High tech buffer

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Fred in NC

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Oct 14, 2004
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LANDIS, NC, USA.
Based on Russ' excellent idea, using a 3/4" nap wool roller.

Just a wood plug at each end of the roller. The headstock plug ends in a Morse taper.

The box with a knob at the lower left is the speed control for the motor.

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Greg, with any of the buffer systems it's a good idea to run it while holding the shop vac close to the nap the first time. It gets rid of any loose fibers. Other than that, the nap is laminated into the base components of the roller and shouldn't come loose.
 
Fred and Lou I'm headed for the hardware store to buy some rollers. I have been wondering all week how I cold turn the old Carb Tech into a buffing system. Talk about a great idea at the right time. Looks like I can set up 3 rollers and change over would be a breeze.
Thanks Guys
Greg Huey
 
Gregory, the way I am doing it, all I need is a single roller.
It is wide enough for 4 sections if it is used for pens. Left 1/4 for tripoli, next white diamond, then a section for waxing, and last 1/4 nothing on it for buffing.

Make sure you get the WOOL rollers. I got mine at Lowe's, and it is a WOOSTER 9" x 3/4" NAP WOOL SHEARLING. About $8.

The nap did not come off AT ALL !!! Looks like this roller is made for the job!

I am planning to make a buffing jig with its own motor later on.
 
Bruce, in small print on the roller's wrapper, the label warns that these rollers are not approved for use in cnc machining centers. So I guess you need to go back to your original idea of a burnishing rod. [8D]
 
Pretty slick!
I wish I room for another small lathe.It would be nice to have a second lathe and that would jusitfy it's cost.
At the present my system using the drill will have to do.
I do like the simplicity of yours and Russes idea.
Move over Beale.
 
Wow Fred, that was quick [:D] Very nice. Probablly will take you longer to do the technical drawings than it did to make it. Did not follow all the talk on this, so it this the " Fruss Buff syatem " [:D]
 
Fred,

You should start making these by the thousands, sell them for $29.95 in all of the catalogs, and become rich and famous. The jewelry market could be even bigger than woodturning and pens. It even makes a good silverware polisher, and you could make a motorized kitchen version for that. You could evem get on the Cooking Shows. Sell in on the Home Shopping Network.
 
Russ is onto something here.

It buffs, It polishes, shines up just about anything around the house faster than you can say "Ronco Buff-o-matic"[8D]
 
Bruce !!! I can't believe YOU are saying that !!! Your machining center should be able to make them.

My take is that the idea is very easy to copy, no special tools or materials are needed to make the couple plugs, any turner can make a set for him/herself. So I don't see making any money selling it to turners.
 
That was in jest Fred. [:)] Yes, I should be able to make them quite easily if the OD is less than 1.29", which is the limit through the bore of my lathe. How about the live center end, did you simply do a deep center drilled hole? I guess if the tailstock is locked down it would be safe enough. It could be made from 1 1/4" plastic like UHMW, but the plastic might get expensive. I imagine the length of the part supporting the roll could be shortened somewhat to maybe 1 1/2" long. What is the taper there? Morse #2? Actually, because it would be a handy thing for turners, I do believe it would sell. It's a lot easier to write a check (for most people) than to research the taper, buy a center drill, and make it from scratch.
 
Hehe Bruce !!! I knew you would be coming back at me !

The bore in a paint roller is a tad less than 1.5". I tapered the part that goes into the paint roller very slightly. The spindle taper is #2 Morse. I copied the angle with a protractor. It can be shortened a bit. The tail end plug was center bored with a 5/16" center drill, to fit the 60 deg included angle of the live center. Being soft wood, I could have just drilled a small hole of any size.

I actually prefer Delrin or Nylon for these parts.

Note: Tad = 2 smidgens, or about 4.5 trifles.
Trifle = .00423"
 
Darn. I just measured a paint roller at 1.462" diameter at the larger roller. This is the side you push the roller onto the handle. The other roller is 1.404" with a flange. I could still turn them from 1.5" stock, but they would all have to be cut about 1" over length (so I could grip onto them with the chuck) and I'd have to use the live center unless they could work in a short length like a normal paint roller. What do you think Fred? Would they work as well if they were dead nuts on diameter, but something like only 3/4" long?
 
