Don Pencil Buffing Adapter

[Mike Minto]

Here's two I just bought, still making arbors out of all-thread for my wheels. 12" and 8" - only intended to get one, but kinda messed up :o and wound up with two. I'll be getting rid of my stand-alone motor/buffer (free up a little precious shop space). They are solid, have very little run-out; anyone have experience with these? I'll report back when I get to use them.

[Alan Trout]

I love mine and would not use anything else. Not only that Don is a great guy. Buy the way that is a nice little gloat you have.

Alan

[David E Keller]

I'm not familiar with this tool. How is it used?

BTW, you've been in a sweet little tool acquisition phase recently.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats on your tools. Haven't used them but they look solid.

[William Payer]

I've had mine for two years now and love it! THe quality of machining on these extensions is superb!

[John Keeton]

BTW, you've been in a sweet little tool acquisition phase recently.David, I don't know if you have noticed in the Classified, but it is sort of an "ebb and flow" for Mike!!:D;) Kind of incoming/outgoing tide thing! I did the same thing with handtools for several months until I settled into the keepers!

[Thom Sturgill]

I originally bought the Beall system and then Don's adapter and wheel for the plastic and lacquer. I now use his adapter on the lathe for all three and love it. Mine's only about 3" long and mounted on my old Jet 1220.

[Paul Douglass]

I originally bought the Beall system and then Don's adapter and wheel for the plastic and lacquer. I now use his adapter on the lathe for all three and love it. Mine's only about 3" long and mounted on my old Jet 1220.


Being you have both, I'd be interested in your comparison and why you prefer this one to the Beall.

[Gary Herrmann]

I've got a 3" and an 8" from Don. The 3" is on my mini all the time which has turned into a buffing machine for small turnings. Been very happy with both.

[Jim Silva]

I've got the 8" and have had it for 2 years or more IIRC. Great product, excellent machining. I've been using it with the Beall bowl buffs on deep vessels, bowls, etc with no issues.

J

[Mike Minto]

David, I don't know if you have noticed in the Classified, but it is sort of an "ebb and flow" for Mike!!:D;) Kind of incoming/outgoing tide thing! I did the same thing with handtools for several months until I settled into the keepers!

John, that's quite true - you should(n't) have seen me in my younger days, with cars and stereo equipment - having been military and young, I went thru an astounding number of automobiles and high-end audiophile quality gear. Same here with the turning equipment - am fine tuning the toolbox to get what I think will help me turn the forms I want. Plus, I'm a tool junkie, and sometimes just buy what looks cool :eek::eek:.

[Thom Sturgill]

Being you have both, I'd be interested in your comparison and why you prefer this one to the Beall.

The Beall adapter fit my grinder the Pencil mounts direct on the lathe spindle. I put an MDF honing wheel in place of the buffing wheel on the slow speed grinder. Also Don recommends 700 rpm for his PL compound and the grinder does not go that slow.

[Thomas Canfield]

I have the 8" with 1" thread for mini lathe and the 8" and 12" with 1 1/4" thread for Powermatic. I use the mini setup mainly for the bowl buffs, and the wheels on the Powermatic but that gives me the ability to do small bowls inside and outside without changing buffing wheel. The 12" is great for larger bowls and hollow forms to have the extra reach. I bought some large flat head screws at Fastenal and use them to attach the buffing wheels that require using a couple of extra nuts on the shaft when tightening the lock nut against the buffing wheel. Additionally, I have found that some 5" wheels from Northern Tool work very well for tripoli buffing in the smaller shapes, better than the smaller bowl buffs. The only problem is the 5" have a 5/8" hole, and require making a filler (I wrap with paper strips) to center on the 3/8" screw. I was considering dropping Don a note and suggesting that he add the 5" wheels to his line, but this might do the trick.

[Mike Minto]

The only problem is the 5" have a 5/8" hole...


