Buffing

[Harris]

I don't have a buffer on a mandrel but have buffing wheels that I picked up at Harbor Freight. Why can't I put the polish on the buffing wheel and hold it against the finished piece. Is this an option?

Harris

 

[ed4copies]

Put the buffing wheel in a hand-held drill.

Just be careful, two turning objects, spinning in different directions can do strange things, until you get a "feel" for it.

 

[johnnycnc]

might be a tad difficult to load the buffing wheel since it won't be anything more
than a rag in your hand.. those compound sticks are pretty hard.
maybe you could get a used electric motor somewhere and rig a setup on the cheap?
Sorry I don't have a great answer, but it is what it is.

 

[DozerMite]

That will not work. It's the compound that does the cutting and not the wheel. The wheel needs to spin for the compound to do it's job. You need to cut and color when buffing.
Any motor and an arbour will work.

 

[PTownSubbie]

Harris,

I posted this in another thread earlier but I think since you have the wheels already, you could make your own system pretty easily.

The following link will take you to the plans.

http://www.woodturningonline.com/Tur...ft-Project.pdf

 

[DozerMite]

I prefer a dedicated buff motor as opposed to using the lathe. More room and don't have to keep changing the set-up. Although, I buff more than pens.
For $39.99, HF has a buff motor. Only problem is it has 3/8" shafts. Standard is 1/2" & 5/8" on the smaller wheels and get larger as the wheel diameter increases. Would either have to get an arbour or make a sleeve type adapter.

 

[ed4copies]

I prefer a dedicated buff motor as opposed to using the lathe. More room and don't have to keep changing the set-up. Although, I buff more than pens.
For $39.99, HF has a buff motor. Only problem is it has 3/8" shafts. Standard is 1/2" & 5/8" on the smaller wheels and get larger as the wheel diameter increases. Would either have to get an arbour or make a sleeve type adapter.[/quote]



If you had a lathe, you could make one out of wood!!!

 

[rjwolfe3]

If you had a lathe, you could make one out of wood!!!

Well that's a silly thing to say. Why would there be lathes used for pen turning? Wait, don't tell me I am being doing this wrong all along. No wonder no one buys my pens, rofl.

 

[KenV]

sure a lot easier to head to my local Ace Hardware and purchase a bushing with a 3/8 inside diameter and a 5/8 outside diameter and get it done. a couple of fender washers and two nuts and it can start to work. Note that about 6 inch diameter should be about as big as you want to spin on that little shaft -- and the wax buff would be better to be flannel.

 

[DozerMite]

If you had a lathe, you could make one out of wood!!![/quote]

Could I use yours, Ed?

 

[dogcatcher]

If you have a drill chuck that will fit your lathe you can take a 6" long 1/2" bolt and 2 nuts and 2 washers. Cut the head off of the bolt and you have an arbor for the buffing wheel. 3 bolts, 6 nuts and 6 washers and you have the complete set up. Use the drill chuck in the headstock and use the tailstock to hold it in place. About $5 plus the cost of the wheels and compounds.

 

[DurocShark]

I just bought some 1/4" x 20tpi allthread, some nuts, and some big washers. Cut the allthread and mounted each buffing wheel to a 4" length. I just mount the wheel to my scroll chuck and go to town.