Anyone know how to build a cheap buffer?

[photoman13]

I am wanting to buff out stems and bowls. Anything cheap. I have seen people use close angle drills with a vise grip. Any ideas? Also does it have to stay under a certain RPMs?

 

[buzkirk]

Dremel with a buffing wheel, works well and cheap

 

[rickpal14]

I have found that a Dremel will have WAY too much speed, even at its lowest level. Carnauba needs an RPM of about 1750 with a 6" wheel to be applied properly. If the RPM's are too high it will not achieve its proper shine.
I use an adjustable speed drill in a vise with a locking clamp to hold the trigger at the correct speed. Also be sure to use a separate buffing wheel for each of your compounds.
There is alot more info on the site so I would recommend searching for more in depth info.

 

[schmitzbitz]

1/4hp furnace motors often turn at 1725rpm, and can often be found for a song through repair shops. Advantage to this over a variable speed drill is that you can set up an arbor system to turn in addition to simply buffing - albeit you are going to be restricted somewhat by not having variable speed.

Downside is that it takes up a fair amount of space. Between the motor and the arbors, you've filled a work-bench - never mind the belting running all over the place.

 

[jchaplick]

I bought a 'dremel' from a true value tool shop, it was their own brand and it was 12 bucks, it spins extremely slow for a dremel, it worked quite well on some of my pipes, you do have to be careful, if you mess up for can nick the briar

 

[photoman13]

Thanks for all the info.

I have used a dremel before but it burned the pipe stem. I am not that handy and don't know how to set up the furnace contraption. So, I guess I will go with the variable speed drill.

 

[tbradsim1]

I bought an old dremel polisher on e-bay for 50$ and it does great, with micro mesh sand paper and paragon wax and the buffer I shine them up like glass, the pipes too. Tbradsim the old cajun I didn't"t explain myself very well, the polisher is a double head shoe polisher, wool pads on both ends.

 

[steyrshrek]

I bought a ryobi bench grinder new from a big box store for abut $50 and $6.00 for a cotton buffing wheel.

 

[smokindawg]

1725rpm is what most look for, but I started out with a bench grinder and cheap buffing wheels from Harbor freight. It will do you a good job. Just remember a few things,

1) Keep a good grip on the pipe/stem while in contact with the wheel

2) Use a light touch between pipe/stem and buffing wheel

3) Don't have any distractions around you, no matter how trivial or important.

4) Use a different wheel for each compound/wax

 

[derrick]

+1 to Harbour Freight Bench buffer. $45.00 and your off and running.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-buffer-94393.html
I have this for straight razor restores
EDIT:

Just as a note, you can slow the speed of the buffing wheel down by reducing the size of the wheel. So on a 6" Buffer if you put 4" buffing wheel it will slow the speed of the wheel down. If you Put an 8" wheel on it will speed up the wheel. This is all while maintain the same RPM of the Motor.
(RPM * Dia)/4 = SFM

or

RPM = (12*SFM)/3.14168*DIA so (3.1416*DIA*RPM)/12=SFM More accurate but the first is good enough
this was taken from my notes

 

[smokindawg]

Photoman, unless it's a good drill, I don't know if you'll get enough oomph too polish well. That and drills aren't really meant to run continuous as long as it will take to buff stems and pipes. Least I wouldn't do it. Buy a cheap grinder from Harbor Freight.
I use electric motors with arbors I made myself. I made them and each wheel has a carriage bolt so I can quickly change the wheels. I also did the same with my sanding discs for pipe making.

 

[photoman13]

thanks I like the harbor freight one. Thanks for the link. I thought if you used a bigger buffer wheel it would slow down the rpms and vise versa. I guess I had it backwards lol.

 

[smokindawg]

I used a 6" on the grinder and did fine.......

 

[derrick]

you never really adjust the RPM. You change the surface feet per minute. The larger the Dia the faster the wheel passes the work.

 

[bentmike]

I have a wood lathe that l would like to use for buffing tasks. Shouldn't be to hard to rig up some kind of attachment point. The pulleys let me slow it way down so it should work good.
I have an older Dremel with the true variable speed not just 5 speed. It does an ok job but tough to get a flawless perfect smooth finish. As noted it just spins way to fast.

 

[ssjones]

smoking dawg makes an arbor that fits on the end of the motor shaft, easy pad swaps.
I have a similar setup on a 1725 rpm furnace motor, that happened to be laying on a shelf in my folks basement. It works great and is far easier to use than the variable speed drill I was using. I just put the motor into my bench mount vise, than it stores under my self when not needed. I only have a single shaft motor, so pad changes for different compounds means a quick change. I modified a large wing-nut so pad changes can be done with no tools.
I use Jestco for my pads, but they really last along time for pipe use.
http://www.jestcoproducts.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=11
Motor with my carnuba wheel (loose cotton). I use sewn cotton wheels for white diamond or plastic polish.

 

[bailey331]

I use my dremel tool too. The buffer pads for it are cheeap.

 

[nightmarejones]

so far I've used a brilo pad then a 0000# steel wool both with isopropyl then my dremel with a Buffer/slight abrasive pad and have had no complaints besides not using micro-mesh to get the glass like shine before using carnuba wax