Bruce, that diameter is what goes into the roller. I had to leave a 1/8" ridge or collar to keep it from crawling inside the roller. The paint roller I have does not have a ridge inside the tube. So the rod needs to be 1-3/4" dia.

If I had to make these in quantity, I would take a piece of 1-3/4" rod about 2" long, with a screw sticking out, and chuck that. The drill a hole in the workpiece, and attach to the screw. This way there is almost no waste, just a bit at the Morse end.

The reason I made the insert so long is that I am working with wood. 3/4" should work if the fit is right.
 
Fred, another thing that should be possible is to make them to work with pen mandrels. They would simply act as large bushings. The roller might have to be the short 4" roll, but that should work too.

I just checked pricing of UHMW. It's not as bad as I thought it was. Even ones made out of aluminum would be possible.
 
As far as I know the wool roller is only available in 9" long. Besides, you need areas for the different compounds, tripoli, white diamond, wax, nothing.

Bruce, the idea is to take out the mandrel with the finished barrels on it, put the buffer on, and buff the barrels while still on the mandrel. You don't want to handle them with your fingers, and there is not much place to hold them anyway.

The simplicity of this idea is that you don't need a lot of parts to make it work. Just plug the plugs, and you are set to go.

To use a mandrel, just get a regular paint roller frame, and take the handle and shaft off !!!! No need to machine !!!!!
 
The rollers I have here have a larger shaft, so using those ones won't work as is without some other kind of bushing or something. I agree with your philosophy of buffing the pen parts while they're still on the mandrel though. That makes a lot of sense.

The whole thing sounds doable. I'd be willing to make some if people were interested.
 
Thanks for the kind words !!!

Bruce (btboone) is now making them from UHMW poly. I received my set a couple days ago. Good option if you don't want to turn it, and still lots cheaper than a factory buffing system.

Here is the link:

http://www.penturners.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2722&whichpage=4#22001

And his web page for ordering:

http://www.boonerings.com/htmpages/buffmandrels.htm
 
Fred,
Can you tell me about that speed controler? Is that something that came with the lathe or something you have added?

Is it a standard belt change/speed change lathe with that gizzmo added to it?
Mac
 
Originally posted by Fred in NC
<br />Bruce, it is a paint roller, from Lowe's. I posted the info on the label above. It is close to 4" diameter with all the nap included.
Click to expand...
Ineeded some new buffs due to the fact that mine are ,well let's just say I needed new buffs.
The ones for the drill go about $4.00 a piece so I am going to try this.
The only thing is the wool roller I got at my local Lowes with a 3/4 nap measures closer to 3".Not even close to 4
I am wondering if the Commercial rollers that are longer are also bigger in Dia and do they make them out of a natural fiber.
 
Originally posted by Eaglesc
<br />
Originally posted by Fred in NC
<br />Bruce, it is a paint roller, from Lowe's. I posted the info on the label above. It is close to 4" diameter with all the nap included.
Click to expand...
Ineeded some new buffs due to the fact that mine are ,well let's just say I needed new buffs.
The ones for the drill go about $4.00 a piece so I am going to try this.
The only thing is the wool roller I got at my local Lowes with a 3/4 nap measures closer to 3".Not even close to 4
I am wondering if the Commercial rollers that are longer are also bigger in Dia and do they make them out of a natural fiber.
Click to expand...


Just came back from the Sherwin Williams paint dealer in town and got an 1&1/2 Wool roller for $11.00.
 
I like the teak parts I made and my 1&1/2" nap wool genuine sheepskin roller buff.
Thanks for the idea FRED.
One of these days I am going for a ride and buy you a cup of coffee.
 
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Thanks, Eagle, look forward to it!!!

Well, to tell the truth, this is not my final design !!!!
I have a plan for a better, improved version that I won't have to mount each time I want to buff pens.... I will post when I make the first prototype. I already have all the materials !!!
 
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