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Problem with the Beal buffing system. Need advise.

Sergio Villa

Sergio Villa

Joined
Apr 13, 2013
Messages
269
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Location
Ct
Hello everybody. I've used the Beal buffing system with the three separate 8" wheels with excellent results untill, in a moment of distraction, I loaded with wax the tripoly loaded wheel. The whell is an heavy mess. I tried to restore it by running it on scrap whood, coarse sand paper etc but with very little results. Does anybody have an idea on how to fix this problem?
Thanks, Sergio
 
Ask Santa for a new set of buffing wheels. 😀

From your description it sounds like you might be putting too much material on the buffing wheels anyway. My interpretation of the instructions is that the wheels are only supposed to be very lightly charged with abrasive or wax.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Ask Santa for a new set of buffing wheels. 😀

From your description it sounds like you might be putting too much material on the buffing wheels anyway. My interpretation of the instructions is that the wheels are only supposed to be very lightly charged with abrasive or wax.
Click to expand...

The problem is that when I had the wheel charged with the tripoli, I had to stop working. Came back probably thinking at something else, and run the wheel against the wax bar. The tripoli must have really chewed into the wax.

Santa is also a little loaded at this moment...
 
I've never run into this problem, so have no definite solution......other than a guess.

At this point, it doesn't matter much if trying to restore the wheel is a failure.......like others have said, a new wheel seems to be the only real solution.

I wonder if hand washing the wheel in soap and water might loosen the Tripoli/wax coating some.....? If that doesn't break down the wax/Tripoli, then some solvent might work......?

Sergio.....if you do find a solution, then be sure to let us know what works.

ooc
 
A dog comb/card will be a cheap substitute for a buffing wheel rake. Just dont use it on the dog after you use it on the buffs. And dont use the one that has been used on the dog.

My carnuba wax wheel is not loaded at all, its been used on over 150 bowls so far, that wax is like nails. So perhaps your wax is softer.
 
There is no way that the abrasive can be removed since it is embedded in the fibers. However, the wax can be dissolved with a solvent such as toluene. The problem is that the cost of the solvent is more than the cost of a replacement buffing wheel and trying to restore one won't be nearly as good as getting a new one.
 
Cleaning buffing wheels the east way...

Take out the arbor and spray heavily with "Krud Cutter", a very good product that you can get at Job Lot or similar stores. Not expensive. Then place in the washer machine with a few old (key word: OLD!) towels, some tide and hot water. Other cleaners that would probably work would be 4O9 or Simple Green. Do not place in the dryer, put the arbor back in and spin it dry.
I have done this to my wheels and they came out like new!
 
the various abrasives such as Tripoli and white diamond are abrasive in a wax. I wouldn't worry about it. I would use the saw like Micheal said to clean off the build up since it does sound like you might be loading the wheels too much. If you sand a piece of wood to about 600 grit and then buff it with the tripoli it should have a kind of satin look. If it does then the tripoli is doing it's stuff. if it's really glossy then the Carnauba wax is taking over so you will need to clean the wheel more.
 
oh good. now I get to buy another lathe. I need one in my bedroom at night to add some humidity. Just soak the buffing wheel and turn it on and let it run all night. the white noise might help my sleeping as well as the high humidity.
 
Indeed the washing technique seems to work all right. I soaked it in warm water containing detergent for a couple of hours, the rinsed it and then washed in warm water with dish soap then rinsed it. It looks pretty clean. I did not try it yet because it is still humid. I did not like the idea of spinning it wet on the lathe so i'm drying it on the warming compartment of my wood stove. In a couple of days it should be dry and ready. I'll keep you posted but so far it looks good: cheaper and faster than the delivery of a new wheel.
 
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Sergio, glad that seems to be working for you. If I have a loaded tripoli wheel and walk away the surface is very hard when it cools. So would really load wax like you found out. I take a board on edge and hold it against the spinning wheel. Makes a cloud of crud but I keep it up till the wheel is clean.
I put wax on the work not the buff by the way. The buff buffs out the wax you put on the work. But my method and 2cents. What I hate is when I put tripoli on my wax wheel. Now that takes a bit of effort to get clean. So I now have the sides of each wheel written with what it is.
My wheels load up with buffed finish and it begins to smear to I clean with a board my wheels whenever they start to fight me. And it has been mentioned that it really does not take much compound to load a wheel.
 
The wheel came out perfect after the hand washing. The drying process was the longest but I do not have a dryer at home. I tried the wheel and it worked like new. For the sake of a correct information I post also a picture of the instructions that came with the wheels: they seem clear in recommending using the Tripoli compound in a "generous" way.
Thank you everybody.
PS: I wanted to post a picture of the wheel but the site did not allow me to upload more than one picture. Another picture problem?
 
Instructions?? Real men don't need no stinkin' instructions. 😀

Sergio Villa said:
.... PS: I wanted to post a picture of the wheel but the site did not allow me to upload more than one picture. Another picture problem?
Click to expand...

It's not a problem with the website -- you tried to upload a picture larger than the maximum allowed size. If you are an AAW member then you get to post very large pictures (see Photo size limit for AAW members) -- everybody else is allowed medium size pictures (see Photo size limit for non-AAW members). You are allowed to post four pictures per day.

Also note in the first link that this is not automatic, you need to comply with the instructions and then PM a moderator with your request.
 
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