Beall Buffing system

[Don Meyer]

I have a few questions concerning the beall buffing system. Do any of you users put any other finish on your bowls before using this system or do you just use the polishing compounds that come with it? Are those polishs considered food safe? Also I'm wondering how messy is it to use this system because I am considering getting the system that goes on the lath but I do not want to get it all over the lath and have a big mess to clean up afterward or should I go for a separate motor and buffing wheels unit?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Don,

I have the Beal system and use it on my lathe. I had the 3 on 1 and gave it to a friend and fellow turner. I now have the one where I have to change the buffing wheel for each compound. The 3-on-1's limitations is that you can't buff large items without getting you hands and possibly the item you are buffing into wheels other than the one you are trying to use. For small items it works well.

I now have the Beal system where I change a buffing wheel for each buffing compound. It only takes a few seconds and I can buff something the size of the throw of my lathe.

You don't use that much compound and I've not noticed any significant amount of residue building up on my lathe. If I did I would take mineral spirits, naptha, DNA or lacquer thinner and remove it.

TO the best of knowledge, the only one of the compounds that might be considered a finish is the carnuba wax.

I buff all of my turnings regardless of their finish...lacquer, shellac, poly.....CA....

Recent articles by some of the "finishing" experts report there are no finishes available for consumers to purchase that are NOT food safe after they have cured properly.

Beal buffing ....makes a dramatic difference in the final shine and finish on your turning projects. It is remarkable. There are imitators out there that will do as well, I'm sure.

Good luck!

[Robert McGowen]

I have the 3 Beall wheels on the lathe. I use Antique Oil or Danish Oil on a piece and then buff it a few days later. I have no idea if it is food safe or not, but I personally would not buff the interior surface of something I was going to use for food. The only mess you will make buffing is when the wheels grab your turning out of your hand at the last second of the last step before it is finished, and throws it across the room onto the floor, totally ruining it. (You will see what I mean when you use it! Make sure you hang onto whatever you are buffing.)

[Robert Parrish]

I only use the compounds that come with the system. I don't know about food safe but I can tell you what not to buff with the system: BRASS!! I was polishing some 50 cal brass pen blanks this morning and I think I may have to replace my EEE buffing wheel. I should have followed the pen instructions and buffed them on the lathe. All in all it's a great system I use it for pens, bottle stoppers and small turnings. If you are going to buff bowls you might want to look at the individual buffing wheels and the bowl buffs as the distance between the wheels on the lathe are too close for large pieces unless you are very carefully!

[Scott Hackler]

The only mess you will make buffing is when the wheels grab your turning out of your hand at the last second of the last step before it is finished, and throws it across the room onto the floor, totally ruining it. (You will see what I mean when you use it! Make sure you hang onto whatever you are buffing.)


I will second this comment. I cracked the edge of a really nice small maple bowl because it got flung to the floor (at a high rate of speed). Hold on tight!

[Steve Schlumpf]

Don - I use the Beall system with the individual wheels. I turn mostly larger items and by sliding the headstock to the end of the lathe - have lots of room to work! I have used Watco Danish Oil, Minwax Antique Oil and Minwax Wipe On Poly for finishes and buff them all once they have cured. I find the buffing process adds a little to the gloss but adds a heck of a lot to the feel of an item as it removes all the little bumps and blemishes normally associated with finishes.

[Bruce McElhaney]

Yeah, what Steve said.

[Bernie Weishapl]

As Ken said pretty much all finishes are food safe today if cured properly. I use either Waterlox or Antique oil on my turnings including utility items. I buff them after curing a week. I just have a problem just using the buffing wheels on bare wood and then using them as utility items.

[Tom Hintz]

I also use the three individual wheel Beall system and have to admit that I just might be buffing addicted.... Like to the point I snuck stuff out of the house to shine up...
The Beall system, if used with what they give you should be adding only Caranuba (SP?) wax to the project and that is not toxic. I would be more worried about possible toxicity of anything I put on before buffing but as has been said, once those materials are cured just about everything seems to be safe.
An important point is that whatever you put on a project has to be very dry - cured - before buffing. The heat of buffing can soften up just about anything that isn't already very dry so I give stuff a couple weeks before buffing. I do use CA on some smaller things and will buff those an hour or so after they feel dry to the touch.
I have to go. I think I spotted something that hasn't been buffed yet..

[Larry Marley]

I will second this comment. I cracked the edge of a really nice small maple bowl because it got flung to the floor (at a high rate of speed). Hold on tight!

The instructions warn that you need to hold the piece being polished under the front of the wheel so a grab will push you out of the buff. If you polish above the center line and the buff gets a hold of the turning, BANG!
I violated this rule with the bowl buffs with little consequence, but the regular buffing wheels can infringe on the integrity of your turning with surprising speed. But WOW, what a difference it makes on a finish.

