Is 3400 rpm Too fast for Buffing wood?

[Gregg Feldstone]

I recently got a decent deal on a high-quality three-quarter horsepower 8 inch buffer.
I would like to leave it set up for Turning and other small wood projects. my grinder is low speed but I want to just leave the stones and jigs on it. Is 3400 RPM to fast speed for wood buffing?

[Thomas Canfield]

I am not sure where you find 8" buffing wheels rated for 3400 rpm, but I find 1800 rpm with 8" wheels using Tripoli does a good job. I think the 3400 rpm would be more likely to burn wood since the 1800 warms things up. I like using the lathe with extension shaft for the variable speed using 1800 for buffing Tripoli an 1200 for buffing Renaissance wax and having more flexibility to get inside bowls or hollow forms. I think a short shaft buffing machine is limited for doing turning pieces except pens and smaller exteriors.

[Dwight Rutherford]

What he said.

[David Walser]

Well, the most popular vendor of buffing systems for woodwork, Beal Tool Company, recommends 1,725rpm for its 8" wheels and 3,000rpm for its 4" (and smaller) bowl buffs. However, I believe that recommendation is based on the commonly available fixed-speed electric motors. That is, it may not be the optimal speed, just what most shops might have easily available. In my shop, I buff at less than 1,725rpm for Tripoli and slower still for other, finer, compounds. (My buffing wheels are driven by my variable speed lathe. So, I'm not forced to choose between two fixed speeds.)

[Richard Coers]

8" at 3,400 rpm is just over 80mph surface speed. It'll take an extremely light and quick touch to not actually remove wood

[Alex Zeller]

Is it a 3 phase machine? If so a VFD is a simple way to control the speed. A single phase induction motor speed controller I believe is possible but isn't going to be as simple but I believe is doable.

[John K Jordan]

I recently got a decent deal on a high-quality three-quarter horsepower 8 inch buffer.
I would like to leave it set up for Turning and other small wood projects. my grinder is low speed but I want to just leave the stones and jigs on it. Is 3400 RPM to fast speed for wood buffing?

Too fast for me, may work with a very light touch and a very light application of abrasive. I go with about 1/2 that speed, driven by the lathe for both wood and metals.

An extra inexpensive 1/2 speed Rikon grinder for polishing might work for you.

JKJ

[John Keeton]

You have asked about buffing “wood” with no reference to finish. If you are actually wanting to buff bare wood the. Except for some exceptions you can probably get by with 3450 rpm so long as a light touch is used. But, if you are asking about buffing a finish there are many variables - the type of finish, the cure time, the abrasive used, the speed and the pressure used. It is a delicate balance. I have rarely buffed beyond 1000 rpm and usually around 750. The first time you melt and scorch the finish you will start to understand how quickly that can happen and how much effort it is to remove the entire finish, re-sand by hand, and apply a new finish.

[Gregg Feldstone]

Thanks for everyone’s reply. I was afraid you guys would tell me what you have. The buffer is a general purpose high-quality Baldor machine that’s used mainly for metal buffing and polishing. It does have very nice long shafts. I now wish I had spent a little more and gotten their two speed machine which runs at 1800 and 3400 RPM.