Buffing systems

[Jon McElwain]

I have been using some old sewn buffing wheels for some time with mixed results. I decided it was time to get a good buffing system. From reading old posts, it looks like the Beall is the popular system, with the Don Pencil system as runner up. Has anyone used the Oneway wheels? The fabric is cut a little different and I wondered if anyone had any comments on them. Also, any comments on system preference, value, etc., would be appreciated!

[Alan Trout]

Personally I prefer Don Pencils extended arbors they are the best in the biz. His wheels and compounds are reasonably priced and he is the closest to your location being he is in Washington state. If you like doing gloss finishes his plastic lacquer compound is the best. Remember Don is a one man show so it generally takes him a day or two to ship. I ordered some supplies from him last week and they are due for delivery today. I have not used the Oneway wheels but sure they are good.

Alan

[Scott Hackler]

I have the Beal 3 on the tree deal and wouldn't buy it again because of the limitations to buff larger pieces. The wheels are just too darn close together.

[Jon McElwain]

I have the Beal 3 on the tree deal and wouldn't buy it again because of the limitations to buff larger pieces. The wheels are just too darn close together.

I have heard that before about the three wheel arbor. If they were mounted individually to the headstock or a buffer would that change their usefulness to you?

[Scott Hackler]

I have heard that before about the three wheel arbor. If they were mounted individually to the headstock or a buffer would that change their usefulness to you?

Yep. I am going to alter the setup to individual wheels some day. I also want some "bowl buffs" so I can buff the inside of bowls because the standard wheels won't reach inside of a smaller or deep bowl.

[Jon McElwain]

I think I read a post by Steve that said he did not like the 2" bowl buffs because they left swirly marks. I'll have to ask him about that. Maybe the 3" or 4" would work better. Don Pencil has several variations on the bowl buff.

[Eric Skell]

I really like my Beal individual buffs. They have held up extremely well for me. This is the single best tool I have found for improving my finish! :)

[Russell Neyman]

Gotta say, a good buffing system -- I use the Beall -- takes a good finish and elevates it to great. One of the best bangs for my buck in my shop.

While we're on the subject, what is the consensus on buffing speed? I usually start slow, then increase the speed if I don't get the results I want. My caution is that I don't want to melt the finish, especially the lacquers.

[Scott Hackler]

I slow my lathe down to about 600rpm (I think that is one of the speeds) when I buff. When I first started buffing I was buffing at 1400rpm and did have issues because of the heat from too fast wheels and too much pressure on the wheels. Now its a lot slower and a gentle touch of the work to the wheels.

[Russell Neyman]

There's something I'd like to try but for some reason I haven't gotten around to doing it, and that's to apply my usual 4-6 coats of lacquer, let it cure for a few days, then sand it with 1000 and buff it out. Seems to me the Beall system should return the sanded finish to a gloss. My fear, of course, is that I'll mess up a perfectly good project.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I bought a 1750 rpm motor for cheap and bought the beall system. Key to any buffing is not to stay in one place to long and a light touch. Don't ask me how I know this.:mad:

[Russell Neyman]

I purchased that simple Morse taper adapter from Beall, so I can use the variable speed features on my lathe. In my experience, the tripoli and white diamond polishing steps require slower speeds, but better results can be achieved with the wax when I crank it up. As I recall, the taper adapter is only about $15.

The Beall guys will probably be in Portland this weekend, and I'll make a point to stop by their booth and ask about speeds and such. If there are any head-slapping developments, I'll post it here next week.

[Jon McElwain]

Any comments to compare Beall and Pencil kits? Looks like the Pencil are a little lower price when you add in the bowl buffs and spindle extension adapter.

[Rich Aldrich]

I have the Beall system - three separate wheels. Like Bernie, I crank the speed up to 1750 per the recommendations and light touch. I have the 3 inch wheels for the insides of bowls and have no problems with swirl marks. You need a light touch and keep moving.

[Harry Robinette]

I use the Bealll sys. I have the 3 separate wheels in 8",4",3" and bowl buffs in 2" and 3" It does get a little pricey but over a year it's not bad. All my buffs are set up on a 1725 motor with a extension so the buffs are about 8" from the motor. The motor is mounted on a grinder stand so the bottom of the motor doesn't get in the way.I also made an adapter so I can use any of the buffs in my drill for when I do big bowls ( over 16" ).

[Sid Matheny]

I have the Beall individual buffs and the bowl buffs and would not want to do without them. Just makes a world of difference to the finish.

Sid

[Gary Chester]

I have Don Pencil's system... works great. I especially like the extenders, they give you lots of room to work.

I've never tried the Beall system...

[Thom Sturgill]

I bought the beall system to mount on my grinder, then bought Don Pencils system to screw on the lathe spindle. I no longer use the grinder attachment, just the DP adapter, but with the Beall buffs most of the time. When I upgraded from a Jet 1220 to the 1642 with a larger spindle, I bought the larger adapter from DP.

I do buff out lacquer with both systems. It is important to let it cure for at least a week, two is better, and watch the heat. DP tells you to slow down to 700rpm with his setup. his wheel is softer than the Beall wax wheel which is the softest of the three Beall wheels.

