Buffer Question

W

Whiskey George

Joined
Sep 20, 2014
Messages
4
I am new maker and have only made a few knives. Recently I was fortunate to acquire Baldor 410b buffer. It is 1.5hp and 3600rpm. My question is, is this too much buffer for knife making?
 
I have 332B and I'm comfortable with the 1800 RPM, we have a Baldor 3600 RPM at our machine shop and it's a bit scary for me....
 
Do you think that the 114 buffer (1/4 hp, 1800) would be adequate/better than the larger buffer?
 
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Just use smaller buffs on the 3600 RPM buffer. This will result in a lower buff surface speed.
 
(1/4 hp, 1800) is certainly my choice. I have a 3600 RPM 1 hp buffer and a 1/4 hp 1700 RPM - I like the 1/4 hp MUCH better for knife work. "IF" you're really trying to remove some metal, then you'll need more HP, but for knife work where you're just using a light touch for that final polish, and for handles - a light touch is better and 1/4 hp will handle that just fine.

Bill is correct, it's the buffer surface speed that counts, but you'll need a really small diameter for 3600 RPM. I like 8" buff wheels for 1725 RPM. Too fast and it's easy to burn a wood handle.

Also, the slower speed doesn't tend to "grab" as much as high speeds, and 1/4 HP doesn't have so much power when it does grab.

Ken H>
 
Ken thanks for the info. The reason I am asking is a buddy of mine is restoring a car and he is envious of the buffer I found. I think he said "I could buff a lot of chrome with that".

I was thinking of offering a strait up trade for a brand new baldor 114 (1/4 hp 1800.
 
First, chrome can't be buffed, without damaging it.
Second, the machine you have is a very expensive, well made buffer.
If a 4" buff runs just as fast as an 8" buff on an 1800 RPM machine, why would you want to downgrade? Smaller buffs are less expensive.
The big motor will last much longer than a 1/4 HP motor, too.
 
Those are great points. I know the one I have is the superior machine. I was just checking to see if it was overkill and if it made sense to trade it for comparable quality just in a smaller package. Also, I'm not sure if I can put a 4" wheel on...I think the flanges are four inches :-)
 
I'm sure he's not talking about buffing chrome itself, but since he's restoring a car, he's most likely polishing steel to get it ready for chrome plating. I used to do that when building choppers - by buffing the steel to a ready to plate, the chrome shop would charge less than if I brought in rough steel.

George, your thinking is on track with my thinking. While a 24" lathe will work small stuff, why have such a HUGE piece of machinery when a 12" lathe which is a fraction of the size will do all that's required? If buffing knifes is the only desire, the small buffer will certainly do the job, and you might be able to get a good 2X72" grinder to go with it - a win-win trade.

Ken H>
 
I have two buffers and both are 3600rpm. One is a Baldor 3/4hp and it is a beast for knife work. I would trade it for a 1800rpm unit in a heartbeat. The other buffer is a 1/2hp unit I purchased from Rio Grande. The Rio Grande buffer has tapered spindles on each side and I run 4" buffs on it almost exclusively.

One issue with large buffers, as already pointed out, is the shaft and flange size. The don't make 4" buffs with 1-1/4" holes in them. The issue with running small buffs is that a lot of nice specialty buffs are not available in the 4" size. Also, a 4" buff does not give you a lot of maneuvering room to turn a knife at all angles while buffing; the shaft gets in the way.

As an FYI, TP Tools sells a Baldor 2-speed, 3/4hp buffer. Get a pair of tapered spindles to put on that bad boy and you would have it all covered in one machine.

Bob
 
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