question about my buffing wheel pads

[kq702]

Hi I have a buffing wheel and I have only used it several times. I got several different pads when I purchased the unit and one thing I noticed was they seemed to fray very quickly. I even used buffing compound- it still frayed almost instantly however.

Not sure if this is normal, or if they are just low quality pads? I did purchase them at harbor freight pretty cheap.

I need to polish some clear plastic lenses (or attemp to) so I wanted to check if these pads are bad before I try it. (I have many spare lenses just incase). I was going to buy this pad at sears: http://www.sears.com/craftsman-6-in-buffing-wheel/p-00964154000P?prdNo=6&blockNo=6&blockType=G6 but if fraying is normal, I wouldnt need that one since it will just fray like the others.

Below are some photos:



This one did not fray too bad, it is a more softer type of wheel.


Both of these frayed almost instantly after the first use, is this normal?

 

[2oolhound]

Yes, expect those type to fray. They are for final polish. There are many more durable wheels available but for plastic lenses that is probably a good choice.

Be careful what buffing compound you use, it turns the wheel into a grind stone. You need to have each wheel dedicated to one type of buffing compound and don't ever mix them.

Try googling "Buffing plastic lenses" There is a wealth of info on buffing on the net.

Caswell has a downloadable pdf booklet you can get free.

http://www.caswellplating.com/buffs/index.html