Buffers wow

Buffers... OUCH!!! They can give ya plenty of stiches quick. Learn the do's and do not's first. Wish I would have.
 
all great advice....i have alot of respect for tools and forthe time being a buffer is a tool i don't wanna meet yet:thumbup:....stayin out of the shop for now!.....ryan
 
Probably the best realistically followable advice for using a buffer that I would give is use a smaller wheel with 1/4" flanges that only leave about 1" of the wheels radius exposed.

when a wheel is loose and floppy, stuff catches on it easier.

I can go from 50 grit to perfect mirror buff in about 10 minutes but personally, I just don't really like the finish so I probably won't do any more unless requested.
 
Most of the discussion seems to be about floppy wheels, do you run into the same problems with a hard felt wheels??? Also do they do as good of job??
 
Anybody ever use those buffing wheels that you chuck into a hand drill?

That's gotta be a whole lot safer, with the knife clamped and the hand drill in your hand.

Do they not work? Is that why nobody uses them?
 
MIKE FITZGERALD very very good tips thats what i want to hear saftey tips thanks . Dont get me wrong i know they are dangerous . I have seen my share of accidents working the rail road usually a train running you over at even 2 miles an hour dont hurt it just kills you.I have been a OHS rep for 4 years so have an upper hand on saftey. Any tool is dangerous and im glad you are all giving me warnings and saftey tips . My buffer is on a small grinder and it stalls out so ide think thats a good thing.Thanks every one and i will try to be carefull. KELLYW
 
Crazy Horse said:
Most of the discussion seems to be about floppy wheels, do you run into the same problems with a hard felt wheels??? Also do they do as good of job??
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I bought a set of those wheels with arbor and a couple sticks of compound just for fun, haven't got around to use it yet but from my experience with buffing, those little wheels would be best used for touching up stuff that's alread polished. You just wouldn't get the velocity and power to do a good buff job from scratch with those; Only MHO since I haven't actually used them.

I suppose if you give the piece a good hand rubbed job up to 1000 grit or higher, those buffs may work to finish it off.
 
Mike and I follow the same rules of buffing. We've had many discussions on them. I also never wear gloves in the shop, unless I'm heat treating.
 
Another general rule I follow is that if it takes more than about 20 seconds to do on a buffer, your finish wasn't good enough to begin with. Anything I buff is just to take it from a very high grit to a polish. Anyone trying to remove big scratches with a buffer is just doing themself a disservice. Nothing looks worse, IMHO, than a "Mirror finish" that in reality is just a huge mess of deep rounded out scratches.
 
when i made the knife for kalama i decided to put a mirror finish on it instead of the satin finish he wanted. like david said above about 20 seconds, thats about all the time it took to bring out the mirror finish. any scratches were removed with 1500 grit then i went back to the buffing wheel. there is no need to buy all these belts and wheels. all i used was a hard cotton buff and white rouge.
i started a safety sticky that can be found at this link for anyone interested. i will be adding more to it later deaing with other types of powered shop equipment. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=614065
 
I have used the 3" buffing wheels that go in a hand drill. They work OK, but I usually go to 1000 grit and then use the buffer to polish. I haven't been able to get a superb mirror finish. I think the comment about low velocity and power is spot on. On the other hand, they're not dangerous.
 
David Schott said:
Another general rule I follow is that if it takes more than about 20 seconds to do on a buffer, your finish wasn't good enough to begin with. Anything I buff is just to take it from a very high grit to a polish. Anyone trying to remove big scratches with a buffer is just doing themself a disservice. Nothing looks worse, IMHO, than a "Mirror finish" that in reality is just a huge mess of deep rounded out scratches.
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That is truer for softer metals like nickel silver and some steels more than others. High alloy steels can be quite a bit more difficult. Modern abrasives have surely helped a lot with this, allowing us to take it to a much finer grit before going to a buffer. Someone going to polish ATS34 for the first time shouldn't be surprised when it takes them considerably more than a few seconds.
 
It wasnt an injury that stoped me from using a buffer. I was when my buffer threw
the knife I had spent about 15 hrs on against the brick wall of my garage.
Now I sand to 2000 grit and like the look a lot better.

Greg
 
AcridSaint said:
Mike and I follow the same rules of buffing. We've had many discussions on them. I also never wear gloves in the shop, unless I'm heat treating.
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I don't wear gloves also most of the time, I found that to have minor scratches and blisters on my hands is acceptable rather than losing or braking my hand at the power machines grabbing gloves while my hands in it. Though I learned to wear gloves while dyeing leather: man those leather dyes also colors the skin for weeks and thet wont go away even you wash your hand like crazy :barf::D
 
I strongly believe every knife making school should have part of its curriculum concentrated on how to use a buffer. It would also be a good demonstration at hammerins.

Years ago I attended a knife making school, they had two buffers but no wheels! I asked why? The answer "They are too dangerous"!

There are a lot of rules, most of them already on this form and others. A few years ago I wrote an article about safety and the buffer. Some paid attention.

It took me a long time to learn, I listened, watches and read and practiced and finally figured it out. Buffing blades is like any other aspect of knife making, you need to learn, then practice. Gloves are a serious accident waiting to happen, as are rags and not paying attention.

And Yes, there still is a pile of used belts under and behind my buffer, no blade can escape them.
 
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