[Thomas Canfield]

Don,

A couple of turners on the Big Island of Hawaii put me on to buffing with tripoli before applying oil and they used a mix of 4 parts danish oil to 1 part polyurethane wiped on and then wiped off. Additional buffing with tripoli and coats until finish looks good and then one more coat of oil. That usually requires about 4 or 5 coats, but you only wait 24 hours with good drying conditions between coats. I usually wait several days before buffing out the final coat with tripoli and then wax, skipping the white diamond since a lot of my woods are dark. I also use the Renaisance wax over the carnauba. Give it a try. I don't think that you would use this method for food finish, but the look and feel are outstanding.

[Mark Hubl]

Don,

I have the Beall system and really like it. I use it on a jet buffer, not my lathe. I think the three on one system would be limiting in use. I have buffed CA, BLO, AO and Lacquer. I suppose Poly and Shellac are buffable also.

In buffing Lacquer you have to go real easy, probably the case with poly and shellac as well. Heat melts the lac pretty quick. Practice, practice, practice.

Also, it really s***s if you launch a piece. One thing to wreck something on the lathe, a whole 'nother story when tossing it off the buffer. My brother told me some fellows put a large catching pail under the buffer with curlys to help save a mistake.

[Barry ward]

I have the three wheel system,wanna buy it,it does work great,but I turn a lot of larger pieces,plus I buff my jewelry boxes and the wheels are to close together for my purpose.So I use individual wheels.

[Stephen Saar]

I recently got the Beall Buffing system and I've been pretty happy with it, other than I need to get 3 ball type buffers for buffing the insides of bowls. The only problem I've had is with the middle buffing compound (the white stuff). When I was buffing a black walnut bowl it looks like it left little white bits all over the wood, but not on the surface, more like it got in to the grain. I'm not happy about this, I'm guessing it's just user error so I'm doing to sand it down and try again.

-Stephen

[Steve Schlumpf]

Stephen - the white diamond compound is well known for leaving white dust trapped in open grained woods - especially dark walnut! I have not tried this yet - but I would wipe the walnut down with mineral spirits first and see if that removed the white dust before having to sand the piece. Best of luck with it!

[Tom Hintz]

I recently got the Beall Buffing system and I've been pretty happy with it, other than I need to get 3 ball type buffers for buffing the insides of bowls. The only problem I've had is with the middle buffing compound (the white stuff). When I was buffing a black walnut bowl it looks like it left little white bits all over the wood, but not on the surface, more like it got in to the grain. I'm not happy about this, I'm guessing it's just user error so I'm doing to sand it down and try again.

-Stephen
I also had some of the white diamond get into grain pores but just took that as notice I needed to sand better. I'm not a big fan of sanding so it didn't surprise me much that I needed to do more of it.
I also like to use finishes that "build" a little as they fill out small grain depressions also. If you at least get the pores almost filled, they have a more rounded shape and the white diamond buffs right out. You might have to turn the object a little to get the buffing wheel working with the grain but it does come out if the pores are right.

[Barry ward]

I had that problem with the white diamond on dark woods,so I just rebuffed with the tripoli and it took the spots out.Now I buff with the tripoli then clean the wheel off and rebuff,and then wax.Worked for me.I very seldom even use the white diamond anymore.

[Stephen Saar]

I did a power sand on this up to 800 grit paper, and when I turn the lathe on and run my hand on the sanded wood it's very smooth all around. Maybe I need to sand more on the lower grit, I did a graduated sanding from 80-150-220-400-600-800 all using a 2 inch drill attachment sanding (http://www.highlandwoodworking.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=3237).

-Stephen

[Barry ward]

Thats about the same procedure I use,but some wood are just plain porous and opened grain and not much you can do about it,other than fillers an a whole lot of sanding.I don't like fillers. :mad:

[Stephen Saar]

Has anyone tried to use only the 1st and the last buffing compounds? Since the middle compound seems to have trouble with open grain woods, I'm interested in seeing if I can skip the middle one.

[Dick Strauss]

Skipping the white diamond step doesn't give as nice of a shine IMO.

FYI-the red rouge can also be a problem with imperfect/burled light colored woods.

[Tom Hintz]

Has anyone tried to use only the 1st and the last buffing compounds? Since the middle compound seems to have trouble with open grain woods, I'm interested in seeing if I can skip the middle one.
I have skipped the white diamond by doing a lot more polishing with the 1st grit and running the wheel low on compound over tha last (good) while of polishing. That helps bring up a better shine but I personally don't think it is as good as when using the white diamond compound. I expect the results will vary with some wood types as well.

[Jack Savona]

Before I fut any finish on, I buff with tripoli and white diamond. That way I start my finishing with the very best surface possible. Then after the finish really cures (no odor detected) I use the tripoli and WD again, but instead of carnuba, I now use Renaissance Wax and buff it with the carnuba buffer (after having cleaned off all the old carnuba with a rough-tooth blade). I found the carnuba dulls over time, shows fingerprints and is susceptible to moisture.

[Mike Minto]

you know, i've had the same problem with light buffing compounds getting in the pores of dark wood. i also wonder if some of the buffing wheel lint is getting in there, too - thought about dyeing my wheels brown - think that would be useful? i called Caswell Plating - where I buy my buffs and compounds, and was recommended a couple of bars that are brownish in color, and finer in composition than tripoli; I use one now in place of the WD on open pore/dark woods. you might want to look in to that. mike