# Buffing wheel question



## jleiwig (May 29, 2009)

How many people use all three buffing wheels that come with the Beall kit and similiar models?  

The reason I ask is I have an old buffing shaft setup that will take two wheels and an old motor for it.  I'd rather just use that as a dedicated buffing station versus buying the whole kit and having to take it on and off the lathe everytime I wanted to buff a pen or bowl.  

The next question is which two wheels should I go with?  The Beall uses linen, linen/cotton mix, and all cotton buffing wheels.  I can pick them up from Caswell plating fairly inexpensively, and the wax/tripoli/white diamond is easy to get locally.


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## cnirenberg (May 29, 2009)

jleiwig said:


> How many people use all three buffing wheels that come with the Beall kit and similiar models?



Justin,
I use all three wheels.  I have the older model that attaches to a stand alone motor.  I use the 3 wheels on lidded boxes, stoppers and things like that.  I just use the white diamond on pens. Hope this helps.


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## cnirenberg (May 29, 2009)

I hit reply too quick.  I have mounted the buffer motor w/ spindle under the lathe with clamps so when I need it I can plug it in and go.  It works for me.


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## george (May 29, 2009)

I only need tripoli and white diamond for pens. I do not use carnuba wax, since it take off some of the shine. 
I am not sure about which weel (material) is used for each sort of wax, but I remember looking the video - instructions on certain web site, where they have explained which weel is used for each wax (sorry, but I forgot the web site).
Perhaps some other will know this answer.


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## VisExp (May 29, 2009)

I very rarely use the third wheel on larger turnings and never on pens.  Just the first two, the brown one and the white one, sorry I can never remember the names of the compounds :redface: :biggrin:


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## bradh (May 29, 2009)

I use only 2 wheels. I use the first for McGuire's polish and the second to buff the Ren wax.


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## jleiwig (May 29, 2009)

Thanks for the opinions everyone.  I'll start with the tripoli and white diamond setup first.  If something is missing I'll get a third wheel and switch between it and one of the other wheels on the arbor.


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## RussFairfield (May 29, 2009)

There are several options, depending on how fine you sand, and the wax you use. You can go with 2-wheels, 1-wheel, or no buffing wheels at all, depending on what you do before that.

If you sand with anything finer than 1200 grit sandpaper, and you get all of the blemishes and sanding rings out of the finish, you don't need the Tripoli wheel. The Tripoli will be a step backwards because it is about the equivalent to 900 grit.  Start with the White Diamond which is about the same as 1500-1800 grit sandpaper.

If you use Renaissance wax or no wax, you don't need the Carnauba wheel. The cotton buffing wheel is the best way to apply Carnauba wax, but if you don't use it, or use a paste wax, there is no need for the wheel. 

If you sand to 12,000 Micro Mesh, and follow that with a plastic polish like HUT or one of the fine autmotive polishes, you don't need to be buffing at all. Anything you do with a buffing wheel will be a step backwards from the finer grits of the MM and polishes.


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## wood-of-1kind (May 29, 2009)

I buff with all three(3): tripoli,white dymond and finish with carnuaba. I sometimes use a fourth(4) wheel for staright buff without wax.


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## Dvoigt (Jun 5, 2009)

RussFairfield said:


> If you sand with anything finer than 1200 grit sandpaper, and you get all of the blemishes and sanding rings out of the finish, you don't need the Tripoli wheel. The Tripoli will be a step backwards because it is about the equivalent to 900 grit.  Start with the White Diamond which is about the same as 1500-1800 grit sandpaper.
> 
> If you use Renaissance wax or no wax, you don't need the Carnauba wheel. The cotton buffing wheel is the best way to apply Carnauba wax, but if you don't use it, or use a paste wax, there is no need for the wheel.
> 
> If you sand to 12,000 Micro Mesh, and follow that with a plastic polish like HUT or one of the fine autmotive polishes, you don't need to be buffing at all. Anything you do with a buffing wheel will be a step backwards from the finer grits of the MM and polishes.



I never though of buffing as being a step backwards, so if you do a CA finish and started to MM it, I could just use the first MM pads to get it smooth and them buff it instead of going all the way though to 12,000?  Or at that point does it not really make sense to change over?


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## broitblat (Jun 5, 2009)

I use two wheels on a stand-alone buffer. On woods, I typically sand to 600 and then buff with tripoli and white diamond.  On plastics, I am more likely to use MM instead of the buffing wheels and then plastic polish.  For both, I then generally apply ren-wax on the lathe.

I use only the cotton wheels.

  -Barry


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## hughbie (Jun 5, 2009)

thanks Russ.......i've always gone with MM 12000.....and i started trying out tripoli and white diamond.....and i just didn't get what i wanted.....you explained perfectly to me..


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## Gordon (Jun 6, 2009)

Me too - thanks Russ ? - answered my questions before I even asked.

Gordon


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## JimB (Jun 6, 2009)

I'll 3rd that. Once again I've learned something here.


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## John Eberly (Jun 10, 2009)

*Beall/buffing*

I have the Beall buffing system.  I don't use it for pens.

I do a CA finish and wetsand through 12000 MM at low speed on hte lathe.  After that, i use a little EEE at high speed and finish with Shellawax.

I think the Shellawax makes the pen look really good and probably fills any minute scratches left from the micromesh.  If the pen is used, the wax will wear away, but the user's hand oils and friction of using the pen tends to keep the CA shining.

I use the Beall buffing, all three wheels, on bowls etc.  I have the normal buffs and the 3" ball buffs for internal polishing of bowls.  The mount is a single type that is adapted to a morse taper for my lathe.  

I usually sand to 320 or 400 grit and lay on a couple coats of tung oil.  After the oil dries, I go through all three grades of buffing.  Leaves a soft shine and a great feel to the piece.


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## GouletPens (Jun 11, 2009)

Dvoigt said:


> I never though of buffing as being a step backwards, so if you do a CA finish and started to MM it, I could just use the first MM pads to get it smooth and them buff it instead of going all the way though to 12,000? Or at that point does it not really make sense to change over?


 If you're going through 12,000 then buffing, you're doing the same work twice. You only really have to go to about 3200, then tripoli, white diamond and you're good....it'll be as shiny as anything out there. Start to finish it takes me about 4 minutes to sand and polish my CA finish and I couldn't do that without the buffing. I only use 2 wheels on pens though, the 3rd I use for ren. wax after doing a woodturner's finish on wood bottle stoppers.


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## GouletPens (Jun 11, 2009)

The real important thing is to understand what grit all of these different polishing methods use....I don't know the numbers on most things but I've experimented using every sandpaper, abranet, scuffing pad, MM, buffing wheels, etc I have in my shop and I use a combination of most of these things to get me the fastest and most even finish possible. I'm incredibly pleased with my process which would be far more difficult without the buffing wheels! I figure why spend time doing one method if you can do something else that gets the same or better result in less time? You just have to try it all for yourself and be happy with your own process.


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## titan2 (Jun 14, 2009)

For those that have done aluminum pens......do you use a seperate buffing wheel for the metal.....and just the one?

THANKS,

Barney


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## ldb2000 (Jun 14, 2009)

Yes , use a seperate buffing wheel for metals . The metals will make a black mess out of your wheel that will never be clean again , even after washing .


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