What Type Of Polishing/Buffing Wheels To Get?

[sjpipesmoker]

I'm not a pro, just a pipe smoker with a 8" harbor freight bench grinder/buffer. I have some pads on there and I bought some rouge, but what I have it's not doing the job. Either the stuff I have is wrong or I'm doing something wrong. I want to start over again buying new buffing wheels and rouge and tossing what I have.

I know I need white diamond rouge and carnauba wax. Is there any other rouge I need or any other polishing compounds? What polishing wheels do I need? When I look they have flannel ones, cotton, sisal???!!! I'm just going to use it for personal use, on my own pipes. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[samcoffeeman]

I have that buffer too. I go at full speed with white diamond, but the carnauba needs a slower speed. Harbor freight sells something called a Router Speed Control that will slow the wheels down. I use a softer pad for the wax and a harder pad for the white diamond, only cotton though. I haven't tried them yet but I hear good things about Beall buffing pads.

 

[captainprophesy]

Whats the rpm on your bench grinder?

 

[clickklick]

I use the beall buffing kit on a 1725RPM motor. The kit comes with 3 buffs, red tripoli, white diamond, and carnuba.
You can buy the items individually if needed.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

As a jeweler who grew up around polishing rouges, reading about so many "playing" with it is terrifying. You do know that it is a fiberglass, and if you do not protect your face with a respirator, it will never come out of your lungs, right?
I never even touch the button turning on my buffer without putting on a full face respirator, turning on the inline vent system hooked up to my buffer, and then putting on my leather gloves. The number one cause of death of jewelers is lung disease caused by using red polishing rouge. It is even dangerous to people in the same building if you do not vent it.
I'm just puting this out there. This shit was what killed my father, and I wouldn't take playing with fiberglass lightly. I kid you not, there isn't a jeweler out there that doesn't take similar precautions.
Just FYI

 

[stvalentine]

I second Cosmics reply. I have just recently got myself a profesional respirator. Do not use the one-way masks from the home improvement market. Get yourself a proper one with filters that can be changed. Be sure to get filters for dust not for gases or fumes.
I have a simple bench buffer that can not adjusted to speed. I use a linen wheel, a cotton wheel and a flannel wheel. A coarse way on the linen, a finer one on the cotton and the flannel exclusivly for carnauba wax.

 

[clickklick]

Please provide a link confirming red rouge contains fiberglass.
While I agree that wearing a niosh approved mask is in order, it is from nuisance dust that can cause pulmonary fibrosis. I am not saying that over time, nuisance dust, especially fine dust can't cause a whole slew of ailments, including carcinogenic effects, but to state that it contains fiberglass is unfounded in the safety data sheets I have reviewed.
Fine dust is generated from polishing the surface of any material, so good practice is to where a proper respirator regardless of what you are buffing and regardless of the polishing compound you are using.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Whatever its made of... is that better? Do what ever the heck you want. But, ask any jeweler if he doesn't take the stuff seriously. I've said my peace, conscience is clear. Do with what you want.

 

[georged]

Whatever its made of... is that better? Do what ever the heck you want. But, ask any jeweler if he doesn't take the stuff seriously. I've said my peace, conscience is clear. Do with what you want.

That sort of "argument logic"---getting indignant and offended when challenged or questioned, concluding with a "To hell with you, then!" sentiment---is endlessly entertaining, but achieves nothing useful.
Facts matter. Beliefs, assumptions, testimonials, and so forth, don't. Not unless they accurately contain and/or reflect the facts, anyway. Clickkick was simply trying to establish what the facts of the situation are. No purpose would be served by having people think that buffing compounds contain glass particles when they do not:
http://www.reade.com/products/29-minerals-and-ores-powder/277-red-rouge-rouge-jewelers-rouge-jewelers-rouge-polishing-compound-rouge-cloth-ferric-oxide-ironiii-oxide-hematite-red-iron-oxide-cas1317-60-8-synthetic-maghemite-colcothar-iron-sesquioxide-cas1309-37-1
If what it DOES contain is harmful when inhaled is another matter. But a situation that's best dealt with by starting with the facts.
Let's see... do birds fly because they contain tiny anti-gravity generators, or because of fluid dynamics? :D Would assuming the wrong answer was true make any difference? Affect future daily decisions in some way, maybe, or factor into more rigorous disciplines such as aircraft design?
I repeat: Facts matter. Always.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

