I am getting ready to build a buffer. Any one have any plans , words of wisdom, opinions on speed. I have 3 ph current and motors as big as 10 hp sitting around but I am thinking about 2 hp turning a one inch arbor 12 inches from the bearing. I have little experience with good buffers. My present buffer is a BD 15 amp end grinder that I bought at a flee market for 25 bucks including a 15 inch brick of white buffing compound .New. The guy once referbished elevators. I hold it in a wood vice but it scares me to death. Things disappears from your hands in a micro second. Give me your opinions. TKS
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Buffer
- Thread starter sabu386
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- Oct 2, 2006
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You are out of your bloody mind even attempting to use that as a buffer.
Read all of the stickies
read all of the recent threads about using buffers
fill out your profile
stay safe.. that means stop trying to use a buffer until you have been taught how to use one properly so you don't end being a statistic.
You wanted opinions, my opinion based on your post would get me banned so I toned it down.
I use buffers every day professionally and have been doing so for 20+ years, judging from your post you have broken just about every safety rule related to keeping your fingers. read up, get some common sense!
-page
Read all of the stickies
read all of the recent threads about using buffers
fill out your profile
stay safe.. that means stop trying to use a buffer until you have been taught how to use one properly so you don't end being a statistic.
You wanted opinions, my opinion based on your post would get me banned so I toned it down.
I use buffers every day professionally and have been doing so for 20+ years, judging from your post you have broken just about every safety rule related to keeping your fingers. read up, get some common sense!
-page
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2006
- Messages
- 3,238
A buffer should be between 1/4 and 1/2 horsepower, wheels of no more than 8 inches diameter. There should be nothing under or behind the wheel that a blade can bounce back at you from.
Dealing with an angle grinder radiusing weldments on a machine frame has very little relation to holding a knife blade against a spinning wheel that is trying to rip it out of your hands and throw it at you.
Always buff on the bottom of the wheel with the bottom of the wheel rotating away from you
-Page
Dealing with an angle grinder radiusing weldments on a machine frame has very little relation to holding a knife blade against a spinning wheel that is trying to rip it out of your hands and throw it at you.
Always buff on the bottom of the wheel with the bottom of the wheel rotating away from you
-Page
- Joined
- Jul 28, 2006
- Messages
- 3,953
The thought of a 2hp buffer with an inexperienced operator makes me want to poop my pants.
Let's rehash this whole thing:
You own a machine shop
You said you have no experience with "good" buffers
Someone with 20+ years of experience running buffers as a profession offers you advice
You rebuff them rather rudely
Did I leave anything out?
Page gave you the same advice we give all people asking about buffers. You have no idea who he is or his level of expertise, some of us know him and we don't know you.
A buffer is flat out the most dangerous tool in most shops. I can't tell you how many people I know that have been seriously injured with one. If you're going to use one get some training and follow Page's advice.
Let's rehash this whole thing:
You own a machine shop
You said you have no experience with "good" buffers
Someone with 20+ years of experience running buffers as a profession offers you advice
You rebuff them rather rudely
Did I leave anything out?
Page gave you the same advice we give all people asking about buffers. You have no idea who he is or his level of expertise, some of us know him and we don't know you.
A buffer is flat out the most dangerous tool in most shops. I can't tell you how many people I know that have been seriously injured with one. If you're going to use one get some training and follow Page's advice.
I have been buffing guns for about 10 years for refinishing. Started on knives about 3 years ago. I only buff some knives. I was lucky, got a Baldor in a sale and have had no problems so far. A good buffer can be up to about one horse, 1750 RPM. Any more and it will get very chancy. I read about people lugging down their buffers and cringe. Even with a 1/2 HP, if you let the buffing compound do the work, it will be fine.
Buy a number of buffing wheels, 6-8 inch diameter. I have fely wheels that match the diameter of my belt grinder to polish hollow grinds. Only use one compound per wheel unless you want to chase scratches forever. Put something soft under and behind the buffer, so that when something does get thrown, it won't back into you.
