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Finish buffing questions

pencheff

pencheff

Joined
Nov 2, 2005
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Location
Lancaster, PA
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www.gvpencheff.com
Just tried my new Beall 3-On buffing system.

Warning for anyone else getting ready to buy one of these systems: The first time you use it you're gonna walk away looking like a clothes dryer lint trap. The new wheels shed more than a Golden Retriever and Persian cat combined. And take it from me, wear a full face shield too to keep this tickly the stuff from climbing up your nose 😱

My first attempt was successful in spite of the limited instructions 😕 For example:

For the 1st Tripoli wheel "Apply a generous amount of compund..."

For the 2nd White Diamond wheel "Apply a small amount..."

For the 3rd wax wheel (I love this one) "Once the wheel has been charged with the yellow carnauba wax a few times, only a very small additional application will be needed."

Is a "generous amount" a bunch, a ton or a load? Is a "small amount" a dab, a smidge or a scosh? 🙄 Seriously, what criteria can I use to judge when the individual wheels are properly charged with their respective compounds? Any clue would be appreciated.

I also discovered that the wheels are too large in diameter to get inside the 'corners' of the shallow bowls I've been doing, so I need a bowl buff. Anyone have a suggestion or preference? I don't have a dedicated buffing motor (hence the 3-On) but can I use a drill press?
 
For new buffing systems I recommend folks individually mount each buffing wheel on a drill and taking it outside. Then lightly touch a piece of wood to the edge. That way the initial fluff all goes outside. You will also want to use a dust collector to collect the initial lint inside when you first use it.

Just a touch of each compound should be enough to charge each wheel. Then a quick touch every so often.

For the buffs - I ended up with the 3" diameter set and they work good for me. Also I got the attachment from Beall to hook a single buff to the lathe. That setup works fine for most folks.
 
Every thing jeff said and I like the 4" wheels also. I also buff at a slow speed, probably around 1000 rpm. I turn the speed up and charge the wheel lightly 1 or 2 seconds, then I turn the speed back down for buffing. My Tripoli wheel is just light tan, not clogged with abrasive, The other 2 wheels have so little abrasive I can't tell them apart if they weren't labeled.
 
john lucas said:
My Tripoli wheel is just light tan, not clogged with abrasive, The other 2 wheels have so little abrasive I can't tell them apart if they weren't labeled.
Click to expand...

Thanks very much. That is exactly the kind of information I was looking for.
 
I've got the setup Jeff describes and it has been serving me will. I also have the 2" buffs and they seem to work better in tighter radius curves but confessd to using the 3" most often.
 
Greg,

When I first got my Beal Bowl Buffs (try typing that 3 times fast) I use a 60 grit sand paper on a sanding block to cut off the fuzz. I also used my dust collector and wore a mask. (I have a great dust collection now and hope to auction it on E-Bay!!) I still looked like I had been tarred and feathered. But it worked.

After that I used the compounds sparingly. If it helps with amount, my tripoli buff has a pink tinge to it, but is not red from being coated thoroughly. It is fairly sparse. As I applied the tripoli I counted the length of time I applied it, and then used the same time for the diamond. Because diamond is the same color as the buff I have nothing to go on visually as to how much is there so this seemed like a halfway decent approach to controlling the amount.

For the carnuba, I applied that very sparingly. The DVD on Hollowing by David Ellsworth showed him making a fast pass with the carnuba bar over his wheel so I tried to match that. I don't think the bar was against the wheel for a full second. Seems to work quite well. None of my pieces feels waxey at all. He cautioned that heavy wax on the wheel might burn, would feel gummy and plastic, and then be hard to reduce from the buff later. You can take the wax off your piece with mineral spirits, but it can be hard to get off the buff. Course sand paper was recommended to me as a way to cut wax off an overloaded buff. Same for tripoli and diamond.

Also, for speed, I run about 1,300rpm. The buffs or wheels are mounted on the MT2 arbor that Beal puts out. Been very convenient. I got an extension for it so I can reach inside things. I use both the 3" and 2" buffs for most stuff, both inside and out, and the wheels for odd places like under rims. I use the 3" the most. I have used them in a drill but kind of like hand holding the work (two handed grip) against the lathe mounted buffs rather than holding the drill mounted buffs against a fixed work piece. That will probably change the first time I send a bowl winging because I relaxed my grip on it.

Keep in mind I have turned all of 6 pieces so far. Take anything I say with a block of salt.

Hope this helps a little.

Dave
 
You know, I almpost never use the Tripoli, and always run the dust collector hose right behind the white diamond and carnauba. They are as bad if not worse than sanding with fine grits, getting more airborne (from the wheel spinning) and can really ruin you day.
 
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