Anyone using Caswell system

[Mark Hepburn]

Hi All:

I have the Beall buffing wheels and was considering getting a motor and mounting them on that rather than running it on my lathe. So in looking around I see that some are using a Caswell system. They have a product with buffs, motor, compounds, etc. and theirs runs at 1100 rpm rather than the higher speed that Beall recommends.

Anyway, I'm just looking at options but wonder if anyone uses the Caswell and if so, are they happy with it? Or are there other alternatives out there?

 

[Mark Levitski]

We use the Caswell 1100 buffer and have had it for years. No problems so far. Everything else like buffs, etc. is not Caswell so can't comment. Nice to have separate buffer to free up the lathe. We also have a Jet 1725 buffer that feels more beefy, so factor that in too. We use a Grizzly grinder stand for both. Works well, sandbags or bolt to the floor for the feet.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Mark, I have a Harbor Freight buffer. It can be stalled easily. The good side of that is ti does not pull as much stuff out of my hand. I have had it for about a year and not sure how long it will last. It was on sale for about $40 so I cannot complain.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

We use the Caswell 1100 buffer and have had it for years. No problems so far. Everything else like buffs, etc. is not Caswell so can't comment. Nice to have separate buffer to free up the lathe. We also have a Jet 1725 buffer that feels more beefy, so factor that in too. We use a Grizzly grinder stand for both. Works well, sandbags or bolt to the floor for the feet.

Mark,

A couple of questions if you don't mind? The buffs etc. that you are using are another brand (Beall perhaps)? Are they pretty much interchangeable so I could use the buffs I have with their buffer? Is the Jet actually a slow speed grinder that you've set up as a buffer? I have a couple of Jet tools (a 1642 lathe and the 16/32 sander), and like them so am open to that idea.

I also took a look at the HF that Gerald mentioned and it's a really good price point so I'm going to ask about interchangeability there too.

Thanks for your thoughts,

Mark

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Mark, I have a Harbor Freight buffer. It can be stalled easily. The good side of that is ti does not pull as much stuff out of my hand. I have had it for about a year and not sure how long it will last. It was on sale for about $40 so I cannot complain.

Gerald, is that the 6" that I see on their website, or the 8" buffer / grinder? For $40 bucks, if it'll take the Beall wheels that would be an amazingly inexpensive way to get away from using the lathe. Do you find that the stalling is something you've adjusted pretty easily to?

Thanks!

Mark

 

[Douglas Ladendorf]

Caswell is an excellent company and a good place for quality buffs and compound. Good buffs can be spun on any of these buffers. I'm working out my buffer situation now too. I'm embarrassed to say how many grinders/buffers I have at the moment, but I also use them for machine restoration.

Doug

 

[Mark Levitski]

Mark I have Beall and Don Pencil buffs mostly. The jet buffer is a true buffer and not a grinder. And, yes it is slow speed, but not as slow as Caswell. 1100 vs 1725.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Mark I have Beall and Don Pencil buffs mostly. The jet buffer is a true buffer and not a grinder. And, yes it is slow speed, but not as slow as Caswell. 1100 vs 1725.

Thanks Mark. I'll check out the Jet buffer as well as the Caswell.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Caswell is an excellent company and a good place for quality buffs and compound. Good buffs can be spun on any of these buffers. I'm working out my buffer situation now too. I'm embarrassed to say how many grinders/buffers I have at the moment, but I also use them for machine restoration.

Doug

Okay Doug, what's the deal? Exactly how many buffers do you have? 😀

Kidding. I like the price of the Caswell, but I have to say that the Harbor Freight at $40 is basically disposable. It costs that much for a movie night for two adults (more, actually!).

I bought a Neiko angle drill to try for power sanding (when you start at 80 grit all the time, power sanding is your friend). Thing howls like a banshee and feels like my beloved's hair curler, but it works and if it lasts a year, then I got my $34 worth. I do try to buy the best tools I can afford so I only buy them once, but sometimes it's good to sort of dip your toe into the water just to see...

Thanks for the feedback on the Caswell.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Gerald, is that the 6" that I see on their website, or the 8" buffer / grinder? For $40 bucks, if it'll take the Beall wheels that would be an amazingly inexpensive way to get away from using the lathe. Do you find that the stalling is something you've adjusted pretty easily to?

Thanks!

Mark

Not sure what it came with in the buffs. They were a cheap style. Beall comes with adaptor to fit this arbor. I have mine mounted and then the mount is attached to a cabinet with the buff hanging over the edge. I always take the buff off when not in use so it will not get unnecessary dirt on it . Since this is my preferred way of mount I do not use the other end of the arbor.
Guess it really depends on how much you plan to use the buffer. I notice prices up to $900 on various sites and if for professional or heavy use I think a heavier motor would be the answer. Baldor starts around $350 and others $250. So just answer the usual question "How much will I use this machine?" and you will know what to buy.

 

[Mark Hepburn]

Not sure what it came with in the buffs. They were a cheap style. Beall comes with adaptor to fit this arbor. I have mine mounted and then the mount is attached to a cabinet with the buff hanging over the edge. I always take the buff off when not in use so it will not get unnecessary dirt on it . Since this is my preferred way of mount I do not use the other end of the arbor.
Guess it really depends on how much you plan to use the buffer. I notice prices up to $900 on various sites and if for professional or heavy use I think a heavier motor would be the answer. Baldor starts around $350 and others $250. So just answer the usual question "How much will I use this machine?" and you will know what to buy.

Well that's the thing, trying to figure out how much I'll use it. I guess that I'll use it for virtually all of my turning work, but because I'm not able to spend the kind of time I'd like in the shop, it's only a few pieces a month, max. It makes the HF item very attractive and the Caswell probably on the high end of what I would ever need. I would guess the big difference is partly the run time when it is in use. Sort of like the duty cycle of an office printer. So if I'm using it for 10 minutes at a time a couple times a week or even every day, as opposed to a production environment where the motor takes a good bit of abuse?

If the way you mount your buffer is the way I'm envisioning it, that's a pretty good idea.

Thanks!

Mark

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Well that's the thing, trying to figure out how much I'll use it. I guess that I'll use it for virtually all of my turning work, but because I'm not able to spend the kind of time I'd like in the shop, it's only a few pieces a month, max. It makes the HF item very attractive and the Caswell probably on the high end of what I would ever need. I would guess the big difference is partly the run time when it is in use. Sort of like the duty cycle of an office printer. So if I'm using it for 10 minutes at a time a couple times a week or even every day, as opposed to a production environment where the motor takes a good bit of abuse?

If the way you mount your buffer is the way I'm envisioning it, that's a pretty good idea.

Thanks!

Mark

I checked while I was in the shop today and it is the 6 inch. As usual watch for a sale or use their 20% coupon.