Buffing wheels

[Rileysan]

I want to convert one of my grinders to use buffing wheels to use on polishing tools/parts. I'm always conscious of quality so don't want to just grab the first thing I see.

My questions are:

1) Are there different types/whatever of wheels that I should buy?

2) What should I look for in buffing wheels?

3) can anyone recommend any kits (that also include buffing compounds).

Thanks!

Brian

 

[mjoekingz28]

you could peruse the hardware store and read the packaging.


You probably have differering 'grits' ....no not hominy corn!

Maybe a stiff wheel for heavily weathered metals and then a soft like chamois to finish and buff.




I am interested as but have no provisions for a rotary wheel at my current location.

There are chrome polishes, Nufinish, car (paint) waxes, nevr dull type wads, and Flitz type compounds and chemicals.



Good luck. You may want to have a guard and/or wear safety glasses and/or a faceshield!

 

[bareass172]

I'm no pro at this, but I have tinkered with it from time to time. I buy the polishing compound in sticks so you can progress from grit to grit. I stack multiple wheels on top of each other to give one wide buffing area. I have sisal wheels (stitched all the way to the edge) for tougher buffing and I also have loose wheels that are not stitched to the edge for finish work. I used a lathe to make an extension arbor that would give me clearance from the body of my machine so I could more easily work around both sides of the buff wheels. Using an extension like this is a little dicey, you have to be sure your wheels are balanced or things will go bad very quickly.
I start "cutting" with an aggressive compound and work my way finer but don't jump too soon. You'll learn this in time, but moving finer too soon makes the work take forever and it never seems to finish with the same shine. I've learned in time to work with rougher grits longer - the entire job goes faster and the finished product looks better. You'll learn with experience.
I use the sisal wheels until I get near my finished polish and I don't change the wheel as I change grits of compound (until the very end). I have a small old bow saw I keep nearby with teeth similar to these:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001IX72Y/?tag=atomicindus08-20
When I change compounds I use that blade to clean the wheel of old compound and metal - this way when I start with the new compound I'm working with a clean wheel. You can buy a blade like that and just wrap it with duct tape to make a handle.

Don't put anything behind the wheel that you can't damage. You may also want to put a pad behind the wheel if you're working anything you don't want damaged. If you're learning from square one, the buffer WILL rip things out of your hands and throw them far away before you even realize it... This can damage your part and it can put holes in your walls - don't ask how I know...

I don't know of kits since I bought my stuff as I learned. I bought cheap buffs from Harbor Freight to start learning with and a 4 pack of various compound sticks from (I think) Sears. If I were buying now I'd check Amazon and see what they had. I bought one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VXXUWK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Because safety glasses just aren't enough. If you have sinus problems you may consider a mask, when you blow your nose afterwards it will be BLACK.

Like I said, I know I am far from a pro but I've dabbled with it for years! I hope it helps.

 

[gdocktor3]

I will say this, don't buy a cheapo from Harbor Freight. When I am stuck wondering stuff like this, I take it to the pros. For example, everyone knows 3m makes great stuff. Scotch brite being one of them. Shoot them an email and ask what they recommend for your exact application. This will, at the very least, give you an idea of what to look for. Here's the link to their contact page. http://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/help-center/

MSC Industrial Supply is an excellent source for stuff like this. Go to their website and browse around or shoot them an email and see what they recommend. They are a distributor and carry many different brands. Good luck.

 

[mrpizza]

Go to caswell plating website. I got a whole kit from there.

 

[iajonesy]

The Eastwood Co. sells everything you could need for buffing. They offer wheels, compounds, and even buffers themselves. I have always been told you need high speed and high horsepower to do a high quality job.

Mike

 

[crab]

You can use a grinder but a buffer will actually run slower. You will use rouge on your wheels , different metals will need different rouges and final buff [color buff] will use different than you start with. I wouldn't buy a kit, you'll get stuff you wont use. Google tar heel buffing supplies, they have anything you could want and prices are competitive. Get a respirator, you are going to make a mess.

 

[Dave455]

MSC, here in the U.K. at least, sell a sort of 'starter pack' of 4 different polishing compounds! They're not much money as I recall.