[Thomas Canfield]

I give a solid recommendation for Don Pencil buffing system. If you do larger work, then you will find the 12" adapter great for large bowls and hollow forms. You should use the largest diameter of buff you can, and the 2" goblet buffs may be what you want for small work. You will likely end up with the 2", 4", and the 8" wheels. I have made some smaller wheels about 5" diameter for the smaller bowls since you cannot get inside a bowl smaller than the 8" wheel curve with the 8" wheel.

[Curt Fuller]

I think any of the three buffing systems you've mentioned are good. I personally wouldn't mount them together on a shaft for the reasons Scott H stated. I use the Beall system and have one of the #2 morse taper arbors that just goes in my lathe headstock. I use a draw bar to make sure it doesn't come out and then the 3 wheels just have a bolt through them that threads into the arbor. But the real secret to buffing isn't necessarily the wheels or the speed. If I've ever had a problem it has usually been from too much compound or wax. It just takes a tiny amount of the tripoli or white diamond on the wheels to get the job done. Any more and it builds up on your turning and you spend forever trying to chase it off. Use even less of the carnuba wax. I just touch the wax bar to the wheel for a second or so and that will buff a pretty good sized piece. Oil finishes can be buffed much sooner than poly or lacquer. I often use the famous "Keith Burns 10 minute finish" with oil. Lacquer or Poly need to cure for several days minimum, maybe even more before buffing.

[John Keeton]

There's something I'd like to try but for some reason I haven't gotten around to doing it, and that's to apply my usual 4-6 coats of lacquer, let it cure for a few days, then sand it with 1000 and buff it out. Seems to me the Beall system should return the sanded finish to a gloss. My fear, of course, is that I'll mess up a perfectly good project.Russell, I typically wet sand all my work with 600 grit, then 1200, and then hand buff it with 0000 before going to the buffing wheel. Seems to do an excellent job. I buff at around 750 rpm, and as opposed to the others, I typically will buff my finishes, whether lacquer or WOP, the following day. I have even buffed out lacquer within just 2-3 hours if conditions are right. Yes, it is more tender, but one can also get a very nice, mirror finish, too. Patience and light pressure are key!! Don't rush it, don't "hover" in one spot, and just like sanding, spend the extra time with the tripoli first before moving on to the white diamond.

I concur about compound buildup - that will mess up a finish quickly by leaving marks. That is one of the problems with the smaller bowl buffs. They have to be used at higher rpms, and will pick up excess compound quickly.

I have the Beall system, but I have seen Don's and it appears to be very high quality and I wouldn't hesitate to buy it - just wasn't aware of it when I got my system.

[Russell Neyman]

John, I have sometimes used 0000 steel wool, too, on my lacquer finishes before the final coat. I find it doesn't work as well on the WOP. Not sure why. I once used poly for everything, then switched to lacquer when I moved to a cold weather climate, where I'm forced to do my finishing indoors and need a quick dry product during the colder, wetter months. (I do it in the guest bathroom, where its dry and warm, but obviously the rest of the household is prone to annoyance with drop cloths and the odor.) Now, I'm drifting back to the WOP again somewhat. I'm going to try your suggestion on the next bowl.

These last few posts bring up an interesting question about overloading the wheel. Mine gets dirty over time. How do you guys clean yours? I use some incredibly coarse sandpaper and "comb" it out, and that seems to work on the Tripoli stage. Dave Masters soaks his Tripoli wheel in a degreasing detergent, then throws it in the dishwasher with the pots and pans. That seems to work. The nice thing about the larger wheel is that not matter how mis-shaped they get because you've washed them the centrifugal force in use brings them right back to what they were before.

[Glenn Torbert]

I took the cheap route, I bought the beall buffing balls, but I also bought the Harbor freight buffing wheels and doubled them up,I use them with two turned simple wooden plates with the center dowel at the same size as the wheels, then I use my chuck to hold one side of the plate and wedge the wheels between the other one, then using the tail stock I keep them tight, I prefer to do this on my lathe so that I can vary the speed.......

[Paul Singer]

I just wanted to throw one other option out there. I bought my wheels from CASWELL Plating. I have not used Beal or Don Pencils wheels. The Caswell products work well and are very affordable. The Flannel 8" wheels ran $4.49 and the 8" cotton wheels run $5.99 each. I would double up the flannel wheels. I made an arbor out of a 3/8" bolt and two washers for each wheel. You could then use the Don Pencil adapter or make one like I did by turning a spindle which I threaded one end to fit my lathe and epoxied a 3/8" bolt in the other end. Just another way to go.

[Jake Helmboldt]

+1 on buffs from Caswell Plating. I have an old motor I got from a yard sale with a mandrel already mounted. I have probably $20 if that in my whole setup.

[Jon Nuckles]

I have the Don Pencil system and really like the convenience of spinning the extender onto the headstock spindle and taking advantage of the variable speed on the lathe. The access that the extender provides is nice, too. It is well-machined and I can wholeheartedly recommend it. I can't compare the Pencil wheels or buffs to the Beall or Oneway, or any others, and I am not experienced enough with it to say whether they are capable of producing a great finish. All I know is that I am not yet capable of producing a great finish:rolleyes:. I had a few beginner's mistakes with it, and it has been sitting in a drawer ever since. One of these days, I will get it out and practice.

I'd love to see an experienced turner using a buffer. Anybody know of a video online?