I feel the same way - 3/8 is a rather small diameter (I guess both the beall and pencil are both that size, yes?) - would like to have seen a 1/2 or 5/8 bored/threaded hole in these, but there may be a reason against it (I'm no machinist) and besides, the 3/8 does seem stiff enough, to me. I just used some clear plastic tubing as a shim, and my 5/8 wheels work like a charm on my penicl adapters. I'll post a photo of the home made arbors (3/8 allthread, cap nut and nuts & washers) tomorrow.

[Mike Minto]

For anyone wanting to see, this is obviously simple to make - just a 3 1/4" or so piece of 3/8"x16 tpi all-thread, two washers (one on either side of the buffing wheel), a cap nut for the outside and a regular nut to secure everything together. I glue the cap nut on, and tighten the other against the wheel - use a lock washer if you want - and use a piece of plastic tubing as a shim for the hole in the wheel, if necessary. Cheaper than buying it pre-built, and you get your choice of material for the wheels.

[David Walser]

I'm not familiar with this tool. How is it used?

...

David,

Don's buffing adapters are the easiest things in the world to use. One end is threaded to accept your lathe's spindle and the other end is threaded to accept your buffing wheels. To use, thread the adapter onto your lathe's spindle and then thread the buffing wheel's arbor into the adapter. Turn your lathe onto the correct speed. Load up the wheel with compound and buff away.

The system's greatest advantage is it's flexibility. You can mount larger and smaller wheels and different shaped buffs. So, it can be used for everything from big bowls to the pens. I have the 8" adapter, which easily lets me reach to the bottom of a fairly deep bowl. If I were buying today, I'd get the 12" adapter instead.

The only downside to the use of these adapters is that you have to remove and replace the wheels when switching between compounds. For small things items, the system that has three wheels spaced along an arbor (available from Don Pencil and from Beall) is more efficient since you can quickly move from one wheel to the next. However, it only takes a few seconds to change wheels with Don's adapter, so I prefer it (for the stuff I tend to make) to the three wheel systems.

Hope this helps.

[Mike Minto]

Now that I've used the adapters for a while, let me say that I'm very happy with this purchase. Quick to set-up and change wheels, and having variable speed is really helpful. Lots more room to work with forms than with a pedestal mounted, fixed speed electric motor, too. I may have to get one for my small lathe, as well. (Let me tag on to someone's earlier post here as to why changing wheel systems - after having and using the Beall set-up, I sold it so I could buy some other wheels I found at Caswell Plating - variety in selection and number of wheels mounted. Beall's wheels are excellent, though, I must say, I just like this way better. Plus, it's 'shopmade').

[charlie knighton]

Don's stuff is high quailty, expect to use it the rest of your life

[Don Haynes]

I've been trying desperately for some time to get these. Is Don Pencil still around? His web site is down and he doesn't return phone calls. I don't know if he is on vacation, retired, sick or even worse. Does anyone have contact with him?

[Thom Sturgill]

Does anyone know where I can purchase these? I've been trying to contact Don Pencil. His web site is down and he doesn't return phone calls. Is he out of business?

Packard sells these (http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=packard&Category_Code=finish-buffadap)
http://www.packardwoodworks.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/BuffExt-img.png

I think Don has been out of business for a couple of years at this point. The site was slowly selling off remaining stock for a while.

[Ralph Lindberg]

He has been winding down for a couple years, but he also hasn't posting anything on Facebook (that I've seen) since January. So maybe he has had some health issues

[Marvin Hasenak]

I use these, I made them from scrap maple, my cost is the bolt and washers, maybe a dollar. For my longer versions I drilled and tapped the turned the maple so that a piece of 1/5" PVC pipe will snug fit over the threaded end. I then pinned the PVC to the maple. With variable speed and reverse I can put them on and take them off in seconds.

http://i61.tinypic.com/huivci.jpg

http://i57.tinypic.com/219cpjk.jpg