My apologies for you having read me as indignant. I would hope my history here shows that I am not about take something on a place that I see as my leisurely hobby forum too seriously. I come here for pleasure, not looking for argument outside of something fun. I saw the thread, posted my words, and moved on... Ha ha, then came back I guess. I don't have to do your research. Especially something that is very 101 to someone who has worked with the stuff for going on 50 years. Plus, my tomfoolery doesn't leave me much reliability on serious matters, and you are big boys, I'm not a preacher, and you can take my words, leave them, or pass them on.
No argument from me, unless it gets ridiculous or involves purple dwarves fighting over rainbows. ::

Good day...

 

[clickklick]

Can we throw in unicorns with purple dwarves fighting over rainbows? If so, I am so in!

 

[ssjones]

Harbor freight sells something called a Router Speed Control that will slow the wheels down.

This is a router speed control and IT DOES NOT WORK on a buffing motor. I tried it, it barely turned my wheel on low and took all the torque out of the motor. An electrician explained why, but I no longer remember the technical reason. He did tell me that eventually, it would also damage the windings of the motor. (this was tested on my dual arbor, metal buffing motor, which spins at 3XXX RPM, too fast for most pipe work) I returned mine (about $20). Don't waste your time or money.
I have a 1725 RPM motor and I use 6" wheels. Sewn cotton for White Diamond, Tripoli and Plastic Polish. Loose cotton wheel for Carnuba wax.
I've found the best place for pads is Caswell Electroplating.

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffing-polishing/buffing-wheels/spiral-sewn-cotton-wheels.html

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffing-polishing/buffing-wheels/loose-cotton-wheels.html

 

[georged]

This is a router speed control and IT DOES NOT WORK on a buffing motor. I tried it, it barely turned my wheel on low and took all the torque out of the motor. An electrician explained why, but I no longer remember the technical reason. He did tell me that eventually, it would also damage the windings of the motor. (this was tested on my dual arbor, metal buffing motor, which spins at 3XXX RPM, too fast for most pipe work) I returned mine (about $20). Don't waste your time or money.

This is indeed the case. Rheostats affect electrical circuits by varying their resistance and thereby changing the voltage. Think lightbulb dimmers: lower voltage = less bright. Rheostats don't play well with AC motors, though, especially ones that drive tools. Because reducing the voltage also reduces the motor's torque, and a feedback loop starts---after all, drag via friction is the POINT of a bench buffer---and it quickly overheats and is permanently damaged. (AC motors will literally ignite if pushed far enough.)
The only way to safely achieve near-zero-to-max-rev variable speed with a bench buffer or grinder is either with a pulley system or something called a "variable frequency drive" (a.k.a. VFD). The catch? VFD's are spendy and require an even spendier three-phase motor. They will NOT work if connected to a single phase one. (Do not attempt it)

 

[samcoffeeman]

The router speed control works for me.

 

[phil67]

This is a router speed control and IT DOES NOT WORK on a buffing motor. I tried it, it barely turned my wheel on low and took all the torque out of the motor. An electrician explained why, but I no longer remember the technical reason. He did tell me that eventually, it would also damage the windings of the motor. (this was tested on my dual arbor, metal buffing motor, which spins at 3XXX RPM, too fast for most pipe work) I returned mine (about $20). Don't waste your time or money.
I have a 1725 RPM motor and I use 6" wheels. Sewn cotton for White Diamond, Tripoli and Plastic Polish. Loose cotton wheel for Carnuba wax.

Absolutely TRUE. A router speed control only reduces the voltage and can ruin a motor. Either use a 3 phase motor with a VFD, a motor that runs at about 1700 to 1800 RPM, or some type of pulley system to vary the speed.

 

[pipedreamin]

I'm looking at a buffing wheel that can be chucked into a drill press for easier control of RPM. Light work/personal use, it's one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009RS7Z4?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=ox_sc_act_title_2&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER. Has anyone tried them? If so how did they fare?