Buffing compounds.....

[Doug Rasmussen]

My question is, are the buffing compounds sold at places like Woodcraft for the Beall system the same as those commonly used for polishing metals? It seems the color coding may be the same...?

The lady at Woodcraft told me she used "regular" buffing compound on her turning and it made the wood a funny color (of course, she wanted to sell me the Beall product).

 

[Bill Boehme]

My understanding is that they are the same. The only difference is that there lots more different materials used in metal and gemstone polishing. I think that I have enough tripoli and white diamond to last several lifetimes. I don't know how I accumulated it since I don't do the Beall buffing.

 

[john lucas]

I have an older set of metal working buffing compounds and I've been using the Beale since it came out. As near as I can tell there isn't a difference in the Tripoli and the white diamond. I do have a Red and Black stick that are used for polishing other types of metal. I also have a green bar that I use to strop my carving and turning tools. I also have a gold bar that the carvers use to strop their tools.
If you apply too thick of a layer to your wheels you can easily color porous woods like Oak and Walnut. When I first started I had trouble leaving white residue in the pores of Walnut when Used the White diamond. The same was true with Oak and Ash when I used the Tripoli. I never have that problem anymore. The reason is I just barely apply any to the wheels. It simply doesn't need a big glob to work. Just touch the wheels once or twice. My Tripoli wheel is just kind of tan looking. When I go to other peoples shops their wheel looks almost the color of the bar because they obviously apply a lot more than I do.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

Thanks John, that's exactly the information I needed.

 

[Lamar Wright]

Doug I use the Beale system also and like John said, I just touch the wheel with compound and that is plenty.

 

[Bill Boehme]

I'm the bad example who cakes the buffing wheel with compound.

 

[john lucas]

Bill you can clean all of that off by using the side of a square piece of wood. I just stick it in so the mop hits the sharp corner of a freshly cut board and it cleans the wheels.