Want to use buffer from both sides... Thoughts?

[EOC_Jason]

So I got this little motor / homemade buffer at an estate sale and it needs a little rewiring but otherwise will work great for my needs...

Thing is, I was thinking and it would be nice if I could buff things with the wheel not only spinning towards the user (as usual) but also in the opposite direction. A few times I've wished I could have done that as it would have made life much easier.

The motor is reversible so I could wire a switch. I don't think I would put enough pressure on it to make the nut come loose.... But that just seems like an accident waiting to happen. Am I right? It's a 1725 RPM motor.

Alternatively I was thinking like a lazy-suzan setup where I could spin it around. Maybe just drill a hole in the wood to have a pin go through to hold it in place?

I don't want to mount it on a stand, I was going to kind of build a box around it so that it wouldn't fling cotton pieces and rouge everywhere. It's just going to be buffing smaller things (only 1/6HP motor anyhow, which works out well for my needs).

Anyone else have any creative or better ideas?

 

[jakemac]

I know that the motor doesn't have much power or torque, but the accident waiting to happen won't be the nut coming off. It will be that piece that comes out of your grip and instead of being thrown down and away from you to bounce all around the shop, it pops right up under your face shield and smacks you in the nose.

Not a good idea. JMO

 

[KaiYakCur]

it pops right up under your face shield and smacks you in the nose.

Not a good idea. JMO

This.

 

[454ragtop]

Any advantage to standing the motor up on end, so the buffing wheel is horizontal?

 

[EOC_Jason]

Any advantage to standing the motor up on end, so the buffing wheel is horizontal?

It has oil ports on the top for the bearings, which I need to find little plugs for now that I think about it. I don't think it would be wise to try and put it horizontal, I don't know if it would leak oil out where it shouldn't go.

FYI, I am very safety conscience. My big dayton still scares me every time I start it up I flip the switch and stand behind a wall to the side to let it build up speed and run for a bit... LOL... I can just imagine those wheels exploding and causing mass carnage... It freaks me out how nonchalant some people are about them.

 

[2oolhound]

FYI jakemac makes a good point. You don't have to worry about stuff being grabbed out of your hand before of when starting up, it only happens when you're right into it and it happens quite often too. Another thing is the rouge and cotton vaporizes and is thrown up in the air. You will smell it and it will coat your glasses. It will build up in the corners of your eyes and cause problems. That's why pro set-ups (made for all day everyday) have dust extraction on them.

I second the opinion to just have it spin downward.

 

[drivesitfar]

Jason: what size items are you going to buff? for that little guy i've seen a lot of them with shields built around them to keep the debris and dust contained. also seen some with shop vacs or dust collection piping hooked into them.

if you have big items i'd get a bigger buffer and BALDOR would be my choice, but they are not cheap even used. use the small one for little stuff and once you find a bigger one you can do some of the bigger stuff you need to with it.

I hear you on starting up those big grinders. i've seen many a kid or even old guys just go stand in front of a very old 1 or 3 phase huge grinder and switch it on and not think about the damage a damaged wheel can cause. you've probably seen some of the SAFETY threads or me or others talking about dying from a bench grinder's exploding wheel? if not GOOGLE IT and you'd be surprised.

Jake: GOOD POST. i've also heard that if you are buffing knives to wear steel toed shoes and maybe welding or chain saw chaps cause the buffer can throw that knife almost anywhere.

 

[Know Wosad]

Do it like this. Use the motor to drive an axle. Make it as heavy as you can stand to deal with.Less vibration

 

[EOC_Jason]

Another thing is the rouge and cotton vaporizes and is thrown up in the air. You will smell it and it will coat your glasses. It will build up in the corners of your eyes and cause problems. That's why pro set-ups (made for all day everyday) have dust extraction on them.

I second the opinion to just have it spin downward.

Good point, I wasn't even thinking about cotton pieces, yeah those would get thrown right up in my face along with the rouge goop...

Okay, you guys have me sold, downward it shall stay.