Buffing Question

[Mike Goetzke]

For bowls and smaller items is best to have a separate buffing motor or use the lathe?

Thanks,

Mike

[Thom Sturgill]

I use the lathe which has variable speed control. I use a spindle adapter that the stud on the Beall wheels screws into. I buff Tripoli at about 1200-1500rpm, white diamond at 900-1100rpm, wax and some special lacquer/plastic compound at about 500-700rpm. A dedicated buffer motor would not give me that flexibility.

[Mike Goetzke]

Thanks - that's exactly the info I was looking for.

Mike

[Fred Belknap]

A low speed motor rpm is 1750, which is to fast to buff most things. I like the lathe like Thom.

[George Morris]

I also us the lathe!

[Brian Myers]

Other option would be to keep a watch out for a 3 phase motor or buffer and run it off a VFD.

[Mike Goetzke]

Other option would be to keep a watch out for a 3 phase motor or buffer and run it off a VFD.

Sorry - should have mentioned I have a variable speed reversible motor on my lathe.

Mike

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Beall reccomends 1725. This is from the site. Don't know if a link is banned. I have a dedicated 2 speed buffer. I sometimes use the high speed with the Beall ball buffs.

The Wood Buff is designed to be used with a 1/3 hp or more, 1725 motor. This should be sufficient for most buffing tasks; larger items or a more vigorous buffing style may call for 1/2 hp. The 3,000 r.p.m. of most grinder motors will be too fast for the 8" wheels sold with the Wood Buff but would work well for buffing with our smaller 4" Wheels or Bowl Buffs. When you face the shaft end of the motor, the wheel should rotate counter-clockwise in order for the Wood Buff to work properly.

[Thomas Canfield]

I bought the Don Pencil spindle buffing adapter along with his bowl buffs and buffing wheels at SWAT about 7 years ago. Since, I have purchased the 12"x1-1/4" spindle adapter for my Powermatic 3520B and added different sizes of buffing wheels from 3" to 6" to supplement the 8" wheels normally used for buffing. I like to use a wheel more than the "buff" globs to have a softer buff and still fit inside smaller bowls. I use both my Powermatic for larger buffing and Comet mini for smaller buffing and some inside work. Using the variable speed lathes allows for changing speed depending on buffing medium and size of wheel. I don't know where you can find the 12" spindle adapter now, but it really does make buffing larger pieces easier to reach the middle of inside. I do not move the headstock of Powermatic for buffing, but that would be an option if you can only find the 8" spindle.