beall setup on the lathe

[doug young]

I was looking at a beall buffing setup and with my limited space in the shop i wondered if anyone has used this on their lathe and how they liked it. I have a jet 1642. I need to save the little space i have for a bandsaw. doug

[Steve Schlumpf]

Doug - I also have the Jet 1642 and use the Beall buffing system - but I use the 3 separate wheels. All I do is slide the headstock down to the end of the bed and buff from that location. I bought the separate wheels because I wanted the room to be able to buff out bowls and hollow forms. With the 3 on a mandrel system - you would be very limited in the size of the turning you could buff before running into the other wheels. All depends on what it is you plan on buffing.

[Mike Null]

I also use separate wheels for the reasons stated above. This is a great tool.

[Larry McCumber]

I wish I had bought the separate wheels for the reasons listed above. I have the "3 on a rod" set-up on my Jet mini and am very limited in the size of bowls I can buff this way, especially on the inside.

[Gordon Seto]

Another vote for separate wheels. You can also use the 2 or 3" bowl buff with it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I have the 3 on a rod and wished I'd have bought the other setup!

[Dick Strauss]

Get a local machinist to turn a MT2 on one end and a small centering dimple on the other end of a 3' long piece of threaded rod. Then you can mount all three buffs at once with a gap of 12" between the buffs (and 6" from each end). This will allow you to buff something close to 18" in diameter.

FYI-You'll probably want to cover the threaded rod in between the buffs with PVC pipe.

[Scott Hubl]

Hi Doug,
First off, What do you turn, or plan on turning in the future?

IF your answer is Pens, Bottle stoppers, Small Lidded Boxes, and other Small projects, the Three on a lathe one is fine.

Start turning larger objects and bowls and it's cramped, the wheels are very close together not leaving alot of room to manipulate turnings without hitting one of the other wheel buffs.

It is the first one I bought, I bought it used from a guy for 25.00. I like him found out its limitations quickly.
GREAT for those Small items though.

I have added the seperate wheels set up for larger items.
Also added the buffing mandrel Extension too.

I also have the 2" Bowl Buffs kit, the 3" Bowl Buffs kit from Beall
That Extension comes in handy using them on bowls.

I also picked up the 4" Wood N Things Goblet Buffs (Don Pencil) from Rockler on clearance for 10.00 normally about 57.99
Each type and design has it's purpose.

I like others thought Cool all 3 at the ready to use at anytime without having to swap wheels out, but realized it is limited or best suited too smaller pieces.

[doug young]

Thanks for the info. I think i will go the route that steve mentioned and possibly down the road consider making my own setup like dick mentioned. When i buy the 3 single wheels and the beal set up what holds it onto the spindle. They mention a morse taper which if i understand correctly would require a counterforce to hold it in. Is there some sort of attachment that screws on the spindle? thanks guys for all the info. doug


from the beall description at woodcraft:
Changing buffs takes seconds with the quick-change adapter; it adjusts to fit 1/2" or 5/8" motor arbor shafts (1/2 HP or larger, 1725 RPM motor recommended)
The optional #2 Morse Taper mandrel enables you to use the buffs on the lathe (you'll have to make a 1/4"-20 drawbar to hold it in place)

[Darryl Hansen]

You can unbolt the wheels and use them individually. The rod they are mounted on is threaded so when you take the wheels you don't want to use you just move the spacers and retighten the bolts.

[Paul Douglass]

Thanks for the info. I think i will go the route that steve mentioned and possibly down the road consider making my own setup like dick mentioned. When i buy the 3 single wheels and the beal set up what holds it onto the spindle. They mention a morse taper which if i understand correctly would require a counterforce to hold it in. Is there some sort of attachment that screws on the spindle? thanks guys for all the info. doug


from the beall description at woodcraft:
Changing buffs takes seconds with the quick-change adapter; it adjusts to fit 1/2" or 5/8" motor arbor shafts (1/2 HP or larger, 1725 RPM motor recommended)
The optional #2 Morse Taper mandrel enables you to use the buffs on the lathe (you'll have to make a 1/4"-20 drawbar to hold it in place)

The drawbar mentioned is what holds it. Its the bolt goes through the MT hole from the back of the headstock and screws into the end of the MT. Have a washer on the bolt head end. Did you ask that question or did I read your post incorrectly? I don't remember Bill Baumbeck using a drawbar in his pen turning video. I'll have to look at that again.

[doug young]

Thanks Paul, That is the answer that i needed. Thanks again. doug

[keith zimmerman]

I bought the 3-in-one for my mini and hated it. Not enough space between wheels to do anything of any size. I have since converted it to individual wheels and now use it all the time since I have adequate space for almost any size piece.

If I were to do it again, I would buy the individual wheels. I also recommend the individual wheels to anyone that cares to listen.

keithz

[Mike Golka]

I use the seperate wheel system and for all the reasons already state I love it.