Keep a good coat of compund on the wheel. If it seems to take more pressure to get the wheel to cut, you need more compound. I bought all my compunds through Brownells, since I can get a discount. I think I have 7 or 8 different grits, from 140 to "shines like a mirror". Some people will use sand paper up to 2000 or more, only using the buffer for the last few seconds. I learned to buff flats and curves on guns with the buffer doing the work. If you use good wheels, like medium to hard felt, and light pressure, you can get crisp edges and mirror shine and make the motor do the work. As I get more mature (read old), I try to use power other than my own for as much as possible. The people who do the beautiful polishing jobs at the gun manufacturing companies do almost everything with power.
I got a lot of info on buffing from Brownells Gunsmith Kinks. Its not rocket science, but a lot of useful tips and methods.
With your background, much of this may be old news, but you asked for info.
Chip Kunkle
Buy a number of buffing wheels, 6-8 inch diameter. I have fely wheels that match the diameter of my belt grinder to polish hollow grinds. Only use one compound per wheel unless you want to chase scratches forever. Put something soft under and behind the buffer, so that when something does get thrown, it won't back into you.
Keep a good coat of compund on the wheel. If it seems to take more pressure to get the wheel to cut, you need more compound. I bought all my compunds through Brownells, since I can get a discount. I think I have 7 or 8 different grits, from 140 to "shines like a mirror". Some people will use sand paper up to 2000 or more, only using the buffer for the last few seconds. I learned to buff flats and curves on guns with the buffer doing the work. If you use good wheels, like medium to hard felt, and light pressure, you can get crisp edges and mirror shine and make the motor do the work. As I get more mature (read old), I try to use power other than my own for as much as possible. The people who do the beautiful polishing jobs at the gun manufacturing companies do almost everything with power.
I got a lot of info on buffing from Brownells Gunsmith Kinks. Its not rocket science, but a lot of useful tips and methods.
With your background, much of this may be old news, but you asked for info.
Chip Kunkle
Something I guess I did not make clear, the BD is not an angle grinder the shaft is straight not 90 degrees. It is a pro buffing machine for large jobs like elevators that you cannot put under the wheel, you have to take the wheel to the elevator. It is dangerous. That is why I needed and ask for advice in building a safer unit. Already it is obvious 2hp is way over powered, 8 inch wheels seam to be max , but nothing on clearence between motor and buffing wheel. Baldors have really long shafts. Imports are very close. What is best?
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Sabu
The long shafts are preferred to give clearance between the blade and the motor. I've used buffers built using a pulley driven arbor, the design was the arbor was mounted on top of a column with pillow blocks and a pulley, the motor hung off of the back using it's weight to tension the belt. Looked a lot like a "T".... long arbors are better than short ones because you don't have to put the blade into unsafe attitudes to get into the "tight" spots.
The long shafts are preferred to give clearance between the blade and the motor. I've used buffers built using a pulley driven arbor, the design was the arbor was mounted on top of a column with pillow blocks and a pulley, the motor hung off of the back using it's weight to tension the belt. Looked a lot like a "T".... long arbors are better than short ones because you don't have to put the blade into unsafe attitudes to get into the "tight" spots.
Thank you all that posted. I have got the info I needed as not to reinvent the wheel. Chip I also work on guns, have park and blue tanks and this buffer is for that also. I got a AGI video off the net on gun refinishing and I thought the guy recomended a 5 hp buffer. Memory can be poor sometimes. Will thanks for your opinion on long shafts. Sunshadow, sorry we got started wrong.
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- Feb 17, 2007
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Here is a picture of how I built mine. I have a 1hp with a vfd. It also has a foot petal for on off. It is set up so you can loosen the shaft, slide it in and replace the shaft with a different head like the one with flat grinding disks. Keep the buffer heads well apart so you have plenty of clearance. Trying to avoid the motor or other wheel cause people to tilt and angle and is a good way to hang stuff up in the wheel
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2006
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Hope no one tells Baldor that buffers have to be 1/2HP or less. I do agree with others that the HP is not needed, but if you're using it correctly it's not going to matter. Don't rely on the ability to stall the buffer as a safety feature, learn how to use it properly if you don't already.
Remember when we were taught that animals can sense fear? Respect your buffer instead of fearing it, just like you do the animals. If you're afraid of it, stay away, just like you do the animals.
Remember when we were taught that animals can sense fear? Respect your buffer instead of fearing it, just like you do the animals. If you're afraid of it, stay away, just like you do the animals.