Buffing wheel maintenance

[Richard Dooling]

Hi all,

I've decided to set up a buffing station after some examples posted here and my own experiments have shown how this can really improve the quality of a finish. What a great use for dad's old ShopSmith!

I've seen where some people advocate using a coarse abrasive on a board to clean and otherwise maintain the cloth wheels. I'm familiar with using a rake or a wire brush but not this method.

Isn't there a risk of leaving behind a piece of grit in the cloth fibers using the abrasive method?

Pros/cons?

Thanks,
Richard

[Mark Greenbaum]

In the jewelry trade there is a buffing wheel comb that scrapes the compounds out and restores the wheel to have exposed fibers. Never mix the tripoli or rouge compounds - do not contaminate good buffing wheels.

[Jim Meyer]

I would not take a chance of contaminating the wheel. all you need is one little grain to scratch the finish.

jim

[John K Jordan]

I use the end of a thin piece of hard wood (a piece of cocobolo) for this. I've known people who used a piece of a hacksaw blade. If I tried this I'd make a handle or hold the metal in some vise grips.

One thing some people do is apply too much polishing compound. It needs very little.

JKJ

[Scott Hackler]

I always use a piece of rough cedar (fencing plank). Seems to grab the compound with the rough texture.

[Leo Van Der Loo]

I would not use a very coarse sandpaper on a buffing wheel, as yes there is a chance of grit sticking into the wheel.

If I ever have to clean a wheel or get a new wheel ready for use, I use a hacksaw blade, that has always worked for me just fine.

[Richard Dooling]

Thanks everyone.

I just figured that one day one piece of grit would have it in for me and embed itself in a wheel.

I like the hacksaw blade idea. I always have a few around the shop. It's simple enough to attach a few inches to the end of a board - like my sandpaper cutter.

[Marvin Hasenak]

On one of my orders from Caswell Plating I ordered a buffing wheel rake, about $20 and well worth it.