know what to do!! Thanks Mark

 

[Ben]

PSI sells a SUPER little buffing system for ONLY ABOUT $50 bucks!!! It is easy to use, pretty versitle and VARIABLE SPEED! I've got one that I use quite regularly, and I have absolutly NO COMPLAINTS... I gues this is just one of the MANY options out there, but I figured I'd give you my 2 cents worth on the subject. Ciao,

 

[wood-of-1kind]

I use my mini-lathe. Came up with a homemade contraption that consists of 5/8" diameter threaded rod(10" long) that is inserted in MT2 sleeve. The threaded rod was drilled on one end so that the tailstock can ride on. Using an ordinary 7.5" paint roller mounted on the threaded rod provides a decent buffer(washer & nut at each end to hold the roller steady). I estimate that all the components came out under $15.00. It is not the most sophisticated system out there but it is very cost effective. Does the trick for me.

-Peter-

 

[4reel]

I haven't tried this yet but I think it will work. With the pen still on the lathe truning slowly you could use a buffing wheel in a drill to do the same thing and you won't have to buff your fingers at the same time. I use one on my silver belt buckle (portable drill mounted whell) and it works great. You could also use a drill press on hi but that seems like a hassle

 

[Ligget]

Thanks Dave, Peter and Ben for your advice![]
I never thought about Daves idea, it sounds good though!!!
Thanks []

 

[JimGo]

Mark,
I use my drill press. I found some inexpesive buffing wheel sets at Harbor Freight, but I've seen them at Sears and Home Depot, too. I toss 'em in my drill press, and they work great to finish the pens. I have also considered the lathe-based idea (see the archives of the individual classifieds, or contact Bruce Boone (BTBoone); he was selling parts that make this especially easy), and may switch to that once I wear out my buffing wheels.

 

[btboone]

I still have some of those buffer mandrels in stock. Here's the link: www.boonerings.com/htmpages/buffmandrels.htm

 

[wayneis]

First of all when buffing, from what I have read and experenced you need to be able to buff at about 1800 rpm. I have tried using a drill while the blank was still on the lathe and for a few reasons this is not an ideal solution to buffing. Its kind of akward and I have not got a satisfactory result that way. If you do buff Dimondwood with the white bar you will in fact see a very noticable difference. I now always buff all of my Dimondwood (and I have been doing a lot of it lately for the Ladies) with the white bar and then give it ren wax and do a final buff on a clean wheel. I was lucky and purchased a Beall buffing system for my lathe for a very good price and am very happy that I did. Another place where it pays off to buff is with acrylics and other plastics, I also do a lot of these for the Ladies and after I have wet sanded with MM pads then I buff and get a much better shine and it also takes out any small scratches left by the MM.

Wayne

 

[ctEaglesc]

I used to buff all the time with a drill and blank on the lathe.Still do it works great
BUT
I turned the speed up on hte lathe and anled the buffer on hte drill.
The problem is if you hit the wrong angle the mandrel that holds the wheel can damage the finished pen.
Be$t( read cheapest) is to turn your own "ends" (you do turn don't you" for lambs wools paint rollers.(they do have wool in Scotland right?)
Fred NC posted this and it's ingenious!
Russ Fairfield may have had a hand in the design, I'll let them fight that out.
Here's the link to the original post.
http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=2806&SearchTerms=high,tech,buffer
If you need tips to make the drive end there's an easy way that does not entail any measuring to make the M2 drive piece.
No offence to Bruce, but you do have a lathe.

 

[Ligget]

Jim, Bruce, Wayne and Eagle thanks for info!!
This IS really helping me. []

 

[RussFairfield]

Who me? Paint rollers? Buffing wheels?? You have to be kidding. I would never do such a thing. [][][}]

 

[Fred in NC]

Russ, I hear you don't even use turning tools...

 

[Old Griz]

Last thing I heard was that Russ had developed a new turning technique that does not need tools at all...
He let his fingernails grow and just filed them to the shapes needed to turn... that way not only does he not have to find the tools he needs, but his speed has increased remarkably....

 

[Fred in NC]

Griz, that is because the delay in the release of the Think-O-Matic lathe.

 

[ctEaglesc]

Griz you won't believe this but I was going to ask if anyone else uses their fingernails as skews.
THere are time when I think it the best tool for the job like cleaning out "burn lines"

 

[mikes pens]

Eagle, if you read my post from Casual Conversation (subtopic - carbide mini-chisels - page 3), you will see that I have thought of using my finger nails for tools along time ago. I was going to carbide tip my finger nails and use them as lathe tools. However, the thought of what could happen from picking my nose turned me off.

Mike[]

 

[Ligget]

LOL

 

[driften]

Originally posted by btboone
<br />I still have some of those buffer mandrels in stock. Here's the link: www.boonerings.com/htmpages/buffmandrels.htm

FYI: I have been using that buffer mandrel, and it works GREAT for me...

 

[Ligget]

Thanks Jeff!![]

 

[btboone]

I just made my first #1 Morse Taper one today. It's a small taper!

 

[Fred in NC]

Bruce, there are smaller Morse tapers... 0 and 00..

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by btboone
<br />I just made my first #1 Morse Taper one today. It's a small taper!

Bruce I am VERY sensitive about the size of my taper!
[]

 

[DCBluesman]

Fred and William--take it from me, there are large tapers as well (MT-3, MT-4 and MT-5 that I've run across!)[]

 

[btboone]

My first CNC lathe had a big MT-4 tailstock. I finally had a part that needed the tailstock, and on the very first part, the turret crashed into the tailstock! I had done all the tool path simulation beforehand and found out the hard way that the two axes rapid travelled at different speeds to the starting point. Due to this curved path, the brand spanking new live center was hit. Doh! That was about a $500 lesson from the School of Hard Knocks.

 

[wdcav1952]

Originally posted by DCBluesman
<br />Fred and William--take it from me, there are large tapers as well (MT-3, MT-4 and MT-5 that I've run across!)[]

I'm not even going to ask! [:I]

 

[scalawagtoo]

Friday i went by a yard sale and picked up a craftsman bench grinder for $15. So I got some buffing wheels at Farm & Fleet and put them on the bigger AMT grinder. Camein handy today to take a sanding line out of a bowl that had already been waxed (I love wax finishes, am using this new french imported wax that smells like perfume). a little tripoli on a buffing wheel did the trick.