Craftsman Buffing Set

[mattmars]

I just bought this buffing set at Sears to clean up my pipes and stems. My question is which of the compunds should I use for stems and bowls?
http://community.craftsman.com/Craftsman-Buffing-Wheel-and-Compound-Set-reviews?b=1

 

[tokerpipes]

i would just use bees wax.

 

[rickpal14]

On stems I use the brown polish for heavy oxidation, the follow up with white then carnauba wax. I use only carnauba on the bowls.......

 

[rickpal14]

With the carnauba wax the key is your speed. You want to have a SFPM about 1000 for the best application. A good calculator for this can be found HERE.
Roughly speaking this equates to about 1100rpm with a 4" diameter buffing wheel. There are plenty of threads on here about refinishing that are very informative. Your best bet would be doing a site search and you will be all set!! Good luck!!

 

[ssjones]

Woodcraft has the big bars of carnuba at reasonable prices. One of these will last a hobbyist a long time:

http://www.woodcraft.com/PRODUCT/2002036/2476/CARNAUBA-WAX-512-X-2-X-58.ASPX?refcode=10INGOPB&gclid=CMKT5OXMiawCFcx-5QodazU2mw

 

[mattmars]

Awesome info. I figured the red and black were out of the question. I will hit that site for my carnauba, thanks Al. Thanks to everyone else too!

 

[ejames]

You will have to have a separate wheel for your wax. Shouldn't use the same one you use with your compounds.

 

[ssjones]

Yep, every compound gets its own wheel. Jestco has just about the best prices on buffs:

http://www.jestcoproducts.com/index.php?act=viewCat&catId=11

 

[mattmars]

The little kit has 3 wheels of different sizes. I just picked it up because it was $10 and one of the wheels/compounds are going to the rims on my truck. I like the prices at Jestco, but I think I need a new bench grinder before I start using those.

 

[jship079]

All of the compounds have there own purpose do to there grit. The two most common is the jewelers rouge(red) and the white I think its called white diamond then always end with the Wax
AS far as different wheels its nice but you can rake out the one you have and use it on every thing until you get more.

 

[smokindawg]

I used to use the Tripoli (Red) on heavily oxidized stems but found it's easy to cause damage, or very heavy scratching using it. It will even cause melting if too high a speed buffer is used. I do still use the Tripoli when I'm working on finishing a pipe bowl I'm making as it saves a lot of sanding time.
So I now use sandpaper to remove the worst of the oxidation/green of stems. Once I get the stem black from sanding I then use White Diamond to bring the stem to a glassy shine. I also use the White Diamond on pipe bowls I'm making, as it can save a lot of hand sanding as well.
After that, I apply a coat of carnuba to the stem, which helps keep the oxidation from returning as fast. Remember that when using carnuba, a little goes a very long way.
I use 6" buffing wheels on an aluminum arbor I made myself. Each wheel is mounted to a threaded carriage bolt so that they can be easily changed depending on which I want to use.
You should use a different wheel for each compound or wax that you use and never interchange them. I even have a clean soft wheel I use for a final buff with no compound at all.
While there has been a lot of discussion about the correct speed for buffing and cleaning, I've used a grinder at 3200rpm and now use an electric motor at 1720rpm. If your careful you can use the faster setup and achieve very good results but your techniques will vary just a bit than using a slower motor. No matter what setup you use, practice is the key and cheap, or even trash pipes are good to practice on.
The biggest thing to remember when using a buffer is too do it when there are no distractions and keep a firm hold onto the part/pipe your buffing. I've only lost control of two pipes since beginning to buff pipes, both times ending in disaster for the pipe being worked on.
I wanted to add that I use only the loose sewn wheels and that the more surface area you have the better as it makes working pipes easier.. Some even use the wheels two wide so that they have more working surface area.I've not done this, but lately been thinking of doing just this very thing. You should also keep your wheels clean and free from buildup of compound. There are actually many ways to do this, but I've found that cardboard works very well for myself. I just run it across the surface of the wheel like I'm buffing it. When compound starts to build up on the cardboard, just cut the leading edge off and go back to it.

 

[deleon]

I start off by cleaning my pipe stems by 1st letting them soak in water & Oxy Clean. Depending on how oxidized the stem is I usually leave it in the mix for about 30mins, then wet sand with 800 to 2000 grit to remove the build up. Then to clean and polish I use the 3 compounds Tripoli Bar, White Diamond Bar, and final is the Carnauba Wax Bar.

 

[banjobob]

I bought a big 3 lb bar of white diamond and two 120 ply 8" cotton pads from Jestco.

I removed the guards and rests from a 1hp Delta variable speed bench grinder and put a pad on each side.

The white compound is used on everything at the slowest speed.

The other wheel is for carnauba wax, but I've only tried it a couple of times because by the time I get done using the white compound the bits and briar is so shiny it can't be made better by waxing.

When the effectiveness diminishes I use a rake and apply more white compound.

The wax wheel is used not for wax but just to clean up left over compound.

I've transformed hundreds of pipes doing this and only had to chase down a couple after I lost my concentration.

Now I try to keep a finger inside the bowl, but the real pipe saver is using the slowest speed.

Most pipes only take 10 to 15 minutes even if they're horrible when I start.

Banjo

 

[sorringowl]

Great info on this thread! Have been doing a lot of experimentation with buffing. I will have to try these suggestions.
Thanks, also, for mentioning Jestco! Great prices!